Saturday racing: David Ord on twist and turns on and off the track
Well that was a bonus.
Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup Meeting went toe-to-toe with Jack Frost all week and, armed with a substantial winter fleece and a team of determined and tireless groundstaff, emerged with a record of 2 and 0.
It was a close call, mind. Even after clerk of the course George Hill peeked under the covers at 6.15 on Saturday morning to find the ground raceable, Mother Nature decided to throw freezing fog at him.
But by 11am that had started to gradually lift and even though temperatures were never forecast to get above zero it was game on.
Gavin Sheehan and Jamie Snowden will be forever grateful it was as Datsalrightgino devoured every yard of the three-and-a-quarter-mile trip on his first start beyond an extended two-and-a-half miles to win the feature race.
It was a wonderful ride from a jubilant Sheehan, building momentum from the rear of the field, and by the time they reached the last his partner had Mahler Mission in his sights and the rest beaten off.
In front upon landing he was home and hosed to spark warm celebrations for a job well done.
It was about the only warm thing at Newbury on Saturday, mind, and within 15 minutes of the feature race being over, the freezing fog thickened and the finale run in near-gloom. This was a skin of the teeth job and needed the herculean effort by Hill and his team to keep the show on the road.
Sadly Newcastle had already succumbed to snow and sharper northern frosts on Friday afternoon but not before Nicky Henderson, yes he’s entering stage left, had boxed up and sent Constitution Hill and Shishkin north on the A1.
When news came through that the meeting was no more it was too late for an about-turn so instead they bunkered down for the night at Doncaster Racecourse before heading back to tropical Berkshire on Saturday morning. And their inactivity left Henderson with a headache.
Let’s start with Constitution Hill. He was all set for the BetMGM Fighting Fifth at Gosforth Park and was long odds-on to retain his unbeaten record before heading to Kempton at Christmas.
But Newcastle’s fixture was firmly in the balance all week. His owner Michael Buckley appeared on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast in midweek and made it clear his preference, if they couldn’t race on Saturday, was to stage the Grade One contest at Sandown the following weekend.
After all Nico de Boinville would be there for Jonbon in the Betfair Tingle Creek and everyone would be happy. Lo and behold, the race was saved and despite options to keep it in the north at Aintree or Wetherby or still run it under the ARC umbrella at Chepstow, it does indeed head to Esher.
But Constitution Hill might not. Henderson mused on Friday evening that it was getting a little close to the Christmas Hurdle and it could be a case of one or the other – not both – for the best hurdler many of us may ever see.
Then 24 hours later we're told Shishkin might run instead. Are you keeping up with this?
He’s of course our new pantomime villain after planting himself at Ascot last week – was that really only seven days ago? – and now sports the dreaded Timeform squiggle.
Well, with the Rehearsal Chase parked until 2024 there was on Friday evening nothing for him before the King George. Nothing. Meaning he’d have to head straight there without another run – and via a racecourse gallop or three.
And Henderson had expressed concern that the Kempton three-mile start provides the very same scenario that Ascot’s two miles five equivalent does and he - so therefore we - would have no idea about whether Shishkin would consent to play ball at Christmas.
But now potential redemption via the rescheduled, reopened, Fighting Fifth. In many ways what will matter most is what the former crack two-mile chaser does when the tapes go up rather than over the eight hurdles that follow. But then again if he’s anywhere near his best this British division - his Seven Barrows near-neighbour apart - is shallow enough to think he’ll go very close.
And then another twist. On Saturday afternoon Constitution Hill was going to be put in the race after all.
He wouldn’t run both would he? Surely de Boinville needs to ride Shishkin next time? Paul Nicholls might have prized Harry Cobden off Bravemansgame for the Betfair Chase but even if he and Nicky took a leg apiece and heaved away for all their might, there’s no way Nico is jumping off the champion hurdler.
You need eyes everywhere in this game. On Saturday it was great to focus them on Newbury. Next weekend it will be Sandown.
Goodness knows what we’ll be watching run, mind.
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