Runners and Riders in the 10 Downing St Boris Johnson Memorial Stakes

With David Davis firing the starting gun last week in Boris Johnson's face, here is the form guide to the motley selection of reprobates seeking to be first to the finish line and become Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party. There are plenty of nags who think they are the favourite, but in our opinion the field is wide open:

Alexander De Pfeffel, 2-1 on: very different from the current leader, switches horse every furlong or so, rides in changing colours throughout, claims to 'get it done' but has tendency to run in completely the wrong direction and fall straight out of the gate. Likes the going soft - no, even softer than that - unfavoured by the Queen's stable. Yet, astonishingly, odds on favourite.

No one Told me I'm a C*@nt, 1-1 (favourite): Thrives on the gullibility of other runners. Full steward's inquiry launched.

Dishy Rishi, 4-1: Good teeth and a luxuriant mane, but despite his expensive stable it remains to be seen whether this horse can keep up the pace he set over the first furlough in the 2020 Lockdown Challenge Cup.

Truss Me On This, 9-2: Lively filly who shows signs of sharing the 2019 winner Bonkin' Bojo's interest in breeding. Older male punters might fancy a flutter on her, but others might think this one is a bit lightweight.

Pitiless Priti Lass, 10-1: Likes the going rough. Could scare off some of the other riders, but also some of the punters. Might be in with a shot if her plan to deport all the rest of the field comes off.

Gove Actually, 5-1: his swivel eyes and habit of veering all over the track while stabbing other runners in the back could see him in with a chance, if the punters can tolerate that kind of behaviour.

Mogg the Jake, 10-1: out of The Times by The Cayman Islands, this is another product of the Eton stables. Flashes of promise in the Brexit Stakes undermined by tendency to just lie down and go to sleep in unexpected places, and consistently run 200 years behind the rest of the world. On the plus side, understands the racing world's archaic system of guineas, hundredweights and stable slaves better than any other contender.

Follow the Science, 789,000-1: Full of promise but tragically inclined to deviate from the course at a moments notice or fall at the final fence.

Graylings Failings 500-1 - hoping for a better outing than last time, when he turned up to the 330 steeplechase at Chepstow after being entered in the 1215 flat race at Sandown. Ended up finishing 12th in a field of 7.

Hancock's Half Chance - 66-1 Quiet recently after a televised gallop with a filly in a Westminster meeting last year. Known to favour sharing nosebag spoils with as many stablemates as he can.

Javs Jabs - benefitted from being stabled with Boosters Millions in last 6 months. 30 million outings, still seeing some refusals though. Looks more confident when running alongside Whitty's Wish and Vallence's Lad.

Raab He Burns, 20-1: despite being the only Dominic that 2019's winner is still on speaking terms with, this one is a rank outsider, not likely to turn up to the correct venue or even be aware that the race is on.

Stewart's Inquiry, 100-1: technically ineligible to enter the race due to not currently being an MP, this horse still has its fans and has proved it's staying power, even if it mostly goes at walking pace rather than running. Doesn't suffer from frothing at the mouth as much as many of the other contenders, which in this particular race is a disadvantage.

Nosebag Full of Merlot, 10-1: Always slow and unsteady out the gate. Liable to claim the race is a work event at some point and prior to reaching the finish line.

Ghost of Thatcher, 2-1: forever haunting the other runners, this remains the punters' favourite, despite the technical difficulties involved in summoning the spirits of the dead and the impossibility of weighing in an incorporeal phantom.

Finally, bad news for many who put their money on the bookies' first favourite, Larry the Downing Street cat. Larry has withdrawn from the race, now that Dominic Cummings has revealed that Larry neglected his duties in lockdown, just sleeping and licking his arse while a gang of rats partied in the garden.

Contributions from Sir Lupus, SteveB, Chrisf, Frank Optional and oshaughnessy

Image: Pixabay/macayran

Self isolation to be measured in nanoseconds, unless you are Prime Minister

The government has admitted to following the science, if only out of curiosity, and has determined that isolating for extended periods isn't actually that necessary.

Unless you notionally run the country, in which case it's imperative that you self isolate at the first inkling that someone you are remotely related to has tested positive, even if you no longer admit to being their father or seeing them. Apparently the virus can reverse itself up the maintenance BACS payment into your account, through your wallet and into your body, so best be careful.

For everyone else, from Monday the self isolation period will be limited to the time it takes to drive to work, unless you travel by public transport, in which case it will be limited to however long it takes to walk to the bus stop or railway station. 'We can't put a defined time on the isolation,' a government minister said today, 'because you might have a half hour walk to the station, or you might have a bus stop outside your door. Anyhow we've really gone to town with the science now. We've asked them what is the shortest period of measurable time and they tell us it's the nanosecond, so that'll do. Now get back to work you work shy bastards, and don't cough all over me again. No -one is exempt.

'Apart from you Prime Minister, of course,' he added.

Alone Quarantine Pandemic - Free photo on Pixabay

Downing Street parties now dominant strand of Johnson incompetence

Revelations of Downing Street parties during from the pandemic are growing exponentially, and are now the dominant strand of Boris Johnson incompetence, it has been revealed

'Earlier strands of incompetence from Johnson were quite virulent, for sure', noted one leading epidemiologist today. 'His newspaper writing for the Telegraph and Spectator are particularly toxic. And his general buffoonery has certainly transmitted widely in the community, and is probably best now seen as endemic.'

'But this latest strand is spreading like wildfire. It seems to be incubated particularly well by close bystanders to Johnson, but once airborne, it is taking hold just by standing close to a TV, or scrolling through your Twitter feed.'

The R number for reports of illegal gatherings at Number 10 during lockdown is now at 4.9, meaning for every party reported in the press, Dominic Cummings is frantically blogging away about 5 more.

Image: Pixabay/PublicDomainPictures