The Cheltenham Gold Cup…
I was there for Dawn Run, Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Kauto Star, The Thinker in the snow, Denman, Long Run, Bobs Worth, Galopin des Champs and many more…
A day that has defined lives and careers…
A fabulously open renewal today. The Jukebox Man for “Our ‘Arry” atop the market. My small flick at 25/1 in the autumn looks all right as a chill dawn breaks over the Cotswolds. At the same time, I backed Grey Dawning at 14/1 – he is freely available at that price and a bit more..
Swings and roundabouts..
Windswept and a little wild and woolly yesterday afternoon. Tumbling hats across balconies with nobody underneath them. Umbrellas turned inside out. The vast tented village looking as if it might launch into the skies and head off to Wales…
Wonderful action on the track. Viewed mainly from the finest of boxes. Spoilt for sure…
So thrilled for TLNCK and Claire Bailey whose White Noise stormed home in the first. Fantastic for Mat Nicholls, newly on the licence with Kim, and for their long standing supporters John and Penny Perriss. A fine result – and just a hint of mist in the old boy’s eyes as we rugby tackled him in the paddock post race…
Kabral Du Mathan looked all over the Stayers winner – but the petrol gauge from full to empty in two strides. He’s a proper horse though…
Supremely West landing a monster gamble for the extremely shrewd Skelton team…
On to today. A real feeling of positivity around the place this week despite our long standing governance and “vested” issues, and the farcical false starts that must be addressed. We have a fantastic sport and a superb product – please please please can we march forwards together for the greater good, and marginalise the vindictive and corrosive self interests. PLEASE !!!
Today’s stabs. Not bad “stabbing” so far. Better than plenty anyway…
The Triumph – or the “Willie Mullins Triumph”. He wins it – but with what ? He might actually win everything today. Even The Foxhunters even though he does not have a runner…?! A stab at Proactif….
Murcia, Secret Squirrel, Absurde – three in the 2nd ?? Why not…??
Panic Attack in the 3rd, Mondoui’boy and Spinningayard in the next, stick with my two in the Gold Cup and throw a pound at Gold Tweet each way at a million to one, Wonderwall and WrappedupinMay in the Foxhunters, East India Express and Wendrock to see us off the place in the “lucky last”…
What a week. Great friends. Fantastic sport. Some new owners on board for the Flat season ahead. The Games are coming to an end…
These are The Days…
