Review of the day

It’s not easy to summarise a day like today.

I issued tips in 4 of the Haydock races and between them, they gave us a bit of everything !

First up it was Prime Venture.

I rarely tip EW - and he demonstrated why !

The Haydock ground wasn’t as heavy as I expected (it looked to be riding closer to soft, to me) and that wouldn’t have been in his favour.
However, he was still going nicely, when he made a mistake at a fence in the back straight - and came down.

If I’m honest, I don’t think he would have won.
Vintage Clouds bounced right back to form and took the race apart.
I do however, think there’s a fair chance that he would have placed - though ofcourse, we will never know for sure...

Next up it was Ballyandy.
Again, I tipped him expecting much softer ground.

Truly heavy ground would have suited him - and not helped favourite, Pentland Hills.
And half way up the run in, I though it had cost him victory.

But as Pentland Hills began to tire (he had raced keenly), Sam Twiston Davies conjured an amazing run out of Ballyandy and some how he got up, literally on the line.

The fact he could be backed at 7/1 in the photo, shows how close it was - and even having seen the still frame, it was hard to say that he’d won.

Bearing in mind how things have gone over the past couple of weeks, I was happy enough to take it - though I was less happy when ‘normal service’ resumed in the very next race !

I said this morning that I thought Muratello might have a stone in hand of his mark - and I suspect that could be the case.

Unfortunately for him, Billingsley had a couple of pounds more - and ultimately that proved decisive.

The 2 of them had the race to themselves up the home straight, with Muratello appearing to have the leaders measure.
However, when Sam TD went to win his race, Billingsley pulled out a bit more.

It was very frustrating, because Muratello was clearly very well fancied.
14/1 yesterday; he was 7/1 this morning - and 7/2 at the off !

However, Billingsley was equally well fancied - and most races only have one winner !
We were on the wrong side this time - so in the space of a race, we were back to being owed one !

Ubaltique ran well, in behind the pair of them.
Again, he would have wanted the ground softer - and a staying on fifth place suggested he may have another win in him.

Gangster was the final tip on the day - but he was disappointing.
I quite fancied him (despite his price) - but the late drift was ominous and he was never really travelling.

I’ve no idea what the issue was - but I wouldn’t plan on supporting him again, in the short term…

There were a couple of Mentions in action, at Ascot - but neither troubled the judge.
Pic D’Orhy was a big drifter (as I half expected). He travelled really strongly in the race - but didn’t get home. Cyrname used to do the same - and like him, I suspect we’ll only see the best of Pic D’Orhy next season, when he goes over fences.
Allyson Monterg was the days other Mention.
I would have liked to tip him - but his price dropped too far, for a speculative one.
He was pulled up around half way, when something evidently went wrong.
His profile suggests he is a hard horse to keep sound - and whilst I’m sure he has plenty of ability, getting him to produce it on the race course, is clearly not easy…

TVB.