Gold Cup day, and fight your way through the crowds to get to the paddock, then fight some more to get to the stands, fight to the betting ring if you want to have a bet, fight again if you want a drink, or a burger, or a sandwich, or your wallet.  It’s not just out on the track that the going is tough.  And it is.

General consensus is that the ground is on the holding side, which is bad for the pure fast-ground horses like Moon Dice, good for the horses who want easy ground, like Synchronised.

I’m still a Weird Al fan.  I think that both Long Run and Kauto Star are too short.  Both are drifting now, but even at respective odds of 2/1 and 5/1, it is difficult to recommend backing either.

Weird Al is a much more attractive betting proposition at 10/1.  He only has two lengths to find with Long Run on their Haydock running in November, and that run came just three weeks after Weird Al had won the Charlie Hall Chase.

All evidence that we have says that Weird Al is at his best when he is fresh.  His former trainer Ian Williams says so, his current trainer Donald McCain says so, his record says so, and Timmy Murphy apparently got off him after the Haydock race and said so.  Therefore, it is a huge positive that McCain has left him off since last November so that he could come here a fresh horse.

He has won twice at Cheltenham, he is still lighly-raced and has bags of scope for progression, especially under the tutelage of McCain.  The trainer’s horses are on fire this week, and all looks primed for a big run from Weird Al.

Eradicate is an interesting runner in the finale, the Grand Annual Chase.  Trained by Nicky Henderson, who usually goes all out to win this race – the race named after his father, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase – he is a nicely progressive novice chaser, the type that can do well in the Grand Annual.  A good handicap hurdler, the winner of two Swinton Hurdles, he is potentially well handicapped over fences and, proven in big-field hurdle races, as long as he isn’t fazed by a big-field chase, he could go close.

Another wonderful Cheltenham Festival draws to a close with what has the makings of an epic Gold Cup this afternoon, and it’s difficult to have a confident view of the outcome.
Long Run and Kauto Star, between them the winners of the race three times, are the two established stars at the top of the staying chasing tree but both have question marks over them this afternoon – the latter of course having suffered a fall while schooling and facing a difficult task to repeat his amazing Haydock and Kempton performances on this stiffer track over a longer distance.

The defending champion finally got his head in front for the first time this season when outpointing stable-companion Burton Port at Newbury but there is surely much more to come from the runner-up, who had been off the track for a long time, and he is the one who just about makes most appeal in a race where Weird Al and Synchronised are just two others with claims.

Irish fortunes on the final day will hinge largely on the fate of Boston Bob in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle, though with Mount Benbulben and Sea Of Thunder also big players this is one race that ought to be booked for export. The market leader fully deserves to be a short price, having slammed Gordon Elliott’s charge in a Grade 1 at Navan before Christmas, and if anything produced an even better performance to defy his penalty against strong opposition in desperate conditions at Leopardstown in January so it will be disappointing if he fails to oblige.

Gordon Elliott has had a rather quiet week so far but today was always going to be the big day for the Capranny handler and in Shadow Catcher and Martin Pipe conditionals hurdle hope Toner D’Oudairies he boasts some serious back-up to Mount Benbulben. The first-named should be bang in the mix in the opening Triumph Hurdle, having looked unlucky not to retain his unbeaten record over jumps in the Grade 1 at Leopardstown, while Salsify and On The Fringe are strong contenders for the Foxhunters Chase on what could prove to be the best day for Irish-trained runners.

My Banker Boston Bob, 2.40 (11/8)
My Next Best Toner D’Oudairies, 4.40 (7/1)
My Radar Buster (Outside/ew chance) Sailors Warn, 2.05 (20/1)
My Card (Pick from each race)
Shadow Catcher (10/1)
Sailors Warn (20/1)
Boston Bob (11/8)
Burton Port (15/2)
Salsify (6/1)
Toner D’Oudairies (7/1)
De Boitron (11/1

1.30 Triumph
Two horses who have been well touted in advance by their respective camps are Sadlers Risk and Darroun for Willie Mullins and Philip Hobbs. We’ll kick off with the two of them each way.
2 star Each-Way Sadlers Risk
2 star Each-Way Darroun

