Highs & Lows Of 2008

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In racing..ok so the King George and the rest is still to come but of what we have seen this year a couple that come to mind...

High for me was Yeats winning his third Gold Cup in a race that lived up to its billing with the front three all there challenging turning into the straight. Lets hope for 4 in a row next year.

The low point was the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Sounds a bit strange considering the quality of the winner, but the whole race was built around it being a clash of the top two, Kauto & Denman and for some reason or another it next even looked like happening.
 
For me, Raven's Pass in the QE2, and New Approach in general ... absorbing horse, and great to see him win like he did at Newmarket. Amazing to watch him in the paddock.

Lows are the 2 year olds of 2008, the whole team tactics saga (for different reasons) and the Gold Cup for the same reasons you stated.
 
Hamm said:
For me, Raven's Pass in the QE2, and New Approach in general ... absorbing horse, and great to see him win like he did at Newmarket. Amazing to watch him in the paddock.

Lows are the 2 year olds of 2008, the whole team tactics saga (for different reasons) and the Gold Cup for the same reasons you stated.
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Not sure about the high points other than Saturday's win at Navan.

The low point is Charles Byrnes continuing train and not being booted out of the game permanently.
 
The highs for me personally:

  • Natagora romping home in the 1000 after backing her as high as 33/1, about an hour later Stoke were promoted to the Premiership for the first time in my lifetime. Not a bad day.

  • Equiano scooting clear up the stands rail in the Royal meeting at 33/1 and nearly being escorted out of the building after watching it at work.

  • Breeders Cup Night, everything I backed seemed to win and it was a brilliant night for the European contingent and I doubt I'll win as much as I did that night again for a while.

  • Standing near the winning post at Longchamp when Soumillion weaved through the Arc field on Zarkava. You could see it happening a long way out and it was just a matter of waiting for her to quicken, it was spectacular and breathtaking and there won't be one like her again for a while. I was only disappointed I let all the doubters put me off backing her, lesson learned.
Lows:

  • Dean McKeown's antics and his absurd defence of it.
  • Zarkava's retirement
  • Gio's appalling regression as a racehorse
  • Enderby Spirit just getting touched off in a Listed event having staked an absurdly high amount each-way at 20/1
 
Highs

1. Zenyatta and Zarkava - the two best fillies of the past 25 years IMHO.
2. Overdose - the horse looks a real beast
3. Auteuil - great track and for jumps and facilities, prices etc. it really does put UK racing to shame
 
Getting something like 130 about New Approach the weekend before the Derby was a big high for me. Other than that it was a profitable but not spectacular season. Not much stirred the blood.
 
Highs:

- Captain Cee Bee landing a bet struck the previous October.
- Predicting the winners of 63.453% of Irish Bumper races.
- Winning the Bumper for the Mullins family.

Lows

Laying something like 130 about New Approach the weekend before the Derby.
 
Highs:

Jan 24th, 9.20 Wolverhampton :)
Lincoln Day

Lows:

November Handicap Day
Losing 5 figures at Newbury courtesy of a Mark Johnson yak.
Phoenix Tower breaking down again
Losing my best mate to cancer and three other close mates at separate occasions, RIP (not racing I know, but capped a crap year for me, roll on 2009)
 
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High - The return to racing after lengthy lay off's of KK and WOA

Low - Seeing my retirement bet on Pedrobob to win the Arkle fail to materialise due to injury
 
Highs: watching Denman win the Gold Cup, despite not having a penny on for superstitious reasons (I could have sunk the QEII at the festival). Being on board the Andrew Mount Express for two Scoop6 wins. Not much else in truth, but promise for next year.

Lows: way too many; in punting terms having my worst ever Festival and losing out on no less than four 5-figure payouts due to disqualifications or void races (Overdose could have been aptly names, so gutted was I by the Abbaye). Watching my mare Nuala have an accident on the gallops which might have killed her, and then seeing Forest Perk (in whom I got involved because of the former scenario) get killed at Ludlow. In personal/professional terms, it's been the most challenging* year of my life and I can't wait to see the back of it.

(*should read shite)
 
Punting high -laying Curlin for plenty on the turf and making no secret of it on here and with personal friends.

