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DAVID CARR |
Weblog: What do you mean the Wi-Fi doesn't work? The life of a Racing Post reporter
On the up at Ayr - eventually
It was a D:Ream start to the year today - Things Can Only Get Better.
Not once in all this year's remaining 364 days am I likely to be out of bed asearly as I needed to be today, in readiness for a four-and-a-half-hour trip and a 12.20 start at Ayr.
There will be few more miserable starts than scraping the frost off the car and then ploughing on through driving snow on the A65, aware all the while that I was making a veritable leap of faith - a morning inspection meant there was always the prospect of having to turn back.
Though racing went ahead, an icy wind kept racegoers inside and punters were decidedly thin on the ground - seemingly no surprise to the and bookmaking fraternity, only four of whom turned up to ply their trade in Tattersalls.
And the real nadir came in the first race as narrow leader Super Duty took a crashing fall at thefinal flight and lay ominously still as the screens were put up around him.
But Brian Cox and co did say things can only get better and they were right - Super Duty had only been winded and after five minutes on the ground recovering his breath he got to his feet and walked off seemingly none the worse.
And then David Wesley Yates had happy news of popular grey Monet's Garden, who was fighting for his life 12 months ago but is in much better shape at the dawn of 2012 and could have a new career as a show horse.
The owner was speaking after the victory of his Getting Ready, whose trainer Nicky Richards proved that whatever the year if you ask a stupid question you get a stupid answer.
Me: "What is the plan now with Getting Ready?"
Mr R: "To win as many races as I can."
Another 7.15am inspection on Tuesday, with rain and high winds forecast - but I will be sleeping two miles away from the track tonight rather than 200, which should make for a more civilised start to the day.
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