Rugby, Racing and the Fear of Relegation

 I enjoy the Rugby Six Nations more than any of the other sporting competition – it is I suppose because of its history and the old rivalries renewed. I’ve been watching it since the early 1960s when our Cork school used to go en bloc. I particularly enjoy the Welsh match because they take it so seriously and history has sown the seeds of some serious antipathy. Many will remember the Mike Philipps farce in 2011 where a dim-witted linesman ( “it’s the correct ball”) allowed a clearly illegal try by the opportunistic scrum half. Older folk will remember the infamous punch delivered by the Welsh captain Brian Price to Noel Murphy (no angel mind you) in 1969. And on a personal note I always found the Welsh fans tendency (in the old Landsdowne Road days) to use the terraces as urinals a tad unseemly. So I certainly relished last Saturdays’ drubbing – although like most I was disappointed that the team took its foot off gas in the second half. The pack were outstanding, flawless in the line out and solid in the scrum with the back row in particular doing well – O’Mahony in the line out and Doris and Van der Flier everywhere. Keenan was superb at full back – brave and reliable as usual. 

 

The Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown was compulsory watching for anyone interested in top-quality racing and in form spotting for Cheltenham. The one slightly sour note was the absolute dominance of Willie Mullins, and to a lesser extent McManus as an owner. Mullins has become the Manchester City of racing with many of the big buys by the big owners ending up in his stable. Gordon Elliot is his only substantial rival with Henry de Bromhead in very poor form so far this year – even the great Honeysuckle has been vanquished. A feature of the racing was the number of Mullins hot shots who got beaten, only for the stable 2^nd or 3^rd string to triumph. These included Blue Lord at 1-4, Lossiemouth at 1-3, and the ostensibly unbeatable Facile Vega at 4-9. It’s rare to hear the generally amiable Mullins being critical of Paul Townend his stable jockey but in two of the cases mentioned he had a go at him in the after-race interviews. Of Facile Vega’s run he said next time Townend should “ride him like a racehorse and not a machine.”  State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle, owned by my old school mate Joe Donnelly, put Honeysuckle (over the hill?) in her place and he has to be considered a serious rival to the much hyped Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. I was unimpressed by Galopin des Champs in the Paddy Power Gold cup and can’t see him winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup. I’ll be hoping de Bromhead’s pair (A Plus Tard and Minella Indo) recover their mojos. Another impressive performance was John Kiely’s A Dream to Share (see image above) in the bumper on the first day – a race that always throws up Cheltenham contenders. He was up against 7 Mullins’ horses (Willie, Thomas and Emmet all had runners) but won handily. A small owner and trainer prevailing - with a McManus horse in second. I had a decent bet on him at 14-1 and will be hoping for a repeat performance in the Cotswolds. While I’m on the subject of creatures being “over the hill”, would somebody please retire Ted Walsh. His son Ruby is probably one of the shrewdest analysts around and is always worth listening to on RTE and ITV and his daughter Katy doing her interviews on horseback is a nice touch even if it’s all a tad incestuous and unchallenging - many of the winning horse are attached to a stable with strong family connections. But do we need three Walshs? Ted has atrophied into a caricature of himself – with a desperate need to be blunt and salty (is using “arse” every time he’s on TV written into his contract?), and a singular lack of detachment.

 

Not many people know that I’m an Everton supporter. But I’ve been at it long enough to see them win leagues, cups and even the European Cup-Winners cup in 1985 – beating Bayern Munich on the way.  Their golden age in the 80s coincided with the Liverpool-inspired European ban for all English clubs – irony of ironies. I can’t remember why I started following them but assume it must have been because of the number of Irish internationals they featured in the 1950s: Peter Farrell, Tommy Eglington and Mick Megan to name a few. Kevin Sheedy was on their great 80s team. In recent years I’ve kept this near-fatal attraction quiet. The notion of them being relegated seems unspeakable – especially when you know their history and have seen at first hand the pride and esprit-de-corps at Goodison. But they have fallen into bad company in recent years and the management merry-go-round has been farcical. I was happy to see a no-bullshit, pragmatic manager such as Sean Dyche appointed . If anyone is going to drag them out of the slough of despond it’s surely him. So I was very pleased to see stirrings of pride and honest endeavour last Saturday when they beat Arsenal. I just wish it hadn’t been against Arsenal who I have begun to take an interest in because of the fine football they play and of course because of Arteta – their Everton connection. Now a result against Liverpool next week would be a different matter.

