This is where
@MCYeeehaaa
is at his best IMO. Polite but mischievous at the same time. May not get an answer but reveals a glimmer of the characters of the best in the racing business. I can relate to that. Terrific stuff 👍
"If you think Meditate is, I'm happy to go with that" 😂
Aidan O'Brien was on great form chatting to
@MCYeeehaaa
about his best
#BC22
chance of the year 🙌
With the top flight taking a winter break, the Championship takes centrestage for a week or two. Enjoyed chatting to Michael Moffat about all things
@AyrUnitedFC
for
@ScotMailSport
Take morality out of the equation, this LIV golf format is absolutely unwatchable. The teams are pointless, the leaderboard is impossible to follow. Snap highlights amid live action are distracting. Zero competitive edge. Garbage stuff. There’s nothing elite about this.
Wow!!! Amazing to play a leg of darts against one of your sporting heroes and even more of a pleasure to meet them... and meet your expectations of them as an absolute gent...
@Raybar180
a massive pleasure, top man 👍👍
Finish Cheltenham 2021 on +231pts. Overall: 11 winners, 12 places and four forecasts/combo tricasts, plus three winning legs of four in a monster Lucky 15. Plenty of thrills and spills along the way. A fantastic week of top drawer and received some great messages, too.
Think teams might take us a wee bit more seriously now. That was utterly sensational. I’d be hard-pressed to name a better 90-minute Ayr United performance than that in my lifetime. First win at Tannadice in 41 years and what a bloody way to do it. Superb.
Royal Ascot 2020: 13 winners for the week (5/6, 16/1, 10/3, 11/2, 16/1, 3/1, 4/5, 40/1, 50/1, 13/2, 9/2, 4/1, 6/4). A 14/1 King's Stand tricast and 26 placed horses, too. Bit of punters fatigue today but it paid off. And nice to see a few folk win a few bob on here as a result.
Overall, another superb season for Ayr United and encouraging to hear Ian McCall fully committed to driving the club even further forward. Only four years ago, Ayr were on the brink of League Two football. Strides taken since have been nothing short of staggering.
This is great to see. Had a big game to manage yesterday and played in the vast majority of it. Easy, and entitled, to relax today before preparing for another huge game against Dundee Utd on Tuesday night. But no, out with an academy side today. Commitment can’t be questioned.
‘The Gaffer’ | ‘The 09s’
Mark Kerr met our 2009s this afternoon at Ayr Acadmey ahead of their friendly against Ayr Boswell 2008s! Kerr took some time away from first team training to share some advice and tips for some of our youngest academy players.
⚫️⚪️ |
#superayr
Marcus Rashford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have been consistently better (particularly for England) in the last six months than Eric Dier and Jamie Vardy, yet who did Gareth Southgate put on with ten minutes to go? Baffling decision at a crucial stage.
More nonsense. It’s a major football tournament not a school sports day. Elite sport is about performing well and winning not simply being happy to turn up and be content with whatever materialises. We should be aspiring for better and so should our bruised squad.
The team gave everything they had and went out on their shields - it was not a great match but a truly great effort from
@ScotlandNT
.
It is a privilege to support these players and an honour to be part of Scotland’s tartan army🏴
Cheltenham 2022: My full ante-post book…
The good, the bad and the ugly all collated on here. Minor additions and tweaks now until playing over the four days.
Shows how Ayr United have come in 2018 that we’re frustrated to end the year with just a point in Dumfries. Queen of the South a real bogey team for us and we’re still battling away near the top of the Championship. Roll on the 2019 miracle, I say.
#believe
Six days after one of the most humiliating results in history, Ayr go and do that. Pride restored and back on top of the Championship. Even on Burns night, I don’t think the Bard himself could write that script! Massive victory that salvages our season. Go on the Honest Men!
Spurious point but all 11 British race meetings are on Sky Sports Racing and none are on Racing TV between Friday and Sunday. Two dedicated racing channels and all the weekend coverage is on one. Racing programme is very lopsided in all aspects… even TV scheduling. Zero balance.
Winners in Vintage Clouds, Honeysuckle, Black Tears. Ante-post place with Happygolucky in second. Some spills with Abacadabras and Blue Lord. Gutting seconds with Concertista and Saint Sam. Some multiples boosted and some down. Whirlwind day and it’s only the start (+18.5pts).
