Impressive

Courtesy Carrot Club

I'm quite happy to admit that I was all but ready to write-off Belle Plage, but she certainly did the business this morning, coming in in a handy second place, and well in touch with the winner (the only male in the race). I guess a lot of people had something to prove on the day, but there's no denying that all involved did a good job in Sapporo.
A fraction more speed in the final furlong and she'd have got the win! With three seconds from six races, it will be worth giving her another run now, preferably at the end of the Sapporo era now she's actually in race mode. This picture shows her in the paddock at her lat race, by the way...

Even more impressive - as Belle Plage had already proved to be a good horse and gone off the boil - is the performance from Joyful Spirit. Starting as 14th favourite of 15 horses, and rightfully so given her awful first outing, she stormed past the post in fourth. Okay, she was 0.8 seconds down on the winner, but she had a slow start and was a long way ahead of all those from sixth back. This is a truly remarkable improvement, prompting the jockey to think she'd be better over a slightly longer 1800m. All I ever want is to see some effort, and I certainly got that from both Carrot equipes today.