Review of the day

I don’t suppose any of you would admit it, but I suspect that one or two of the new guys were getting just a little twitchy, prior to this weekend...

Ofcourse, non of you would say anything – you are far too polite for that – but all the same, 12 tips and nearly 2 weeks into the new season, without a winner.

There must have been the odd niggling doubt.

Well hopefully the past 2 days have helped set your minds at rest.

Give me some decent racing – and a reasonable bit of luck – and I will deliver the goods.

The guys who have been with the service for years, know that – and part of the reason I can do what I do, is because I know I have their unswerving support.

It’s nice to be able to operate with free rein – without concern over anyone questioning the horses you put up.

I know I can find winners – even in the most obscure of places – and the last 2 days have demonstrated that…

It was certainly nice to start the afternoon with a winner – and better still that it came via my favourite, Dickie Johnson/Philip Hobbs combination.

I’ve gone to them many times over the past few years – and they have rarely let me down.

Sausalito Boy might have struggled with his jumping today – but he has an engine.

And in Dickie Johnson, he had a guy on top who will never give in.

Once I saw them over the last, I knew they would come home in front.

I honestly believe that if the horse had started to wilt, Dickie would have jumped off and carried him !

You can’t beat that kind of determination – and nobody did…

The other tip in the race, Sego Success, made a really bad mistake going out on the final circuit.

That cost him his chance, but I wouldn’t give up on him on the back of todays run…

The next tip to run was Generous Ransom, but he was disappointing.
In truth, I think he lost the race at the start.
He was slowly away from the standing start – and Daryl Jacobs positioned him firmly on the outside of the field.

You are never going to win a race like the Paddy Power if you give away lengths around every bend.
That’s what he did – and unsurprisingly, he finished well beaten.

He will prove todays run wrong, in the fullness of time.

Fortunately, I didn’t have long to dwell on that disappointment, as Sean Bowen – and more importantly, Rons Dream - put things right in the next race on the card.

She travelled beautifully; jumped beautifully; and Bowen rode an intelligent race.

In theory, she had a fight on her hands from the last – particularly with unproven stamina – but I suspect she won with a bit in hand.

A rise of 6lbs or so, and we might be on her again next time…

The final tip to run was Vendor – and I just don’t know what was going on there…

When I saw him set out to make the running, I was worried – and he looked beaten at various points.

However, he kept on galloping, even when overtaken going to the second last - and he ran on like a train, near the line.

He clearly wants a bit further - but I still think he could have won under a more intelligent ride today.

I’m not blaming the jockey – he was a young lad, doubtless following instructions.

But if he had held up the horse, I’m sure they could have cut the field down, close home.

One that got away, I suspect…

In terms of the mentions, then Wolf of Windelsham defied his outsider status in the opener at Cheltenham (that was a good guess !); but Un Temp Pour Tout was run out of it close home by Vicente, which wasn’t according to script.

However, Leave at Dawn, comfortably won the novice handicap chase, beating Fort Worth into second place (and I will take a little credit for that); whilst Theatre Territory ran a good race to finish third in the bumper that closed the card.

The only mention at Wetherby was Elinika: and whilst he looked home and hosed in the handicap chase (traded at 1.1), he ran out of steam between the final two flights and crumpled after jumping the last.

After such a good run, he deserved at least to finish the race…

So, 2 days of the Open meeting gone – with just tomorrow to come.

No doubt the question on everyone’s lips, is can I do the 25/1 hat-trick ?!

Who knows !

I’ll start looking shortly – and if I find anything I can issue early, I will do so at 6:00 this evening.

Otherwise, it will be around 8:30 tomorrow morning, as normal…

TVB.