Review of the day

It was another frustrating day, on which I again managed to get the borderline calls wrong.

It really does feel like it happens too often to be a coincidence - the only consolation being, that I’m working my way up the Naps table as a consequence (I tend to make my best Mention, my Nap !!)

In my defence, it is incredibly difficult to tip early in any of the Irish races.
The prices are set so defensively, you would have to be stunningly good to make a profit at early prices.

It’s caught me out a few times this season - A Plus Tard and Ballyoisin are 2 that spring readily to mind.
Sharjan can now be added to that list - and I guess there is an argument that I should just tip them and ignore the price.

Generally, my frustration is that the price on offer is much lower than it should be - and generally, I‘m right !

I would have struggled to claim more than 4/1 on Sharjan this morning - but his BSP was 8 !
That said, his SP was only 9/2….
It was almost exactly the same story with Ballyoisin.

I need to think about the best way to handle them.
I know a lot of you will have backed it because of my comments in the write-up - and because I napped it.
But officially speaking it doesn’t count for the service numbers - and plenty of you won’t have backed it !

Anyway, enough about a Mention !!

So far as the actual tips were concerned - I issued 2 - and they both lost !

I could tell after 2 fences that Lust for Glory wasn’t going to win.
She went up in the air at her fences, whereas Maire Banrigh and Baddersely Knight went forward.

My feeling is that she needs a step up in trip - plus a bit of jumping practise !

Bob Mahler jumped well enough - he just wasn’t too keen on the running bit !
Unfortunately for him, he had Paddy Brennan in the saddle - and he’s not a man to take ‘no’ for an answer.

Paddy gave it his best shot - and Bob Mahler begrudgingly went along.
As the challenges came and went, it did briefly look as if he might secure an unlikely victory.
However the final challenge of Boldmere, was just too much to resist...

With Minella Indo withdrawn on account of the quickening ground (I suspect connections of Anabale Fly wish they had done similar yesterday !), there was only one more Mention on the day: Le Bague as Roi.
She didn’t win - but she ran a mighty race - and was involved in one of the finishes of the season.
As at Huntingdon, she jumped from fence to fence - and even when Happy Diva challenged at the last, she refused to lie down.
However Lady Buttons appeared over the top of them both, and got up by a head in a driving finish.
It really was a tremendous race - and a great advert for the mares series….

TVB.