Even Paisley Park couldn't cover up the inadequacies of poor Aidan yesterday, and even the 2 old war horses of McCoy and Walsh used the adage, 'Less said soonest mended'...'erm, erm', was about as much as they could say, surprising when Ruby had laid into Paul Townend earlier in the week. Suffice to say Aidan was about as good as my dire selections over the last 2 days...To be fair, Tobefair, did finish in front of Paisley, pity there were also 5 more in front of him at the line! So, pressing on regardless...have waited long enough for the leader of the Tipster comp to post their selections I'll have to rely on my own brilliance to try find at least one winner from the last day's fare...calling on the aforementioned deity for some much needed help, for the last time, here goes:
1.30 Solo, has never ran up a hill in it's life in public before, but in Nicholls and my own eyes I trust, surely to god it'll at least reach the frame?! Donald McCain has a rare runner, remember when one of his got the 'flu' and brought racing to a shuddering halt? How different things seem to be when mere humans get affected!..it be quite ironic if Navajo Pass would win, and on that slender basis gets e/w support!
2.10 A cavalry charge of 'fiddlers on the hoof' (which reads when written by the professionals-'ultra competitive'- who are they trying to kid?) if ever there was one! There's been a few smash ups over the years in this race, my pin was curiously drawn to...Mohaayed...speaking of deities ...I'll have some of You Raised Me Up e/w by way of thanks :-)
2.50 The fastest slowest novice event follows, at least it gives an occasion to draw breath before the big one...How can a horse that has finished runner up in a Grand National (Welsh) qualify for a Novice Hurdle? Rules, they never cease to amaze me. The Pipe team do love a winner and that Ramses De Teillee may show how to make best use of such ill-thought out regulations...unbeaten over hurdles this season and has all the stamina in the world...the e/w play has to be House Island, P R Webber (trainer) doesn't have many, and this horse has to give weight to the much vaunted Harry Senior on a visit here and not beaten far...grab at a straw again, maybe, but worse things have won or been placed before!
3.30 The day's and the week's race of races...To hurtle round here once and win it is great, to comeback and to try and do it again is akin to mission impossible. To win a Gold Cup means every sinew and muscle is stretched to the limit, and few ever fancy doing it again, some, on the other hand, can't seemingly get enough of the punishment! These horses lining up today deserve all the praise that they get, they are all top of the tree specimens of their breed. Will 'Photo be up to the task, will he want it like he so famously did last year? There's a look of the old Silver Buck about him and he was mad for his racing, brick walls were but mere obstacles to that lad, but..there's always a 'but'... The year younger Delta Work has been in fantastic form and is blissfully unaware of what's about to happen when those tapes go up...if Robbie 'the tit' behaves himself...Can Clan Des Obeaux do what Wayward Lad couldn't do, be supreme over all at Kempton in the depth of winter, and go on to win a Gold Cup in the spring? The 'mare's beginning to get up' still rings out down the years- Dawn Run beating Lad in the dying strides in one of his attempts...This year's renewal is going to be one of the best, so many possibles and each a worthy winner...sad that I have to lumber one with my selection....Delta Work has been simply a brute of brutes this season..has previous festival form..his trainer is in the form of his life.... I have to go with him, Clan to be out done in second and the gallant Photo still doing himself justice in third.
4.10 The days of the gallant John Thorne and Spartan Missile have long gone, these two were the scourge of the hunter chasing circuit way back, even got placed behind Aldiniti in his National. Sadly today it's become a business like any other race, despite the 'amateur' connotations' surrounding it all I'll side with Kelly Morgan's Top Wood against the might of the Mullins and Jonjo O'Neils of this amateur world.
4.50 Who has not put a hoof in front of another this season, but has been placed twice in this race before and after coming back from a break? Hendo's Theinval...that's an e/w out of the way. I'm not deserting the Skeltons, Two Taffs ...simple as.
5.30 And so another Festival closes, and all roads will lead back here as soon as the last horse has crossed the line and the last horse box has made it's way home...use to be a decent race that finished the festival off with, a simple graded race, few runners not a lot of interest, but oh no! they have to mess about with things, can't leave anything alone and so we're left with this conditional jockey's h'cap...errrrrrrr? It's wonderful that these young 'uns have a chance to rip round the sacred turf, but why now, why here and not in place of that extra event on, forget the day now...anyways, if I must, and it is a must, it's the last race...Umbrigado...it's a Pipe's horse ridden by Jack Tudor who's doing quite well, or was until I've tipped him!
Seems I've prattled more than usual, hey ho, won't be doing it again...until this thug bug clears at least!
Have fun, take real care out there...keep washing the hands and above all, Keep calm (ish)!
