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Bertie Blue Boy won yesterday at Chelmsford making all on his first run at 5f at 7 years old making his 63rd start and it begs an interesting question, how could his trainer not have thought about dropping him back in distance before now? How can they have got it wrong for so long, especially when the writing has always been on the wall.
For those that follow the all weather, will note BBB is a horse that like to get on with things in front and possess plenty of boot and never hangs around during his races. He often races freely up at 7f/8f with a clear break on the field displaying speed to tow runners deep into a race, with the lights usually going out prematurely.
Strangely then, it was only this winter that he first tried a drop to 6f, though he ran flat having not been able to get a lead from a wide draw and tamely faltered back into 7th place. After a couple more tires at 8f in 2015 and having done his usual thing of tearing off in front only to find the petrol gauge on empty late on they dropped him back to 6f again and this time he won 3 out of 4 races making all every time. Yesterday he was back to 5f and blitzed a fair handicap field including horses like Top Boy who has won good York handicaps.
Having knocked around in the 45-60ish ratings for a couple of years he will now be rated into the 80s and thriving as he is he could end up higher again yet. In the trainers defense, this horse has won up up to 9.5f in the distant past, but given the speed he possess and has regularly shown for so long it is quite flabbergasting he has only now been dropped in distance to do what is clear the most natural thing for him. Of course, he is not an isolated case of a horse racing at the wrong distance, but 7 years of age and 50 odd races is saying something!
Indeed, utterly baffling.
I backed BBB when he dropped down to 6 (also after a slide in the weights) at Chelmsford a few months ago. The way he powered along and exploited that track’s front runner bias suggested that he’d be even better at 5. Even if his campaigns have been little hair-brained, you have to admire the horse. Even after all those years of racing over too far, his entusiasm hasn’t been tempered at all.
Absolutely TYF, his attitude is a great credit to him. I am always happy to see his name on the race cards and genuinely enjoy watching him race, you can not knock his enthusiasm. I didn’t back him yesterday, though foolishly hovered over the button on big blue and left it in end thinking he may face a bit too much competition for a lead! I am glad for him he proved me so wrong, though he owes me nothing after a couple of those 6f spins.
Chelmsford suits him so well and thirving as he is I look forward watching him play come and catch me round there a few more times.
Follyhoog, I did not back him yesterday no, as I said above I thought he might face a bit too much competition for the lead against the best horses he has faced yet and I had more interest in a couple of others. In the end I had no bet as I didn’t see a lot of value in the race. I did however back him the first time he went back to 6f in December(and lost) and I backed him twice more at 6f when he beat Spitfire and Borough Boy. If of course we’re going to make a point that betting has to affirm any opinion your allowed on horse racing, cheers.
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