Crazy-talented Asterion had the John Durkan in his grasp but not Forlonge

Oh, Asterion! I offer it as a cry of despair, but it might also become a curse, the kind of thing uttered by punters in years to come when the talented underachiever they've backed gets rid of the jockey just when it looked like they would produce the goods.

Unseating is actually something new for Asterion Forlonge, who seemed to have the John Durkan in his grasp until fouling up the third-last. I thought he was going to come up on the previous stride and perhaps Bryan Cooper thought so too, but the grey wanted an extra stride, didn't he, and then he was too close and went through the top and came down on his knees, sprawling and throwing his head in the air and changing direction so that Cooper was fired out the side.

Asterion Forlonge: jumping once again let down the talented greyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

That would never be enough for Asterion, of course. No, he just had to charge across the track, right in front of Melon and Envoi Allen and Janidil. He didn't actually knock someone over, as he did with Elixir D'Ainay at Cheltenham that time, but not for the want of trying.