PART I
DIARY – CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2017
DAY TWO
FEATURING THE QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE
WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2017
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Sprinter Sacre is paraded ahead of racing I thought I’d got up at 05:30, but it later
transpired that it was only 04:30! Showering proved very difficult. My room was on the top floor, under the eves of the roof.
This meant that, due to the configuration of the bathroom, it was
impossible to stand up in the bath and use the shower head! In fact it was difficult to even get out of
the bath … I rarely have a bath these days, I far prefer to take a shower. However I love my new vanity case, as all of my
make-up and toiletries fit in the one box.
Having worn my lightweight Boots No. 7 Airbrush Away foundation the
previous day, I decided upon Max Factor Miracle Match Blur and Nourish today;
the condition of my skin seemed to be going downhill and I needed more
coverage. But I still love the
Airbrush Away on non-blemish days.
Sadly my ongoing medication means I can break out in spots at any
time. I went to the main Hall at 07:00 for breakfast;
cornflakes, two yoghurts, a croissant and coffee. I didn’t get my monies worth today, perhaps
tomorrow once I’d settled in! Today’s outfit was my teal polo-neck thermal top,
teal printed thermal T-shirt, and turquoise thermal t-shirt, ribbed grey
v-neck sweater, teal-coloured BHS v-neck cardigan, teal-coloured fleece,
black fleece gillet, short M&S hankie-hem
skirt, beige M&S jeggings, flint-coloured
Hotter ‘Danville’ ankle boots, a cream
hand-knitted loopy scarf, plus ‘trees-design’
dichroic earrings.
Also my teal-coloured BHS anorak, plus black tights under my jeggings. I set off for Cheltenham at 08:25 today … I
appear to be very laid back now that Oxford-based traffic jams are off the
agenda! However, this meant that I
encountered a tailback on the road leading into the centre of Witney but,
once the first two mini-roundabouts had been negotiated, the remainder of the
route through the town and through Minster Lovell were very straightforward. I do, however, need to mention that the state of
the road surface upon Mill Street was diabolical … as it is in many areas of
the country. Too much traffic and no
money to pay for repairs. But what
really annoys me are potholes caused by lazy homeowners … a short distance
from where I live, the road surface has deteriorated outside one particular
house solely because the previous homeowner used to park one of their cars on
the road overnight, despite having room for four or five cars in the driveway.
So, because traffic had to brake in order to pass around the stationary
vehicle on the busy road, it wore out the tarmac surface; it’s never been
properly repaired since and is a problem area to this day. Anyway, the day would turn out to be the second
warmest in recorded Cheltenham Festival history … although it did get chilly
when the sun went down behind the grandstand later in the afternoon. In fact
it was shirt-sleeves for some … but definitely not for me, as my outfit
description testifies! I recall that upon two mornings it was misty near
to the Puesdown Inn, possibly Wednesday and
Thursday; no surprise as it is the highest point upon the A40. When it is really foggy, the cloud base is
so low that the Puesdown Inn area is the only one
in bright sunshine as it pokes through the top of the mist. Today, I popped into Sainsburys
off Priors Road to fill the tank, before heading to the racecourse; I arrived
at 09:40 and was instructed to park in the same section of the car park as
the previous day. I also found a lady to chat to whilst I was
queuing; she had a ticket for the Tattersalls
enclosure. As per yesterday, and for
the remainder of the Festival, I purchased a race-card before entry; they
cost £4.00 each day. Once the gates
opened at 10:30 and having had my bag checked by security just prior to
heading through the turnstiles, I paid a visit to the ladies’ loo upon the
ground floor of the main grandstand before going to stand upon the steppings above the Winners’ Enclosure. I probably purchased a bottle of water too,
before doing so. Sprinter Sacre was paraded in the Parade Ring
before racing today, with Nicky Henderson interviewed about his charge. Martin Kelly’s other guests were Rupert
Bell, Davy Russell, and a number of rugby referees who were currently
involved in the Six Nations tournament, also Warren Gatland.
