Racing Diary

Britain's top woman golfer Laura Davies bolstered the number of females to three on Channel 4's Saturday

Tom Cruise's latest blockbuster, Vanilla Sky, opens in cinemas on Friday and there's every prospect of a perfect view as the person sitting in front will probably be a two-pint jockey.
Most will be keen to see their fellow shorty strut his stuff along with Cameron Diaz - and Penelope Cruz, of course - as Cruise is so popular at the races his name has become part of jockey-speak. "I was 'Tommy' after a furlong" is slang for when one of them reckons to be cruising in the saddle.

Those complaining of having picked up 'flu from sitting next to sniffling sufferers on public transport should keep a sense of perspective.
Vets in Toronto have now found that racehorse owners are responsible for passing on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus to their equine prides and joy. An outbreak in eight horses was traced to the nasal passage of one of their owners who, herself, picked up the bacteria after an operation. Makes the common cold seem mild, by comparison.

With record loser Quixall Crossett, the Racing Diary horse of the year for 2001, seemingly now out to grass and his web page stagnant, a worrying message from Dollar Bill, a likeminded horse in the US who also keeps devotees informed via a website - www.dollarbill.ws. "I'm goin' into hibernation," Bill warns. "Yes, that means I'll keep my mouth shut for a while."

For racehorses who are dedicated followers of fashion, Milan, Paris, New York and even London represent no temptation at all. The Netherlands is where it's at.
There, the Kerckhaert Horseshoe Factory, Vogelwaarde, has a remarkable range of hoof wear and this year the racecourse's most stylish performers simply won't step out at the track without this season's hot item - 'Aluminium Kerckhaert Race Plates'. Available in "Kings-style with toe clip front and hind, unclipped front and hind, side clipped hind, low toe, regular toe and XT-version". As well as all sizes, of course.