In this blog piece I run through some of the big questions that are impacting the sport of horse racing at the minute, such as the whip rule and who wins the Gold Cup? I also look at another important question in when does it stop being afternoon and become evening? A round up on Fylde as always, but this blog piece is simple, there's a lot of questions being asked, and no definitive answers to them, only my opinions...
What can I say everyone, I'm back again to help push away those weekends blues and get you towards the next one with some of my usual chat.
I've just come back in from my Monday afternoon/evening run, actually there's a discussion point already!
Coming back from Sedgefield races I was listening in to Rob Beckett's BBC Radio 2 show, no promotional content here of course, but he brought up the point as when do does it change from afternoon to evening, and now I've just mentioned that in the opening I think it's worth a space in this blog.
It's always morning isn't it from midnight until 11:59am, and then it turns to afternoon, which is all fine and clear, but when does afternoon suddenly stop being afternoon then evening?
A very strange topic to start this blog off with, I know, but I'm going to stick with it because I'm sure you all reading this also have your theories so, I'll put mine forward and you can put yours in the comments.
Technically it's always afternoon because the rest of the day is after 12:00pm, but I'd say personally that it becomes evening at 6:00pm as it's the midway point in the second half of the day if you get me.
Taking this into consideration then for when I wrote this blog, and the opening, I'm actually writing in the evening according to my theory but, officially the evening starts all depending on where you live and the time of year.
I'll get back to some of things I normally talk about in this blog now though and stop rambling on about a question which everyone would probably answer differently.
Who wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup now then after the weekend?
Oops sorry, I've in fact moved onto another question which now could have people chucking multiple answers at it, me included because after Saturday's racing I really don't know about this entire race anymore.
Before it I did believe that Protektorat was the best horse to challenge the Irish from an English yard, but he huffed and puffed in the Cotswold Chase at the weekend, seemingly not picking up when asked for his effort, before staying on strongly up the hill.
2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats was second favourite in the race and finished very similar to Protektorat, staying on at the end as you would expect from a National winner.
But these two horses were both moving themselves into serious contender category for the big one in March, so how has that race now changed my opinion on them both?
I think it's important to note as well before I dive into that, to have a look at my thoughts process regarding to some of the other runners lined up for the Gold Cup as well.
Favourite Galopin Des Champs for me will showcase how good he is when he goes in the Irish Gold Cup this Saturday.
He's down to take on some rivals that he could face again come March in Stattler, Conflated, and Envoi Allen, if he wins I think his price will shorten again from 13/8, but we will know where we stand with him come Sunday afternoon at 3:15pm, and for that case as well those other three.
A Plus Tard was shockingly poor on re-appearance in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, but he had his excuses that day in the end, but he's straight to the Festival now after missing his last entry due to a shin issue.
Last year's winner stamped his authority down on this race 12 months ago and looked as though he was ready to dominate the big staying races at 3 mile for years to come, but this campaign so far has been a no go for him, and I just can't see him pulling it off again with hardly any race fitness on his side.
King George winner Bravemansgame is a horse for me that despite putting him up in yearly selections, I just can't work out where I stand with him.
Super talented, and I think in a way he goes unnoticed for what he does because people have this opinion that he doesn't seem to find a great deal when coming under pressure off the bridle, but why should that mean then that he doesn't have the potential to win a Gold Cup?
L'Homme Presse fell in the King George, and now misses the Gold Cup through injury, but he was beaten that day by Bravemansgame going down to the last and booked for second and couldn't make jockey Harry Cobden press any major buttons on the winner.
The injury there though is the key bit of information because if he didn't have these slight issues that came out after the race, then he would've certainly given Bravemansgame more to think about and probably got him off the bridle so we could then test this theory.
I honestly felt as well that L'Homme Presse was the best chance after that top weight carrying performance around Newcastle, and I'm gutted that he now misses out but, he'll be back hopefully next season.
Onto Saturday's race then, it saw a resurgence from Ahoy Senor, and a very game performance from the horse in second Sounds Russian, but do I think that puts them above Bravemansgame to be considered as the best challenger from this side of the Irish Sea, I'm not too sure no.