RUK’s Tom Stanley interviewed a number of the
Ladies’ Day competition entries whilst they stood in the Winners’
Enclosure. Perhaps it should be
re-named Airheads’ Day … but I suppose it could never be as bad as the
misnamed Ladies’ Day at the Aintree Festival, which you have to see to
believe!!! Although Tom seemed quite
happy to interview the young ladies, despite worrying about being out of his
depth from a fashion-standpoint! Again I headed off to the course-side rails well
ahead of racing in order to reserve my place. The favourite for the first race of the day was
the Harry Fry-trained Neon Wolf, ridden by Noel Fehily
and owned by Masterson Holdings; price 2-1. Alan King had a runner in this race, namely Messire Des Obeaux, ridden by
Daryl Jacob. Another interesting
runner was Skipthecuddles trained by Graeme
McPherson and ridden by Kielan Woods; the horse
lost his tongue as a result of a horse-walker accident the previous summer. The starting gate for this race
was situated at the beginning of the mid-course chute. This being the case, the horses cantered
across the home straight and up along the all-weather strip in front of the
Best Mate enclosure to reach it.
And then they were off, first time, to another
Cheltenham roar from the gathered spectators.
The runners were led to the first flight by Willoughby Court; also
prominent were Livelovelaugh and De Dollar
Man. The latter bumped Skipthecuddles as they jumped it; bringing up the rear
was Poetic Rhythm. All 15 runners
having cleared this, the Ben Pauling representative continued to lead the way
as they headed to, and over the next flight. They continued their journey, crossing over two
intersections; the first with the Old Course and the second with the New
Course. They were heading downhill, swinging
to their left as they did so, before reaching the turn into the home
straight. The Rooney-owned Willoughby
Court remained at the head of affairs, from De Dollar Man, Neon Wolf upsides Livelovelaugh, Messire Des Obeaux, Kemboy, Skipthecuddles, Keeper Hill, Brelade,
Shattered Love, Consul De Thaix, Burbank, Bon Papa,
Bacardys and Poetic Rhythm. Having entered the straight, the runners had soon
negotiated the next flight successfully and continued the long journey
towards the packed enclosures accompanied by their shadows on this
particularly warm and sunny day. Willoughby Court, ears pricked, led them
onto the Old Course with the Fergal O’Brien runner continuing to bring up the
rear. The competitors cleared flight number four in
their stride before heading up the hill in front of the Best Mate Enclosure
and into the back straight for the one and only time. The two leaders held a clear advantage over
their rivals as they headed down the hill to the first flight therein;
however, Livelovelaugh and the others had soon
bridged the gap. The leaders cleared this flight well but, to the
inside of mid-field, Consul De Thaix tipped the top
and ploughed head first into the ground.
He must have broken his neck upon impact, as he was already dead
before he somersaulted over; his lifeless body and limbs causing havoc to
those who had been travelling in his wake.
Most badly affected were Bacardys and Poetic
Rhythm and they lost a number of lengths; also, but less so, JP McManus’
other runner Bon Papa. The fourteen remaining runners continued their
journey along the back straight and headed over flight number six; Keeper
Hill made an error here and landed awkwardly as a result. Bacardys and
Poetic Rhythm remained detached from the field as they headed around the
dog-leg turn. Willoughby Court led the
runners over this one, from De Dollar Man; back in the field, Skipthecuddles made a slight error. Neon Wolf made progress to the outside of runners
as they headed towards the far bend; it was a bit of a tight squeeze for Livelovelaugh and Messire Des Obeaux as the favourite leant in upon them. In fact as the ground began to fall away,
Danny Mullins had to ease his mount back due to lack of room. Neon Wolf still wasn’t taking any prisoners,
as he again squeezed- up the Alan King runner just prior to the inside rail
terminating. Willoughby Court continued to lead as the runners
headed down the hill to the third last flight, but Neon Wolf was within
touching distance as they jumped it. Messire Des Obeaux was also well
in contention, with Brelade, Livelaughlove,
Bon Papa, De Dollar Man and Kemboy close on their
heels. It was then a mad dash to the second last, with
Neon Wolf and Messire Des Obeaux
still held at bay by the long-time leader; having successfully negotiated the
flight, Brelade was now spearheading the remainder,
endeavouring to get on terms with the leading trio. The Alan King runner proved to be lacking a
bit of pace at this point, as Willoughby Court was able to slam the door on
him and take the inside line around the bend; Neon Wolf was challenging to
outside. Now in the home straight, the long-time leader
battled on tenaciously and continued to hold the favourite, narrowly. Meanwhile Messire
De Obeaux had shrugged off the challenge of Brelade and Kemboy and
continued to chase after the leading duo.
They had now reached the final flight but, just when the favourite
needed the best leap possible, he landed awkwardly and this enabled
Willoughby Court to gain further advantage. Once on the run-in, Ben Pauling’s runner drifted
to his right crossing in front of Neon Wolf then, further up the hill he
drifted back again towards the favourite.
