Sand 'The Revival' Repeal

It is with great sadness that I report the retirement of Sand Repeal.

This may be the first time you've ever heard of him, or maybe you're an avid fan of the beast, but, to me, he was a great, a horse that touched my heart.

At times though, he could seem a yak, most notably when he would occasionally nip you and produce a bruise or when he would try and barge out his stable door.

Inside though was a heart of gold.

His story began in Ireland, in 2002, when a small stud owner called Donald Cummings decided to breed Columbian Sand with Revoque - a pretty unspectacular cross, one which was unlikely to lead to a high price at the sales.

So it was not surprising that he skipped the sales and went straight to Harraton Stables, base of trainer Julia Feilden.

From here he remained. A big gangly yearling, he was castrated early to keep his mind on the job.

As a two year-old he surprised many (as he was to do in the future) by being placed twice from three runs but he was always going to be a better three year-old.

And so, loaded with a rating of 73 (the highest he would ever reach) Sand Repeal raced around the courses of the United Kingdom from Ascot to Yarmouth.

It was the winter 2006 however that he really started to make a mark. Three wins during that period kept us all warm although they were split with two defeats behind a 66 rated Young Mick (not bad form in hindsight).

Little did we know it would be another 14 months before he won another race, interspersed with one attempt over hurdles where he duly unseated his rider at the first.

During this time, I had just observed, riding him occasionally and regarding as nothing more than one in the yard.

As time went on and I started riding in amateur races, our link developed. I rode him at Wolverhampton, finished 4th and hoped I'd never ride him again because he was such hard work.

Luckily, things didn't turn out as I hoped. We went to Windsor and on the back of a few placed efforts, he started at odds of 13/2. It was a venture into the unknown on this day - he was racing over 1m4f for the first time in well over two years. I knew one thing - he stayed, so I kicked him on four out and we never saw another horse. Chuffed, I obviously was.

What came next though, no-one expected.

To Chester, three weeks later and we're still not greatly fancied at 15/2 despite our obvious good rapport. 1m4f again, so what do we do? Kick on. It wasn't so easy this time, Sand Repeal had to dig deep and dig deep he did. We won by a head.

From these days, he became a favourite. Renamed Sand 'Revival' due to his recent resurgence in form, he obtained a slight cult following amongst the villagers of Exning and university students alike.

Between then and yesterday, not much had changed; he raced, ate and went out in the field to fight the ponies.

But after 63 runs, 7 wins, 21 places and £33,000 earned in prize money, it all caught up with him. He suffered a tear in his tendon when racing at Brighton. Not life threatening, but enough to end his racing career.

His future is safe, a good home for life is certain but he will be missed by all at Julia Feilden racing, most notably by me.

He was a pet and, as much as an animal can be, a mate.

Champion system?

Move over Pricewise, there's a new kid on the Saturday afternoon tipping block! Twice Over at 12/1, did you get it? Oh, but you're still in the red after a substantial forecast in the Dewhurst. Never mind. I also fancied Darley Sun in the big handicap but I didn't bother telling you because it was obvious, wasn't it?

Now for a little enlightenment. Jimmy Pugh and I are experimenting on a new system that we hope will prove profitable (like all good ideas initially do).

Take last year's Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, won so impressively by Dunguib. Now back every horse that ran in that race when it makes a hurdling debut. Any good?

Well, so far it looks promising. Second at the festival in March was Some Present...who won on 15/10 at Punchestown at 13/8fav.

Next we take the horse that finished sixth at Prestbury Park - Cranky Corner. He won at Gowran on 06/05 at 6/5fav. He's in on Sunday at Aintree.

Three places behind him was Benbane Head who won at Cheltenham on Saturday priced 8/1 after finishing third as 5/4fav on his hurdles debut. Disappointing admittedly but he eventually won nonetheless.

As for the imminent future, the ninth, Pepe Simo, runs at Wincanton on Sunday in the same race that the 18th, Henry King, makes his hurdles debut.

Shinrock Paddy, an unlucky eighth at Cheltenham runs at Thurles on Thursday.

And finally, the horse that only beat one home, Bygones of Brid, takes to the jumping game for the first time at Cartmel, also on Thursday.

Let's get on and see what happens!

Lightning doesn't strike Twice

With a chill in the breeze, Wolverhampton night meetings becoming more regular and the top racehorses retiring to sud, it most definitely feels like the ed of the flat season.
For me, Newmarket's Champions Meeting tomorrow is the annual last hurrah for the speed kings. I know there's the November Handicap meeting to contend with still but, let's be honest, we won't be seeing too many superstars there and the Breeders' Cup has taken a significant knock with the imperious Sea The Stars deciding that he'll be better off enjoying the company of some lady friends rather than trounce the same old horses, this time in America.
I don't know if I'm alone on this but, I find the Champions Meeting one which is quite profitable. Maybe it's because the best horses usually win or because you can put your money on safe in the knowledge that connections are trying, but my selections always do themselves proud.
This year is no different. New Approach was scorching value at 6/4 in last year's headline Champion Stakes and the horse he beat into second that year, Twice Over, can go one better this time around.
Not only that, I've also cracked the Dewhurst Stakes as well. A quality renewal it is and I think Silver Grecian will get back to winning ways with Dick Turpin filling the runner's up spot.

