As Ryan crouched a little lower off the home bend, let out an inch or two of rein and got down in behind his horse’s neck…
Kempton gets crowds like this when blue moons and Boxing Day collide. But Constitution Hill is getting those turnstiles clicking, and for an evening the uncertainties that swirl around the place were forgotten..
Some were not blown away – but double digit romps at Southwell are hard to replicate, and Ryan was in no more than “hands and heels” mode. And time might well tell that the second is decent. Apparently, the good horse clocked faster speed times than on his flat debut, and he certainly has the potent ability to quicken…
Where next ? Deeper waters for sure. The John Porter at Newbury looks obvious – and the next race will tell us plenty. And one thing is for sure and that is that the crowd will be swelled by thousands. Frankel mania was fabulous for the sport – how cool would it be if this horse goes on a similar journey of public acclaim through the summer..
Those charged with promoting our sport, and I now have literally no idea which acronym laden group spends that budget, must grab this and run very hard in the lead up to Newbury or wherever..
The only thing that I would have done differently is to have had somebody on board for these two runs other than Oisin or Ryan. Both of whom in all probability will have other stable commitments to fill when the deeper waters need navigating – Tom Queally’s career forever associated with Frankel, and it would be cool for a lesser light to have the chance of a crack at something that could transcend our sport…
Here’s hoping that this tale has a chapter or five still to be written…
The Lincoln and The Grand National. Gone are the days of vast numbers filling in permed slips at the bookies counter. The Spring Double…
Aintree’s signature race attracting some negative prose in recent days from those bemoaning the “good old days” before the race became a high class handicap over “fences” that could not look the Bechers and Chair of old in the eye. But change happens, opinions evolve and boxes have to be ticked. Evolution apparently…
Tiger Roll, a great National hero of recent years, would have struggled to get over the first three fences in days gone by. A clever horse of diminutive stature, he worked out that he could flick through the top half of today’s “fences” without a hint of danger of falling…
Times change…