2.05 County Hurdle
A notoriously tricky handicap but I’m really sweet on the chances of Paul Flynns Moon Dice. Ran a cracker to finish fourth when very unlucky last time out at Cheltenham and with the drying ground sure to suit he’s an each way sure thing for me. Don’t forget he won a very competitive Galway hurdle last summer.
4 stars Each-Way Moon Dice

2.40 Albert Bartlett
Boston Bob is a banker in this year’s Albert Bartlett. He has been the supreme novice by miles in Ireland this year and connection think he will improve even further for the better ground. Mount Benbulben could also go very well but can’t see him beating Boston Bob.
5 star Win Boston Bob
1 star Each-Way Mount Benbulben

3.20 Gold Cup
The build up to this year’s Gold Cup has been full of drama but for me it looks like a below par renewal. I don’t fancy Kauto Star as much as I’d love to see him win this. I couldn’t back Long Run at the price even though Nickys horses are flying. Have a sneaky feeling we’ll see an upset in this and I fancy Weird Al as a very good each way bet.
2 stars Each-Way Weird Al

4.00 Foxhunters
The Foxhunters can regularly throw up an outsider, none more so than last year’s winner Zempsky under the brilliant Derek O’Connor. Unfortunately Derek is out injured this year. I’m going to go with Rodger Sweeney’s Salsify and good old Chapoturgeon both each way.
2 star Each-Way  Salsify
2 star Each-Way Chapoturgeon

4.40 Martin Pipe
This can be a little bit of a lottery with all the amateurs and we’re going to take a chance on Venetia Williams Art Professor with first time blinkers on.
1 stars Each-Way Art Professor

5.15 Johnny Henderson
I really fancy Paul Cashmans Idarah to end the week on a high for Nina and the Irish.
5 star Win Idarah

Daily Tips and Free Bets available at www.thetote.com

The final day of the festival at Cheltenham is the hardest day to win the Tote Placepot but the payouts are huge writes the Tote’s Claire Kelly. To win the Tote Placepot at Cheltenham you must pick a horse to be placed in each of the first six races. Last year the Placepot paid €4,332.10 for a €1 bet and the year before it paid €41,288.40 for €1. A simple astounding payout for picking a horse to be placed in six races. Hopefully one of our readers scoops a pool like that today.

The first race is the Triumph hurdle and Philip Hobbs is very sweet on Sadlers Risk so we’ll include him. We’ll also include Willie Mullins Darroun.
The county hurdle is next and we are going to go for former Galway Hurdle winner Moon Dice for Paul Flynn. He ran very well when fourth here last time out and the drying ground gives him a great chance. We’ll also include Jessie Harrington’s Citizenship. 

The third race is the Albert Bartlett and I like Boston Bob here. He’s been impeccable all year and is a strong fancy for this race.

The fourth race is the feature of the week, the grade one Gold Cup. Long Run and Kauto Star will be very popular but for Placepot purposes we’ll stick with Long Run. 

The Foxhunters chase is next and regularly throws up outsiders so with a big dividend in mind we will include an outsider, Salsify for Rodger Sweeney. We’ll also pick Chapoturgeon. For the last leg we’ll go with Bourne and Empire Levant.  

This bet would cost you €16 as your number of selections are 2x2x1x1x2x2=16 units @ €1 each = €16 total cost.

The best option for Irish punters wanting to play the Tote Placepot is on our website at www.thetote.com. We have a €10 free bet for new customers, free live streaming of every race at Cheltenham, the Tote Price promise and exclusive expert Cheltenham tips every day.   Tips Next….

A successful third day of the Festival with three winners – Sir Des Champs (4/1 advised), Salut Flo (5/1 advised) and Sunnyhillboy (7/1 advised).  The final day offers perhaps the most varied series of races during the week with the featured Gold Cup looking set for a repeat performance from the defending champion

1.30 BALDER SUCCES (8/1)
Alan King as usual has a strong hand with his juveniles (Vendor was a solid third on Wednesday).  He sets a poser with two fancied runners here and stable jockey Robert Thornton might have made a mistake by siding with Grumeti.

Whist Grumeti has the graded form in the book, Balder Succes has been building up gradually, and remains unbeaten in four starts.  His last run was his best when destroying a fair field at Ascot last time and that on the quickest ground he has run on to date, so today’s ground will be fine for him.

