Well day two of the all week blog and racing today is at Leicester, a much less fraught journey than yesterdays.
However before any racing I have some unfinished business from yesterday and getting the dongle sorted out.
It is very interesting in mobile phone shops. When you go in as a potential buyer it is all smiles and nothing is too much trouble. Go in to complain and the smiles soon disappear. The conversations went something like this:-
Him: "I will check to see if you are eligible for an upgraded dongle"
tap, tap away
"It is good news and bad news - you are eligible for an upgraded dongle but not until the end of March"
Me: "That doesn't help me much now does it?"
Him: "No. It will have to go away to be checked and they will decide if it can be repaired or replaced."
Me: "Will I have to pay for the repair?"
Him: "It depends if it is covered under the manufacturers warranty."
Me: "... and you can't do the upgrade a month early?"
Him: "No we have no flexibility."
Me: "Well I am telling you now if you cannot repair or replace it free of charge I will cancel the contract."
Him: "You cannot do that."
Me: "Me - you watch me. If you are providing equipment on an 18 month contract it must be durable enough to last the period of the contract."
Him: "You still have to pay the full contract amount."
Me: "I don't think you will find I have to. Indeed I will cancel the account and actually invite you to take me to court to claim the balance."
Him: "May I give you the number of our customer services department?"
Me: "No, but you can give me the number of your legal department if you wish."
Anyway the Dongle has gone off so I will see what they have to say in three working days and I will let you know.
Back to more important things, I’m not sure if people know something I don’t but I have never seen the press room so busy here – nothing stands out looking at the card.
The opening race was a real bummer from a reporting perspective as it was one of those races where, barring an accident, the result was never in doubt.All that needs to be said is Song Of Songs won without even breaking sweat.
From the sublime to the ridiculous after a four runner opener we had a sixteen runner contest. The press room at Leicester isn’t any good at all for watching racing – it is one of those which offers no view of the racing whatsoever.
The options are watching on the television in the press room, which I hate doing – or watching through bins. I opt for the latter but with no big screen you really are pushed when the runners are running away from you in the mist.
I think it should be obligatory for all courses to provide big screens. Anyway I managed to produce something resembling a report with my notes made in running and a quick look at a replay on TVof the .
The rest racing wasn’t really worthy of not, until the last anyway.
When you have a tight finish in which one horse is being ridden by a five pound claimer and the other by AP McCoy then there will be some inevitability in the result.Indeed McCoy’s mount Matcho Pierji did prevail but only by half a length and full credit to David Cullinane who was not fazed by a battle with the champ.
That was it, a typical Tuesday afternoon meeting with a small crowd.
After the fraught journey home yesterday I was hoping for better today – it almost wasn’t but fortunately the travel news on Five Live saved me. There had been a major accident on the M1 at Leicester but with the help of the sat-nav I was able to avoid it.
Well tomorrow is a day working at home – the Cheltenham handicap weights are due to be published so they will have to be added to the web-site.
However before any racing I have some unfinished business from yesterday and getting the dongle sorted out.
It is very interesting in mobile phone shops. When you go in as a potential buyer it is all smiles and nothing is too much trouble. Go in to complain and the smiles soon disappear. The conversations went something like this:-
Him: "I will check to see if you are eligible for an upgraded dongle"
tap, tap away
"It is good news and bad news - you are eligible for an upgraded dongle but not until the end of March"
Me: "That doesn't help me much now does it?"
Him: "No. It will have to go away to be checked and they will decide if it can be repaired or replaced."
Me: "Will I have to pay for the repair?"
Him: "It depends if it is covered under the manufacturers warranty."
Me: "... and you can't do the upgrade a month early?"
Him: "No we have no flexibility."
Me: "Well I am telling you now if you cannot repair or replace it free of charge I will cancel the contract."
Him: "You cannot do that."
Me: "Me - you watch me. If you are providing equipment on an 18 month contract it must be durable enough to last the period of the contract."
Him: "You still have to pay the full contract amount."
Me: "I don't think you will find I have to. Indeed I will cancel the account and actually invite you to take me to court to claim the balance."
Him: "May I give you the number of our customer services department?"
Me: "No, but you can give me the number of your legal department if you wish."
Anyway the Dongle has gone off so I will see what they have to say in three working days and I will let you know.
Back to more important things, I’m not sure if people know something I don’t but I have never seen the press room so busy here – nothing stands out looking at the card.
The opening race was a real bummer from a reporting perspective as it was one of those races where, barring an accident, the result was never in doubt.All that needs to be said is Song Of Songs won without even breaking sweat.
From the sublime to the ridiculous after a four runner opener we had a sixteen runner contest. The press room at Leicester isn’t any good at all for watching racing – it is one of those which offers no view of the racing whatsoever.
The options are watching on the television in the press room, which I hate doing – or watching through bins. I opt for the latter but with no big screen you really are pushed when the runners are running away from you in the mist.
I think it should be obligatory for all courses to provide big screens. Anyway I managed to produce something resembling a report with my notes made in running and a quick look at a replay on TVof the .
The rest racing wasn’t really worthy of not, until the last anyway.
When you have a tight finish in which one horse is being ridden by a five pound claimer and the other by AP McCoy then there will be some inevitability in the result.Indeed McCoy’s mount Matcho Pierji did prevail but only by half a length and full credit to David Cullinane who was not fazed by a battle with the champ.
That was it, a typical Tuesday afternoon meeting with a small crowd.
After the fraught journey home yesterday I was hoping for better today – it almost wasn’t but fortunately the travel news on Five Live saved me. There had been a major accident on the M1 at Leicester but with the help of the sat-nav I was able to avoid it.
Well tomorrow is a day working at home – the Cheltenham handicap weights are due to be published so they will have to be added to the web-site.
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