While every racing fan would have loved seeing Thistlecrack take his rightful place in the Gold Cup, it’s almost a relief that a second scan on his slight tendon tear did not see connections change their minds about ruling him out for the Blue Riband.
There’s always enough chat anyway about a novice taking on their more seasoned rivals in this prestigious race and just imagine the furore if he had taken his place on Friday week and then taken a tumble and injured himself or, God forbid, suffered an even worse fate.
Today’s feature Greatwood Gold Cup (3.15pm) at Newbury can go the way of Venetia Williams’s Vic De Touzaine, who made a fine seasonal bow at Wincanton last month when just touched off by Dusky Lark.
The Kings Caple conjuror’s string is in fine fettle with 10 winners in the last fortnight and this fella can give the yard a further fillip in the build-up to the most important week of the year.
Two and a half miles looks the selection’s perfect trip and while soft ground should be absolutely fine, any further rain that falls for him will be much appreciated as his best form is on heavy.
Win or lose, and preferably it’s the former, this fellow looks almost certain to get our hearts pumping as he’s tremendously consistent finishing in the first three on eight of his nine completed starts.
Doncaster’s Grimthorpe Chase (3.35pm) can often throw up a Grand National candidate but hopefully this is Yala Enki’s cup final as he doesn’t have an entry in the world’s most famous chase.
He’s also tutored by Ms Williams, who is apparently a bit of a petrol head but even she’ll do well to get from Berkshire to Yorkshire in less than 15 minutes in time for this!
The fancy was behind Definitly Red, who reopposes today, last time at Wetherby on Boxing Day, but he made a couple of mistakes there and perhaps the break will have given his canny handler time to iron out any small jumping problems.
He was a revelation the time before that at Haydock when clear before the fourth last and staying on to score by eight lengths and if he can run to that form, he’ll go well and could even be a candidate for the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
Returning to Newbury, Chesterfield takes a drop in class in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (2.40pm) and could provide Wiltshire wizard Seamus Mullins, who has been knocking on the door in recent weeks, with a welcome winner.
‘Horses for courses’ is a very well-known saying but whether it applies to animals that won at the Berkshire sweat bowl on the flat over a mile and a half, as Chesterfield did for Godolphin, and then two miles over obstacles four years’ later, who knows?
This fellow’s obviously had problems with a couple of years off, but two runs in high class company might just have him spot on again.