another season has passed, jonbon, skelton & shoemark.

​At this time of the year, with only flat racing to sustain me through the long days of summer, I stop fearing or thinking about death, which is as maudlin an opening sentence as you will ever find on the Internet.
Jack Leach famously said (I am paraphrasing) that it is hard to die during winter not knowing whether last season’s two-year-olds had trained on. I am similar to that come the autumn, in impatient wait of knowing which of the previous season’s good young horses are going chasing or will be campaigned as potential Champion Hurdle horses. But between now and the Autumn the Grim Reaper may take me at His will. But not once the new National Hunt season has begun. That is my pact Mr. Reaper.
Not once during the final meeting of the season did I think about Dan Skelton’s proposal to end the season at Aintree rather than Sandown. Yet no matter how enjoyable Sandown was yesterday, I remain committed to Dan’s proposal. Sean Bowen was the main actor yesterday and he rose to the occasion, taking centre stage by winning the feature race on a horse that could go on to better things next season. Resplendent Grey is well-named and looked to have enjoyed his day in the sun every bit as much as his never-say-die rider. Never Say Die won the Epsom Derby in the year of my birth, 1954. Not that I knew about it until a good ten to twelve-years later.

Once again, Nicky Henderson has teased us with the possibility of running Jonbon in the King George next season. It is an intriguing prospect, especially with Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci teasing us with the possibility of Gaelic Warrior also running at Kempton on Boxing Day. Have you noticed that through November and up to the declaration stage year after year the King George always looks like it is going to be best ever, with Willie Mullins suggesting he will run a good horse in it, last season’s top novices looking like they might run in it, and yet come the day the competition is at the same level as in all previous years?
Nicky Henderson is at a disadvantage, though. Whereas if Willie trained Jonbon, in Ireland he would be able to find a conditions chase at one of the smaller racecourses to try him over a distance beyond 2-mile 4-furlongs. Nicky though will be forced to discover if Jonbon stays the distance by throwing him into the King George. The B.H.A. must grasp the nettle and begin the process of helping our trainers by allowing a few condition chases over distances beyond 2-mile 4-furlongs so that Nicky and his fellow trainers can bring their nice young horses along at a similar pace to how Mullins trains his horses. At the moment, Henderson has the choice of the Betfair, a race he dislikes, at Haydock or the King George in order to discover whether Jonbon is a stayer or not, and if the distance proves beyond him, he will have a hard race which in all likelihood will bottom him for the rest of the season. Sod betting revenue turnover; our trainers need to be assisted not hampered by the system.

The manner in which Dan Skelton has conducted himself during his protracted battle with Willie Mullins is a credit to him and a credit to the sport. He deserves high praise for his conduct and greater luck from the racing gods next season.
But would it not be nice for us if his salute to Willie and Patrick Mullins yesterday ‘same place, same time, next year’ comes to fruition.
The one difference next season that would perhaps give him an edge would be for The New Lion to go through the season unbeaten, and that includes winning the Champion Hurdle. He also could do with finding a genuine Grand National horse.

The flat takes over from now until October and one jockey who I will be crossing my fingers for a successful season is Kieran Shoemark. For a man who defeated addiction to have to put up with the crap that was served-up by nasty individuals on social media was unfair, unjust and a smite on those who believe themselves to be fans of the sport. The ignorant we do without. Shoemark is a fine man, with good manners and great ability in the saddle. Let us hope he wins the 2,000 Guineas next week of Fields of Gold and carries all before him throughout the season.