BRING ON THE WHITE FLAG.

​Only five British trainers have won a race at this year’s Cheltenham Festival by the end of day three, a statistic that is perhaps not very surprising. What is surprising is that only four Irish trainers have won a race so far at the Cheltenham Festival. Even if it were Mullins and Elliot versus the rest of the world the score would still be 13-8 in their favour. One day to go and virtually nothing to play for. Once again, as once was the day in the time of Arkle, the Irish rule the National Hunt waves.
The good news to come from the Irish camp was that Ruby Walsh is not as badly hurt as we all feared and that talk of his retirement is premature. It was even suggested he might be a spectator in the crowd for the final day. Some cheer he’ll get if he is spotted.
It seems that Sam Twiston-Davies might have to sell his Porsche to pay the ridiculous fine the Cheltenham stewards imposed on him for putting more emphasis on health and safety than the parade for the 2-mile Champion Chase. If he doesn’t win his appeal then adherence to rules will have savaged commonsense once more. Politilogue had already sent one of the Nicholls team to the Infirmary; it seems the stewards didn’t think one was enough and would have preferred several more, with perhaps Altior or Douvan disabled as well. It is the stewards who should be going to London to answer for their actions, not Sam.
I will not labour the point but my fear they would go too fast for Cue Card over the shorter trip proved correct. He might have run as poorly if they had run him in the Gold Cup; we’ll never know. But his best form is over 3-miles and as horses get older they certainly do not get faster. The horses in the Gold Cup are going to have a hard race, if I had my way Cue Card would go to Aintree for the 3-mile chase on what surely will be better ground.
Though it was splendid for Michael O’Leary to win his sponsorship money for the first time, the Ryanair proved a tame affair. Balko Des Flos looks a fair prospect and was a worthy winner but with Un de Sceaux underperforming and Cue Card running his worst race ever it is hardly an event that will be remembered long into the future.
What with Fairyhouse, Aintree, Punchestown and the final day of the season at Sandown still to come there remains plenty of big races for Mullins and Elliot to farm with the large number of classy horses they have at their disposal. If there were less big races to come we might get these good horses taking each other on.
I am now of the opinion that though the improved programme of races for mares was initially good for the sport now they are not so good as at the top end the races are becoming uncompetitive. In graded races is it fair that mares still receive the 7lb allowance? If Shattered Love, Laurina or Benie Des Dieux turned up in the King George next Christmas they would be 7lb better off than male horses who on form would be rated not as good. The situation needs to be rethought. Also, many people object to the novice mare’s race; I think it would make for a better spectacle if mares had to qualify for the race throughout the season, if only to put a stop to Willie Mullins pulling a mare out of the hat that none of us has ever seen before. He’s a genius, he doesn’t need handouts.