THE death of Fred Winter reminded me that Jay Trump was the last horse to give me a run for my money in the Grand National, back in 1965. The great man also trained Anglo to win the following year and had ridden two National winners in the 50s. I suspect he knew a bit more about horses than I do.

In fact, all I know is that they have an amazing extra-sensory perception which tells them when a pound of mine is riding on them. If I have drawn a horse in a Grand National sweep in the last few years which got beyond the first fence I don't recall it.

Having pulled out a no-hoper (it didn't run) in the pub sweep, I splashed out on having a second go and came up with Kelami, which was brought down at the first. Kelami is a six-year-old, and even seven-year-olds don't win the Grand National, so it was a surprise that champion jockey Tony McCoy chose to ride one considering he has about as much luck in the event as I do.

Amberleigh House is 12, which is the upper limit because a 13-year-old hasn't won since 1923. He has obviously learnt a trick or two, but was surely helped home by the race's unwritten demand for fairytale winners. Ginger McCain, trainer of Red Rum, winning another National all these years later - whoever would have thought it?

Rummy's first win, of course, came at the expense of Crisp in 1973. The Australian horse, trained by Fred Winter and ridden by Richard Pitman, had led by 30 lengths but was pipped on the line. Pitman recalls that immediately afterwards Winter told him: "You had a great ride", but three weeks later the trainer suddenly said: "You know what you did wrong don't you?" Pitman replied: "Yes I do", to which Winter responded: "Well there's no point in discussing it then." And that was that.

NEVER mind the first cuckoo, the Grand National always strikes me as the real harbinger of Spring, even if it is sometimes run in fetlock-deep mud. The US Masters can never be far behind.

Like all those pretentious travel articles which mention bougainvillea in the first paragraph, scribes at the Masters always comment on the azaleas. The flora may have something to do with the event's appeal but I wouldn't know an azalea from a rhodedendron, so there has to be much more to it than that.

I rarely watch a ball struck at the US Open, but the Masters is compelling viewing. It's a combination of the setting, the fact that it's the first big event of the season and its penchant for producing a dramatic finish. Even when Tiger blitzed the opposition the pursuit of records produced a drama of its own.

Tiger has been honing his body, as well as his game, for several years, which cannot be said of John Daly, who would doubtless be the most popular winner.

Darren Clarke used to have the same carefree attitude but now has a rigorous training routine which has trimmed him from 18st to 14st 7lb. Major weight loss inevitably affects the swing, so it will be interesting to see how he copes. If a European is to win he and fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington have as good a chance as any.

WITHOUT wishing to detract from Stephen Harmison's superb bowling in the West Indies, for the latest world rankings to elevate him to third place is plainly ludicrous.

If he was seventh it wouldn't be such a shock because there aren't that many great bowlers in the world at the moment. But to place him above Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie makes the rankings look far too temporary.

Granted, McGrath and Gillespie have been injured but they are not finished, while Warne has wasted no time after his year's ban in challenging for the world record Test haul.

If the rankings are to be merely a reflection of the last few weeks we can expect to see Umar Gul at the top next time as his five for 31 against India included Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, three of the world's best batsmen. There again, it's strange how India can be so dominant in the first Test and outplayed in the second. Could there be a Mr Gupte, turf accountant, lurking in the background?

HAVING long since written off England's chances of touring Zimbabwe in October, I now believe that by adopting the usual delaying tactics the ECB have created a huge rod for their backs.

They have invited Peter Chingoka, president of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, to their next board meeting when, as a puppet of Mugabe, he ought not to be allowed into the country.

The International Cricket Council has ordained that any country withdrawing from a tour other than under specific government orders could be suspended from the international game. Our government has made its feelings known but has not issued orders. The result, yet again, is a shambles.

Published: ??/??/2004