Streets Ahead!

All three of our runners at Punchestown performed with credit, especially Street Entertainer who put up an excellent performance to land the novices' hurdle under A P McCoy.  It just goes to show what a good eye for a bargain David has - he picked up Street Entertainer at the Newmarket Sales for just 12,000 guineas and he has now won his last two starts.  Yesterday's race was worth €14,625, so he is already looking something of a steal.  It also provided champion jockey A P McCoy with a nice 37th birthday present, and David with his first winner in Ireland...one thing is for sure, I bet there were a few pints of Guinness downed last night!  He looks certain to win further races, including on the flat where he has a rating of just 65.

Battle Group also performed well in the Grade Two novices' hurdle, finishing third under Barry Geraghty, while I'msingingtheblues also picked up prizemoney for finishing a close fifth in the handicap chase.

*****

It was a shame to see a great horse like Kauto Star pulled up by Ruby Walsh in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup.  It looked to me as though time had certainly caught up with the eleven year old and while he ran a great race to finish third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last time - it is hard to get away from the fact that four of his last five starts have been nowhere near the level of his previously peerless form.  He is certainly one of the best chasers that I have seen in my lifetime and he owes nobody anything - I am sure that connections will have a long hard think about what to do with him and make the best decision for the horse.  Most sportsmen or women know when it's time to call it a day (although some boxers can go on for too long, and look what happens to them).

*****

There are three jumps meetings on today, including at a couple of our local tracks - Newton Abbot this afternoon and Wincanton this evening.  While it sounds like a lovely day to visit both meetings, during these difficult times, I am sure that very few people would be able to attend each fixture (unless of course they had a nice winner or two at Newton first!).  There are small fields at Wincanton tonight on fastish ground, there are three odds-on favourites (one of which is forecast to go off at the prohibitive odds of 1/10) - sadly, it doesn't make for great value racing.