I will say this though, Ahoy Senor has been this puzzle for me ever since day one over fences when he fell at Carlisle on debut, and even though that puts some people off, his class that he has shown since then make him very attractive for this race.
Plenty of questions though really, and it's hard to find any answers to them as of right now.
Bravemansgame, Ahoy Senor and L'Homme Presse all have met before, the latest being at Aintree last April where Ahoy Senor won and L'Homme Presse finished 3rd in front of Bravemansgame.
That obviously makes it tricky to work out which one is the best out of them three but with L'Homme Presse being out I can't really separate the other two for the Gold Cup so, I think they both have chances of course though, it's just I don't really know either way who's better.
Back to Noble Yeats then, I think he stayed on well up the Cheltenham hill, but struggled to match the pace of the front two when they kicked so he probably needs a stronger pace to aim at for sure.
Dan Skelton said Protektorat wasn't at his fittest for the race which make sense because when the two went clear he struggled to pick up straight away but then stayed on up the hill to show signs that he's still very dangerous for this Gold Cup.
I'm happy to still take a chance with him at 20/1 now because he has that improvement in him still, and he's proved in the past when he's fully tuned up, he's a very good horse so, My answer to that question at the start? Protektorat is still one of the biggest dangers to Galopin Des Champs. Does he beat him? We will see come March.
Just whilst we are on the topic of horse racing as well I want to comment briefly on the whip rules that are soon to come into effect.
Personally I don't have enough information to comment on what the whip does or doesn't do to a horse and I obviously can't comment on how to ride one, but through what I'm hearing and seeing from jockeys at the moment is concerning to say the least.
I was up at Sedgefield on Sunday where Sean Quinlan rode a winner in one of the chase races, but in his post race interview you could see how badly the new whip rules are affecting him.
Instead of being excited from riding a winner, Quinlan talked about how he had been riding horses for 20 years, and that after all of this time he is now having to change his riding style in order to fall in line with these new rules and avoid bans.
From recent rides he had been told by owners and trainers that he wasn't riding to his potential, because he was riding in a way to get used to all this, and I think that shows in itself that these changes aren't going to work.
First of all, everyone involved in racing cares about the welfare of the horses, and that's always at the first and foremost of their minds no matter what the case, and it's clear to see.
Yes I believe that jockeys should be punished when they break the whip rules, but they know that they should be because again, they care dearly about the horses they are riding.
But this shouldn't mean that they have to change their styles to stop this, especially after being involved for so long in the game, it should just mean they should be harsher bans in place for those who go over the amount or hit the horse in the wrong place.
For me, it's like saying to a darts player that they can't throw with their favoured hand anymore and that they can only throw with their weaker one, yes they can adapt and get used to it, but will they really ever be that good as they were when doing it in their preferred way? I don't think so.
Like I said, don't get me wrong on this I agree with the BHA that jockeys in bigger races should receive harsher penalties when breaking the whip rules, but I don't agree in the way they are trying to change how they ride horses altogether, I think it should be harsher bans and a reduction still and that's it.
Moving on then from the racing, Fylde toughed it out to beat Rotherham at home and keep the unbeaten home league record and their place at the top of the table.
A very hard game where Rotherham really pushed them all the way, but in the end they got the job done with some well worked tries and strong defence to keep up the race for promotion.
They head away to fourth placed Otley this Saturday in another big clash, every game seems like that at the minute to be honest, which is great for the league though because that's the type of competition you want, it's just a shame only one team can go up.
The time I'm writing this bit of the blog is on a Tuesday afternoon and it's a Cumbrian derby tonight in League Two in the football.
Carlisle vs Barrow, get yourselves stuck into that one if your around the area, estimated that there could be about 7,000 there so, a brilliant evening hopefully in store.
That's a quick round up piece of the blog done as always, great to chat to you all as well, I hope you've found it interesting, especially the full horse racing discussion in the middle of it.
I do still want to know from you though what you think about the afternoon/evening thing, because it's driving me mad, but right now it's definitely afternoon I can tell you that and I'm off to do some more shorthand and a gym session, see you in the next one.
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