Review of the day

When riding a bike, if you fall off, it’s important you get straight back on and continue as if nothing happened…

I felt like I was riding a monocycle for the past 4 days – but this morning, it was like someone had left me a three wheeler to climb aboard !

I would have been genuinely surprised if we hadn’t got a winner today - and in truth, that’s the very least we deserved…

The win came courtesy of the first tip to run – Verano.

Very quietly backed, his 9/2 SP was half the price available this morning.
That seemed like a good sign to me – and in the race, he barely had a moments worry. Leading pretty much from flag fall, he always looked in control of things and came home a comfortable winner.

If only it always went like that !

Next up it was Katgary: however a few untidy early jumps saw him on the backfoot and he was never really close enough to put down an effective challenge.

I was little disappointed by his run – but then, maybe I had unrealistic expectations.

I wasn’t at all disappointed by the run of Top Wood  - just the final result.

He’s clearly not the easiest of rides, but Conor O Farrell kept persevering with him – and, as one by one his opponents dropped away, I knew he was in with a very good chance.

Coming to the last,  I thought he would get long time leader Barafundle.

But a scruffy jump at that fence - plus the fact Barafundle had Dickie on board, saw him coming off second best in a driving finish.

That was a shame.

It was also a shame that Buck Magic chose to plough through the fourth fence at Kempton, rather than jump over it.

He was another who had been a very well backed (10/1 in to 4/1 fav) – and whilst it was far too early to say how he would have got on, the strong market support had certainly raised my hopes.

The race was won by Ruben Cotter – who we were actually on last time he ran.

However that was 15 months ago, when he was beaten by Tatenan at Newbury (how time flies !).

He won very well – putting both Allez Vic and Canuspoit in their place.
That said, the former did run a good race – with jumping mistakes costing him his chance.

If he can put it all together, he remains a well handicapped horse.

Finally, Carruthers was taken out of the Midlands National, on account of the going. That was a shame, as I think he would have gone well – particularly with favourite Catching On, falling half way through the race.

If I’d know he wasn’t going to run, I would probably have put up Woodford County EW – and he ran another cracker to finish third.

As for the days only mention, Art Mauresque: he dotted up in the opener at Kempton, as I thought he might…

Right, back to the tricycle 

TVB