Flood Forecast?

Hope this isn't a bad omen on Friday 13th!

With this in mind, I have just had a little flutter on the horse #2 I'm So Lucky running today at 16:50 in the John Smith´s Daily Mirror Punters Club Handicap Hurdle at Aintree. Odds are 55-1, so I will just have it 'Place' only and if it comes in the first four, then I still win. Will keep you posted tomorrow (but please don't bet your life savings on it).

Keeping on the subject, tomorrow of course sees the Aintree Grand National Chase run at 16:15. It will make me sad and happy at the same time, because it will be the first National without my dad, Alan Banks, and his hopelessly bad tips. He died last November and loved his racing. Nothing too frivolous in his retirement, just a harmless daily 50p Yankee down at the bookies. He had a strange obsession with betting on horses with family names in the title, so wasnt exactly a professional punter the bookmakers feared! So much so that I placed a £1 win bet on the morning of his funeral on 22nd November, on the horse Bankstair running in the 15:20 at Lingfield. The funeral was at 12:00 so I asked the Vicar if he wouldn't mind giving out the tip from the pulpit careof my dad. He kindly did, and needless to say it then won at 4:1. I had this idea I might keep the un-cashed ticket as a momento, but found out my mum cashed it in the next day. I guess that would have been a novelty for her!

Anyway, countering todays bad luck theme, I have already selected and bet Each-Way on horse #13 Sea Bass for tomorrows National. The horse is ridden by lady rider Katie Walsh (sister of 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Ruby Walsh). My reasoning is none other than I have desperately tried to catch a Sea Bass for many years now and have not succeeded (as yet). This may well be the bit of good luck that changes my fishing fortunes forever. I suspect I will also need my dad looking down from on high to help gee this donkey along though....Good Luck Katie!

Given the mishaps on the University Boat Race last week, I suppose the organisers will be hoping for good luck as well. I do love horse racing, but do struggle when I see horses hurt and killed. That said, the National is nowhere near as fearsome as it was in years gone by, and is a national institution.

I will be watching it and thinking of my dad.