AS Cheltenham gets closer the quality of racing lessens.
But there were still some big moments at Kempton and Lingfield over the weekend, so who, or what, has made my latest Good, Bad and Ugly column?
GOOD
Frankie Dettori was God at Lingfield on Saturday. Yes you have to have the horse, but the quality of Dettori once again shone like a lighthouse amid dark skies in the Winter Derby on Dubai Warrior.
Despite his advancing years, Dettori was just brilliant, playing with the field on the front-end and messing around with the pace of the race like a kid with Play-Doh.
Remember, Lingfield is meant to be one of the hardest places to make all. Of course Dubai Warrior may have been just the best horse and big rival Bangkok may have been knackered from his prep run.
But Dettori is absolute mustard and we simply have to enjoy him while he is around.
BAD
There is no denying that Paul Nicholls’ Solo was impressive in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton, but I have a feeling bookmakers have massively overreacted by making him 10-3 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle.
For a start, I suspect the Adonis was a poor renewal, and one-time favourite Fujimoto Flyer not only looked a nutter but also got trapped on the bend.
Nicholls then started comparing Solo to Master Minded – which felt like what Coolmore say after a juvenile has won a maiden and they have the next Pegasus.
I will be most surprised if Solo is like Master Minded, and while of course he might win the Triumph his price is ridiculous. Time, of course, will tell!
UGLY
So the BHA published a welfare report and I didn’t like it very much. Rest assured, almost no sooner had I said so the BHA were on my back, complaining about me as they always do.
Once again this shows the BHA as the dictator it is. Not once has BHA ever contacted me and said: “Thanks for the support today”.
And rest assured there have been plenty of times it could have done. Nope, as always it has to tried to silence anyone who disagrees with anything it does.
The control it wants to have over people in the sport really is very scary indeed. More than ever I lock my doors and windows at night.
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