As a result they were side by side as they headed to the line, with
Willoughby Court prevailing by a head.
Messire Des Obeaux
finished 3¾ lengths back in 3rd, with Burbank staying on to claim 4th. Skipthecuddles
finished 8th. It was compensation for David Bass’ huge
disappointment the previous day, when his mount Charbel
had fallen two out in the Arkle when giving Altior a run for his money. Willougby
Court was Ben Pauling’s first ever Cheltenham Festival winner. Neon Wolf is owned by Masterson Holdings, owners
of the ill-fated Balder Success.
Following his fall from Consul De Thaix, and
having given up his later rides, Mark Walsh was subsequently taken to
hospital to be checked over; it was discovered that he’d broken a leg.
I
remained beside the course-side rails during the interval between races one
and two. Reports from the Stewards’ Room: Race 1 - 1:30pm The Stewards held an
enquiry into the use of the whip by Noel Fehily,
the rider of NEON WOLF (IRE), placed second, on the run to the line. Having
heard his evidence and viewed recordings of the race, they found him in
breach of Schedule (B)6 Part 2 in that he had used his whip in an incorrect
place. The Stewards suspended Fehily for 2 days as
follows: Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 March 2017. The Stewards noted that
BACARDYS (FR), BON PAPA (FR) and KEMBOY (FR), all trained by W.P. Mullins,
would wear earplugs. Ruby Walsh, the rider of
BACARDYS (FR), which was pulled up, reported that the gelding was badly
hampered by a faller. Paul Townend,
the rider of BON PAPA (FR), which was pulled up, reported that the gelding
lost its action coming down the hill. The Veterinary Officer reported that a
post-race examination of the gelding failed to reveal any abnormalities. Paddy Brennan, the rider
of POETIC RHYTHM (IRE), unplaced, reported that the gelding was badly
hampered by a faller. The favourite for the next race was Might Bite,
trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville; price 7-2.
There was one grey in this event, namely Aurillac. The
starting gate was located between the nearest two fences in the home
straight; this being the case, the horses cantered up in front of the
grandstands before returning down the turf and re-entering the all-weather
strip to continue part way down it to the start.
On this occasion they weren’t off at the first
attempt. The sole chestnut, Acapella Bourgeois, was on his toes and keen as they
jogged past to the outside of the ‘temporary’
fence and he broke through the tape as a result. The runners were recalled. It would now be a standing start; whilst
waiting for the chestnut to return to the line, Alpha Des Obeaux
lashed out at Aurillac; fortunately his hoof didn’t
make contact with the grey. Bryan Cooper’s mount continued to kick out, now
into thin air to the outside of the runners; meanwhile Acapella
Bourgeois refused to stand in line.
One of the Assistant Starters took hold of Alpha Des Obeaux and the Starter asked the runners to take a
turn. They did, but the chestnut was
soon out of line again. The remaining
runners turned once more; and the Assistant Starter let go of his charge
too. Acapella
Bourgeois was still playing up but, in the end, presumably fed-up with the
apparent turmoil, the Starter let them go anyway. So they were finally off, with the chestnut
leading the way despite this; Might Bite travelled at his girth to the
inside, against the rail. All twelve
competitors cleared the first without problem and they soon swung left to
head up the hill in front of the Best Mate enclosure. The favourite took the advantage as they
cleared the second fence before heading into the back straight. They travelled down the slope to fence number
three. Marinero,
although one whole stride away from the fence, decided to take off at the
same time as his nearest rival, Royal Vacation. It didn’t help that Colin Tizzard’s runner took off a little too soon as well. But, whereas he survived his error, Marinero end up on his knees, which catapulted David
Mullins over his head; Briery Belle got
bumped. Amazingly, the horse didn’t
technically fall and sprang back to his feet before continuing with the
others. Ruby Walsh was able to steer Bellshill around the prostrate jockey,
whilst Our Kaempfer and Heron Heights also avoided
a collision, although both were hampered. It was four faults at the
water-jump for Our Kaempfer. Whisper hit the next fence, which was the
first open-ditch. The following fence
was a plain one and, at the rear of the field, Aurillac
was almost carried out by the loose horse as it crossed his path heading
towards the outside of the track. The
grey now appeared to be struggling. Meanwhile, up front, the leading group of three
headed around the dog-leg turn presumably unaware of the problems encountered
by their rivals. Alpha Des Obeaux, which was one of the leading trio, took off a
little early at the next but survived.
