Up a bit, down a bit - 24th July 2013

Not much happened over this last week sprinting wise so I'm going to start by touching on a football story thats in the news at the moment - will Suarez be a Liverpool player by the time his ban is over ?
As a Liverpool supporter I hope that he is but he certainly didn't look happy to be on the pitch in Melbourne earlier today and he positively tried to avoid celebrating the second goal which he created.
Brendan Rodgers commented after the match that he needs to show the fans a bit more loyalty as it is they who have stood by him through all of his antics.
It certainly wasn't Liverpool Football Club or their fans that made Suarez bite the Chelsea player or get in trouble over the Evra incident and he created these problems all on his own just as he did at his previous club.
Any ongoing issues that he has with the media, who will hound him from now until the end of his career, are of his own making and I believe at this stage its a change of his attitude rather than a change of football club that he needs in order for him to achieve his immediate football ambitions.

Onto the racing and we have to go right through to Friday at Newmarket before we find a speed figure to take any note of and that was by Picture Dealer in the Class 4 handicap over 6f. In winning by 4 lengths from Whipper Snapper he achieved a speed rating of 86 and the handicapper has duly raised him by 10lbs to a mark of 89. It was the best top speed figure and Racing Post Rating that he had achieved so far and only having had 15 runs to date he could be capable of improving further and he is entered on Friday at York in the 6.30 for which he carries a 6lb penalty. - 1st 11/4

At Newbury on Saturday Heeraat beat Hamza by 1 3/4 lengths and they both achieved top speed figures of 90 and 83 respectively. They had finished in reverse order over 5f at Beverley two starts back and they are creating  a bit of rivalry and the step up to 6f helped Heeraat on this occasion. Heeraat holds two Group 1 entries whilst Hamza is also entered for a couple for Group 3 events and the Stewards Cup(6f) for which he is 14/1.