It is the end of a truly miserable week, which, after much aggravation, has been almost resolved. Quite apart from flu and COVID jabs, and a trip to Coventry to see the dentist and to have my fear of needles, dentists and girls putting their hand in my mouth tested to the max, I seem to have spent most of the week battling through such unproductive incompetence that you might wonder why we bother talking about GDP.
Behind 90% of this inefficient lack of service lie scripted telephone conversations and endless push-button routing managed by HR departments that have confused who the customer is. Wake Up, FTSE 500 CEOs! If you allow HR to run your chicken house, your egg production will fall. On almost every occasion of wading through the telephonic mire, the first automated recording would warn one to treat STUPID Plc’s staff with the respect they deserve, or the call would be terminated. At no point does anyone ever say we aim to try and present you with the finest customer service available, part of which will be to treat you – the person paying our wages – with the respect you deserve.
Each call I made this past week required a minimum of eight buttons to be pressed before the correct department could be connected. Once connected, account numbers, dates of birth and various other ID digits had to be pressed, and then switching to voice, you had to state your Mother’s favourite meal, the name of your first vet and the Company Sergeant Major’s unique trick with a handled beer glass. Finally, you have to give your particular secret code word – and voice recognition being what it is – you were totally screwed if yours was Shostkovitcvh or Soleznytsin.
I haven’t the time or the mental capacity left to tell you the gory details, but bar some paperwork and missing documents, all might be well by Monday. I had thought not to give any tips for tomorrow, but the racing is pretty good, and as we have almost a dozen Group 1s taking place everywhere, and we will see at least three classic winners, I thought to put the nonsense aside for a few hours.
Have fun and by the by… Le Golf de Ryder Coupe c’est going well n’est ce pas? as they say en Longchamp.
SATURDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023 – LIVE RACING – 1330 – 1600, ITV3
NEWMARKET
13:50 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes G2 (Class 1) 1m
AL MUSMAK 4 pts Win – AT VIMEIRO 1 pt e/w
14:25 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes G1 (Class 1) 6f 4p gen
PORTA FORTUNA – JASNA’S SECRET 7 pts Dutch
15:00 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes G1 (Colts) (Class 1) 6f
VANDEEK 7 pts Win
15:35 bet365 Cambridgeshire (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) 1m1f – 8p Skybet 7p Paddy Power 6p generally
LIBERTY LANE – EAGLES WAY – SAYF AL DAWLA – HAUNTED DREAM 2pts e/w each. (Option B: GREEK ORDER would not be a surprise.)
CHESTER
14:05 Watergate Cup Handicap – 2m 2+1/2f
ITS GOOD TO LAUGH 2 pts e/w
HAYDOCK PARK
14:40 Cavani.Co.UK The Dapper Dash For Cash Handicap – 5f
PROVERB 4 pts Win
SKY TV RACING LONGCHAMP
12:23 Qatar Prix Chaudenay G2 (3yo) 1m7f
SHEMBALA 2 pts e/w
13:33 Qatar Prix du Cadran G1 (4yo+) 2m4f SKY
TRUESHAN – RUN FOR OSCAR 3 pt SFC
15:33 Qatar Prix de Royallieu G1 (3yo+ Fillies & Mares) 1m6f 4p gen
SEA SILK ROAD 3 pts Win
16:08 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein G2 (3yo+) 1m 4p Skybet
ISAAC SHELBY 5 pts Win
16:43 Qatar Prix Dollar G2 (3yo+) 1m2f
EREVANN 4 pts Win
SUNDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2023 – LIVE RACING – 1300 – 16:15, ITV4
LONGCHAMP
13:15 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere G1 (2yo, 7f)
ROSALLION 2 pts Win – NATIVE AMERICAN 2 pts e/w
13:50 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches G1 (2yo Fillies, 1m)
OPERA SINGER 5 pts Win
15:05 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe G1 (3yo+, 1m4f) 4p gen
Please note that four places are widely available. The principle selection has come in two points from my last post and is now 12s
FANTASTIC MOON 4 pts e/w (PLACE DU CAROUSEL and SIMCA MILLE are both way too big and have podium possibilities)
15:50 Prix de l’Opera Longines G1 (3yo+ Fillies & Mares, 1m2f)
AL HUSN 3 pts e/w
16:25 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines G1
MOSS TUCKER – ART POWER 2 pts e/w both
17:00 Qatar Prix de la Foret G1
KINROSS 7 pts Win – KING’S GOLD 2 pts e/w
I won’t be back in time so Ante-post:
SATURDAY 14th OCTOBER
NEWMARKET
3.40 CLUB GODOLPHIN CESAREWITCH 3yo + 2m 2f
TRITONIC 3 pts e/w – VINO VICTRIX 5 pts e/w