CHELTENHAM – headlined by my Sun Racing NAP Call Me Lord – and Doncaster served up some real treats at the weekend.
But who or what has made it into my hallowed latest Good, Bad and Ugly column? Let’s find out!
Jedd O’Keeffe had a moment he will wish to forget last week when he sent the wrong horse to race at Lingfield.
But he ended up on a high with two good winners at Hexham before stable star Sam Spinner turned the Grade 2 December Novices’ Chase into a romp on Saturday.
Connections feel Sam Spinner – the horse who chased home Paisley Park in this year’s Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle – is better getting a lead these days having been a front-runner for much of his career.
However, he jumped and travelled so well at Doncaster that he soon found himself in front.
He did make one mistake which sent jockey Joe Colliver into the air in spectacular style. But on the whole it was an improved display.
O’Keeffe has not always had it easy, but he always battles away and in Sam Spinner he has a special horse on his hands.
He can be backed at 20-1 for the RSA at Cheltenham, and as that race is his confirmed target I think those odds are generous.
On his Paisley Park run he has every chance and his jumping his getting better and better.
Everyone wants horse racing to be a safe sport, but I do think we have it about right here in the UK.
Other nations love to slap severe bans on jockeys for what most would feel is very little. It seems madness to me.
Take Japan. The Japanese stewards brought William Buick’s stop-start 2019 to a premature end after handing the jockey a 16-day ban following a riding incident at Hanshin at the weekend.
Buick began a short-term JRA contract in mid-November which would have expired on December 23, the day after he was due to ride Rey De Oro in the final Grade 1 of the Japanese season, the Arima Kinen at Nakayama.
Riding Agulhas in race 10 at Hanshin, Buick went for a run up the rail and was adjudged to have “tightened up” San Ramon Valley, who Christophe Soumillon appeared to snatch up before easing him heavily inside the final furlong.
Climb Major and Ryan Moore also suffered interference as a result of the incident. Yes there was interference. But 16 days? You have to be having a laugh!
It all got ugly for Nigel Twiston-Davies’ secretary Lynne on Friday when Riders Onthe Storm was erroneously withdrawn for the following afternoon’s Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.
The six-year-old was accidentally taken out of the Grade 3 contest on Friday morning, and although the yard called the BHA several minutes later in an attempt to correct the error, under the rules of racing when a non-runner is declared it cannot be reinstated.
I know Lynne was in absolute bits, but it was a human error and we all make those. Goodness I should know!
So while I’m sure there were ugly scenes Friday, I hope Lynne is feeling happier now and has a very Merry Christmas.
There are far worse things going on in the world than a horse not being declared. Albeit it was frustrating for all concerned.
Luckily most bookmakers repaid ante-post wagers. Those that did not should hang their heads in shame in such circumstances, particularly as very little money would have been up for grabs.