125/1 winner!!! Joel Stalter wins the Euram Bank Open in Austria by two shots. Agonising wait for a long way but the Frenchman held his nerve well today. Congrats to everyone who was on. A terrific one to get.
Graeme Murty was never going to get the Rangers job. He's not manager material. But the way he was treated by Dave King earlier in the week and his players today was disgraceful. Man stepped up in an hour of need. Steadied the ship and gets no help when it starts to sink again.
Cheltenham 1.30: Jonbon 11/2, Kilcruit 9/1
2.10: Blue Lord 9/2, War Lord 33/1
2.50: Floueur 7/1, Full Back 16/1
3.30: Honeysuckle/Appreciate It/Epatante combo forecasts/tricast
4.10: Telmesomethinggirl 4/1
4.50: HMS Seahorse 17/2, Bell Ex One 25/1
5.30: Run Wild Fred 7/4
Sky Sports for the Premiership, BT Sport for the Champions League/Europa League games, Premier Sports for cup competitions and now Viaplay to watch the national team. Four different subscriptions required to watch Scottish football. An absolute rip-off.
#growingthegame
Bad night for Ayr but this is a club that’s taken a massive stride forward in the last 12 months or so. A team less than a decade ago that looked destined for League Two football and in a rudderless world of part-time mediocrity . Short-term is a missed opportunity…
Big ask for Corach Rambler on Saturday but let’s all hope he runs with credit. Has nothing to prove after National glory. He’s clearly adored by everyone
@lucindavrussell
yard and rightfully so. A beautiful horse.
Brother phones for a lift from town an hour ago. Drive in. Phone him nine times... nae answer. Driving and walking round Ayr, asking folk if they've seen him... nothing. 45 mins later I give up and return home and who's locked the door watching MOTD half asleep... Yep. Fizzing.
As blog followers will know, Cheltenham Festival bet
#5
is Dame De Compagnie (25/1 EW, Coral Cup). Won last time at Cheltenham and the second in that race Indefatigable bolted in at Warwick today in a Listed contest to give that form a nice boost.
And breathe! Reverses for Notebook and Benie hurt but still a very good day. Three winners (6/1, 15/2 and 5/1). Places at 20/1, 20/1, 15/2, 28/1, 12/1. Two close seconds, too. Promising start to the week on a brilliantly competitive day. A wee breather and then on to tomorrow!
Some week for Ayr. Two thumping wins away at Cove, keeping Mullin and adding McAlear. Good chance of reaching the Scottish Cup quarters and good chance of maintaining a promotion push. Squad looks to be in a good place to give the second half of the season a right go.
Mourn as a nation would do. Might last tonight and may go into tomorrow but life goes on, royalist or not, things should be as they were from Saturday onwards. Sport included. Respect her legacy, regardless of political view but time waits for no one. Keep calm and carry on.
For what it's worth, Scotland 0/3 in European ties against League of Ireland opponents since 2000. Aberdeen (lost to Bohemians, 2000), Gretna (Derry City 2006), Motherwell (Sligo Rovers, 2022).
Spare a thought for fellow sports sub-editors across the land trying to get Van Bronckhorst and Postecoglou into headlines and subdecks for the foreseeable future 😂
#supersqueeze
Billy Gilmour on the bench for Chelsea in a Champions League game but can't get into the Scotland squad? In fact, if you are aged 20 or under, you can't get in. Between three and six could be introduced to the senior set up at the expense of dead wood, easily. Absolute madness.
Well, that’s how it pays off on the dividend. Santiago smashed in so the return way bigger than the fixed-odds forecast price this morning as Stradivarius and Nayef Road eased out respectively. 7/1 turns into double on those moves alone.
I’m Lanzarote for Cheltenham week. Bunch of Irish lads very excited about a trivial finish at Taunton. Sets a good tone for the week ahead!
No ante-post casualties for Wednesday given the final decs. Found a spot to watch Ayr Utd as well. Let the holiday truly begin!
Forget Sir Lewis Hamilton, Gary Anderson should have been honoured in some shape or form purely on the entertainment he’s provided on and off the oche for this week alone!