Youm must be in-Zain (or how it could have been)

Mick Channon hailed Youmzain as "the biggest thief since Ronnie Biggs" after the gelding's unimaginable third consecutive Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victory in Paris yesterday.

In familiar style, the six year-old swooped late under Kieren Fallon to nail Cavalryman on the line in front of an ecstatic crowd.

For Fallon it was an even more memorable day, barely a month after his return to race riding from a two year drug suspension, this was his signal that he is back on the big stage.

"The horse is quite remarkable," said the Irishman. "You can only hit the front late and he's a complete mongrel but I wish all my dogs were as talented as him."

Available at odds of 20/1, it was clear that the public believed his victories over Soldier of Fortune (2008) and Sagara (2007) were complete flukes and lightning doesn't strike three times.

How wrong they were though. Despite looking short of room two furlongs out, the son of another Arc winner in Sinndar, burst through to land the £1.6m first prize.

As to the future, another crack at France's premier race looks possible.

"We'll see how he comes out of the race and check that he eats all his pedigree chum tonight," said Channon. "When he wins we give him chicken and vegetable flavour - he loves it."

"I'd love to come back here because the bread rolls are delicious but I'm not really sure whether the track suits him."

Water waste of time

I'll tell you something else that has got up my goat recently - over-watering. The amount of races I've seen where the ground looks desperate is growing like Joseph Fritzl's beard.
Take Newmarket for instance; beautiful ground on the Friday, then by Saturday it's like watching a load of old chasers at Kelso. I know it's been an incredibly dry autumn but it's as if the courses have left the tracks unattended and then the day before the race they've thought 'oh, it's quite hard out here. Taps on, Geoffrey!'
The result? Ground described as good to firm yet kicks up like Worcester on a good day. The top is very loose because of all the water put on it but it hasn't had time to penetrate the ground o underneath the grass it's rock 'ard.
As you may guess, the turf is then slippy and the amount of horses who have been close to falling on the flat has increased.
So what can you do? It's too loose for the fat ground horses but still firm for the mud lovers. Leave it alone until some rain comes. Or go to Wolverhampton.

PS, I'm tempted to lay Yeats today. I know it goes against sentimentality but the old boy's always underperformed in this event and at 4/1, I'd oppose him. But lump on Dick Turpin and rob those bookies!

Pay peanuts...get monkeys

Ha! So all of those of you who voted against me updating this blog in a week were wrong. Oh, no one voted at all.

There was a little debate on the way to the races yesterday in respect to prize money - notably the lack of it. People moan that there is too much racing and not enough prize money. I take argument to this view; the amount of racing at the moment is sustainable and provides a regular flow of action to punters and fans alike. The problem is though that those associated with the upkeep of the horses (owners, trainers, staff etc) will not be able to provide the horses for the action because they can't afford to.

The recession hasn't dramatically altered the training of racehorses which has been the same, more or less, for hundreds of years but people are now being more economical - instead of trecking to a venue with one runner, they'll fill the box up with two just to make the trip more cost effective. Similarly, trainers' steeds now share lifts in horse boxes thus reducing the cost as well.

None of this is bad, in fact it saves money and reduces carbon emmissions because less boxes are travelling to the races, but it doesn't detract attention away from the problem of prize money.

You see horses racing round Wolverhampton on a Saturday night for roughly £1500. This barely covers a month's training fees for the nag. Ownership should be profitable for everyone and this would surely bring new faces to the game.

To boost the pot at the lower end of the scale, I think the authorities need to trim something off the top of the tree. Why, for instance, does the QE2 need to be £142,000 to the winner when there are only 4 runners and most years the quality of horse is substandard to Group 1 level?

Yes, the big handicaps should have valuable pots to attract competition but why does the Derby need to be worth almost £1m? Surely Chris Tsui, owner of this years winner Sea The Stars, wouldn't mind if he only won half that amount because, at the end of the day, he's still going to get insane money for him as a stallion.

Basically, the big Group 1s don't need big prizes because the value of the win comes with the horse, at sale or through breeding. Little handicap winners won't be worth much more for winning a class 6 event, they don't have a future in the industry after retirment, but if the prize is good, then things are more affordable.

Say you trim £200,000 off the prize money of the Derby, this could be redistributed as an extra £1000 prize money for 200 other races.

It seems that the rich only get richer in this game and for that reason, racing is excluding 99.9% of the British population.

He's the Long-Champ

And so, after a period of Baby P-style neglect, this blog returns. It was getting a bit above itself you see; being rowdy in public, upsetting the neighbours and generally doing things that Cliff Richard wouldn't approve of. But it's back (for now) and, who knows, it might even get updated more than once a month.

The Arc this week will be the highlight of most people's weekend, I've always wanted to watch racing behind the red button because it feels dirty, like looking up Claire Balding's skirt. Oh yeah, and Sea The Stars runs.

