Mephisto Waltz ran out of steam halfway through the race today, so although he looked good for the first half, it means he'd given up after just six furlongs, and is nowhere near fast enough to compete in a sprint, ruling him out of both longer and shorter distances. In other words, another meaningless performance to add to the catalogue of Carrot Club disasters this year. Finishing 14th and 3.8 seconds off the pace, I've seen quicker donkeys on the beach at Blackpool. I don't know whether Carrot Club can restore any pride next weekend, with at least four chances being mooted from amongst my lot, but I'm not putting money on it, let's put it that way...
Hopefully River Spirit will do well in England later in the day. There is trust there, which can't be said about the vast majority of JRA trainers, and the pre-race report was full of honesty and a depth of feeling you just don't get out here, unless you're talking to NAR folks. Whatever happens, I know the Channon family will deliver some great value for money, as well as a bit of fun on the side.
Meanwhile, a decision has been taken on the future of 'Jaguar' (Mayano Time). Much as it hurts to let him go, I've decided to allow him to retire to a peaceful spot grazing in the sun all day. He went down after Merryl-chan left the stable (there was no longer a young filly for him to impress!), and then again after his pal Ukon died. With the weird weather playing havoc and a busy schedule, including competitions in places he simply doesn't like, it has taken its toll recently. He's coming back nicely now, and so it seems like a good time to tackle the long journey to his retirement home before the hot summer months start draining his energy banks. The next few weeks will be hard for me.
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