To be honest, I'm at a loss as far as Apple Away goes.
Last season, as you may remember if you read my blogs, I marked this lass down as talented: a great jumper who'd been not far off the top table as a hurdler but whom they'd turned to chasing with very little further ado. Lightly raced at 8yo with just fifteen rules races, I had been looking forward to her contesting some top races. In fact, I thought they had hidden her light under a bushel, so to speak, and was salivating at the thought of a Cheltenham handicap with her, as I thought, nicely protected mark. I was little short of astounded that connections decided to swerve Cheltenham handicaps altogether before picking up an end-of-season listed race at Perth. After this, I entertained thoughts of her running in the Hennessey and it looked like full steam ahead with that until, again, no show.
This season, she ran in her first handicap and I was thinking that she was just ready to score: no show at all.
So we arrive at the middle of January where AA is entered in two races: today's listed event and Saturday's Great Yorkshire handicap chase over 3m. That race looks just dandy for her, perched on just 11 stone but no. They've opted for todays listed mare's' chase for less of a pot: 19K rather than Saturday's 56K. This seems just mad to me but what do I know?
Ms Russell seems to have the patience of a saint with her charge and it is just so nettling not to be able to see where they're going.
Is it possible that today's run is just to get her fit, ready for Saturday, which would a strange one? Will they pull her out of today's race ready for Saturday? To be honest I have not a clue.
At face value, she has the talent to win today but how could I feel confident?
So, I feel compelled to throw a little win bet at her but , given the above, how on earth could I be in any way confident.
Thoughts?
Last season, as you may remember if you read my blogs, I marked this lass down as talented: a great jumper who'd been not far off the top table as a hurdler but whom they'd turned to chasing with very little further ado. Lightly raced at 8yo with just fifteen rules races, I had been looking forward to her contesting some top races. In fact, I thought they had hidden her light under a bushel, so to speak, and was salivating at the thought of a Cheltenham handicap with her, as I thought, nicely protected mark. I was little short of astounded that connections decided to swerve Cheltenham handicaps altogether before picking up an end-of-season listed race at Perth. After this, I entertained thoughts of her running in the Hennessey and it looked like full steam ahead with that until, again, no show.
This season, she ran in her first handicap and I was thinking that she was just ready to score: no show at all.
So we arrive at the middle of January where AA is entered in two races: today's listed event and Saturday's Great Yorkshire handicap chase over 3m. That race looks just dandy for her, perched on just 11 stone but no. They've opted for todays listed mare's' chase for less of a pot: 19K rather than Saturday's 56K. This seems just mad to me but what do I know?
Ms Russell seems to have the patience of a saint with her charge and it is just so nettling not to be able to see where they're going.
Is it possible that today's run is just to get her fit, ready for Saturday, which would a strange one? Will they pull her out of today's race ready for Saturday? To be honest I have not a clue.
At face value, she has the talent to win today but how could I feel confident?
So, I feel compelled to throw a little win bet at her but , given the above, how on earth could I be in any way confident.
Thoughts?
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