Review of the day

There was no joy with any of todays tips, on what has to be considered a disappointing day…

I should have figured that things weren’t going to go well, after the first race that I tipped in.

I split the stakes, on Suprise Vendor and Back to Bracka – but things didn’t go well for either of them.
For whatever reason, James Reveley decided to hold up confirmed front-runner, Surprise Vendor.

He promptly sulked and was soon at the back of the field, being pushed along.

Quelle Surprise – as our Gaelic friends would say…

Meanwhile, Back to Bracka was still travelling just fine – and with the race panning out nicely in front of him, when he was involved in a mid-air collision jumping the fourth last fence.

Unfortunately he came out of that worst - with his jockey ejected from the side door.

These things happen, I guess…

Next up, it was Bellenos.

He looked in a bit of trouble down the back straight, but when Harry Skelton got after him, there was a good response. So good in fact, that he took up the running rounding the final bend (at which point he traded at 1.25 on Betfair).

However, it looked like that effort might be all he had to offer – and so it proved.

When Ballygarvey and Ulck Du Lin responded, he had nothing left with which to counter.

His third place finish – beaten 9 lengths, is probably as good as he is…

Safran De Cotte put in the most disappointing run of the day.

Backed down to 9/2 favourite, his race was effectively over, when he ploughed through the second fence.

He did manage to hang a round for a bit longer – but he never looked like being involved in the finish.
That will be the last chance I give him for quite some time.

Via Sundown ran a good race at Ascot - but he ultimately finished a well beaten 6^th .

The race was won impressively by The Young Master - he really is a horse going places.

I was half tempted by him – but there was little margin in the 3/1 price against the toughest field he had ever faced.

There’s not a great deal you can do in those circumstances…

Finally, a mid race blunder cost Sea Beat whatever chance he had in the Ladbroke.

To be honest, I wasn’t optimistic when I saw he had drifted to 30 on Betfair, at the off.

If he was going to feature prominently, I expected him to be well backed.
I’ve no doubt there will be other days for him…

The mentions had a bad dose of seconditis – with 3 of the 5 finishing runner-up (and it would have been 4, if Puffin Billy hadn’t demolished the final fence at Ascot).

A day that it is best to move quickly on from, I feel…

TVB.