'It would be nice to have a change of luck, although it’s not luck, is it?'
A resurgent David Ashforth manages to chip away at the mountain
Has there ever been a finer jockey than Jonjo O’Neill Jr, except possibly Jonjo O’Neill snr? I think you will find that, for today at least, the answer is no. Granted, Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh were very good but they’ve given up.
But I digress. Southwell is abandoning Fibresand in favour of Tapeta. No more will we enjoy the sight of jockeys scrubbing away furiously to get a prominent pitch, no more watch them turn into the final straight and the race enter strange slow motion mode. Tempering (22 wins at Southwell between 1990 and 1996) will be turning in his grave.
Today (Standard to Slow), is therefore a day to cherish but with six Class 5 and 6 handicaps, it is fare for the optimistic and unwary. And so to Exeter, one of my favourite jumps courses.
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- We believed Dancing Brave could fly - and then he took off to prove it
- 'Don't wind up bookmakers - you might feel clever but your accounts won't last'
- 'There wouldn't be a day I don't think about those boys and their families'
- 'You want a bit of noise, a bit of life - and you have to be fair to punters'
- 'I take flak and it frustrates me - but I'm not going to wreck another horse'