3.20 LONG RUN (9/4)

A brilliant winner of last season’s Gold Cup, Long Run has not hit the heights as expected so far this year and has had to play second fiddle to the rejuvenated Kauto Star.   However stamina now appears to be his strong suit so the extra 2f and undulations of Cheltenham look likely to bring out the best in him.

He did get his head back in front at Newbury last month, and although he did not impress everybody, he got the job done well enough and jumped better.  With a large field and several front-runners, his ability to jump and travel will be crucial, and we know Long Run possesses the finishing speed to kill off most rivals.

5.15 BELLVANO (20/1 each-way)
As usual Nicky Henderson fields a strong team for the race that commemorates his father and Bellvano could be the one sneaking in at the bottom of the weights that does best.

Whilst he is not the easiest of rides, he has won 6 of his 13 races so far and looks the ideal sort of mount for Paul Carberry.  A strong traveller, he is likely to come there cruising turning for home, so it will be up to Carberry to nurse him to the line as best he can – shades of Harchibald perhaps?

Bellvano somewhat blotted his copybook when allowing Cedre Bleu to come past him at Newbury after cantering on the bridle for the most part, but was able to win a weaker contest at Kelso last time without coming off the bit.  He looks likely to do better covered up and delivered later, so Carberry is just the man for such tactics and with a big field, finding cover should not be difficult.

MY BANKER Balder Succes 1.30
MY NEXT BEST Long Run 3.20
MY RADAR BUSTER Bellvano 5.15

MY CARD
1.30 Balder Success (8/1)
2.05 Citizenship (8/1) and Olofi (11/1 ew)
2.40 Lovcen (16/1 ew)
3.20 Long Run (9/4)
4.00 Salsify (6/1)
4.40 Bourne (11/2)
5.15 Bellvano (20/1 ew) and Astracad (10/1)

A tough competitive renewal of the Triumph to open proceedings and I will not be getting heavily involved. Baby Mix beat a good field in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton last time recording a strong speed figure in the process, and if his jumping holds together he should not be far away for Tom George.  Moving on to the County Hurdle, I have already mentioned Dirar who has run well previously in similar top handicaps and today might be the day things clicks for him.

I am also now pretty interested in the long absent Snap Tie, who has been the subject of strong reports from the Hobbs yard and who looks very interesting on his old hurdles form. If anywhere near his best he is potentially thrown in off a mark of 137 and looks worth an interest.
Boston Bob has been backed off the boards for the Albert Bartlett, but the Irish Novice Hurdlers have got stuffed all week and although this one is probably their best, I’m not sure about taking such a short price.

A value alternative is Brindisi Breeze who beat a strong field of previous winners recently at Haydock recording an excellent speed figure in the process. That may well have been on heavy ground, but as a son of Kings Theatre he can prove equally as affective under today’s conditions.
Next up is the Blue Riband itself, the Gold Cup, and despite having never sided with him previously, today I will be in the Long Run camp. A horse who can clout fences, he is not the flashiest but there is no denying he has one powerful engine, and if avoiding serious error, he should ultimately grind them all out of it simalar to what he done twelve months ago.

Chapoturgeon stands out as the class act in the Foxhunters and provided he is given a waiting ride and not committed too soon, his class should enable him to see out the distance in this sphere.
David Pipe will be striving hard to win the race named after his Father, and I would not be surprised to see top-weight ImsingingtheBlues emerge best of his contingent. This consistent performer has performed with great credit in strong handicap chases all year and could relish this easier opposition back over hurdles. Recent Ascot winner Bourne, had the form boosted by the run of Smad Place yesterday and with the possibility of more progress to come, he is also respected.

Hopefully we will have a few bob to play with before the concluding race of the day, which is a typical ultra competitive Grand Annual. Toubab is a horse who has impressed me with his cruising speed in a couple of Novice Chases this term and he appears feasibly handicapped. A horse who can race too freely, the likely frenetic pace should help him settle and if Ruby can keep him out of trouble, he might swoop with a late run.

My Banker: 400:Chapoturgeon ( 6-1)

Next Best: 320: Long Run (2-1)

Radar Buster: Lets Go For It!! (EW Yankee 205: Snap Tie, 240: Brindisi Breeze, 400: Chapoturgeon , 440: ImsingingtheBlues.)

