The turf
Brave souls
Robin Oakley
The billionaire Nubar Gulbenkian once said that the ideal number for a dinner party was two: 'Myself and a damn good head waiter.' That was taking things a little far. But you don't always need a crowd to enjoy yourself. Sometimes it is the intensity of the experience which matters and it was like that on Saturday at Ascot's last meet- ing before the Cheltenham Festival. It was a surprisingly thin crowd for some intrigu- ing racing. Perhaps the biting wind had kept some away (although there was the odd brave soul like the woman in bright blue. Her attire reminded me of Gene Kelly's remark to one of his leading ladies: 'That's quite a dress you almost have on'). Perhaps others were deterred by the fact that four of the races on the card had fewer than seven runners. We British do like our each-ways. But the small fields took noth- ing away from the quality of some intrigu- ing contests and some stirring finishes.
In one of them Paul Nicholls's Rockforce won the Mitsubishi Shogun Chase, but left the winner's enclosure in a horse ambu- lance, having broken down two out and showed real courage to hang on. The pro- gressive eight-year-old had won three races last year and this was his fourth successive victory this year, but it will now be a long time before he sees a racecourse again. Patching him up regularly, his trainer had always reckoned Rockforce was living on borrowed time. It has been a real feat to get him to the course so often and even if he does not make it back he has at least won one big one. . Despite the winner's bravery, it was not Just the dent in my bank account which made me sad that Charlie Mann's Celibate did not manage to win the race, having come again after the last to mount a real challenge. He is simply too good a horse to have form figures this season which now read: 3343322. The trouble is that the nine- year-old chestnut is not very big and nearly always finds himself faced with top weight in handicaps. I had hoped that this was his chance, for once tackling the others in this non-handicap at level weights. But yet again he ran a cracking race without get- ting the top prize. Trainer Charlie Mann said: 'It breaks my heart every time he runs. He never lets us down. He always runs his heart out but always seems to find one too good.' He thinks he might give Cheltenham a miss because Celibate is likely to be given top weight in the most suitable races there. But there could be a decent consolation prize in the offing. Celi- bate is likely to be invited to participate in an international steeplechase at Nakayama in Japan on 15 April. The winner's prize in that is upwards of E500,000, compared with the £39,500 which Rockforce collected on Saturday. May he get the big pay day his consistency deserves.
After Celibate's race I saw Jockey Club handicapper Phil Smith and pleaded with him to give the little fellow a chance in future handicaps. With his ever-patient smile, developed I suspect through many a trainer's whinge, he conceded that there were 20 or 30 horses he handicapped through Celibate because Charlie Mann's chaser was such a reliable yardstick and the form almost always worked out. I reckon he owes him one.
There were some performances to note with Cheltenham in mind. Nigel Twiston- Davies's Beau jumped really well to land the three-mile novices steeplechase. Canni- ly-ridden by Dean Gallagher, Charlie Egerton's Teaatral was a game winner of the William Hill Internet Handicap Hurdle and looks interesting for the Coral Cup. And although Strong Promise was well behind Rockforce and Celibate there were further signs that the former star, who fin- ished second in the Gold Cup two years ago, is coming back to his best after a sea- son off. He needs better ground and a longer distance than he had here and the stable will not be totally despondent about those Gold Cup vouchers I am told they hold at 40-1.
Oliver Sherwood's Hopeful is unlikely to be heading for Cheltenham this year. The five-year-old won the Ideal Printers novices hurdle after a bell-ringing contest with John Akehurst's Pembroke Square, having taken the lead, lost it and come again. They nearly lost Martin St Quinton's horse last year with an infected tendon but he now looks the sort to run up a sequence. Tarnya Sherwood said, 'He's a cracking staying chaser in the making. You keep pushing him and he keeps finding more. And the worse the ground, the better he is.' The fine big bay looks the sort of horse to improve every time he runs. John Akehurst had seen the worst coming even when his Pembroke Square was in the lead, saying, 'The other fellow was always galloping.' But Pembroke Square's owner Fraser Miller, sportingly congratulating the win- ning combination, revealed that he had had the consolation of backing the pair togeth- er in the forecast.
You can put Blowing Wind on your pos- sibles list for Aintree. Martin Pipe's horse jumped some of the Ascot fences with so much to spare that Liverpool should hold no worries for him after he had seen off the talented Toto Toscato and Mr Markham in the other novice chase. Martin Pipe was confident he will get the National trip. And it was nice to see the normally consistent stable of Merrita Jones back in form with a victory in the Ascot United FC handicap hurdle for the grey mare Miscon- duct, again ridden by the in-form Dean Gallagher. 'She is such a battler,' said her proud trainer, who had pulled out the bet- ter-fancied Tanden from the race to wait for better ground. Misconduct had had a series of niggling problems and her trainer confessed, 'I was worried there would be a horse box coming to collect her any day.' But the Playmates' who own the mare were suitably rewarded for keeping the faith. I doubt it will be Misconduct's last victory of the season, Robin Oakley is political editor of the BBC.
Previous page