Briery Belle didn’t jump it particularly
fluently either. The runners were all strung out, despite having
travelled for less than a circuit, as they headed down the hill to the next
fence. They all cleared it without any
issues and Might Bite, along with Acapella
Bourgeois and Alpha Des Obeaux led the way as they
continued to the home turn on the first occasion. The remaining runners, some lengths behind,
were led by Royal Vacation, from OO Seven, Whisper, Bellshill, Briery Belle, Our Kaempfer,
Heron Heights and Aurillac. Having entered the home straight, the runners
cleared the next two fences without incident, although Whisper got a little
close to the second of these; at the back of the field, the grey had now lost
touch with his rivals. The leaders soon swung to their left and headed
up in front of the Best Mate Enclosure once more, clearing the uphill fence
in the process. The leading trio held
an eight lengths advantage over their nearest rival at this stage, although
Royal Vacation did make slight inroads into this latterly; Briery Belle was now toiling one from the back of the
field. Meanwhile Might Bite and his two companions
headed down the slope towards the first fence in the back straight. It was a far better round of jumping on
this occasion than it had been on the first circuit although the rider-less Marinero was still with them. Alpha Des Obeaux
cleared the water-jump more slowly than the leading two. Our Kaempfer
received reminders as the runners headed to the next, another open-ditch; he
dragged his hind-legs through the fence, losing momentum. And Aurillac,
although continuing, jumped it way out to his right. Measnwhile
Might Bite continued to put his rivals to the sword as he headed over the
next, a plain fence. Acapella Bourgeois was only two or three lengths behind
him, but Alpha Des Obeaux had dropped off the pace
and now led the main group of runners.
Royal Vacation had lost his place and Our Kaempfer
was pulled up as they reached the dog-leg turn, as was Aurillac
and Briery Belle.
The remaining eight continued over the final
open-ditch. However, the tiring Royal
Vacation didn’t jump it very well and Paddy Brennan decided to call it a day
too. Having soon reached the top of
the hill, the runners swung around the turn and began their journey down the
hill to the third last. Using this
descent to his advantage, Might Bite began to pull away further away from his
rivals. He was pursued by the loose
horse; Acapella Bourgeois was now around seven
lengths behind him, and he currently held a clear advantage over Bellshill,
Alpha Des Obeaux, Whisper, O O
Seven and Heron Heights. The leader jumped the fence well, and began his
journey to the home turn. Meanwhile
Bellshill briefly took second, before Whisper overhauled him and set off in
hot pursuit of his stable-mate.
However, Might Bite was still miles ahead of his rivals as he turned
into the home straight, with what appeared to be just two fences between him
and certain victory. The leader jumped the first of these well;
Whisper cleared it less fluently.
However, Nico de Boinville
had to urge him along on the approach to the final fence and his mount put in
a short stride in order to pop over it, losing momentum as he did so. Then, after a few strides, he began to hang
into the whip, veering off to his right.
Meanwhile Whisper continued to close under a strong drive from Davy
Russell; in contrast, he ran straight and true. Might Bite’s waywardness became even more
exaggerated once the rail separating the chase course from the hurdles course
terminated, his drift to the right more severe. Whisper had soon passed his
rival and looked destined to claim an unlikely triumph. But this was not the end of the story as
the long-time leader began to run on again; he was possibly aided by the fact
he’d also now got a lead from the loose Marinero. Thus, as the winning post drew nearer, Might
Bite’s speed picked up and he now continued in a straight line once more;
thus he began to gain on his rival with every stride. The two Nicky Henderson runners flashed
past the winning post as one. It was a
photo finish. The result was announced … Might Bite had won by
a nose! Bellshill finished 10 lengths
back in 3rd place, with Alpha Des Obeaux 8 lengths
further away in 4th. Nicky Henderson’s
other runner O O Seven finished 5th, with Acapella Bourgeois the last to finish; Heron Heights was
pulled up before two out. The winner is a half-brother to Beat That.
