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Captain's Blog - 22nd June 2011

I did not apply for any Olympic tickets so am not waiting with bated breath this morning to find out which events I will be going to see. In truth I only wanted to go to the velodrome to see the cycling and if I really want I can watch the cycling road race for free at some point around the circuit.

Yes it would have been great to be present for the 100m final in the Olympic stadium, but the chances of getting a ticket were less than slim and the cost prohibitive. Don't get me wrong it is fabulous that we are hosting the Olympics and I will watch as many events as I can on the TV, but unfortunately the ticketing process and the cost of tickets has very much limited the potential live audience which is a pity.

I am in the studio tonight for another night for you and me at Kempton Park. Mr Dave Yates will be my guest and I am looking forward to his company. Dave is always good value and brings something different to the party. As ever your e-mails will be very welcome to studio@racinguk.com. We will be happy to deal with any issues you want to discuss.

For the first time in a long time I will be going to the gym this morning that is if I can remember where it is! I need to get some exercise done on a more regular basis and that particular project starts right here right now. With this in mind please forgive me if I look somewhat lifeless during the show tonight.

Our selection at Newbury yesterday was Isolate who jumped out of the stalls and then pulled like a wild mustang thereby losing any chance she had in the first furlong.

Such is my luck at the moment but there is a lesson in this. Isolate returned after a lay off 14 days ago and ran a blinder to be narrowly defeated. Last night was just two weeks on from that run and she was always going to be a bounce candidate. She did not bounce in the commonly accepted manner of the word which is based on muscle fatigue, but she bounced mentally.

The memory of a hard race just two weeks earlier fired her up and made her keen to get on with the job and as such she blew her chance pulling too hard. The bounce factor is perhaps more than just something to do with lactic acid and muscle memory, it has a role to play in the mental state of a horse who turned out quickly for the second time after a break cannot erase the memory of what happened first time up and reacts accordingly.

Have a good day.

Today's Selection

8.50pm Kempton - Merchant Of Medici (each-way)