Review of the day

It’s difficult to remain philosophical after a day like today…

I really don’t want to start bemoaning bad fortune after just 1 day – but if things carry on as they have done today, then we could be in for a long week..!

At least 4 times this afternoon, we were robbed of a return by bad jumping, bad judgement or just plain bad luck – and collectively they cost us dear…

It’s difficult to argue which was the unluckiest – but I’ll start with the one with highest profile, The New One…

I was really keen on his chances today – and I honestly think we were on the best horse in the race. However, a sickening fall by Our Connor at the third hurdle, saw The New One severely hampered.

He lost around 5 lengths in the incident – plus momentum – and in a race such as the Champion, no horse is going to be able to make that back up.

It is to his eternal credit, that he stayed on so strongly up the hill, he was only beaten 2 lengths at the line.

Oh what might have been…

Shotgun Paddy had no-one to blame for his defeat, other than himself…

Quite how he was still in with a chance jumping the final fence, I’ll never know, as he hit fence after fence on the way round.
Yet he still looked the most likely winner approaching the last until a final shuddering blunder sealed his fate.

Again, to his credit he rallied up the run in – but at the line he was still a neck down…

The final race of the day, saw probably the worst outcome of all.

Approaching the last Pendra looked likely to win – but he got it wrong, losing momentum and his chance of victory.

However Ataglance was finishing with a wet sail and would surely have got up, if his jockey had not chosen to steer him down a blind alley next to the running rail.

Gutted :(

Earlier in the afternoon, Tour Des Champs was beaten a neck for fourth place, thereby missing out on a place return for most of you.

I know that some bookmakers paid on the first 5 home – but if you were ‘lucky’ enough to get on with VC (who were offering the best price when I issued the tip), then you wouldn’t have been paid.

In the first race of the day, The Liquidator ran a solid enough race behind the ultra impressive Vautour.

He almost certainly paid for trying to match strides in the early stages, with an exceptional winner.

Ridden with a little more restraint, he would probably have finished a good deal closer…

It was also a bit ironic that the connections of The Liquidator (same owner, trainer and jockey) promptly went and won the very next race on the card with Westeren Warhorse – though it would have taken some crystal ball to foresee such an outcome.

Grandouet ran a reasonable race – but his jumping just wasn’t slick enough for him to be competitive in such exalted company.

The only return of the day (unless you did collect with Tour Des Champs) was provided by L’Unique in the mares race.

Approaching the last, she looked to have half a chance of upsetting wonder mare Quevega. But she couldn’t quicken up the hill and ended up just staying on for third place.
It was a good run – and showed her back to the form of last season.
Uddy also ran very well in the race – for a 1001/ shot – though she just lacked the extra gears when things started to hot up.

So all in all a disappointing day.

I did mention in my mail this morning that we needed a bit of luck – but alas it was sadly missing today.

Still, on the bright side, that means we will have loads of good fortune for the next 3 days, so there is still plenty to look forward to.

Or does it not quite work like that…?!

TVB.