What a weekend

I am writing this on Sunday night, exhausted from the sporting drama that the weekend brought, but determined to put a piece together to do it justice, before the excitement and vivid memories start to fade as a new working week beckons. I believe we witnessed three sporting performances which for different reasons will be remembered for many years to come, and rightly so. By Saturday at 1550 one of this year's most discussed horse racing debates was finally but to bed. In fact it wasn't just put to bed, it was well and truly sent to sleep with a pitch perfect lullaby - Canford Cliff not only saw out the mile to land the Irish 2000 Guineas, it looked - dare U say it - like it could have gone further. I, like ATR presenter Sean Boyce points out on his blog, was surprised to see just how many people were doubting the stamina of this horse after the way it ran at Newmarket at the beginning of the month. I seriously thought some people must have watched a different race, because if anything, it ran on more strongly than Derby favourite St Nicholas Abbey, and but for slightly checking 1 furlong out, may have finished within half a length of the eventual winner. Saturday morning saw the horse drift out to 7/2, so I opened up the Kevaldo war chest, dusted off the mothballs, and made myself to my local William Hill and proclaimed my belief in the horse by putting down my hard earned.. And what a run its jockey Richard Hughes gave it. From the moment the stalls opened, he guided it into an early position to ensure it got the cover that it lacked at Newmarket and didn't panic as most of those around him proceeded to work away at their charges 3 furlongs out. He knew EXACTLY what he had under him, and showed a great amount of trust by refusing to push the button too early before proceeding to drive him clear to win comfortably by 3 lengths. And it wasn't just the fact that it won the race, but how it won the race that makes it so memorable. When you consider the controversy surrounding the recent 1000 Guineas classics both in England and France, it was good to see a performance that will be remembered for all the right reasons. Well done connections.

It was also a dramatic day in football for all Inter and Blackpool fans(never thought I would mention those teams in the same sentence), as The Special One and Ian Holloway guided their teams to historical moments in their club histories. It was more interesting to watch and listen to the managers both during the games and post match, as the passion was clear to see.. Contrasting characters, Jose was quick at celebrating lifting the trophy with his own fans, waving what was surely his last goodbye to the only people in Italy that actually seemed to show any affection to him. He displayed dignity for his opponent arguably lacking after the semi final encounter at the Nou Camp and the now infamous sprint across the touchline as if he he'd just landed the Scoop 6. The end is inevitably nigh for him in Italy now, as the odds of 1/10 for him to be Real Madrid manager next season clearly indicate. Ian Holloway on the other hand was dignified throughout and anyone that saw his post match interview in the dressing room realised he's not the joker that many people think, but a manager with clear direction and passion for what lies ahead, as he re-iterated the importance of establishing Premiership standard training and stadium facilities to allow them to grow into a team that can not only get promoted to, but stay in the top flight. He spoke with passion, and was quick to point out what the win would do for the sea side town in general and its local community. And that's what football is all about - not forgetting the people that you represent and realising the importance that the team performance can have.

These three sporting events made it such a memorable weekend, and gave people up and down the country pleasure which will live long into the memory. But spare a thought for the Premier League darts fans who travelled from all over the UK to watch their heroes battle it out at Wembley, only for a power cut to cause a postponement in the action. It appears that Phil Taylor was the only person there that did have "The Power"...