Tanya Stevenson
It is athletes such as Ben Rushgrove that inspire me
29 August 2012
Today's tip:
3.40 Catterick Idler
From 8pm today our lives should be taken over by the Paralympians, for no other reason that they are strong, dedicated and determined athletes. They haven’t got adversity in their vocabulary, yet we band it about with reckless abandon without knowing its true meaning. The Paralympians are striving for the best time, distance or achievement and if that comes with a medal mores the better. If it doesn’t it comes with friendship, camaraderie and belief for further triumphs. Their goals pale ours into insignificance and we should all be willing participants into each athlete's success.
My loudest cheer will go to Ben Rushgrove - it’s worth watching his documentary on 4oD. He’ll be running in the 200m, but it was his sense of humour which won my heart and with that he can conquer everything. By the end of the Paralympics get ready to find a new favourite for Sports Personality of the Year, or at least a new entry.
Meanwhile racing continues to tangle itself up in knots regarding its funding, yet those that help pour their hard-earned into the sport's coffers, like your good selves, are glazing over at the prospect of more politics being on the front pages. Instead questions like why is ¼ odds four places extinct? Why, when a horse fails to come out of the stalls don’t we get our money back? Why, when a jockey gets a whip ban on a winner, does the horse not get disqualified? Why are the costs for catering at courses so expensive? Need I go on?
Six meetings across Britain & Ireland which will be hard to digest for us everyday betting shop punters in between the numbers games, greyhound races and various other distractions.
I have only gone for one selection today and it is at Catterick. Idler ran into form at Newmarket on Saturday and this is a quick reappearance but it worked well for Sir Graham Wade after Glorious Goodwood. I am intrigued by the apparent money for Mick Slates and will be keeping a close eye.
Tanya's Pointers:
Ed Dunlop has had five winners from his last eight runners
Mark Johnston has had five winners, two seconds and a third from his last nine runners
Silvestre de Sousa and Mark Johnston are the pairing to follow at Catterick with a higher than 1:3 strike rate
Richard Johnson has ridden six winners, a second and five thirds from his last 15 rides - a man for the Placepots
Roger Varian has had five winners from his last eight Wolverhampton runners
Anthony Honeyball has had four winners from his last nine Worcester runners
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