After yesterday, I feel as though I deserve a nomination if nothing else. Three seconds, two thirds and a winner – admittedly in the Ayr Bronze Cup – but still, somehow a disappointment.
In case you are one of those entirely in the dark, on the subject of Ig Nobel awards, I received news of the 2020 prizes the other day and inevitably Boris received (along with many others) THE MEDICAL EDUCATION PRIZE which went to Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, Narendra Modi of India, Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Donald Trump of the USA, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan, for using the Covid-19 viral pandemic to teach the world, that politicians can have a more immediate effect on life and death than scientists and doctors can. As the report pointed out this was the second Ig Nobel Prize awarded to Alexander Lukashenko, who in 2013, won it for making it illegal to applaud in public, AND to the Belarus State Police, for arresting a one-armed man for applauding.
However, my favourite prize for 2020 was the ECONOMICS PRIZE, which went to the scientists who worked on quantifying the relationship between different countries’ national income inequality and the average amount of mouth-to-mouth kissing.
Talking of politicians making merry with Scientific fact, why is it that Hancock cannot read his own PHE weekly survey. This would tell him that since July 4th when pubs reopened, the average number of traceable infections of ALL respiratory diseases including but not limited to ‘flu, pneumonia, whooping cough and COVID-19 has been 35.
35!
Not per 100,000 visitors – in total. Not in Bolton – in the whole of the UK. You have more chance of making £20 a week from following Raceweb, than catching c19 in a pub.
As a result, the last 24 hours has been frantic, as we try to prevent the idiot at No 10 from doing any more economic damage. Talking of economic damage, here are today’s ITV racing tips.
1:40 NEWBURY Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes 5f
EQUILATERAL win
1:55 AYR Jordan Electrics Doonside Cup Stakes (Listed Race) 1m2f
ADDEYBB win
2:15 NEWBURY Dubai Duty Free H’cap 1m2f
KINGBROOK e/w
2:30 AYR QTS Ayr Silver Cup H’cap 6f
ABERAMA GOLD e/w – DANZAN e/w – ATALANTAS BOY e/w – RATHBONE e/w
2:50 NEWBURY Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes 1m3f
EXTRA ELUSIVE win
3:05 AYR Scotty Brand Firth Of Clyde Fillies’ Stakes 6f
UMM KULTHAM win
3:25 NEWBURY Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes 6f
FIVETHOUSANDTOONE win
3:40 AYR QTS Ayr Gold Cup H’cap (Heritage H’cap) 6f
BIELSA e/w – BARBILL e/w – STONE OF DESTINY e/w – WISE COUNCIL win