I have always thought that Kim Bailey is overly harsh with his criticism of Worcester Racecourse. I now think he isn't harsh enough. Hopstrings travelled well until she hit the soft ground. The going stick was 6.8 this morning yet the ground was given as good to firm good in places. Anywhere else that going stick measurement would lead one to believe that it was on the soft side of good. Well, the back straight was good and the home straight good to soft at best. Tom Scudamore was overheard saying there wasn't a patch of good to firm ground on the track. I have no idea how much closer she would have finished had the ground been good to firm but I do know she would have been a lot closer. Worcester should be ashamed of themselves and I feel for the owners who, to some degree, have had a wasted run. Sophie tells me Sholto said "she couldn't handle the ground when she turned into the straight and her action changed." He's a great race reader aged 7. Anyhow, as disappointed as I am, I feel we have reasonable excuses for her. We will see how she is over the next few days and hope to get another run into soon. She'll have learnt a lot today and given firm ground I'd hope she can get her head in front again. Alice very kindly gave up a days holiday to come and help, we've concluded we aren't great loser. To add insult to injury, I came home to find a tax bill on my desk!
All is well on the home front, the Derby Sale horses are now all lent over and we will sit on before the week is out.
