Sunday, March 28, 2010

Further Festival fallout...

Further Festival fallout noted recently... two articles by Ruby Walsh written for the Irish Examiner; in the first Ruby explains that Kauto Star's chance in the Gold Cup went with that mistake at the eighth while in the second the jockey questions the wisdom of marketing the Cheltenham showpiece as a two horse race.

Not to be outdone, Ruby's sister Katie gave an interview to the Irish Independent following her two wins at the Festival on Poker De Sivola in the National Hunt Chase and Thousand Stars in the County Hurdle.

Meanwhile on Friday The Guardian ran a piece that nominated the five unluckiest losers at the Festival - how many of your wagers qualified?

The celeb gossip website popbitch.com published an introductory guide to the Festival for those new to the racing experience. At one particular juncture the article states Denman's jockey is 'Rob Bryden, sorry, champion jockey AP (Tony) McCoy'. Mrs Tips comments: 'Rob needs to do a lot more wasting to get the real AP look.'

Earlier in the week there was fallout of a different type for Sky Sports presenter Chloe Everton who was ordered to take down her Twitter page after a number of her tweets were considered 'too racy' by TV station managers. Poor old Chloe - what's a girl to do these days? Just what she would have made of the five-year-old mare Big Knickers finishing third in the 5.30 at Plumpton on Monday evening is anybody's guess; the comments-in-running included 'held up towards rear'. I'm sure several racecourse commentators can't wait to include any of the following in future commentaries - Big Knickers pulled up / brought down; Big Knickers out the back struggling with a big weight; Big Knickers just held on; Big Knickers stayed on (up the hill); Big Knickers looking comfortable; Big Knickers squeezed for room; Big Knickers out with the washing etc, etc. Feel free to make up your own.

After all that I think I need a drink. Luckily, I know the just the place, pictured below...


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

BARIZAN will live long in my memory PG. He was the NTF outsider for the triumph and I really could not believe my eyes when he built up a commanding 15l+ lead. I was in typical pose, on the sofa riding the finish myself, but felt my heart sinking when he started tiring over the 2nd last. I can't complain really as the horse that beat him, SOLDATINO, was the NTF selection but I think there will always be a little bit of me that wishes BARIZAN held on. Great ride from Tom O'Brien as well.

On a personal PG Tips/NTF note I also think BARIZAN was one of the 1st horses we ever discussed together :-)

GeeDee said...

Hi Ben,

Didn't have a cent on Barizan but I was willing him to last home.

Think he was rated 130+ early season, a rating that was queried by some, and I remember him winning at Market Rasen (September time) where his jumping was very good. He didn't jump as well the next time but still won at Cheltenham and was then turned over by Pistolet Noir.

Evan Williams clearly knew what he had on his hands and freshened him up. I still think a slightly better jump at the last and he would have gone mighty close - electric stuff!

Anonymous said...

Big knickers - pants!

TLD