Down...but not out.

As I sat down to write this blog following Saturday’s disappointing result, I couldn’t help feeling like the man who’d just missed a penalty, having to walk back to his team red faced.

I searched numerous websites attempting to find out the meaning of the word ‘orspie’. Could it possibly mean ‘disappoints after promising so much’, or perhaps ‘follow until finding reward’. I didn’t find out, but if there is such a meaning it might fall somewhere in between.

I watched the race with a friend during the cricket on Saturday and wasn’t aware there had been so much rain. When the Channel 4 caption came up before the race stating the ground was ‘good’, I told my friend that it simply wouldn’t win as it needs fast ground, but wanted to be wrong. Deep down, though, once a negative appears then the whole ‘feel’ for a bet disappears.
Halfway through the race I knew it was beat, and afterwards, the connections of Prime Defender confirmed the ground was loose on top. The fact Orpsie Boy was on the ‘wrong’ side didn’t help.

The bottom line is that it lost, and I had the job of explaining how to non-racing colleagues who asked for tips during Glorious Goodwood. But they’re not interested in the ground changing, or the draw. To them, the horse was rubbish. Money down the drain.

I’ve backed several horses that left me disappointed after a big race when expectations were high, and the majority I’ve left well alone subsequently. But there were some horses that left a feeling of ‘unfinished business’ and Orpsie Boy is one.
As with Moonstone back in May after the Musidora, I won’t be turning my back on this fellow.
A big field, fast ground with a draw, along with form-figures of 050 should make him a price if he gets such conditions. I’m just hoping they don’t run him in an 8-runner AW race where his price would be shorter.

Overall, last week was a shocker on the racing front, but I’ve had them before, it’s all part of the journey. The journey that offers so much if you’re open to it.
I spent many months writing about dealing with winning and losing on horses in my time with Racing Ahead magazine, so I won’t go over old ground here.
But it’s simple really. You just patiently wait for your time to arrive. Seems miles away sometimes, but it’s only ever just around the corner.


Owing to the countdown until deadline for the jumps book I’m currently writing, along with a six-day stint at the Guardian this week, the performance ratings and Top Of The Form entries will appear later than normal, but should emerge during the next 24 hours.