We're packing up tonight for the long trip north after racing tomorrow so this is going to be short and sweet. Though, clearly, not as sweet as Steve's chinos the other day.
Friday is very different from Thursday. It may not say it on the website but Friday is known as "Bloke's Day". Much smaller crowd that Ladies Day and, I don't want to stereotype things, but, for the first time we put both pitches by the big bar on the lawn. We think it was the right decision overall.
1) Fairy Godmother. Ryan Moore. Aidan O'Brien. Favourite. Had to be our worst result didn't it? And it was. Simon got into Kevin mode and told me that Heavan's Gate had gagged up. In fairness it hit about 1/5 in running but I'd been reading that book since Tuesday morning and I knew how it ended. And it ended in the jolly finishing like a train and breaking our hearts. Places were decent but if anyone had told me that at the time it may have got ugly.
2) Jasour was a surprisingly popular selection and favourite Inisherin was surprisingly weak on track. Fortunately. A great result for us and places were, again, very good. This time you could've pointed that out to us. We were up and running.
3) Ryan Moore, Aidan Moore, etc, etc and Opera Singer felt like every other bet. Looked the likely winner for a while as well but, fortunately for us, Porta Fortuna prevailed and we had a steady enough move forward. Liked the places again as well.
4) Didn't want Deakin or Crystal Black. Got Crystal Black. Wasn't happy but I'd resolved not to kick the joint today. Ankle protection as much as anything else. Places saved us a few quid but, ach, see paragraph 1.
5) Well that resolution lasted a whole 35 minutes. Ultra jackpot, Uluru, was crazy short and closing fast. It had to go past. It didn't. Ankle protection a distant memory as Soprano held on and I went for the patented treble kick. I'm still limping now.
6) Stuck into the jolly and I told Simon that we had all the shorteners onside but I'd seen this film before and the bookie loses in the end. Gold medal crying it in on the Cairn Bet stand and Calandagan gave us a monster win. Absolute monster, best of the week.
7) Like buses, you wait ages and 2 come along at once. Another monster win on Pilgrim and Steve, who is usually mightily reserved, was calling it in. "Come on Pilgrim" at almost maximum volume. Who knew Steve was so familiar with Pixies album back catalogue?
All's well than ends well and, like Arnie in Predator, we hit a couple of monsters at the end of the final reel.
So that's it. It was a long day. I've been tired. And I've still managed to shovel in another Pixies reference for free.
Final day at Ascot tomorrow and then Hexham on Sunday as, perversely, Hexham is on the way to Highland Perthshire in the same way as Hexham is also on the way to Ascot. It appears that all roads lead to Britain's Most Scenic Racecourse and not Rome after all. Likely it will be an Ascot/Hexham blog double header on Monday evening. Until then...
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