For live sport…
Took Candida, Barney, Barney’s mate Watty and me to Farnham on Saturday. Where we found a disappointing pub for a disappointing lunch before the “Mighty Farnham Town FC” took on Uxbridge….
4-1 to the Town. Sitting fourth in the Southern Premier League South. Not bad football. At all. The classic centre back skipper who seemed a little too interested in his hair. A lad from “Love Island” in midfield. “JD” nipping down the right wing. The left wing full of silky skills and attitude. The Number 9 a lumbering soul who would probably have made it at a higher level if he was not so slow….
And then across the country to a great mate’s Cinema room to watch England roar away with the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield. Except….?!
Jonbon doing tough Jonbon stuff at Ascot up the home straight. Two tough horses putting on a show. Their Gold Cup…
And that’s almost that on the Cheltenham clues front. Three weeks tomorrow. “The Roar”. Inevitably and sadly, the dawn feel of previously ice cold legs will reveal a setback or three, and there will be some disappointing headlines made. Part and parcel. Injuries. Disappointment. Tortured telephone calls to pass on the bad news. Punches to the stomach that make you feel sick to the core…
Inevitable. Part and parcel. But desperately tough at times. Which is why the good days are so good, and why they must be savoured, because we all know that bad news is never far away…
Constitution Hill might squeak into that £40,000 Novice at Southwell on Friday night. Or he might not. No surprise that the prize money has attracted a decent entry, and no real surprise to see that the superstar has a ballot mark. Three above him need to come out for him to get a run – which would be a likely scenario in an ordinary, run of the mill Novice contest. But there ain’t anything “run of the mill” about £40,000 and Southwell Novices….
Hindsight – but surely if this was all about Constitution Hill (which it is supposed to be), those clever race planning folk should have put on a Conditions race. With “conditions” that ensured the superstar got a run….