My Card: 130: Baby Mix (6-1)
205: Snap Tie ( EW 14-1) and Dirar ( EW 16-1)
240: Brindisi Breeze ( EW 10-1)
320: Long Run (2-1)
400: Chapoturgeon (6-1)
440: Imsingingtheblues ( EW 14-1) and Bourne (11-2)
515: Toubab (8-1)

In all the hoopla and ruaille buaille that went with Kauto Star’s victory in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday (guilty), something was a little lost: the analysis of Long Run’s performance.

There were many positives to be drawn. Firstly, it was the Cadoudal gelding’s first run of the season, his first since he came of age in running down Denman and Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last March, and it was reasonable to expect that he would come on for the run. Not just because his trainer Nicky Henderson said that he would, but also because he has a long season ahead of him, because the King George is his first real target this season, and because the defence of his Gold Cup is his ultimate target. In terms of targets, if the Gold Cup is the yellow bullseye and the King George is the red circle that encloses the bullseye, then the Betfair Chase was the black outer ring.

Secondly, he did really well to finish second in the end. Sam Waley-Cohen had to get after him down the back straight final time as Ruby Walsh turned the screw on Kauto Star, he missed the second fence down the back quite badly, costing him ground and momentum at a crucial time, and turning for home, you wouldn’t have been surprised if he had finished 20 lengths behind Kauto, given the relative apparent ease (or lack thereof) with which each was travelling.

The other positive is that he is still only six, in theory he is still improving as a steeplechaser. If you subscribe to the notion that National Hunt horses are in their prime when they are eight or nine, then Long Run has a scarily long way to go.

One notable aspect of his performance, however, was the manner in which he appeared to get outpaced before staying on. It may be that he just blew up, that lack of race fitness counted significantly against him, and that it was just his class that enabled him stay on as well as he did when he got his second wind to finish second. The other possibility, however, is that he is going to major on stamina from now on, not on speed.

Long Run’s hurdling career when he raced in his native France was all about speed. He made his debut in a one-mile-seven-furlong race, and he never raced beyond two and a quarter miles. He did step up in trip when he tackled fences, but he never went beyond two miles and six furlongs.

He did win the Feltham Chase on his British debut over three miles, but that was at Kempton, a speed-favouring track, against vastly inferior opposition. He then won a two-mile chase at Warwick, and, when he got beaten in the RSA Chase, you couldn’t have put your hand on your heart and said that he truly got the trip. It wasn’t wholly surprising, then, that, on his debut last term, he ran in the Paddy Power Gold Cup over two miles and five furlongs, not in an intermediate chase over three.

He put all those stamina fears to bed, however, when he essentially out-stayed two of the best staying steeplechasers of the modern era in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and it may be that now, as he gets older, he may gain stamina and lose speed.

It was a similar story with Best Mate. He was always a speed horse in his younger days. As a novice hurdler, he ran in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham over two miles, not the Sun Alliance Hurdle over two and a half. Even over fences, he was a two-miler. He was on track for the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham in March 2001, not the RSA Chase, before foot and mouth intervened.

When Best Mate ran in his first King George, his trainer wasn’t certain of his stamina, and consequently he was ridden for speed, he was ridden to get the trip. When he went back to the King George the following year, however, a Cheltenham Gold Cup in the bag, stamina assured, he was ridden aggressively by AP McCoy, a tactic which paid rich dividends.

Long Run isn’t old, six is short-trouser-age for a typical steeplechaser, but he has raced 19 times, he doesn’t have much to gain in terms of experience, and we know that you have to re-draw the age graph when you insert a French-bred horse. We know that they tend to be much more precocious than their Irish or British counterparts.

Winner of last year’s King George – run over three miles dead on a sharp flat track – it may be that Long Run’s chance of defending his title this term will be enhanced if he is ridden aggressively this time, ridden more for stamina than for speed. By the same token, it may be that the Gold Cup – run over an extended three and a quarter miles at a stiff track – will play more to his strengths this season than the King George.

· For more of Donn’s thoughts, visit www.donnmcclean.com.

