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Plus 5 and dry when driving in.

David Bass and Ciaran Gethings were in to ride out.

We jumped Chianti Classico, Trelawne, Destroytheevidence, The Edgar Wallace, Land Afar and Law Of Supply.

My thoughts on the future of amateur jockeys..

'A Labour government looks increasingly likely and one of their manifesto pledges is to ban hunting and Trail hunting.. Many might not worry, but those who ride in point to points will, as with no hunting there will no need for fund raising for hunts?. Point to point meetings are their biggest revenue scource.. So no point to pointing, no amateurs?

The current rules on conditional and amateurs make no sense.

Conditional jockeys, once they have a license can ride against professionals immediately, while Amateurs must have upto 15 completed rides over obstacles under rules or 20 placed or completed rides in point to points, or a combination to qualify for a Category B license to ride against pros..

So why do we have such difficult rules for amateurs, especially when this winter point to points have been decimated by weather and small fields.

The future for both point to pointing and their especially their riders is looking very bleak indeed.

The BHA should be looking to change the rules to help amateurs get going rather than penalise them for wanting to be one.

My thoughts.. a series of 0/100 handicap hurdles where amateur and conditionals should be allowed to ride against each other.. in fact get rid of conditional races and have them for both forms of riders.

Conditional and Amateurs must ride in 10 of these qualifying races before they are allowed to ride against pros… Make it a ‘non fee paying’ structure as a carrot to encourage owners to allow them to ride their horses..You don't curently pay an amateur..

All our top jump jockeys have started their race riding life as an amateur, so please help the next generation before it is too late...Or if Point to pointing goes, does that mean the need for amateurs follows suit and we only have conditional jockeys?

I can tell you it is hard enough to encourage recruitment of stable staff, but if you cannot help those who want to progress to be jockeys,  you must wonder why anybody would want to join our sport of jump racing.

Racing prepares for the big 3 day Aintree Festival..

The Masters Golf is another huge sporting occasion.

Gerard Clinton obitury.. Extraodinary man

Sad day for Mrs B’s family as it is her Uncle Tom Wills's funeral this afternoon at St Andrews in Miserden

Happy birthday to Dougie..