On Sunday 8th, Huntington was the focus in England with a classy running of the Peterborough Chase on show. Protektorat was a farm order but was laboured throughout and needs a much stronger test at this trip to be seen to his best. He's looking hard to place now and although he ran on well to finish a distant second, it's looking unlikely he'll be up to regaining his Ryanair Chase crown in March. Ginny's Destiny is also looking difficult to place now but scarcely has there been an easier winner of this race than Djelo who romped away to win eased down by 6 lengths. Despite being wrong at the weights, the Venetia Williams' band waggon rolled on and her 6 year old relished the soft ground here to gallop his rivals into the ground. Granted softer ground, he could easily be up to mixing it at the top level and I suspect that will come in the Ascot Chase in February ahead of a go at Cheltenham. Meanwhile in Ireland at Cork, Enurgumene returned from a mammoth absence to win another Hilly Way Chase. He took a few liberties at his fences but otherwise looked to still have plenty of his old zip about him and I fancy he'd of beaten Banbridge regardless. Still, it will be a huge order to regain his Champion Chase crown in March at the age of 11 and according to connections he will be kept to soft ground. A clash against Jonbon at Ascot in January looks on the cards now.
At Lingfield on Monday I quite liked the chances of Pedley Wood in the 3 mile handicap chase but he was declared a non runner on the day. It will be interesting to see where he does run. My only bet on the day ended up coming in the 2 mile handicap where I thought 13/2 about Pyrotechnic was a good price if he could settle better. He did just that and ran well to finish second considering he cut out the running but just couldn't hold off the odds-on favourite and this was going to be the theme of my week.
Tuesday was going to be a big day. I saw High Treason run well against Masaccio at Newbury and thought a drop in class at Fontwell would see him return to the winners enclosure. I duly took 7/2 and was happy to see Nigel Twiston-Davies' 5 year old was backed down to 9/4. However, he never travelled a yard or jumped with any fluency and finishes a mightily disappointing last of 7 runners. It really is back to the drawing board. Meanwhile at Uttoxeter I thought Katare Dori for Sam Thomas was the bet of the day in the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle. This horse has been crying out for a longer trip and softer ground. He had both here however, I am not sure what the riding instructions were to young Dylan Jonhnston as he was always well towards rear and was asked to close way too late when hampered at the last which cost him 3rd place and with it my each way money (backed at 13/2, went off 7/2). I will be keeping this one on side. There is a race in him off this mark. As it turned out my only return on the day came from the enigmatic Fantastikas who finished 3rd in the 3 mile handicap chase at 18/1. He led early but never quite looked like holding on for the win. This was a step back in the right direction though and I wouldn't be surprised if connections can get a win in him at some point over the next few months. My last bet of the day was Don Virginia in the 2 mile handicap hurdle. He is unexposed and represented an in form Jonjo O'Neill stable. There were no excuses though, as the maiden was always in a fair position but found nil up the run in and now will have a real squiggle against his name.
I moved onto Wednesday downbeat and came out of it downcast because of a not so Cool Party in the Stayer's Series Final at Kempton. Duke Of Oxford as well fancied however, Cool Party had won twice at the track when ridden from the front and struggled to get into the race on his latest go when held up. This time around the Mark Johnston 4 year old was drawn 1 and had the services of Osin Murphy. He was 5/1 and looked a steal each-way 3 places. However, disaster struck within a matter of seconds as he was slow away and had no chance of getting into a forward position. Murphy held this runner up in the rear of the field and although he did pick up, he ran up the back of horses and finished a never nearer 4th. A rare poor effort from the champion jockey and after seeing him backed down to 11/4 joint-fav I was spitting feathers.
Thursday was always going to be my biggest day of the week. I had plenty of what I thought were good things running. I thought Don't Tell Su was a smashing bet at 7/2 each-way at Warwick. He had never been out of the first 2 over hurdles and his form looked the best on offer. He travelled like the winner through most of the race and kicked for home early but was was just picked off up the run in by the short priced fav. Annoying. But it got much worse. In one of the maiden hurdles at Taunton, Tuxedo Junction looked a stomping bet at 8/1 each-way. He hacked round behind the leaders and looked set to pound up the run in but like at Wincanton last time, he didn't find much for pressure and stayed in third place. Each-way money was returned again but I was beginning to wonder what was happening this week. Not to worry, the 2 main bets were upcoming. Law Of Supply was on a hattrick and looked set to follow up his Ascot victory here in a middling field. He jumped brilliantly and travelled with his usual buoyancy but came off the bridle much further out than is like him and he merely plugged on for 3rd at 4/1. Nicky Henderson won the race and that filled me with hope that the biggest bet of the day, Choccabloc from the same stable would do the business of seasonal return in the handicap hurdle under James Bowen. The Hendo runner here had been butting heads against some proper graded types last season and looked set to push onto better things this time around off a readily exploitable mark. Imagine if you will the expression on my face then when the jockey decided that he'd hold the 3/1 shot up well off the pace in this field off a slow pace. He's a strong stayer and this was never going to suit. He picked up well for pressure but was not seen to effect in a sprint finish and I could not believe that he finished second. What a miserable day...
My run of having my runners find one too good continued at Cheltenham on Friday when the main bet of the day Wreckless Eric had everything in behind apart from the run away rabbit that was Mirabad. Backed each-way at 13/2. Another one I thought to myself. My day got worse as after backing all my old favourites in the Veteran's Chase (who decided not today) I was left thinking that Long Draw looked a fair bet at 5/1 in the last against Doyen Quest. However, the 5s went and quickly too did the 4s. After the week I was having, I couldn't bring myself to step in at 3/1 and of course had to duly look on dumb-founded as Olly Murphy's 5 year old ran out a ready winner.
After a work's Christmas Party on Friday night, I was in no condition to place many bets on Saturday but did have Stage Star running for me at 10/1 (ante-post) but the ground had dried out too much for him and he couldn't get into a nice rhythm up front. He is another Nicholls runner looking hard to place but Venetia Williams certainly knows how to place her horses as Gemirande ran out such a game winner. He could yet go in again and will certainly cope over further. Madara was hammered into 11/4 but couldn't get past the gallant winner. He could prove frustrating.
I finally managed to break my duck at Windsor on Sunday however. I am too young to remember jumps racing at the track and was very much looking forward to this new experience. Windsor did a great job at promoting the day and was duly rewarded with a bumper crowd. The track is incredibly sharp however and not suited to proper staying national hunt types. Trainers will learn from this as it is a hard track to make ground on. Anyway, after avoiding getting involved in the first couple of races I thought Starcrossed Lovers was a cracking bet at 4/1 in the maiden hurdle against an odds-on Henderson favourite who looked like he'd find this track too sharp compared to heavy ground at Auteuil. Starcrossed Lovers was given a cool ride to win well. My biggest bet of the day was Duhallow Tommy at 13/2 in the handicap chase. He ran a cracker to finish 2nd behind the short priced Hasthing. I managed to make a profit in the each-way return there and fortunately ended the day with a double with Hasthing at 11/8 and Loverdose going in the last at 9/4 (free bet). My main bet in the last was Onewaywest for the Ben Pauling stable. This was the 5 year old's first run in 355 days however, last season he finished runner-up to subsequent Welsh Champion Hurdle winner Lump Sun and fell on his last start when running well. A mark of 109 was so exploitable I had a decent bet each-way at 15/2. What happened? Well, as I said earlier this is a hard track to make ground up on but that did not stop Ben Jones to had his mount in dead last for most of the race before asking for an effort just before the second last. He weaved his way through runners but the favourite had flown. He finished a never near second. Go figure....
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