Solid Gold!

It was good to see that the Brits finally managed to get on the scoreboard in the Breeder's Cup on Saturday night.  Frankie Dettori (who else?!) was successful aboard the Brian Meehan trained Dangerous Midge in the Breeders Cup Turf, netting a cool £1,000,000 for winning connections, and treating spectators to another of his trademark flying dismounts.  I was also delighted to see superstar French mare Goldikova complete an amazing hat-trick of wins in the Breeders Cup Mile, in the process going one better than the great American hope Zenyatta who could only finish runner-up in the Classic following what could only be labelled a disastrous ride from regular pilot Mike Smith.

*****

It just goes to show that people will bet on just about anything - the bookmakers are offering odds of just 1/5 that A P McCoy will get the ride on Kauto Star.  Poor old Ruby Walsh is in hospital with a broken right tibia and fibula following a fall at Down Royal on Saturday and they have already opened a book on who will be his replacement.  I see that French champion jockey David Cottin is set to join Nicholls for a month, so there will be no shortage of jockeys hoping for the ride.

Talking of replacement jockeys, I notice that there is also a book open on who will replace Johnny Murtagh at Ballydoyle.  I have to admit that I am surprised as I always thought that Johnny was a top class jockey, and had been doing a great job since joining the O'Brien team...having said that, there is no smoke without fire so I will be watching events with interest.  An interesting name among the betting is former French champion Christophe Soumillon.