Once again I remained beside the course-side
rails. Reports from the Stewards’ Room: Race 2 - 2:10pm The Stewards held an enquiry into the use of the whip by Davy Russell,
the rider of WHISPER (FR), placed second, from the last fence. Having heard
his evidence and viewed recordings of the race, they found him in breach of
Schedule (B)6 Part 2 in that he had used his whip
above the permitted level. The Stewards suspended Russell for 4 days as
follows: Wednesday 29, Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March and Saturday 1 April
2017. The Stewards noted that ALPHA DES OBEAUX (FR), trained by M.F. Morris,
OUR KAEMPFER (IRE), trained by Charlie Longsdon, and
WHISPER (FR), trained by Nicky Henderson, would wear earplugs which would be
removed at the start. The Starters reviewed recordings of the start but were satisfied that
no riders should be reported for contravening the starting procedures. The
race subsequently was started by flag as the Starter was concerned that the
ground staff responsible for the re-fitting of the tape would be at risk from
the runners in the confined space. Tom O'Brien, the rider of BRIERY BELLE, which was pulled up, reported
that the mare was never travelling. The Veterinary Officer reported that ALPHA DES OBEAUX (FR), placed
fourth, trained by M.F. Morris, had bled from the nose. The favourite for the third race was Tombstone,
trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Bryan Cooper; price 7-2. Alan King had two runners in this race, namely
Who Dares Wins ridden by Wayne Hutchinson and the JP McManus-owned River
Frost ridden by Tom Cannon. The
beautiful Taquin Du Seuil
also took part. Nico
de Boinville took over from the injured Mark Walsh
aboard Hargam, and Jamie Bargary
aboard Robinshill for the Willy Twiston-Davies
who had been injured the previous day.
There were three greys in the race, the aforementioned Hargam, also Scoir Mear and Bravissimo. Scoir Mear translates as Quick Exit. Notably, JP McManus had five runners in the race;
Modus, Waxies Dargle,
River Frost, Hargam and Scoir
Mear – 20% of the field in fact! Admittedly they represented five different
trainers – Paul Nicholls, Noel Meade, Alan King, Nicky Henderson and Thomas
Mullins and both the GB and Ireland but you can see why some connections feel
hard done by when hoping their horse will get a run in any of the
oversubscribed Festival handicap hurdle races. The starting gate for this race
was situated at the beginning of the mid-course chute. Therefore the runners cantered across the
home straight and up along the all-weather strip in front of the Best Mate
enclosure to reach it.
Having trotted around within the centre of the
racecourse, the runners headed towards the beginning of the chute. However, due to a crush along the inside,
Mister Miyagi got squeezed out and ended up to the wrong side of the guide
rail. Having lost his place, Harry
Skelton quickly turned a circle on him before joining the back of the pack. Having now reached the starting gate the runners
were off first time. Prominent to the
inside was Hawk High, also River Frost; to the centre of the course, Thomas
Hobson was the first to rise as they jumped flight number one. Also visible just behind the leader were Supasundae, Who Dares Wins, and Bravissimo;
at the back of the field, Morello Royale landed
awkwardly when jumping this one and Allblak Des
Places also made an error here. Thomas Hobson continued to spearhead the 25-strong
field on the run to the second flight, with the dark grey Bravissimo
now holding second position. Waxies Dargle, which was
travelling towards to the inside near the back of the field, blundered at
this one, flattening the inside panel as a result. The horses then continued across the Old Course
intersection, followed by the New Course intersection, before swinging to
their left whilst travelling downhill to the bottom bend. The two Ricci-owned runners continued to
lead the way as they did so. As they approached the corner, Danny Mullins
eased his mount back, presumably not wanting to race against the keen Bravissimo at this early stage of the race. Thus, turning into the home straight on the first
occasion, Katie Walsh’s mount led from Thomas Hobson, Who Dares Wins, Hawk
High and Supasundae; the beautiful Tarquin Du Seuil followed
closely on the heels of Who Dares Wins.
There were no casualties at the first flight therein. Bravissimo
extended his lead on the long run up the straight to the next obstacle. Currently towards the rear of the field
were Tin Soldier, Allblak Des Places, Kalondra, Scoir Mear and Morello Royale. All 25 competitors cleared the flight close to
the main enclosures safely and Bravissimo continued
to lead the way by three lengths as the runners then headed up the hill in
front of the Best Mate enclosure.
Thomas Hobson continued to spearhead the main group, from Who Dares
Wins alongside Hawk High, then Supasundae, Tarquin Du Seuil and Sure Reef;
the latter sported the black and beige Wylie colours. Having turned into the back straight, they headed
slightly downhill to the first flight therein; the leader wandered slightly
on the approach to this one but cleared it safely, as did all of his
rivals. Allblak
Des Places was now a little detached at the rear of the field. The horses had completed half of the race
by the time they reached flight number six.
