Review of the day

You always need a bit of luck in racing – and I just don’t feel we are getting much, at the moment…

That’s not to say that Oyster Shell was unlucky as such today, because he wasn’t - he was just unlucky to bump into a favourite who was hammered in the betting and never put a foot wrong in the race.

As I said this morning, I felt that Vivaccio was the one to beat – and unfortunately for us, he pinged every fence and galloped on relentlessly…

Meanwhile, Oyster Shell ran precisely the race I expected.
Ofcourse, that was always on the assumption that he agreed to start – and whilst there were a few anxious moments in that area, once the race was underway, his attitude could not be faulted.

He was clear second best on the day – and with hindsight, an EW call might have been the better shout.

However, I was reticent to risk more than the minimum stake on a horse that might chose not to run.

I guess these things happen…

Still, it could have been worse, I could have tipped all the mentions !

4 mentions – 3 traded odds on in-running (2 very heavily) – and yet no winners…

And it’s not as if they were short prices.

Six one Away was 20/1 this morning – and started at 16/1 – but was 1.3 in-running when seemingly still cantering entering the home straight.
However, as is often the case with horses from out of form stables, he went from cantering to empty in a matter of strides – and was barely able to raise a gallop as he passed the line.

It was still a huge performance form a horse who had shown very little before today.

I suspect that when he does come back to form, Paul Webber will have some very well handicapped horses.

Next up it was Stephanie Francess.

I couldn’t tip her at 9/2 this morning – but we would have been on her at an SP of 8/1.

And that would have looked a very shrewd move as she came to take up the running at the last.
However, despite touching 1.2 in-running, she was beaten by the very well backed favourite, Pass the Time, who rallied, under the full treatment from AP.

Defeat would have been a sickening blow.

Kingsmere didn’t trade odds on the handicap chase at 2:10 – but he still ran very well.

However, I suspect it was concerns over his jumping that ultimately cost him his chance of winning.
A bit like with Buywise in the Paddy Power, his jockey didn’t have sufficient confidence in him to be able to put him in the race.

Consequently he sat out the back and probably gave away too much ground.

He moved into contention stylishly enough – but playing catch up against horses with race advantage, is never easy.

A poor jump at the second last sealed his fate and it was left to the market leaders, Gorsky Island and Roll the Dice to fight out the finish.

The SP of Gorsky Island was 9/2 – he was 3/1 this morning. At the starting price, I would have been just as likely to tip him as I would have been Kingsmere.

The final mention of the day to run, was Churchfield Champ.

Once again, he travelled really well through the race and a good jump at the third last saw him go odds on in-running.

But he was a tired horse coming to the last – presumably his exertions of the past couple of days, catching up with him.

It was a big performance non-the-less – though you have to think he (and Harangue,  who fell at the last earlier on the card) will need a few weeks rest, to recover from a gruelling trip to the UK.

TVB.