Firstly, my apologies for missing my deadlines for last week on my way back from the Breeders Cup, but suffice to say I was in economy class having done my brains on Golden Horn and being too chicken to get them back on American Pharoah, but it was still an experience to remember and the atmosphere as the American Champ took the classic had to be heard to be believed.
Moving on, and whether or not British racing is inherently sexist is a matter for those higher up the evolutionary chain to discuss than me, but it was still pretty sad on Saturday to bid farewell to Hayley Turner at Doncaster, though she was smiling in the main and seemingly confident that she has made the correct choice to quit the saddle and presumably head off in to the glamorous world of the media where she can take work off the rest of us – thanks a lot, Hayley. On a more serious note, she was one of the best female jockeys I have seen in my lifetime, yet still struggled to make ends meet, though surely as years go by and old fashioned ideals evaporate for good, the likes of Sammy Jo Bell will hopefully go from strength to strength, and lets face it, like most owners and punters, if they are good enough to win, we don’t really care about anything else.
Elsewhere this weekend, it was pretty quiet with the exception of one or two races, but they were of such potential importance that they are worthy of more than a passing mention. Simonsig was (or is, we shall see), one of the most exciting chasers of recent years, and allegedly worked as well as Sprinter Sacre at his best back at the Nicky Henderson yard, but injury has robbed us of his attendance on course since march 2013 – until he returned over hurdles at Aintree on Saturday. From a punters perspective it was always an impossible race to call, with the grey the best horse by some margin, but obviously looking for a pipe opener – but then who in the race would be good enough to beat him. I confess, Bobs Worth, good as he was over fences and three miles, was not my choice over hurdles at two and a half, but win he did (once Simonsig ran out of steam), and is now very much on target for the Hennessy Gold Cup where the 16/1 antepost is sorely tempting with his trainer acknowledging that he would be very well handicapped if back to near his best.
On Sunday, all hail Coneygree, yet to really capture the publics’ affections, but some chaser in the making. In an age of speed speed and more speed, this tank of a horse mocks the current fashion, and is in some ways a throw back to the greats of decades past. Described in some quarters as a “plodder”, he is perhaps less exuberant at his fences than some, and fails to fit the dream of a “cover up” horse who comes with a sweeping run to go past all his rivals up the home straight – he far prefers to make all the running, jump like a stag, and simply grind his opponents in to the dirt. They may not be the most romantic tactics but they clearly work, with five wins out of five over fences including a Cheltenham Gold Cup, and a built in ability to cause all his rivals jumping issues as they try to keep tabs on the son of Karinga Bay, so far without success. Why he is still available at 7/1 to defend his crown in March is beyond me, even with Vautour as a very serious rival, and with the market leader yet to even attempt further than two and a half miles (the Gold Cup is three and a quarter), we suspect the odds would be reversed were Coneygree with a more fashionable trainer than Mark Bradstock – though hats off to connections for leaving him where he is nurtured best, rather than moving him elsewhere at this stage.