Review of the day

If there had been a few more days like today during December, then I don’t think there would have been any mention of a losing run…

Not that either of today’s tips won: but Bishops Road ran well enough to get placed – and thereby ensure it was a  profitable day for the tips, which is always good.

I suspect he could have done with the ground even softer – though I doubt he would have got to Bristol De Mai whatever the conditions.
He looked seriously impressive to me and on that form could easily be Thistlecracks main danger, come Cheltenham in March…

Maximiser was the other tip on the day, but a shuddering mistake at the third fence put pay to his chance and he was eventually pulled up.

In truth, even before the mistake, I didn’t feel he was travelling well enough to feature in the finish – though I guess it would have been nice to find out for sure !

Today also saw an appearance of one of those rare beasts – a Top Pick !

They’ve had a very good record over the past couple of seasons and I felt comfortable passing their batten to The New One.

He’s a class horse – who will battle to the line.
The only way I could see him beaten, was if there was a genuine Champion hurdle horse in the line-up – and there wasn’t.

He may only have won by a length - but he did so, conceding weight to most of his rivals and with very poor jumps at every flight up the home straight. He was the best horse in the race, by some margin…

In the days other races, it was a case of what might have been…

I might have tipped Ubaltique in the handicap chase – and it could certainly be argued I should have done, if only EW.

However, I didn’t – and he made me pay (officially speaking !) as he came home in front of the other horse I fancied in the race, Pistol Park.

The forecast paid just over £18 – and I’m aware of at least one person who had it (which is pleasing).

The final race on the card was won by Dadsintrouble – which was also a little frustrating.
Again, I had narrowed down the field very nicely (the 4 I was interested in accounted for the first 3 home – plus the only other horse in the race who ever had a chance of winning).

However, I wanted a bigger price than was on offer (when don’t I ?!).

Maybe I have to realise that the ‘value’ I tend to go looking for, just doesn’t materialise very often nowadays…

The opener on the Haydock card looked a lottery – and I wouldn’t have got the winner with half a dozen tries: whilst Moonshine Lad ran a race at Navan, which left me hoping that he is allowed his final run as an eye catcher in a handicap.

That will be another day, however…

TVB.