Crap End To Year

Well, was Million Ways' long-awaited comeback worth all the time and expense? No! Definitely not. As expected, it was a pathetic performance from Million Ways, despite a promising run and decent position up until the last corner. As soon as the straight appeared, it was as if the jockey threw out an anchor, and all the others (all low level nags, I might add) flew past as if the Carrot Club horse was standing still. At a massive 1.9 seconds off the pace, that wasn't race rust, that was a complete and utter lack of training - training that has cost owners a lot more than it should of, too. Two disgraceful runs in three days, and they wonder why I'm fed up with paying excessive amounts for this. It's that word again: Retirement!

PS. The post-race report expresses surprise, but it doesn't alter the fact that the trainer still got paid - we're the ones that have paid out month after month for the damned thing being on the injured list, although in reality, it was never technically injured at any point in its career, just useless. The report says it will be out at the next TCK meeting. It can't do any worse, I guess, but if it doesn't come at least second, it should be retired on the spot, for it's nothing more than a money pit.

PPS. The horse is back at Midway Farm again, which is 70 miles (115km) away from where it's supposed to be based - its home track being listed as TCK. Not only that, Midway Farm sell and prepare their own horses for the same events, so they're really going to try hard to get a rival to win, aren't they? Seeing as they get paid whether the horse does well or not, I somehow doubt it. One thing for sure, though, is that we can safely say that the next bill is going to be huge again thanks to unnecessary transport fees (allied to yet another month of zero income), and we can almost certainly say that the next race will be no better. A totally unacceptable situation, and oh so typical of Japanese racing - too many horses and nowhere near the level of staff, facilities or appropriate race calendars to deal with them properly. The next Tokyo meeting is at the end of January, when I hope a clear conclusion can be made. Right now, I just want to get rid of the damned thing, for it's costing a lot more than it should (that doesn't bother the club, though, for we're the ones paying, not them!) and giving nothing but constant disappointment in return. It should join Shine Tiara, Chocolat Sucre - and Nine Half, the only Carrot NAR nag I didn't buy into that year - on the retired list. And if Trovao doesn't improve, that can go, too!