The Shadow

NUMIDE HAS THE SPEED

9 March 2009

Two weeks ago I wrote about two hosses and an ass. The ass in that  combination was more than an ass but this is a family newspaper so I had to use a milder expression to describe a racehorse owner who had spied on his ex lover and subsequently raped her.

The two hosses I wrote about in that piece were The Tatling and Denman. Both of these hosses are heroes of the turf in their own right and I contrasted the treatment they are presently getting from their connections.

The Tatling is twelve years old and is still plugging round on the dirt at Southwell chasing a couple of grand win prizemoney while Denman is wrapped in cotton wool following his heart scare.

I wrote at the time that The Tatling must have won over a quarter of a million smackers in his lifetime but on reflection it was probably more than that.

The point I was trying to make is that if a hoss has served you that well he deserves a warm and comfortable retirement. The reason I am revisiting this topic is that if I had been writing the piece this week I would have written Three hosses and an ass.

The third hoss is Sergeant Cecil. This legendary stayer did the treble of  stayers races at Doncaster, Ascot and Newmarket and netted no less than £828,000 in prize money.
He was voted hoss of the year by the British Racehorse Owners two years ago.
Yet I read in the press this week that he has been moved out of Rod Millman's yard so that his owner can put him back to racing at ten years of age.

I know there are a lot of people hurting from the credit crunch but to put a hoss which has won you the neck end of a million quid in prize money back on a racecourse at ten years of age beggars belief. Sometimes the greed and/or the foolishness of people in the racing game makes you want to weep.

The big race this coming Saturday is the Paddy Power Imperial Cup in which I strongly fancy Gary Moore's Numide. The Brighton trainer has four provisionally booked for the race but says soft ground would particularly suit Numide who would have gone for the totesport Trophy if the ground had been right.

The big attraction is the fact that the hoss which wins the Paddy Power Imperial will qualify for an additional £75,000 if it wins at the Cheltenham Festival. Gary Moore states that if any of his four entries wins on Saturday at Sandown it will definitely go to Cheltenham. At the time of writing the weather is turning into the traditional proverb of March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb.

That is to say that the spring gales are upon us and the southwesterlies always bring heavy rain sooner or later. That is why I am expecting rain and Numide to win the Imperial. I shall double up Numide with Venetia Williams's Zacharova in the handicap Chase at 14.35 at Sandown on the same day.

Before I move on to my best bet of the coming week I must take time out to wish a speedy recovery to Hayley Turner who had a crashing fall on the Newmarket gallops last week.
She was working Old Sarum who broke a leg and fired her into the ground rendering her unconscious for several minutes. Hayley is now recovering in Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge but is badly shaken and concussed. She is a smashing girl and I wish her well.

I have spent more than my fair share of time in the wards of Addenbrookes hospital in recent years and I know for sure she could not be in better hands.
My final tip is for Mrs Dunnett's Thumberlina who is due to run on March 12th, probably at Sandown, though the venue is not clear.

It is not clear because my dear friend Mrs Dunnett spends all her days fast asleep after sitting up all night with her foaling brood mares, our own Flash included. Do not miss Thumberlina.

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