Cheltenham Day 2 - Thoughts and Strategies

 

Yesterday was the most memorable day's racing I can remember - Mullins' achievments were truly historic and the quality of his Grade 1 winners was exceptional. On the betting front I broke even thanks to Sizing John's 33-1 third and Polly Peachum's agonisingly close second. I had another second in Thomas Crapper but Theatre Queen sadly was put down after a bad fall. Jezki was a huge disappointment in the Champion Hurdle and clearly he was an inferior winner last year.

But hope spring eternal in the bosom of the bettor so off we go with Day 2. Nicky Henderson is due a winner and Vyta Du Roc is a tentative choice in the first - Beast of Burden may also be close. In the RSA Chase I always look for course winners and Kings Palace looks best. The Coral Cup is the usual lottery but you get fancy prices so I'm going for Activial in the hope that he stays and in a Henderson outsider Hammersly Lake. I'll watch the Champion Chase and hope that Sprinter Sacre is back near his spectacular best and will steer well clear of the Cross-Country chase. I like Arabian Revolution in the Fred Winter - although I'll be pushing Barry Geraghty's luck as he rides two of my earlier fancies also. In the last race, the Champion Bumper, Dermot Weld (my old buddy) runs Vigil the horse I backed unsuccessfully in this race last year. It's most unusual for a horse to run in this race twice (they usually go hurdling) so I'm assuming Weld has a reason for returning.

 

 

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Cheltenham Day 1 - Thoughts and Strategies

 

The first day is my favourite with the Supreme Novices, the Arkle and the Champion Hurdle to relish. This year it's all about Willie Mullins and his short-priced favourites for all three of these. I rarely back favourites, especially short-priced ones, so I shall be looking elsewhere. Paddy Power has encouraged this strategy by offering your money back on all losing bets if the favourites win in the Supreme and in the Arkle. So I'll be backing L'Ami Serge in the Supreme and Vibrato Valtat in the Arkle. The odds around Sizing John (33-1) are too good to resist so I'll also be having a saver on him in the Supreme - remember money back if Douvan wins.

The third race (2.40) is a three mile, one furlong handicap chase - a race type I would usually steer well clear of. But it's Cheltenham so I'll probably back Ned Stark because he's trained by the classy Alan King for the company that sponsors the race. These big-field handicap chases at Cheltenham generate serious attrition so even finishing in one is an achievement.

Next up is the Champion Hurdle - with the great Hurricane Fly relegated to a supporting role by most pundits. Too old, ground too fast, doesn't like Cheltenham are amongst the various reasons for his neglect. And of course Ruby Walsh has chosen his stable companion and hot favourite Faugheen. I'm looking elsewhere again. I feel Faugheen hasn't beaten much in his prep races and could be found out on the day. Jezki won it last year and thrives in the spring on good ground so I'm going for him at a generous 9-2. Also, Jessica Harrington is making encouraging noises.

The Mares Hurdle has been farmed by Willie Mullins for the past 5 years and this year he's got Annie Power whose at odds on (8/13) - prohibitive for most folk. Also, she hasn't raced since last May having been injured. I like the look of Nicky Henderson's Polly Peachum. She can be backed each way at 9-1.

The last two races are novice chases - not a medium for any serious betting. In the 4.40 there's a horse called Theatre Queen who's made a habit of refusing at the start, or at best taking off tardily. She's 33-1 and stays forever, when she does start, so I will risk a minor punt on the fickle jade.

In the last race (5.15) Thomas Crapper has the right kind of profile but then so do half the field. I will tempt fate and rely on him to get me out of the mire in which my previous bets have almost certainly deposited me.

Cheltenham is one of the few race meetings where the quality of the racing can compensate for the inevitable financial disappointments - to an extent.


 

 

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