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Bit of a disappointing day crowned by Waterford Whispers getting run down in the last. That confirmed my 100% losing records with both De Bromhead and JP runners this week. Pretty sure he should have won. You don’t win that time of race stuck on the front end for that long.
Had started the day with a JP ‘winner’, but didn’t back it. If he were mine he would be going two mile chasing, but the trainer might do something entirely different. I think an on-song Sir Gino would have beaten this lot with a degree of comfort. Are starters reprimanded, or even sacked? The clown handed Afadil five lengths in the County, and he was able to set a dawdle. Probably the difference between him finishing fifth or eighth. The dawdle probably suited the winner. I don’t think the lack of pace or ground suited Pied Piper, and he has done well to finish third. Another dawdle in the Albert Bartlett, and it definitely suited to be on the front end. Gidleigh Park was poorly positioned throughout, and ran flat. Having turned in ninth he plodded on to finish sixth. He wasn’t beaten by the trip. I worry about next season with Burke on board. Johnnywho was well positioned, but has turned into a very disappointing horse, of which there are far too many in that stable. Don’t think it was a great Gold Cup, but the winner is very good. All being well hard to see him being beaten next year. This year’s novices are not good enough. Corach Rambler bravely landed the 60/1 each-way. Would he have got closer on better ground? I am not sure if he would have been able to remain in touch. I wanted to oppose It’s On The Line, but got the wrong one. Premier Magic was woeful, and in hindsight shouldn’t have run. Riviere D’Etel was quite well backed, but strangely raced wide, and although jumping a bit straighter than last year, this time, instead of picking up she stopped to nothing.
Fakenham was Wednesday’s Huntingdon. Nearly as boring as the all-weather. Just get rid.
Lost on Tuesday, but won the other three days, so I can’t complain too much, particularly as I started well down.
Take away moment will be the Ballyburn romp.
Hopeless for me (again) but enjoyed the racing (especially the Gold Cup).
Harsh on Fakenham which has already lost its most lucrative fixtures. These small courses market their “Cheltenham” meetings and put on special events and facilities. Plumpton’s pre-Cheltenham meeting on Monday was packed. More like a weekend fixture than a miserable Monday. Fakenham put on a big screen for racegoers to view Festival races. I imagine Huntingdon, Sedgefield and Hexham probably did the same. I hope all were rewarded with decent crowds.
I was at Hexham and all the Cheltenham races were shown on the big screen, with lots of people watching.
I like the support meetings in Cheltenham week, apart from Huntingdon. The track lacks the character of the others.
It wasn’t my best Festival, but it was excellent sport.
Too bad we lost those two horses on Tuesday, otherwise it would have be an almost perfect meeting.Didn’t have one penny on Gaelic Warrior, but he impressed me the most alongside GDC.
Ballyburn wasn’t far behind them either.Well done to the Skelton stable (which I’m really not in love with) especially for placing Grey Dawning and Protektorat in the right races.
Everything has become very professional in NH racing and there were very few hard luck stories at this meeting (with the exception of The Jukebox Man who lost it in extra-time).
The only change I’d like to see pretty soon at Cheltenham would be the replacement of Robbie Supple. He acts like a dictator at times.Fourth day isn’t my favourite normally had enough by then but enjoyed it more than usual probably because it made up for the first two days being so uncompetitive.
The things I want most in life are the things that I can't win.
“The only change I’d like to see pretty soon at Cheltenham would be the replacement of Robbie Supple. He acts like a dictator at times.”
The trouble is, the jockeys treat him like secondary school kids treat an ineffectual supply teacher. They just make mincemeat of him. He has never commanded respect, that was clear early on, and it is difficult or impossible to gain it once you’ve lost it or never had it. We need a Pierluigi Collina or Nigel Owens type. Somebody who has “it”. Supple doesn’t. I’m not being mean- few people have “it”. I certainly don’t and if I tried to do his job it would be chaos, I’d be crying in the car on the way home after every meeting and quit.
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