Review of the day

What can I say…?! No seriously, what can I say ? – I’m almost lost for words…

If lady luck ever decides to smile on TVB, then I’ll do some serious damage !

I reckon that one day it will all come together and I’ll make 50 points in a day – I just hope you are all around to be part of it…!!

Anyway, that day wasn’t to be today – instead, we just inched forward with a 0.75pt profit.

Oh how different it all could have been…

Let’s start with the most painful one…

I don’t care how many Tipsters you guys subscribe to – or indeed how many tips you receive – I can promise you that you won’t get 2 better tips than Monastrell on the second day of the service; and Another Flutter today.

It is therefore particularly hard for me to watch both of them squarely rattling the cross bar…

I guess I can’t honestly say that Another Flutter was ‘unlucky’ as he was simply beaten by a better horse of the day – but what a race he ran…

As expected he was close to front rank all the way round and when John Cullen kicked for home after jumping the third last I did think he might do it.

He traded at 1.4 IR – but he couldn’t shake off the favourite Whiskey and Red and that one edged past him on the run to the final fence.

It was a gallant performance from both horse and jockey – but I doubt we’ll get 16/1 on him next time…

Earlier in the afternoon, Bathwick Brave had not done a lot to help redress the TVB luck imbalance…

It was too far out to say for certain, but he was cruising in behind the leaders and had just touched 2/1 IR, when he completely missed out the fourth last hurdle and paid the price.

I do wonder if connections might switch him to fences as he is such a big horse, he possibly pays no attention to the hurdles.

Whatever, it will be scant consolation to us – and he goes down as another one that got away.

The third tip of the day ran in the opener at Thurles.

There was no bad luck there however, Carrigeen Kariega simply wasn’t quite good enough.

That said, she ran an honourable race for a 33/1 shot – and will almost certainly be found an opening over a little further, probably on heavy ground…

The heavy ground at Thurles proved no barrier to success for Forpadytheplasterer in the feature race on the card.

He got a fine ride from Bryan Cooper, who saved every inch of ground on the inside and ultimately he won well. Post race talk of a tilt at the Grand National sounded a little far fetched however...!

Over at Newbury, Aaim to Porpsoer just couldn’t get to Meganisi in the opener. It was a good performance from both horses and it will be interesting to see how they progress through the season.

Elanisa ran a fair race in the novice handicap chase – but appeared not quite to get home in the soft ground. The winner, Parsnip Pete, looked a progressive sort…

In the Worcester Novice chase, Benefficient looked to have the race won, jumping the last, but Harry Topper came out of nowhere to nail him in the shadows of the post.

I suspect we will see Benefficient dropped back a couple of furlongs, next time out…

Rigadin De Beauchene was incredibly unlucky not to win the handicap chase (the racing gods clearer thought he was a TVB tip ;) ).

His jockey did remarkably well to survive a dreadful blunder a the third last, just as  he was about to take up the running.

That seemed to cost him all chance of victory – but somehow he found reserves to battle back and still be in with a chance at the last.

However, he couldn’t quite peg back the winner, Sizing Santiago, on the run in…

I suspect he will be a pretty short price to make amends next time out – though he will have to brush up his jumping…

Finally, the subtle signs didn’t quite get it right in the bumper.

Westaway ran a decent race, but couldn’t go with the front 3 in the betting, as they broke away inside the final couple of furlongs.

Over at Taunton, Paintball race the kind of race I expected – he will be dropped a few more pounds for that.

However, Queens Grove managed to prove me wrong and win the finale…

In fairness, I’m not sure she really proved me wrong as it was stamina that ultimately won her the day – even over the 2 mile trip -  as the ground was riding very soft.

Whilst My Flora could only finish second in the opener at Uttoxeter – though as I said, I suspect she will leave that form behind next time, given a more suitable test…

On to tomorrow then…

TVB.