HE CAME FROM THE CLOUDS!!! A VINTAGE DISPLAY!! Forget the odds-on shots. Thre old boy, Vintage Clouds and Happygolucky in second ain’t bad either. A dream one-two!!
A Morton fan has thrown a pie onto the pitch as Dunfermline run amok early on at Cappielow. Further evidence that the game needs to get a grip on this increasing pierotechnic problem.
Start well. Miss a very good chance. Dominate possession. Concede first goal in a dismally cheap fashion. The Ayr United way in the last couple of months. Maddeningly frustrating.
Full book done and dusted. Hostage to fortune now. Prices might be a bit poor that have taken now but at NRNB, so a case of catching my flight and enjoying the action on holiday. This is it done… no matter what for me. Keep an eye on decs & better terms!
Nice touch from ITV at HT on John Hunt and his family. Impossible to process the news, never mind begin to think how he and his family are feeling. Still numb thinking about it. Certainly puts squabbling about a penalty call into perspective. Just horrible, horrible stuff.
BT Sport preaching that ‘football is owned by the fans’ in England and ‘nothing can take the game away from them in this country.’ Wasn’t the case last night when BT were charging £14.95 to watch Villa v Leeds, eh? Talk about a lack of self-awareness. Beyond parody.
Today’s
@ScotMailSport
racing diary… Monkfish missing an early blow but still plenty to look forward to. Hayley Turner, Perfect Power and a 9/2 shot at Epsom today that’s been backed all day (probably finished second now)!
Rain getting into the ground at Fairyhouse and that suits the Elliott yard who are enjoying a good day. Teahupoo has his ground when he didn’t in the Champion Hurdle. He’s talented but hasn’t had it go his way. At 20/1 he could start fulfilling that potential today.
Gamesters Icon ✅
John Kirkup ✅
Manzo Duro ❌
Sienna Dream ✅
Forever A Lady🥈
Get Knotted ✅
Addis Ababa ✅
Iconic Code ✅
Best day in a while and fantastic feeling to do that at your local track!!
Make it 1-4 in play-offs Headline pick Scottie Scheffler wins the Waste Management Phoenix Open at 25/1. Think all of golf Twitter was on. Well done all. Drink it in!!
Won next to nothing this month and a 1-2-3 in the Cesarewitch pops along and you put some spare change on the fanciful combo. £3k win from next to nothing. Amazing how one race can turn fortunes.
Winners at 16/1, 14/1 and 33/1 today all for the ante-post long list. Places at 16s, 20s and 14s. Profitable day and now +66.5pts for the three days. That’s certainly enough to ensure a profitable Festival. Still a sense of what could have been with a couple today!
Sad to learn of the death of Andy Fordham. The Viking’s semi-final win over Barney in the 2004 BDO world championship was top class. Beat King in the final. When BDO was in its pomp.
but in the long term, the club will be in a far better position. A new stand, a community programme that keeps excelling and a scouting/management team that identifies players well and keeps them on good contractual terms for club and individual. We’re in a far better place.
Said Waldgeist was the main threat all week as the rain piled down. Well drawn, too. Backed it heavily EW. Said 20/1 was far too big on Friday here. Wins but I’m gutted for Enable.
York 1.50: Jm Jungle 9/1, Kylian 16/1, Vintage Clarets 25/1
2.25: The Lion In Winter 9/4
3.00: King’s Gambit 7/4
3.35: City Of Troy 11/8, Israr 18/1
4.10: Great Bedwyn 15/2, Evaluation 12/1
4.45: Got To Love A Grey 5/1, Boadicia 14/1
5.20: Cayman Tai 8/1, Managing Director 9/1.
Penalty shoot-out for Georgia v Greece not shown by Viaplay after a 0-0 draw in normal and extra-time. Knew it was time sensitive ahead of Wales and Scotland games but should be an extra channel for all these matches when they have the rights. Dismal stuff
@ViaplaySportsUK
Morning all. Today’s
@ScotMailSport
racing diary looks at how Aidan O’Brien showcases his genius in the Oaks market, Richard Fahey, Palace Pier, Starman and two value picks for both of today’s French Guineas.