At this early stage of the season, the Betfair Chase looks like one of those defining races that seem to roll around every now and again. In March, Long Run surged up the most famous hill in racing, the Crown Prince had arrived, and by defeating two glorious old warriors in Kauto Star and Denman, he added the Crown Jewel of the Gold Cup to that of his King George victory.

A step towards Kingdom now awaits for the rising star and while a success in the Betfair Chase may not be the ultimate prize, a victory nonetheless for Long Run over Kauto Star could signify a definitive passing of the torch. If he were to confine Paul Nicholls’ inmate to a third resounding defeat then surely a deserved retirement beckons.

For the former king, arguably the finest chaser since the days of Flyingbolt and Arkle, the Betfair Chase will define Kauto Star’s season and thus the remainder of his illustrious career. Should the Star shine brightly again, then all talk of retirement should be put on the shelf until the season’s end.

Let us not forget the rest of the protagonists in the most fascinating renewal of this race to be run in its short history. Last year’s Hennessy winner, Diamond Harry and recent Charlie Hall 1-2, Weird Al and Time For Rupert line up and Pure Faith, who finished so far ahead of Master Minded at Aintree complete the line up.

The duo who fought out the Charlie Hall would have to improve markedly to get involved at the business end of this race but both look like they could – eventually. Perhaps as the season progresses, this will be the case. Neither standout too much in the betting.

Diamond Harry, having his first run since that Hennessy success, has won first time out in each of his five seasons of racing. His impreesive haul of 10 wins from 13 runs is nothing to be sniffed at, and should Kauto Star falter in any way, then Diamond Harry can chase home the favourite.

Pure Faith was surely flattered by his Aintree run and he will certainly struggle to match that lofty performance.

Beaten on his seasonal debut last season, Long Run can record the win. Prone to the odd error, if Nicky Henderson has ironed out those slight mistakes then he could bid to emulate Kauto Star’s 2006 / 2007 season, when he began with success in this race and went the season unbeaten culminating in victory in the Gold Cup. It would be some sight to behold if Kauto Star came home in front but his runs last season do little to inspire and perhaps Diamond Harry could be the one for the forecast.

Selection: Long Run @ Evens

Gold Cup hero Long Run makes his seasonal reappearance in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and by all accounts he deserves to be the market leader. However, I think if there is a chink in his armour it will be that his main target will be to emulate his success in the King George and Gold Cup and on his first run last season he came third. On that basis along with his skinny price, I’m going to throw caution to the wind and take him on.

The next three in the betting we’re finding it hard to separate, with Diamond Harry, Weird Al and Kauto Star all level in the betting. Weird Al has the strong benefit of having a win under his belt already this season after winning the Charlie Hall, so the form is certainly there. Kauto Star needs no introduction, one of the best horses of our generation; however age has caught up with him, but to what degree I’m not sure. For the sake of the connections and the public and in fact racing, I’d love to see this horse end his career on a high. With any other horse you would write them off once their form subsides with age but with Kauto, the normal rules simply don’t apply. He’s won this race three times in the past and will be out to win this possibly with a greater hunger than others in the field. But it’s Diamond Harry that I keep coming back to. He’s the dark horse in the race, but his solo performance last season in the Hennessy must make him a value selection in this race and here’s why;

1) This 8 year old has only been beaten three times in his life.
2) He’s won twice at the track before and it suits him
3) He could be bigger on the day as Long Run will come in for strong support and Kauto Star will always have his followers.

It’s definitely a tough race but that’s one perspective.

Back in Ireland, Sunday’s Ladbrokes.com Morgiana Hurdle is an intriguing contest and possibly even more so than if Hurricane Fly was running as he would have been a strong odds on favourite and justifiably so. Pittoni heads the betting owned and trained by a formidable force who take no mercy on us bookies. The Charles Byrnes/Paddy Wilmott combo is one of the shrewdest pairs in the game but still, I’m not convinced of his position in the book. He’s taking on two proven grade performers and I think he could be outclassed on Sunday.

