Mud lark

As a bumper horse, I always thought he wanted softer ground - I thought he was a mud lark - that's how wrong I was.

There is a great cast of supporting characters such as Danny's granny, Lydia, who does head standing yoga and belly dancing, and Miss Balalaika from Petersburg who lives upstairs with her Arthur (arthritis), eats Chum dog food, and looks out for Danny with her cries of 'Oi Vey.' The narrative rattles along, diving into Inigus' past as a mud lark and turd collector for a tannery in Victorian England.

MUD LARK: Beaten Foggy congratulates Edwina on her performance

MUD LARK: Sons and mums fought it out in a pitched battle at Sandown Road, in Wavertree, in this photo, taken in March, 1976.

Victory Gunner, who is something of a mud lark, is owned by Cardiff saddler John Ayres in partnership with his friend Ron Bartlett.

Frankel is an awesome horse and, while some pundits predicted his downfall at Ascot because of the wet ground, saying his French rival was a mud lark, his courageous effort reminded me of Desert Orchid, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup despite the mud.

MUD LARK Katy will fly the flag for British women in New Jersey next month

Being a mud lark was another job forced upon children and the elderly.

Picard's book has no designs on us, but the outpouring of detailed information makes up an odd kind of balance sheet to test ourselves against: how grateful I am not to be a mud lark; how chagrined at my lack of industry; how pleased to have plumbing.

MUD LARK: Cameron Salter of Wrexham AC competes in the under-20s DOGGED: Graham Rodgers of Colwyn Bay TOUGH: For runners in Saturday's Welsh Championships SUPPORT: Spectators cheer on a lone runner

Many had last year's Welsh National scorer down as mud lark prior to his run over the Festive period but he handled the better ground to beat the likes of Rubi Light and Quito De La Roque.

mud lark: Taking a break from cleaning up a pal's home in Brisbane