Normal service resumed today and I am beginning to scratch the scalp. Certainly, some of the results have been very unexpected, but nonetheless, I am beginning to doubt my ability to handle a computer form book. We are 52½ pts down since January which, it could be argued, still makes it a bloody cheap hobby. But that isn’t really the point of taking risks with capital. I am beginning to wonder whether I simply focus on handicaps, where the Risk/Reward ratio is so much better. I am going to give that some serious thought.
In the meantime, poor Callum Shepherd has been jocked off Sir Busker in Saturday’s Lockinge, a race in which Sir Busker will almost certainly pick up prize money. (4th pays 18k+, 5th is £9k+, 6th is £4k+). 10% of those sums is a big deal to a jockey.
And the reason he’s not able to ride? Because he was still having his appeal to an 11-day ban being heard, which had been delayed for somebody’s Diary’s sake. Now when a young chap wins his appeal, but it has still cost him money, then I am sufficiently socialist to believe that the system is either unfair or broken. What should surely happen is that on those rare occasions when this sort of thing happens, money is taken from a fund (possibly maintained by The Levy Board, or by a “tax” on all entry fees) that makes up some of that loss. It would be reasonable to assume that Callum, who effectively lost two days of work, would have had at least seven rides over that time and has missed both riding fees and prize money opportunities. Given he wouldn’t need to travel or employ his valet, then perhaps an ex gratia payment of £35o per day would make some small difference.
Away from what used to be called Portman Square – a name that had myriad connotations beyond the geographical – the scales of justice have been working even more speedily and with all the alacrity that one can expect from the medical authorities. I am therefore delighted to report, that a Swindon nurse has been struck off by The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who quite rightly found that his actions “breached fundamental tenets of trust, honesty and integrity, and therefore brought its reputation into disrepute”.
The nurse, a Nigerian called Ibrahim Abdulkareem, had applied for and got the job at Sandalwood Court Mental Hospital, Stratton with his fake French passport, which had been made by his brother’s mate, a convicted forger. He was caught and sentenced in December 2020, (and prosecuted by the ever-redoubtable barrister and member of The Pegasus Club, George Threlfall), and struck off today, after what appears to have been some very careful, and very long consideration. The NMC with a straight face, “The panel considered Mr Abdulkareem’s premeditated, sophisticated and longstanding deception to be indicative of a serious attitudinal issue.”
Well done NMC, spot on. Were there quite a lot of meetings to come to that conclusion?
Frankly Callum, now that I’ve seen how quickly real justice moves, I think you might have been lucky! I wish I was…
1:50 YORK Knights Solicitors Marygate Fillies’ Stks Cl1 (2yo) 5f 16 run
LOST ANGEL’s race LTO at Nottingham confirmed her decent debut, pushing a couple from that race into the also-ran pool. She beat PILLOW TALK by ½l and ran gutsily to hold her late charge – and in so doing beat Nottingham’s course record. However, bear in mind that this was PILLOW TALK’s debut and that run was impressive.
PILLOW TALK 3pts Win – LOST ANGEL 2pts e/w (5 plcs Sky – PP – WHill)
2:05 NEWBURY Coolmore Stud Hcap Cl2 (4yo+ 0-105) 6f 7 run
William Buick is here – not there. Hmmm. Judging by the card, WB is here to ride Charlie’s 2yos plus he’s picked up a couple of spare rides. The first is MYSTERIOUS NIGHT an unraced Charlie Appleby 2yo who runs in the 1:30. The second is here in the shape of SILVER SAMURAI for Marco Botti. The gelding has won from 6f to 8f and his Ascot 3rd LTO suggested that he is [a] in good form and [b] he needs the hood, which he retains today.
SILVER SAMURAI 3 pts Win
2:25 YORK Oaks Farm Stables Fillies’ Stks (The Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stks) Cl1 (3yo) 1m 12 run
PERFECT NEWS’ 4th in The Nell Gwynne suggests an ability, but possibly not at this distance. Other than Cachet, nothing has come out of that race shouting “Look at me!” It’s very hard to look away from the favourite GRANDE DAME, but there is no value, so I’ll pluck one suggestion out of the hat and, with 4 places with WHill and Bet365, go with ARION who ran acceptably LTO given that she is not a 10f+ filly. Dropped down to 7f, we might see something akin to her early promise.
ARION 1½pts e/w
3:00 YORK Paddy Power “I Love Steak” Hcap Stks Cl2 (4yo+ 0-100) 1m2½f 12 run
SUMMA PETO 2 pts e/w – SKILLED WARRIOR 2 pts e/w
3:35 YORK Paddy Power Yorkshire Cup Stks (G2) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m6f 5 run
Just say goodbye and wish the old boy well. There’ll be enough tears without losing on him, or being beaten by him.
No Bet
4:10 YORK Paddy Power “Fill Thi Boots” Hcap Cl3 (3yo 0-90) 1m4f 8 run
Paddy Power’s advertising is really beginning to irritate me now. The talking horse stable ads for ITV racing are so stale and unfunny that I now try to watch RacingTV output. I hate this race title too. Providing nothing comes out to make it two places, then I’d have a small punt on SUPERSTARS e/w, who hated Newmarket LTO and is better than her last race.
SUPERSTARS 2 pts e/w