I was lucky enough to go to Longchamp for the Arc, the year Hurricane Run won under Kieren Fallon, and I can confirm that the rumours are true - the Paris track licks the arse of anything we've got on these shores. The place has charm yet leaves you in awe at the sheer size of the place, atmosphere but decorum and, most notably, superstars that you can almost touch.

Alas, how I would love to touch (and take a few hairs to sell on eBay) one of this year's invaders, the imperious Sea The Stars. A brute of a horse who has the physique of a wild stallion but holds the temperament of an eight year-old's pony. He's got a few gears as well.

Whatever Messrs O'Brien, Stoute or Mohammed throw at the son of Cape Cross, he catches, spits on it and leaves it in a jibbering wreck on a horsebox, probably on the M25 stuck in roadworks. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Tour de bore

As the Tour de France has just rolled to a ceremonious end in Paris today, I have been left with a feeling of disappointment.
Billed as the great clash between the old warrior Lance Armstrong and the new sensation Alberto Contador, this year's Tour never really lived up to it's hype and despite some flashes potential history making moments, the surprises came few and the racing came slow.
The problem was probably due to there being far too many flat stages where the peloton race in a bunch very steadily for a few hours and then the last kilometre is a mad sprint, usually won by Britain's Mark Cavendish.
Cav let us down, he didn't have the passion to win the green (sprinter's) jersey. He may look back on the Tour with regret. The fastest man on the road he was but points aren't just won at the finish and Thor Hushov deserves all the plaudits for making breaks midway through stages to collect some points for himself.
One rider who can hold his head high is our very own Bradley Wiggins. I may be disappointed that he didn't nick a podium place (a fiver each-way at 200/1) but coming fourth is the best any Brit has done and the bravery he showed up the mountains was admirable. He looks like a skeleton but the legs are obviously strong and this experience is sure to bring him some big prizes in the future. I want his autograph!

And Sir Michael Stoute didn't do bad at the weekend either but I think it was a weak renewal of this now substandard race. Year on year, we are left with the also rans to collect this big prize and it's about time someone did something about it.

Accountability in horseracing? That's a whole new debate!

A Quick Thought

Would it be hard not to laugh if you had an argument with race-caller Simon Holt because when he's having a go at you it would sound like he's on some epic commentary, Persian Punch and Jardine's Lookout style?


I'll be posting in the next few days...that's a promise!!

Where Have I Been?

Apologies for the lack of updation but my second year at university is now complete and the broadband quality is not quite comparable here in sunny Suffolk as it is in the multi-million pound computer facility of the uni.

So, what's been going on? Derby (tipped you the winner didn't I?), 'Conegate' at Salisbury and Royal Ascot. Plus, the weather's pretty mild at the minute isn't it?

Before we speak of the Derby, I just want to get something off my chest. It involved a participant in the feature race on the Friday of Epsom's Classic meeting. A horse that goes by the name of Phillipina. Hype horses are aplenty in Newmarket and this must be the one on the highest pedestal of the lot. Gambled on debut (got beat), punted on at Chester (got beat) and supported in the Oaks (got beat), there must be a group of stable lads absolutely broke because of this horse and I can't think of a way they'll get their money back. Run the filly in a maiden and she'll win... at odds of 1/10 on a good day. But try and get a bigger price in a group race and she won't win. Lesson learnt = if it can't win a maiden, it can't win a Classic.

The Derby itself was like taking candy from a baby. The best horse in the race was favourite and duly obliged, so why was anybody trying to oppose him?

Royal Ascot was another whirlwind of glamour and sunshine. I don't mind the BBC's coverage of fashion, it's actually quite entertaining. That camp guy Sherwood cracks me up with his catty remarks and constant pouting. He's more use than Willie Carson anyway.
What surprised me the most was the success of the American horses. Who would have thought that their two-year-olds would be so good? And the sprinter Cannonball was no slouch either. This invasion is sure to become a annual event from now on and it would be good to see some more visits from our friends across the Atlantic. The only concern I have is the use of drugs and if some horses have been on steroids, surely the muscle they have gained will remain even if the drug is clean of the body, and this muscle will create more power and speed. An unfair advantage? Just clean up the drugs Obama.

There is little I have to say about the Salisbury ice cream fiasco but it has opened up a whole debate about customer care at the races and this is something that desperately needs revising. Admission prices need a radical makeover.

Being at home has it's perks; regular meals, comfortable accommodation and a regular income from the job but this has lead to some trouble, notably an increase in gambling. Gone are the days of the 10p Lucky15s all my budget could afford, now I'm rolling with the Harry Findlays of this world on Betfair, backing and laying all the same. Although my figures are showing a nice profit, it's the laying where it all goes wrong. On good days you can only make a small profit, bad ones yield a huge loss. It's the old mutts that do me in, things I've seen running around places like Folkestone and Beverley that I'm confident will never win a race but oh no, when Birkett's backing them to lose, they find a new lease in life (and 20lbs improvement) and scoot up. Ouch.