Well, we're two days through Cheltenham and the Festival is, as usual, providing more than its share of thrills. Some of the incidents have been too thrilling - eg Wishfull Thinking's spectacular fall, and the second-last flight and last flight incidents of Cotton Mill, who can thank his lucky stars that he is still alive - but overall it's just been stunning stuff. The clear-cut highlight, of course, has been Hunt Ball's win, with Nick Luck on RUK doing the occasion great justice and bringing the connections' joy perfectly to light. This wasn't the don't-we-know-how-to-"celebrate"-for-the-cameras back-slapping nonsense: this was just straight-from-the-heart joy, and straight-from-the-heart joy from the hearts of people who really deserve to feel that joy. If there was a racing personality of the year award and Anthony Knott failed to win it, then the judging panel should collectively be taken outside and shot; and Anthony Knott would have won it for doing nothing more complicated than being himself. That was racing in its full glory, providing the outright winner of saying of the week/year: "Bugger the cows!"
Closer to home, though, this morning I had another reason to find a smile coming to my face, even if not quite the tear which came to my eye after Hunt Ball's win. I was really pleased to pass Henry Cecil's string in Rayes Lane on its way back from Racecourse Side this morning and see it being led by everyone's favourite horse Frankel (pictured, with his jockey just behind him, keeping him in his sights) who presumably had just enjoyed his first gallop of the year - and then I was even more pleased to see the ageless and ever-smiling face of Gary Carter towards the rear of the string. I'd read that Gary had returned to town and was about to mark the end of his exile by taking a work-riding job with Henry Cecil, and I was delighted to see the evidence for myself. Irrespective of what other adjectives one might ascribe to Gary, 'hugely likeable' would always be top of the list, and it was great to see him again. With both Gary and Billy Newnes (who moved to Henry at the end of last year when David Lanigan left town) in the string (to name but two), Henry will be spoilt for choice for entertainment, as well as for experience and horsemanship.
Just a couple of other things. Firstly, I should have used a recent chapter to salute local apprentice Noel Garbutt (pictured this morning on one of Hugo's horses alongside the wall of Sir Mark's covered ride) on his first double. Noel transferred to the good young trainer Hugo Palmer a month or so ago, having spent maybe four years with Rae Guest; and his new job got off to a great start a week or so ago when he won a maiden race for Hugo on a 33/1 shot. The icing on the cake then came later in the card when he won an apprentice race for Con Dore. And secondly I'll give you my question for the day: if Andrew Lynch had objected to Finian's Rainbow after the Queen Mother Champion Chase on the grounds of intentional interference while bypassing the final fence (which did undoubtably take place, even if the intentional interference was well-intentioned, with Barry Geraghty seemingly not having realised that the fence was to be bypassed, and thus was trying to prevent Lynch, who he must have thought was having a brainstorm, from running out and taking his own horse with him) would the stewards have been obliged to disqualify Finian's Rainbow and place him last? Logic says that they would have been, but it's that word 'discretion', and the issue of whether or not the stewards have it, again. It would have been extremely harsh, but would it not have been inevitable?
Closer to home, though, this morning I had another reason to find a smile coming to my face, even if not quite the tear which came to my eye after Hunt Ball's win. I was really pleased to pass Henry Cecil's string in Rayes Lane on its way back from Racecourse Side this morning and see it being led by everyone's favourite horse Frankel (pictured, with his jockey just behind him, keeping him in his sights) who presumably had just enjoyed his first gallop of the year - and then I was even more pleased to see the ageless and ever-smiling face of Gary Carter towards the rear of the string. I'd read that Gary had returned to town and was about to mark the end of his exile by taking a work-riding job with Henry Cecil, and I was delighted to see the evidence for myself. Irrespective of what other adjectives one might ascribe to Gary, 'hugely likeable' would always be top of the list, and it was great to see him again. With both Gary and Billy Newnes (who moved to Henry at the end of last year when David Lanigan left town) in the string (to name but two), Henry will be spoilt for choice for entertainment, as well as for experience and horsemanship.
Just a couple of other things. Firstly, I should have used a recent chapter to salute local apprentice Noel Garbutt (pictured this morning on one of Hugo's horses alongside the wall of Sir Mark's covered ride) on his first double. Noel transferred to the good young trainer Hugo Palmer a month or so ago, having spent maybe four years with Rae Guest; and his new job got off to a great start a week or so ago when he won a maiden race for Hugo on a 33/1 shot. The icing on the cake then came later in the card when he won an apprentice race for Con Dore. And secondly I'll give you my question for the day: if Andrew Lynch had objected to Finian's Rainbow after the Queen Mother Champion Chase on the grounds of intentional interference while bypassing the final fence (which did undoubtably take place, even if the intentional interference was well-intentioned, with Barry Geraghty seemingly not having realised that the fence was to be bypassed, and thus was trying to prevent Lynch, who he must have thought was having a brainstorm, from running out and taking his own horse with him) would the stewards have been obliged to disqualify Finian's Rainbow and place him last? Logic says that they would have been, but it's that word 'discretion', and the issue of whether or not the stewards have it, again. It would have been extremely harsh, but would it not have been inevitable?
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