Out there. The wind chill factor cutting through several layers of clothing. A few days of this. Winter's last hurrah. Nothing even half approaching the permafrost frozen tundra of last winter....
"Very cold. Sunny spells". Is what Carol on the BBC is predicting. Wincanton down the road from here inspected yesterday. And have decided to have another look this morning. Very good luck to them, and I hope they race. But we could not even contemplate doing so here. And could not have done at any point yesterday. Like so many racecourses, Wincanton must have it's own microclimate. And a very different one than we do some 30 miles further east.....
A few of the 2-year-olds stretching their legs a little further yesterday. Up the "long" allweather. Bountybeamadam (Bahamian Bounty), Sutton Sid (Dutch Art) and the unnamed Multiplex filly (Gina) cantering on the 7 furlong straight gallop for the first time. And coping well. Not long before they can be unleashed onto the grass......
Still quiet on the runners front. Sergeant Troy to Southwell today. Half a chance in a competitive little handicap. And then Humidor tomorrow at Meydan. Southwell and Meydan - compare and contrast....
February looking pretty quiet on the racecourse action front. A few of the jumpers to the fore. Not So Sure Dick (up 3 to 108 after his excellent Wincanton run), Oscar Close (112) and Belle de Fontenay (114) all have handicap options through the month. And slightly fanciful Cheltenham entries. NSSD and Oscar in the 4 mile Amateur Riders' Handicap that used to be the Kim Muir. Baldadash due to run soon in a staying Novices' hurdle. A little stuck in the mud at Folkestone last time, but his earlier run at Lingfield has been franked and he is a horse I think plenty of......
Another potential hurdler this month is the consistent Thundering Home. He has run over hurdles before coming here, not with great promise, but will be schooled once the ground thaws to give us the dual purpose option with him....
QPR blowing a two goal lead away at Aston Villa last night. Clinging on for a point at the end. The scoring opened by Djibril Cisse (thanks for my spell chek yesterday, Stephen Molyneaux !!), 12 minutes into his debut. QPR have a depressingly tough run-in at the end of the season, and need to push on into "mid table mediocrity" sooner rather than later....
England Captain John Terry and potential future England Manager Harry Redknapp both in court in recent days. You could'nt make it up. Terry will proudly lead his men into Poland this summer.....
Prompting a tweet yesterday, I recall not who from - "Just like his hero 70 years ago"................?!
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