Five weeks on…

TWO months ago, we stood in Gordon Elliott’s yard and listened as Don Cossack and No More Heroes stood fit and well. They were finishing their preparations for Cheltenham, both favourites for their respective races, one for the Gold Cup and one possibly for the 2017 Gold Cup. That was the plan.

Five weeks later even though Don Cossack was triumphant in the Gold Cup, No More Heroes is no more and Don Cossack’s career is in doubt. Rule the world? Not for long in National Hunt racing. Success and moments of glory are fleeting in jump racing. Happily Gigginstown’s luck held as Road To Riches emerged with his life from was a dreadful fall at Punchestown.

One week on..

Had anyone offered you a Yankee on Don’t Touch It 16/1, Carlingford Lough 12/1, Blow By Blow 12/1 and One Track Mind 10/1 a week ago amid all the Grade 1 stars that were intending to line up at Punchestown, you would have thought them quite mad.

THE LAST WORD

There was rather sad irony revealed in some photos used as part of the Hillsborough inquest coverage. They showed images of the South Yorkshire Police notebooks with the force motto on the covers - Justice with Courage. After lies and cover-ups, 27 years on it was the Hillsborough families who fought with Courage to get Justice despite the wrong doings of the police force.