As the National Hunt season cranks towards full throttle we'll be delivering our hopes for the campaign ahead - Timeform's Dan Barber is first up and he has one message: let them run.
Nooooo, Hokey Cokey Jokey
Suspend your disbelief for a second - or a minute/hour/light year - and let me fill you in.
Craig David, fresh in his role as racing manager of ALL British jumps yards, has vowed to implement his ‘Seven Days’ philosophy into his race planning. He’s found the race on Monday, looked at the other entries on Tuesday, and on Wednesday (and on Thursday, Friday, Saturday) he’s making loving soundbites as to how his horse is definitely running REGARDLESS of the opposition, ground, angle of the sun, potential wind problem (trainer’s or horse’s), special diet, or even day following night.
You see, the thing is, loving making excuses seems to overwhelm the loving making declarations (and sticking to them) nowadays.
And what’s the worst that could happen if you let he/she run on soft ground a month before Cheltenham? What’s the worst that could happen if you take on a credible rival in a race this side of Christmas, instead of ducking for an open goal elsewhere?
Indeed, the worst that could happen is you pick up an injury at home and find you’ve been unable to reach that long-term target in any case - a Craig David Sunday, in essence, except 365 days in a row.
To break away from the trademark mirth and pithiness for a second, how many horses gave more joy to the jumps game in Britain last season than KITTY'S LIGHT?
Sent chasing, as a four-year-old, in August, Kitty’s Light (by Nathaniel out of a Refuse To Bend mare) was still to be found devouring the Sandown hill in the big race on the final day of the British season, a campaign that had seen Kitty’s Light improve her Timeform rating by 36lb (106 to 142) under the skilful tutelage of Christian Williams.
Ironically, given the ill-luck that befell Kitty’s Light on the Sandown run-in, that was the youngster’s thirteenth run of the season.
Presumably most owners want to watch them run as often as possible - especially after so many months with racecourse attendance outlawed in 2020. And now is the time to oblige.
So let’s hope 2021/22 is focused on the putting in rather than pulling out. Now, time to chill. Another busy week ahead.