Fizzled Out

With a strange run of race date changes and the Leicester meeting abandoned just before Lillyput was due to go into the parade ring, we've not had much in the way of UK action this week after all, although we should have a good few runners from Friday onwards.

We've also got Phosphorus (pictured) on Friday, but given that we've drawn gate 11 of 12 (amazing that I somehow always get poor gate draws - just saying!) and the short 1400m distance involved, what little bit of confidence I did have has just gone out the window. Rather than make the long trek to Urawa, I'll therefore just stay at home and watch the race on TV, as I expect we'll do nothing more than make up the numbers now this information has come to light.

Courtesy Shadai TC

PS. Fizzled out happens to describe Phosphorus' race perfectly - the start was poor (worrying, in fact, the nasty way he dropped out the gate), and by end of the the third corner and start of the fourth, there was simply nothing there. It was almost as if he started going backwards! Ultimately, he finished in a very, very disappointing sixth place, and therefore zero earnings - just what you need after six months away from the track. To be honest, I can see another Pop Label scenario here - a horse that just won't perform the way it did before surgery, come hell or high water. I don't know how many chances he needs, but, as much as I love him, he's running out of them in my mind. Yano-sensei, who I respect a great deal, is saying he wants revenge at Funabashi, so I suppose all we can do is wait and see what happens. At least when he says something, you can believe it...