Thousand Stars in any other yard would possibly be their star, but the presence of Hurricane Fly in Willie’s has left him overshadowed but his credentials are superb. A French Champion Hurdle winner with a number of excellent runner up efforts at the highest level, you should have every confidence in him beating the favourite but the worry here is the trip. I hope Willie brings this horse to take on Big Bucks in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and I think as the season progresses so too will the distance he runs over. But Sunday’s contest is over just 2 miles and this sharper trip could be challenging for both him and Jessica Harrington’s Oscars Well. With two Grade One victorys on his CV and a very unlucky defeat at Cheltenham, Oscars Well should be the one to beat. He has had a run in Down Royal, which he probably needed and will be ready to Rock and Roll for this weekend. The negative again will be that both of his wins were over 2m 2 and 2m 4 respectively but although having never clicked over this distance I think his five length victory in the Deloitte over 2 furlongs further entitles him to take his chance over the Champion Hurdle distance.

It was all about the novices at the weekend. It usually is all about the novices at this stage of the season, exciting bunch that they usually are.

Maybe it’s the same at this time every year, but this year’s novice chasers appear to be a cut above the average. In Menorah and Peddlers Cross, we have already seen two hugely talented hurdlers, two highly rated hurdlers (rated 162 and 170 respectively) who jump fences really well, and this weekend we saw a few more.

The duel between Grands Crus and Cue Card didn’t really come to pass in the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ chase on Friday, because Cue Card unseated his rider before the match-up developed into a competition. It was too far out to know for sure how this one would have panned out, but such was the authority of Grands Crus’s victory over Champion Court that Cue Card would probably have had to have been at his very best to give him a race.

The mistake that Grands Crus made at the final ditch should have been enough to end his chance of winning, but, for David Pipe’s horse, it was a mere blip in an otherwise flawless round. Tom Scudamore allowed him time to re-gather his thoughts, settled him back in behind Champion Court, who had moved on, then pulled him to the outside and simply ran past him again. And Champion Court is no mug.

David Pipe toyed with the idea of allowing Grands Crus take on Long Run and Kauto Star and company in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday but, while that would have been intriguing, it would surely have been crazy to ask him to take on last year’s King George and Gold Cup winner on just his second start over fences, just eight days after his first. No, a novice chase on Hennessy weekend at Newbury or on December Gold Cup weekend at Cheltenham makes much more sense, followed, logically, by the Feltham Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day. He should be a huge player this season in the staying novice chasing division.

Join Together is another who should continue to make his mark as a staying novice. Of course, he doesn’t have Grands Crus’s class, he was rated 27lb inferior to David Pipe’s horse over hurdles, but there was a lot to like about the performance that he put up in landing the three-mile novices’ chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

It looked like the son of Old Vic was getting outpaced when they turned on the tap going down the back straight, but Ruby Walsh allowed him time to find his stride, no need to panic, before asking him to close on the leaders. He closed up on the outside over the last two fences, and stayed on willingly and strongly up the hill to post an impressive victory.

A faller on his chasing debut at Chepstow three weeks earlier, the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding is actually a good jumper in the main, and, the winner of a three-mile hurdle at Chepstow on soft ground last February, he has stamina to burn. As such, it looks like the National Hunt Chase will be the race for him at the Cheltenham Festival, not the RSA Chase. In the meantime, he will be of interest wherever he shows up, as long as the emphasis is on stamina.

Back to the two-mile division, and Al Ferof threw his hat into the Arkle ring when he bolted up in the Grade 2 novices’ chase on Sunday. Paul Nicholls wasn’t that bullish about him beforehand, and no horse had won this race on his seasonal debut in the previous 17 years, but the performance that Al Ferof put up was the performance of a potentially high class steeplechaser.

His task was undoubtedly simplified when his main rival Bellvano made a bad mistake at the second ditch and seemed to injure himself, but Al Ferof could only beat what was left in front of him – Astracad, as it happened – and he did so with ease, jumping impeccably.

The Dom Alco gelding was rated just 154 over hurdles, 8lb and 16lb inferior to Menorah and Peddlers Cross respectively, but he only raced five times in that division, just one season, he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he probably would have gone considerably higher had he been kept to the smaller obstacles for another term. To put his rating over hurdles into context, Menorah and Peddlers Cross were both rated 151 at the end of their novice year, 3lb lower, so it would not be at all surprising if Al Ferof proved to be at least as good as one or both of them over fences.

· For more of Donn’s thoughts, visit www.donnmcclean.com.

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