Poor ol' 'Bugatti' didn't know what to think. He went over to Higashi-Kanto last night in that howling gale, and stayed there wondering if his family would come and get him. Of course we did! But his unfamiliar surroundings, all the noise in the night from things blowing everywhere and his uncertainty as to what was going on left him in a super-ultra-high-tension mode this morning, and he decided to show the judges a few rodeo tricks in his L1 outing - still came seventh, though, which wasn't bad. Once he realized it was a competition, and this place was like the Olympic Club, which meant plenty of apple cookies and loving hugs followed by a nice trip home, he calmed right down, until we reached high-tension mode for the A2 category. For a change, we put Louis in the Junior section, and the pair won it with ease. Racing tomorrow...
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Good Practice
Poor ol' 'Bugatti' didn't know what to think. He went over to Higashi-Kanto last night in that howling gale, and stayed there wondering if his family would come and get him. Of course we did! But his unfamiliar surroundings, all the noise in the night from things blowing everywhere and his uncertainty as to what was going on left him in a super-ultra-high-tension mode this morning, and he decided to show the judges a few rodeo tricks in his L1 outing - still came seventh, though, which wasn't bad. Once he realized it was a competition, and this place was like the Olympic Club, which meant plenty of apple cookies and loving hugs followed by a nice trip home, he calmed right down, until we reached high-tension mode for the A2 category. For a change, we put Louis in the Junior section, and the pair won it with ease. Racing tomorrow...
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Worst Ever
Beat The Boarder put in a disgraceful performance - probably the worst I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. It could have been resistance because she didn't want to play in the awful weather, or, as the trainer says tongue-in-cheek, a protest at keep getting the outside gate! According to Shun, she had the brakes on all the way round. Whatever it was, I hope I never have to endure anything like it again. For two months and three outings now, we've just made up the numbers, and that's simply not acceptable...
Ironically, I got a note of congratulations on Eclat De Reve's debut, which isn't going to happen. As usual, everything to do with JRA turf racing is overbooked, and the trainer can't get the berth he'd have liked - even the alternatives were full! The only thing you can say is he picked some good jockeys, with Cristian Demuro lined up in one case.
We have at least got two runners at Nakayama on the 25th, with Belle Plage lining up with Hiroshi Kitamura in the 9R (1800m dirt), and Tenshinramman in the 12R, which is over seven furlongs of turf. Francis Berry is in the saddle for this one, and if he can't do the business and revive some memories of greatness with this beautiful lady, we may as well throw the towel in.
Ironically, I got a note of congratulations on Eclat De Reve's debut, which isn't going to happen. As usual, everything to do with JRA turf racing is overbooked, and the trainer can't get the berth he'd have liked - even the alternatives were full! The only thing you can say is he picked some good jockeys, with Cristian Demuro lined up in one case.
We have at least got two runners at Nakayama on the 25th, with Belle Plage lining up with Hiroshi Kitamura in the 9R (1800m dirt), and Tenshinramman in the 12R, which is over seven furlongs of turf. Francis Berry is in the saddle for this one, and if he can't do the business and revive some memories of greatness with this beautiful lady, we may as well throw the towel in.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Despondent
I was looking forward to going to TCK tomorrow to cheer on Beat The Boarder, as she definitely stands a chance of clocking up her third victory. The last two runs have been a waste of time - Shun-kun quite rightfully didn't even try, as the outside gate draw was against him in a 1400m race (gate 16 with 16 runners, gate 14 with 14). Unbelievably, for the third time in a row, we've drawn the very outside gate! It leads me to suspect foul play, as the mathematical odds on this happening are staggering. One thing is for sure, I shall stay at home tomorrow, and I have recommended Kawasaki as a future venue. The horse has been in fine fettle, yet we haven't been able to compete properly since mid-November...
As usual, the JRA race planned for Belle Plage is oversubscribed. Big shock there! Meanwhile, Eclat De Reve is set to make her debut at Chukyo on the 25th in a 1400m turf race (with Fujioka-san in the saddle), Massabielle should be back for a Nakayama run ('should' being the operative word), and hopefully Irish Harp will be campaigned at Kokura in a 1700m dirt race, probably in the first week of February. At least the distance is better, but a jockey has yet to be announced. If anyone is listening, Cristian is back in town! Other than that, the only other news is that J'ai Un Reve is struggling with his gate training - so far, with one problem after another, he's simply a great advert for not buying an expensive horse!
As usual, the JRA race planned for Belle Plage is oversubscribed. Big shock there! Meanwhile, Eclat De Reve is set to make her debut at Chukyo on the 25th in a 1400m turf race (with Fujioka-san in the saddle), Massabielle should be back for a Nakayama run ('should' being the operative word), and hopefully Irish Harp will be campaigned at Kokura in a 1700m dirt race, probably in the first week of February. At least the distance is better, but a jockey has yet to be announced. If anyone is listening, Cristian is back in town! Other than that, the only other news is that J'ai Un Reve is struggling with his gate training - so far, with one problem after another, he's simply a great advert for not buying an expensive horse!
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