EVALUATOR and Court Masterpiece got me off to an absolute flyer at Glorious Goodwood last Tuesday but more typical of the week was that I had chosen to go to Beverley to have a quiet little touch on the John Best-trained Wiuhego in the ladies’ race up there.
Evaluator has now won in good style on his last two starts and the fact that he only won by a neck despite, in my opinion, being lengths superior to his rivals suggests strongly that he can win again.
Fallon simply had to kick on because he had so much horse under him, but Evaluator idled badly in the last 100 yards. As long as he can be held up a bit longer for his next start I believe he will be a near-certainty wherever he may run.
Court Masterpiece is simply rock-solid and runs his race wherever and whatever surface he competes on. He thoroughly deserved his Betfair Cup success and whatever race he runs in he will always be a contender.
The rest of the day at Goodwood was pretty much a nightmare. I backed Pickett in the Mole-comb and he ran a blinder but became just about the only John Fretwell-owned two-year-old to be beaten in the last month or so.
It was good to see Strike Up The Band make up for his two defeats when favourite at York (or at least it would have been if I had not been on the second) but his tendency to start very slowly cannot be a great asset to him as a would-be top sprinter.
I would expect Dandy Nicholls to be attempting to rectify that trait over the winter, and if he does he will make the grade as he is an impressive type.
I was on two horses in the mile-and-three-quarter handicap including Balkan Knight, who halved in price from when I backed him, which always gives you the feeling that you have won already. Unfortunately, you find out that is not true when the result is announced - even if you have been beaten the shortest of short heads.
The other one was going to be my touch of the meeting but ran an absolute stinker despite me confirming with the stable that it was fancied. I believe Star Member could be a very well-handicapped horse, but he finished tailed off. If he runs at York I will be giving him one more chance, otherwise I think he has to be binned.
The Beverley touch was ridden by Kylle Manser, who was fresh and confident after her success in the ladies’ race on Diamond Day.
The horse had run a blinder on his seasonal reappearance at Newmarket and all the signs were that he has improved from three to four. Things were definitely looking good as the horse is sometimes a bit fiery but he was walking around the pre-parade like a 12-year-old chaser, so I immediately called Betfair and stuck a fair amount up to back him. It was almost as if he heard me placing the bet, because no sooner had the voice at the other end confirmed the bet had been matched than Wifihego started gyrating around the paddock and rearing like a dervish.
He was even worse when Kylie got on board and the gelding managed to throw her off three times on the way to the start. Unsurprisingly his odds had drifted alarmingly as a result of this and he was now avail-
able at twice the price I had taken.
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