YESTERDAY & THE PAST.

If Andrew Balding pulls his title bid out of the fire, a toast should be drunk to Mount Atlas for his admirable effort in winning the Long Distance Cup at Ascot yesterday. From his bemused expression after the race, I think the result even shocked the trainer, perhaps mostly because for the first time the idea that he might become champion trainer had, perhaps, become a possible reality to him. Obviously Minnie Hauk soon deflated that ide to a degree, with Aidan's still to have his big guns running for him. Yet, on the drive home with his wife, I would not be surprised if the two discussed the possibility of winning the trainers' title and what, if anything, they had for the Futurity at Doncaster this coming weekend. It is not that Balding must win the Futurity, simply that for him to be champion trainer come January 31st, Aiden must not win the Futurity. That he is still in the hunt for his first title is because of Mount Atlas, without him the deficit would be too large to bridge. Perhaps a handful of carrots are in order Mount Atlas this morning.

In fact, yesterday my favourite sight was seeing again Paul Mellon's old colours in the winners' enclosure after a big race. It was also satisfying to see, on a day dominated by Godolphin and to a lesser extent by Coolmore, two syndicates winning the first two races, again demonstrating the diversity of our sport.

What I am about to claim is true, I promise you. With only six horses taking part in the Champion Stakes, I thought I would assess their chances solely by looking at how well they walked around the parade ring. To me, Contitution River looked awful. Perhaps his attendants were asked to walk him as slowly as possible but the horse gave me the expression that he wanted to be anywhere but at the races. I particularly did not like where his hind feet were falling compared to his front feet and I was not surprised to see Ryan having to ride him on one rein on the way to the start. I should not be saying this, not with the high level of professionalism at Ballydoyle, but Constitution River looked wrong to me, as if he has a hidden ailment or injury. Anyway, to cut a long discourse short. In my estimation the only horses to look right at the walk were Ombudsman, who I thought had a perfect walk, Bay City Roller and Calandagan. I kid you not.

The problem with having so many Group 1's on one card at the end of the season is that the jam will inevitably be spread more thinly than at the height of summer. While even I could not argue that the competition was not of acceptable order, I remain convinced that having the Mares and Fillies race and the Champion Stakes on the same day reduces the number of horses of the required standard to compete in both. To my mind, only six runners for a million-quid race is not satisfactory, even taking into account the time of the year. Champions Day cannot be all things to all men, which is why a choice had to made between 5 or 6-furlongs for the sprint. I think a similar decision needs to be made between the female race and the Champion Stakes, and we all know if that topic was discussed which race would win the argument. I am only floating this topic; I have no suggestion for a race to take the place of the fillies and mare race, except moving the Futurity from Doncaster. I simply believe that if the most prestigious races in the calendar are not protected from same-day competition, they become, as with the St. Leger, for instance, demeaned.

What I thought was an excellent addition to Champions Day was the pony race. I have said before that if we can have Arabian races, we should also have a programme of pony races throughout the year, especially during school holidays and weekends. Not only at places like Ascot but at the 'lesser venues' so that pony racing mimicks the professional side of the sport. As is said, the children are our future.

Did you know that in the distant past, or at least the 1800's, there were pony steeplechases, one of which was held at Shrewsbury. Not for children, I hasten to add, butl it is a thought worth a minute or two of debate.

Also, Billy Loughnane is the third youngest champion jockey in racing history. Charlie Elliott in 1924 (?) was a few months younger, yet the youngest champion, Frank Wootton, was only fifteen when he took the title in the early 1900's. Yes, I should do the research but the book I need is in the bedroom and 'her indoors' is in her bed and she can be a mite tetchy when made awake before her due time of wakefulness. Cowardly, I know!

Now, again, today is Sunday and the religious minded of you might be attending church this morning, so can I ask you to pray for rain, not so much for North Devon, or indeed the whole of the county, but for the Cheltenham area and more precisely Prestbury. Remember, good ground has become, for National Hunt trainers, the new good-to-firm, so we need soft in the going description for Cheltenham on Friday and Saturday.