The Hunt For Good News And Will Any Racing Survive?

ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN

Welcome to the shortest dullest least informative article I have (perhaps) ever written, but what can I do when racing on the grass has been pretty much abandoned thanks to the wonder of a British winter, and even the best journos in the World would struggle to get a story of nerve tingling excitement out of the all-weather dross we get served up instead.

The Racing Post is full of negative stories with the count them on one hand British entries for the Cheltenham Gold Cup to interesting stories ion why it is so much better to train in France (understandable, but if you continue a negative diatribe the thought process runs the risk of becoming reality.

That said, finding something positive has been a chore of herculean proportions, but I did have a chat with someone about the current row between “racing” and the bookmakers, be that the levy, media rights, or a long list of gripes. I can’t and won’t use the exact words (this is a “family show” as they used to say), but the general thought was the bookies are all hot air. They may suggest our sport is their most expensive product (probably true to be fair), but my well-informed colleague suggested they need racing as much if not more than racing needs them.  Its history, its place on society, and the highly influential people involved in the sport all give it an edge, and the suggestion I was given was “so what” if the bookmakers actually walk away? It’s a disguised threat they have used many times, but there is a school of thought that the better funded racing around the World has a Tote monopoly (or at least a very strong Tote) and that not only could we survive without them, we may even get better income if they did exactly that. Life would not be that simple, obviously, but I suspect any bookmaker collaboration would collapse in weeks as one or more broke rank and started taking bets on racing once more – but on racing’s terms? Fact is I doubt any of that scenario will happen (perhaps sadly), but it did make me think that maybe racing needs to value itself a lot higher than they do at present – and remind certain players in the bookmaking industry that we do have alternative options.

Onwards to the horses this Saturday, weather permitting…(rewrite number 5)!

Starting in Ireland and I am quietly confident that the Willie Mullins trained Kimi De Mai will go off at a short price for the maiden hurdle at 12.32pm from Punchestown on Saturday, but despite her bumper wins in France, they are pretty hard to gauge and may not be quite as good as those who plunge on her think she is. She could make fools of us all (well, me at least) and stroll home by a wide margin, but I will be backing Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf, hopefully each way if the price is big enough. Third in the Irish Cesarewich when last seen on the Flat, her eight race career has seen three wins, two seconds and two third places so she is nothing but consistent, and she has already won a bumper here to boot. This is her hurdling bow, so we have to take her jumping on trust, but she represents a shrewd stable who will know the time of day before she runs here.

Ffos Las is not one of the tracks I had even considered to be honest, but they look the likelier to go ahead and if that is the case, then I will be risking a little each way (if the price is 4/1 or better) on Nicky Henderson’s unraced Johnny’s Jury ahead of the maiden hurdle at 12.42pm. A son grey of Jukebox Jury and a half-brother to the top-class Appreciate It, connections have been patient having bought him for 150,00 in 2023 and not seeing him run until now, but he has been delighting his trainer by all accounts, and even though the race will do him good, he may have sufficient class about him to hit a top three sport.  

Lastly (I am not wasting too much time on meetings that may not make it), I have had a long hard look at the all-weather meetings and really struggled, with just the one standing out as a sensible option. John sand Seam Quinn train Master Of My Fate who has to race off 4lb higher this afternoon after winning at Lingfield last time out. That looks harsh at first glance but the four-year-old scored with plenty up his sleeve to call upon if needed, and after racing wide and giving a few lengths away. He travelled well and could be called the winner a long way out and although perhaps better on the polytrack, he has run respectably on Tapeta before and arrives here at the top of his game.

Sean’s Suggestion

Master of My Fate 7.00pm Wolverhampton