Yes, superb sprint double at Ascot then he's off. I guess that's just the way it goes with the best flat horses: you just don't get to see much of them as it's a brief career.
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An interesting read.
http://www.racingpost.com/news/lates...meeting/387565
Just watched the 1815 @ The Curragh, Odds on FAV won for O'Brien despite trouble in running, Armory, get your notebook out.
Irish Derby tomorrow, with only eight runners. Can Anthony Van Dyck complete the double? He's the current favourite in the betting. It's also the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. Any thoughts?
RIP big John McCririck. Mad as a box of frogs, but a TV legend.
I never knew where John McCirick the character ended and the person began.
For years I despaired when he was wheeled out as the 'voice of racing' when the annual Grand National debate occured. He was usually a sole voice against 4 or 5 anti racing people and he never did his cause any favours. Of all the articulate and educated people in the industry I always thought it was very deliberate the media chose someone who was so easily objectionable to present the sports case. In recent years he even flip flopped and started arguing the National should be banned. I can't help but think that points to someone who just wanted to be heard and it didn't matter what he said as long as someone listened.
Whatever his 'failings' as a person he was iconic within racing and beyond. Everyone knew who he was and I'm sure he will be missed by many.
I must agree, PB. When I was a kid, he was the face of racing, whilst Peter O'Sullivan was the voice. He was nuts, but, even from childhood, I understood he was someone not to take seriously beyond the racecourse. He had to be taken in context, and he knew racing inside out. Not someone I would want as a close friend, but he breathed the sport. I've have nothing in common with him off the racecourse, but I'm sure he isn't unique in that!
Great horse Enable, now has the Eclipse to add to her CV. I do think it was a sub-standard Eclipse, the only other good horse in the race was Magical who she'd already beaten a few times, but you can only beat the horses you're racing against.
Fair point, but I suppose it comes down to how people rate Magical really, is she the 'best of the rest'? I see that Sea of Class has been immediately retired because of colic, that horse shouldv'e won the Arc last year IMO. Just hope that the horse survives, colic is serious.
What's the oldest horse anyone has seen race? In the first race at Southwell tonight, sixteen year old See Double You came second in a chase. The winner won by twenty lengths, but that's still a fine effort for such an old boy, and I've never seen a sixteen year old before. Can anyone beat that?
I saw Megalala on the flat at Kempton when he was 15, he was retired the following year at 16.
I also saw The Tatling at Bath. He was 14 and retired later that year, bowing out with a win at Wolverhampton. His last trainer, Milton Bradley, said he tried to retire him several times but the horse was just having none of it and used to kick the door of his stable when the vans were being loaded to go racing or the lots went out to the gallops without him.
On a separate note Matt Chapman is doing his best to outdo McCririck for being an attention-seeking clown and spoiling TV racing coverage. It's bad enough that this tw@t is on Sky but on ITV as well? I end up missing races because I have to switch over to avoid the eejit.
Too Darn Hot the latest top horse to be retired due to injury, shame.
He only came fifth. He's given his all; time to let the old boy enjoy his well earned retirement.
In other news, I see Enable is already 1/5 for the Yorkshire Oaks later this month. I was hoping for a bit better value than that, though, without Crystal Ocean there to at least give her a race, it looks a formality.
Current Champion Hurdler Espoir D'Allen put down after suffering injuries when rearing over in the yard a couple of weeks ago.