Sports Line has all the answers
That was certainly the case with Willie Mullins’ Sports Line, who was quite brilliant on his chasing debut at Navan last Sunday.
The information coming out of the Mullins stable was that he had schooled exceptionally well, but to see him translate that into action on the racecourse was hugely encouraging.
Sports Line’s jumping was bold, accurate and a joy to watch. He did blunder three out, his only semblance of an error, but the manner in which the six-year-old picked up and went away again was tremendously exciting.
He is a horse dear to my heart and not just because he’s paid the odd bill here and there.
No, it has to do with earlier this year, January 3 to be precise. The Examiner sports desk often have a day out around Christmas time, or into the New Year, and a number of us were transported to Cork racecourse by bus on that date.
My job was to find a “good thing” and, having made certain inquiries (alright, I asked Ruby Walsh), settled, appropriately, on Sports Line to win a maiden hurdle on his first outing of the campaign.
There were 25 runners in the contest, but I felt you could put a line through 23 of them and only Sports Line and Archiestown were realistic possibilities.
They arrived for Archiestown on track and I couldn’t believe 13-8 became available about Sports Line.
Having invested in the morning, I decided a few more quid wouldn’t be out of order and then settled back to enjoy the view.
Oh God! It was obvious from early in the straight that Archiestown wasn’t going to deliver, as Sports Line went toe-to-toe with 33-1 shot, Darbys Turn.
Coming away from the last, it looked as if the money might be safe and my reputation just about intact.
But then, horror of horrors, Paul Townend dropped his whip and Sports Line was beaten a short head. Oh for a hole into which one could crawl!
Darbys Turn never won again, nor has he ever threatened to do so. Of course, Sports Line was never beaten again and how he managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of glorious victory, whip or no whip, on that fateful day will forever remain a mystery.
Anyway, if there is a sports desk day out planned this time round then, perhaps, an evening of ballet might be considered!
Back to Navan and that beginners chase. Besides Sports Line, the second and third respectively, Solstice Knight and Chasing Cars, are surely two for the notebook.
Solstice Knight is especially interesting. He is a full-brother to Back In Front and this was a very solid start over fences.
Andrew McNamara gave Solstice Knight all the time in the world to find his feet and didn’t knock him about up the straight, when he realised that trying to close down Sports Line was a thankless task.
* IS there any chance Paddy Power would engage in a form of recapitalisation of punters, you know on similar lines to the stunning government bailout of the banks?
Everywhere you go, for the last few months or so, most punters seem to have a tale of woe and many of them appear to be badly in need of a cash injection.
Paddy Power never miss a trick and can be exceptionally generous on occasions.
Alright, the enhanced prices can be a bit scrooge-like and you would hardly have time to light a fag, if it was allowed, when it comes to their betting-in-running concept.
But that’s probably a trifle harsh and, overall, they give the punter a fair shake of the dice.
So when are they going to have a day to top all days? What about giving punters one rattle at: “Your money back if your horse gets beaten.” Now wouldn’t that be a right little cracker!
Ever feel you have finally lost the plot?
* KAUTO STAR’S performance at Haydock last Saturday told us he is as good as ever.
It also revealed, if we didn’t know for sure already, that he will always be vulnerable against decent opposition in testing conditions.
But he is likely to get good ground at Kempton for the King George and again at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup. Kauto Star remains the marker against which every other top-class chaser has to be measured.
