Another year comes and goes and I can't imagine there will ever be another Festival like this one. Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions. Here's how I got on.
Tuesday was the golden day and one of the best afternoon's I've ever had on a racecourse. I had backed Kopek Des Bordes ante-post in a few doubles so that was a nice way to start the meeting. Leau Du Sud was a bit of a reversal in the Arkle and I was disappointed to see him find little up the run-in despite jumping the last in front. The Changing Man was placed in the Ultima to make sure that race was not a losing one and I didn't see the point in taking on Lossiemouth in the Mare's Hurdle so advised her at 4/6. She duly obliged. Constitution Hill's fall was a minor setback in the Champion Hurdle but it was the final 40 minutes that got things really going. Hopefully may of you read my sole ante-post write up for this year's Festival and saw that I advised to back Puturhandstogether at 14/1. I had backed him plenty ante-post and also decided to plough in at 10/1 the night before. Mark Walsh never looked like getting beat on the 4 year old and his victory made sure I couldn't lose for the week. The week's 'good thing' Haiti Couleurs duly went and won the last as well to round off a mighty day. I had taken plenty of odds ante-post but also went in on a 35/1 double with Puturhandstogether in the Fred Winter. All in all it ended up being one of the best days I have ever had on a racecourse.
I needed it however, as what was to come over the next 3 days was painful. I continued where I left off on the Wednesday as The New Lion got the job done in determined style. I had backed him plenty in ante-post markets since I was on hand to watch him hack up in the Challow at Newbury. That made sure the day couldn't be a disaster but unfortunately I got very involved in the Coral Cup after letting the Brown Advisory pass me by. I just couldn't get Impose Toi out of my head and after backing him at 17/2 on Tuesday night, I weighed in again at 10/1 on the exchanges to heavy degrees (all win only). He looked the winner throughout much of the race and despite jumping the last looking good, he was picked off up the run-in to finish second. That was a bad reversal. But not to worry I thought to myself as I had Jonbon at 10/1 for the Champion Chase. Well, we know what happened there - he crashed into the open ditch and it was game over. Stumptown covered my loses on the Coral Cup but doing the business in the Cross Country but like with Impose Toi I felt as though Unexpected Party needed to be well supported in the Grand Annual. I had plenty on at 6/1 but when he drifted on the exchanges I had more and then even more on. Like Impose Toi, I went through most of the race thinking he would win but Harry Skelton couldn't quite muster up a response after the last and he also finished second. I finished the day with no luck in the bumper and so after a fantastic start to the day with The New Lion going in, I ended up handing all of the winnings back to the bookies to just break even on the day.
I wish I could have broken even on Thursday. I had been backing Sixandahalf for the Dawn Run for a few weeks now and coming down the hill she was all over the winner. Heck! jumping the last she was all over the winner but was pipped on the line by an outsider under Rachael Blackmore. The handicaps didn't go much better either. I had no returns in any of them apart from Masaccio finishing a gallant 3rd in the Plate at 10/1 to help me at least break even on that race. I was well and truly behind the 8 ball come the last race. But I didn't worry as my biggest bet of the day was to come. I couldn't see Johnnywho getting defeated in the Kim Muir. He looked to have been plotted up for this race all season by running over the wrong trip and now he had top amateur jockey Dereck O'Connor in the plate, he would surely deliver the goods. He was 13/2 and I had to step in, and step in again on the off once I saw the weight of money. I had enough on that if he were to win I would not only go from being well down on the day to level but actually end up turning a nice profit. However, just like Impose Toi, just like Unexpected Party and just like Sixandahalf - Johnnywho went from all over the winner when he jumped the last in front, to an agonising runner-up after getting mugged on the line. I was despondent and walked off the course before the the 3rd placed horse had even crossed the line.
Thursday was a bad day but Friday would get worse. I had been at Ascot to see Lulamba run for the first time in the UK. I was happy with what I saw as I had backed him at 12/1 for the Triumph Hurdle before that and come the day was sitting pretty as he was the well fancied 5/2 second choice in the market. All he had to do was win and I would have recouped all of my Thursday losses. Easy right? No, no, no. Lulamba jumped the last in second behind the favourite, East India Dock, but fought his way past that opponent to lead up the run-in but, would you believe it, the 100/1 shot Poniros came from the clouds and nabbed us on the line. I was crestfallen. Valgrand underperformed in the County and I was badly out of luck in the Albert Bartlett as Wendigo was hampered when making a move on the home bend and that was that. But surely Galopin Des Champs would win. I had managed to sneak a few little bets on him ante-post for the Gold Cup. Nothing mad but if he got the job done it would at least cover the losing bets in the race before. But no, not even the greatest staying chaser in a generation could get me out of trouble and he was beaten before they even jumped the last fence. All 4 favourites in the Championship races had been defeated. I managed to find the 3rd in the Foxhunters after that but a real blank in the last race of the meeting meant that Friday was a real punting nightmare - a far cry from the dreamland I was in on Tuesday.
I know many punters who lost their shirts last week and so I count myself lucky that I still managed to make a nice profit on the week but it was a story of what could have been with so many agonising seconds. If Impose Toi, Unexpected Party, Sixandahalf, Johnnywho and Lulamba had all managed to hold on up the run-in then I would have had by a long way the best Festival of my life. But they didn't and so it wasn't. This is what punting does to you. This is what horse racing does to you. But I love it and I can't wait to do it all again in 12 months time!
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