exciting times ahead, cross-country, cardiovascular & taylor fisher.

​Jack Leach, of ‘Sods I Have Cut on The Turf’ fame, is often quoted as saying ‘how can anyone die through the winter when they don’t know how last seasons two-year-olds have trained on.’ I am a bit like that at this time of year, though my inspiration to continue to dodge the Grim Reaper is wanting to know how last season’s novice hurdlers progress when tried over fences. Can you imagine the spirit of someone who leaves this mortal realm not knowing how Ballyburn did on his chase debut at Punchestown tomorrow or Sir Gino on Monday at Kempton? Mortified, I expect.
The fate of this season’s two-year-olds will not cross my mind till next spring and late spring at that.
I wonder if Paul Townend will sleep well tonight? And which horse will exercise his imagination as he tries to drop-off to sleep? Ballyburn? State Man? Galopin Des Champs? Has he chosen correctly; how will he feel if Lossiemouth beats State Man? Mortified? Or comforted by the knowledge that he can get back on Lossiemouth whenever he wants to? Surprisingly, Patrick Mullins gets the nod for Lossiemouth and not in-form cousin Danny Mullins.
Ballyburn is no shoo-in for a debut success as the race has plenty of likely outsiders. An outsider is any horse other than Ballyburn who will start long odds-on. State Man is also no certainly as he could easily be rolled-over by his stable-mate and current Champion Hurdle favourite, Lossiemouth and Galopin Des Champs will not face a stiffer test until March and the Gold Cup. All three might triumph; all three might be defeated by a stable-mate, such is the battalion of strength that lives at Closutton.
Incidentally, is it not ridiculous that the race following Ballyburn’s next step towards equine immortality, is a Beginners Chase over 3-miles and has attracted only three-runners, all trained by Gordon Elliott. Let us hope Jack Kennedy puts his leg across the right one.
The one wish we all will be in accordance with is that all these wonderful equine superstars come home safe and sound.

As is always the case when there is a ‘debacle’ in one of Cheltenham’s Cross-country Chases there is a call for more rails to guide the jockeys and prevent one of them from making an ass of themselves as befell Michael Nolan last week. The point people miss is that though this race takes place on a racecourse, the purpose of cross-country races is to mimic a ride across country where the rider is guided by fences not railings. Cross-Country races should not be considered a novel steeplechase and punters should realise that a jockey ‘going wrong’ is all part and parcel of the jollity.
On this subject, I feel it is unfair on Michael Nolan or any jockey who falls foul of the circumnavigations of the Cross-Country course to be fined or suspended when what can be considered ‘as the inevitable’ happens. The Glenfarglas may be run under the rules of racing but that should not mean leniency cannot be applied by the stewards. Nolan was embarrassed by his mistake and though it was clearly his misjudgement, his horse did not help his cause by ignoring Nolan’s supplications to turn his head. Controversial, perhaps, but could racecourses could reintroduce stocks on the lawn and when a jockey makes an ass of himself, the public could be called-upon to throw tomatoes and other rotten fruit on the miscreant for ten-minutes to prolong the jollity.

As expected, the two horses who died during and at the end of the handicap chase at Cheltenham last Sunday died of ‘exercise-associated sudden death’ or cardiovascular collapse. Napper Tandy broke his neck and I suspect died instantly. The fact that autopsies were carried out on the two heart attack victims should be publicised on all social media platforms so the veterinary truth is there for all to see and for people to realise the deaths of horses on racecourses is not a ‘sweeping it under the carpet’ exercise.

A letter in today’s Racing Post heaped praise on Taylor Fisher who though regarded as a useful flat apprentice is also plying his trade as a jumps jockey, having already won two handicap chases on School for Scandal and is perhaps the only jockey currently riding on the flat, over hurdles and fences and is successful in all three codes. The sort of young man who deserves all the success that comes his way.