The Dr moves on

I can't say that yesterday ran to script. Dr Darcey (pictured with Terri before the race) ran a nice enough race at Southwell but to my considerable surprise was claimed afterwards. And at Kempton Kadouchski (pictured unwinding today with a roll in the sun in the rapidly-drying-out pen) never had a chance because, despite Hannah riding him perfectly, he was squeezed up onto the far rail in the straight just when he was trying to make his challenge (by a jockey who copped a two-day ban in recognition of his inept riding). I don't think that that actually made any material difference to the success of the outing: I feel that he would have finished close to the place-getters, and certainly many lengths closer than he did, without the interference, but basically the damage had already been done by a slow pace which ensured that his stamina wouldn't have been brought sufficiently into play. The fact that the disenchanted steeplechaser Chaninbar, who is only "running" on the Flat because he is banned from jumps races because he refuses to jump off from a tape start, was able to catch up the field despite giving the others about five seconds' start told us all that we needed to know in the first half of the race about whether the tempo was going to prove suitable for us.

Dr Darcey's run was good. On form he looked set to finish fifth of the five runners in the two-and-a-half mile claiming hurdle. As usual in these races, the older brigade looked to have the advantage over the youngsters, better old horses generally being entered in these races on the assumption that nobody will claim them because of their advancing age. So to finish third - albeit beaten a long way by the first and second - was good, especially as he had to get the better of good old Ocky De Neuillac, who has won three races this winter and who was considerably favoured in the weights judging by official figures, in a good fight for third. Even so, I was surprised that, being beaten 22 lengths, he was claimed. I was also quite surprised that the runner-up Railway Rico, who had won easily at Stratford seven days previously, who ran well again yesterday (13 lengths ahead of us), who is an unexposed and lightly-raced seven-year-old and who was in for the same price as we were, wasn't claimed. But that, of course, is by the by. I think actually that Dr Darcey (pictured cantering to post yesterday and also shown with his friend Terri last December) will prove to have been a good claim as he is sure to win over jumps at some stage; and he's only going to get better as he gets older. He's learning what to do now and ran very honestly yesterday, so it'll be interesting to see how he goes. Incidentally, yesterday evening when Emma pointed out that she's only ever known me run three horses in claimers (Picot De Say at Yarmouth in 2005 when he won, Milton's Keen at Folkestone in 2007 when he should have won but got boxed in and was beaten a rapidly-diminishing head into second, and Dr Darcey yesterday who finished third) and all three have been claimed. Do people have it in for me? Or should I take it as a compliment? Picot De Say turned out to be a very good claim. Milton's Keen wasn't a bad claim in the sense that he did win a race, even if it was 10 starts later and even if he then never won another. So let's see how the Dr goes henceforth. As I say, I'll be very surprised if he doesn't win a race at some stage.

So that's that. It was, of course, very sad to see him go. It always is when a nice horse leaves the stable. But life goes on - and we know when they arrive that they aren't here for ever. I don't know his new connections, but Terri spoke to them when she handed the horse over and she reports that it seems as if he's going to a nice home, so that's good. It's been a pleasure to have him here and we wish him well in his future travels.