Thomas Hobson bunny-hopped this one and, further back in the field,
The Romford Pele jumped this noticeably slower than those around him and was
relegated to the back of the field and subsequently ridden along. The runners then headed around the dog-leg
turn. Bravissimo
continued to lead the way by a length from Thomas Hobson, then Hawk High and
Who Dares Wins. They were pursued by Supasundae, Tarquin Du Seuil, Sure Reef, River Frost, Modus, Peregrine Run,
Leoncavallo, Robinshill, Old Guard, Monksland, Tin Soldier the mount of Ruby Walsh, Hargam, Tombstone, Mister Miyagi, Automated, Kalondra, Scoir Mear, Waxies Dargle, Allblak Des Places, Morello Royale and The Romford Pele. At the next flight, once again Thomas Hobson made
a jumping error; The Romford Pele was now detached from the rear of the
field. Having reached the top of the
hill, the runners swung left and began their journey down the hill to the
third last flight. It was now Allblak Des Places’
turn to lose touch with his rivals. The order had changed by the time they had
reached this obstacle, with Thomas Hobbs and Who Dares Wins now sharing the
lead, from Bravissimo and, to the wide outside, the
hooded Modus. The Alan King runner, using his superior flat speed, took a
narrow advantage as they headed down to the penultimate flight. In his shadow were Taquin
Du Seuil and Modus; Thomas Campbell was still
there, Supasundae close behind, with Hawk High and
the hooded Monksland a length back. In fact the first four finishers would come
from within these named runners. The
favourite, Tombstone, was now struggling and had dropped totally out of
contention. Who Dares Wins landed marginally ahead of Supasundae as they jumped the flight; with Taquin Du Seuil having been
out-paced momentarily. Thomas Hobson
made a further jumping error here. It
was then a charge to the home turn, with the Jessica Harrington-trained horse
sneaking up the inside of the leader as they headed around it. Still in hot pursuit were Monksland, Taquin Du Seuil and Modus.
River Frost travelled just behind these, alongside Old Guard. Further back, and swinging wide, were Tin Soldier
and Automated. Meanwhile to the far
side, Mister Miyagi was soon short of room between Hawk High, the fading
Thomas Hobson and Peregrine Run; David Mullins aboard Scoir
Mear had to switch behind them as any hope of a gap
closed. As the final flight approached, Supasundae took the lead with the staying on Taquin Du Seuil now his closest
pursuer; Who Dares Wins was back in third position now. Having jumped it, the leader continued to
slowly grow his advantage as they headed to the line, the winning distance
was 2 lengths. The Jonjo
O’Neill-runner completed in the runner-up position, with Who Dares Win a
further two and a half lengths away in 3rd. It was almost a blanket finish for the next few
places, with 4th position claimed by Monksland,
from Scoir Mear, Modus, Old
Guard, and Tin Soldier. River Frost
completed a further 1½ lengths behind this group in 9th. Twenty-three completed; the last of the
finishers being Robinshill and pulled up were The
Romford Pele and Allblak Des Places. The Romford Pele had struck into himself
too. Mister Miyagi had met trouble at
the start and in running; Scoir Mear
had been unlucky in running too, as was Peregrine Run. It was the winner’s first handicap race. The horse had begun his career at Ascot,
when trained by Andrew Balding; he’d beaten Yanworth
in a bumper that day! His sire is
Galileo! Evidently Supasundae
is best mates with Sizing John. The
starting prices of the first four finishers were 16-1, 12-1, 33-1 and 66-1. Taquin
Du Seuil means Teaser Threshold or Teasing the Threshold
when translated from French; a strange name for such a gorgeous animal.
Once again I remained beside the course-side
rails. Reports from the Stewards’ Room: Race 3 - 2:50pm The Stewards gave
permission for MISTER MIYAGI (IRE), trained by Dan Skelton, to be mounted in
the chute and noted that the gelding would wear earplugs which would be
removed at the start. They also noted that THOMAS HOBSON, ALLBLAK DES PLACES
(FR), and BRAVISSIMO (FR), all trained by W.P. Mullins, would wear earplugs. B.J. Cooper, the rider of
TOMBSTONE (IRE), unplaced, reported that the gelding was never travelling.
The Veterinary Officer reported that a post-race examination of the gelding,
during routine testing, failed to reveal any abnormalities but he found that
TOMBSTONE (IRE) had lost its left hind shoe. The Veterinary Officer
reported that a post-race examination of AUTOMATED, unplaced, trained by
Gordon Elliott, during routine testing, revealed it to be lame right hind. Well,
that’s it for the first half of the diary, please ... Click here to read my Day 2 Diary Part II |
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