No sympathy for Chaparral price mugs
A week ago, in this column, High Chaparral was described as a hold-up price for the Arc at 5-2 and shorter in places.
I said the cosy-cartel, with no on-course bookmakers on the day, would have a beano and they didn’t disappoint.
I’m not sure how Irish layers such as Paddy Power, Cashmans, Grahams and Boyles behaved, but the offers for High Chaparral, come Sunday, from the English chappies made grim reading in the Racing Post.
Indeed, what a pity the Post doesn’t provide a similar table to tell us the thinking of our own lads.
Anyway, Ladbrokes, Bet Direct, Blue Square, Hills and the Tote all offered a paltry 2-1.
Coral’s 15-8 and Chandler’s 7-4, were worse. Stanley, brave boys, went 9-4.
If you played the pride of Co Tipperary at such prices then you deserve no sympathy whatsoever and, indeed, a mild funt in the arse might be appropriate!
At the risk of repeating oneself, here was a horse who had been struck low by a bout of coughing and hadn’t run for over three months.
The layers knew it and, yet, there wasn’t a whiff of value in the air.
In the end, High Chaparral lost absolutely nothing in defeat.
Indeed, you could even argue he ran the race of his life, given the overall circumstances.
What cost him, of course, was the fact he didn’t have a prep-run. The sharpness wasn’t there and it was only his courage that kept him going through the final furlong. High Chaparral will be better the next day, if connections decide he should go for the Breeders’ Cup.
We might decide to go for a bit of profit then, but not at any price!
Puzzling game this! On the way to Tipperary on Sunday, who would have believed that Buffalo Bill would be available at 5-2 in the concluding Bumper?
Bookmakers were clearly determined to get him anyway, but when Claramanda became a fair old order in the market then it quickly became apparent Buffalo Bill was destined to hit real value.
He had been leading Aidan O’Brien’s juveniles for two years, prior to returning to action at Listowel. He was hugely impressive at Listowel, producing a splendid turn of foot to beat useful yardstick Addiction in the proverbial canter.
Buffalo Bill, irrespective of who was training him, was entitled to come on substantially for the outing and that was exactly how it worked out.
Onto Roscommon on Monday then and the performance of the aforementioned Addiction. He ran like a horse with three legs, making no show in the Bumper.
There are times when you really would feel like drop-kicking the Form Book into the nearest river! A puzzling game!
The Anglo Irish Bank Munster National at Limerick on Sunday has attracted an entry of 23, but if top weight Foxchapel King faces the starter then a small field seems assured. As things stand at the moment only Foxchapel King (12-0), Kerry National hero Monty’s Pass (10-4) and Arctic Copper (10 1), are in the handicap proper, with a bottom weight of 10-0.
Incidentially, Monty’s Pass was raised 7lbs for those Listowel heroics.
The smart Compostello, taken out late at Tipperary on Sunday, Naahil and Nonchalant are in the opening two and a half novice hurdle, while Albatros and Ansar are the interesting ones in the two miles and a furlong novice chase.
