Pot Luck 3

[Venture to Cognac]

Very unlucky Grass.

Been there many times myself with the F/C’s, very frustrating, but still a good call.

[greenasgrass]

Thanks VtC.

Ever the optimist I have gone back to Think Positive today hoping he likes the ground

3.05 Leo Think Positive 18-1 0.5pt ew 4pl

[greenasgrass]

Stone last. Sigh. Roll on 2020

[greenasgrass]

-29
Pts staked 318.5

Need to tighten my belt a bit considering my less than stellar decisions over the past couple of months but oh well it has been good racing. Got a few bob place money from my beloved Robin in the Caspian Caviar and the Paddy Power so will back him wherever he goes now.
Was a bit concerned by Redhotfillypeppers at Limerick. I thought her run in the Troytown was encouraging and she had been going quite well but faded quickly. Perhaps she disliked being squeezed on the rail but I think she was already stopping. Hmm.

One for this afternoon – interesting story about how David Christie acquired Some Man cheap in the sales when the horse was in a bit of a state. He sounds very positive about him and hopes he can be a Foxhunters horse. He isn’t quoted for Cheltenham as far as I can see but interesting anyway.

3.35 Clonmel Some Man 5/2 1pt win

[greenasgrass]

He did that well but don’t know what he beat. I’m going with Gordon Elliott’s nice mare Ard Abhainn tomorrow who couldn’t quite get to the first two last time but is a very nice sort.

2.25 Thurles Ard Abhainn 3-1 1pt win

[greenasgrass]

Very good ride from Russell who had her perfectly placed, she got a good tow for a long way and then they got racing 2 out which suited.

Giggi three tomorrow-

Duca du Thaix jumps nicely and if it doesn’t rain too much, and he doesn’t bleed, must have a chance in a race he has likely been targeted at.

Valdieu was unlucky to fall LTO as he normally jumps well and the trainer thinks a lot of him.

Diamond Turf is a bit of a big lunk – he reminds me in looks a little of poor old Up For Review, and isn’t the cleverest meeting a fence on a short one- but ran well enough the last couple of times. He might need every inch of this, and it’s possible he’s just running for a mark, but I’m kind of following him now.

Fairyhouse
2.10 Duca du Thaix 10-1
2.45 Valdieu 6-1
3.20 Diamond Turf 5-1
0.5pt win each and 25p ew treble

[Venture to Cognac]

That Dan Moore Handicap is a cracker. I like Duca De Thaix as well, but at the moment I’m trying to split….

Articulum
Blazer
Us and Them.

Decent card at Fairyhouse, should be done good stuff on show.

[greenasgrass]

-27
Pts stkd 322.5

Well it did rain, DDT drifted and finished as the market predicted. Watching him in bother from a long way out I suspect he may have bled again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets sold to America to race on good ground and Lasix.

Valdieu was disappointing. He made a mistake- hard to see how bad it was- and lost a bit of confidence but perhaps he is just not all that. Handicaps await, maybe.

Didn’t see Diamond Turf’s race but I saw he got stuffed anyway…

[greenasgrass]

A few wee ones for tomorrow. Rocket Lad price disappeared quickly as I expected; I think it was a bit of a mistake. Interested to see how Walk Away does over this trip- I had thought he was a stayer. Count Meribel was maybe too small a horse to progress from last year but needs a token bet. Minella Melody has form with Ard Abhainn who I like. Ravenhill Road bit of class if he doesn’t fall to bits. Fragile family. Lisnagar Oscar didn’t get too far last time but a sporting ew bet against the big boys.

1225 Fai Walk Away 12-1 0.5pt ew
1350 Chel Count Meribel 2-1 place 0.5pt
1410 Fai Minella Melody 5-1 0.5pt win
1500 Chel Rocket Lad 20-1 1pt ew
1515 Don Ravenhill Road 8-1 0.5pt win
1535 Chel Lisnagar Oscar 100-1 0.5pt ew

[greenasgrass]

-17
Pts staked 328

That’s as good as Lisnagar Oscar is but I was fairly hopping cheering him to hold on for 3rd. Good ride.

2.00 Leo Cash Back 13-2 2pts win

[Venture to Cognac]

Sorry Grass, I totally missed that one. Fab shout with Lisnagar

[greenasgrass]

Thanks VtC

I don’t normally back bleeders but Laurina wouldn’t have been on the boat if they didn’t think she was going to win.

2.25 San Laurina 2-1 1pt win

[greenasgrass]

-20
Pts staked 331

No shame in Cash Back getting beaten by Notebook. Bring on the rematch at Cheltenham!
That’s the first and probably last time I back Laurina. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets left off till next season and then runs against her own sex.

3 mullins ones tomorrow:
Leop
2.30 Zola 50-1 0.5pt ew 6pl
2.30 Great White Shark 50-1 0.5pt ew 5pl
4.00 Robin des Foret 8-1 1pt ew 6pl

[greenasgrass]

3.50 Fak Dundrum Wood 5-2 1pt win

I like this horse and think he has some scope for improvement at the trip, looking at his breeding and P2P form.

[greenasgrass]

Time for some insomniac longshot silliness

Punchestown all 0.5pt ew

1.45 Change Your Story 100-1
Don’t know anything about the horse but I like trainer and jockey. It’ll probably maintain my traditional XC race longshot selection’s thing of finishing an equal number of lengths behind the winner as its price.
2.15 Not going against Zero Ten but instead I backed the horse that finished behind him last time and was in the initial entries for this, Dunvegan at 100-1 ew nrnb for Marsh at Cheltenham
2.45 Space Cadet at whatever price I can get tomorrow. Didn’t travel on the boat to Wales well and hammered the first. All is forgiven.
3.20 Battle of Midway 33s
Sailing to Byzantium 100s
Lord Royal looks a good thing but Meade horse with tongue tie on after a break (soft palate zapped??) and HdB mare might do better over this trip and ground
3.50 Millyinthemiddle 50-1
Again I like trainer (who won on a half brother to this mare) and jockey and look out for those colours..though possibly garnering experience and a nice mark on this ground for a summer campaign
4.20 Osmotic 12-1 with the famous sibling and the master pilot
4.50 Sweet Sting 33-1 4pl Trip and previous cobweb blowing may help…if the Scorpion mare is in the mood

See I can make a case for anything

[greenasgrass]

Not organised enough to put my Cheltenham bets on here but I’ll probably lose the run of myself this week so it’s likely for the best I don’t include the week in my P/L.

I went down to the shop for a copy of the Irish Field and am sitting with a cup of coffee reading it and watching the Opening Show. And I really, really miss my mum. She died last month and she was my race watching buddy. She was able to get all the TV channels in her room on the palliative care ward and our Whatsapp is full of “Thyestes meeting starting on RTE now” and the like, and we’d still watch together when I went to visit even when she could hardly lift her head off the pillow.

I remember she used to be on the phone to my granny during Cheltenham week talking about the runners. I remember her crying when Dawn Run died and willing Kauto Star on because she loved him. She used to walk miles beside me round the roads with the pony on a lead rein when I was learning to ride.

So I’ll miss her like mad but even when I’m sitting here feeling sorry for myself…still….they are interviewing Ruby down on the course with the horses stretching their legs, and Asterion Forlonge has his head up and his ears pricked (a new grey sweetheart for Jac perhaps?) and Benie is chewing a mouthful of grass and I’m glad she got me loving horses and not, I dunno, shoes.

[Venture to Cognac]

Awful news.

I remember the first couple of Cheltenham’s without my Dad, it was tough going, and also going to Ayr and Hamilton without him was hard.

It’ll get better.

[Author]

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