Punting low- it was the Sunday of the Galway festival and having kept a low profile during the early part of the week and dodged some bullets that had my name written on them I was physically and mentally tired.A mid morning walk on the beach did very little for me and I didn't like the look of the racing.Despite this I logged into betfairthinking I would play the game and possibly win a small few quid.Every winner I laid and loser I backed made me more irritable.Before long I was struggling badly and stakes were getting bigger.Despite the fact that it was a bank holiday weekend in Ireland I was in no mood to go out.Started to play the American horses -it was a grade 1 night.An ex Dunlop trained horse called Mpenzi did me a favour at 33s and I was on the long road to salvation.I chipped away for a couple of hours doing the right thing ,taking the guaranteed profits and getting the run of the green but I was seriously tired and I knew I was being irrational even though things were going my way.Big race of the night -Big Brown 3s on had to be laid then laid him for more at 2-7.Then backed an outsider at 40s.Race goes off my big outsider travels best into the final furlong-Big Brown under heavy pressure looks like a 5-1 shot in running but in the final half furlong he gets on top.Absolutely shattered.
 
High: another Cheltenham to savour
Low: The racing in between with no hurdles or fences...as usual
 
High - Zarkava's achievement this year, the Arc was a fitting ending for a brilliant filly. Being on course that weekend definitely helped the decision. Cant think of too many highs from a punting point of view other than the Oaks. Conduit's win in the Leger was also a highlight since it ended Stoute's dreadful record in the race. Welsh National was another highlight for obvious reason.

Low - The ground/going on the flat has been awful. Is it years of over-watering manifesting itself??? In addition, I think racing is still not as straight as it can be, the McKeown case is a good start but allowing Blockley to be an employee to his own yard?? Give me a break!! These people need to be chucked out of racing. Full Stop. It needs to be harsh enough where people realise its their livelihood. Now they can take the mickey again.......If McKeown had been more intelligent and not been as balant, he would still be riding now. I do think the McKeown case is very tip of a big iceberg. Also, what is stopping connections of horses turning out horses which isnt fit or 'lame'? How many people can tell if a horse is walking round who is slightly lame or just not fit for the race? Sabre Light the other day and the Swinbank horse as well about a month back springs to mind. In addition, all very well, looking into those who laid the 'bent' horse. What about the ones who backed everything bar the non trier?? Its time for the authorities to get tough, really tough like the Aussies and the HKJC otherwise, racing will be on an even slippery rope. Racing is getting more and more unattractive as a punting sport due to some of the points mentioned above. We can also add no sectional timing, 'wrong' going reports and 'wrong' distances when they move the rails.
 
I can concur with you on that one David.

As York is my city of birth it wasn't as bad as say someone who just travelled up there specifically for the racing.

I did go to the course after the final abandonment and it was quite eerie being there with no crowd and just a few workers dismantling the railings etc.....
 
High - picking Montmartre out from the France-Galop results page of a non-televised race and following the horse right through to victory in GP de Paris.

Low - Montmartre missing the Arc through injury.
 
Will, absolutely spot on mate. Too many people play the "oh racing isn't that corrupt!" card and sweep it under the carpet. The press don't bother with it and the authorities are shocking. It's only the really stupid ones that seem to get caught.
 
Highs would have to be Royal Ascot and Zarkava in the Arc.

Particularly low was seeing Sizing Europe go from cantering all over the field to beaten in a flash in the Champion Hurdle.
 
Highs

Overdose
Montmartre
Ballydoyle
Denman and Master Minded
Murtagh and Carberry




Lows

Bolger
Sizing Europe
 
Highs
Duke of Marmalade:<3:
Sands Crooner:<3:
Ebraam:<3:
Lindelaan:<3:
Matt Champman

Lows
Gingham
Dean Mckeown
Great Leighs (What a DUMP)
Richard Hills( FINJAAN RIDE)
 
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Denman, Master Minded, Ravens Pass (breeders) and the arc are highs. A very good year wasnt it?

Lows?

The declining number but still too many trainers continuing contempt for those that fund this wonderful sport.... ie the punters

The BBC
 
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