DOUBLE HANDFUL

WE’VE reached that time of year when the clocks go back, so that in the midst of this depressing pandemic, at least we get to enjoy complete darkness an hour earlier.

I used to have a friend who kept changing the sound that his alarm clock made. I wonder what he’s getting up to now?

The good news is that at we have the last Group p1 1 of the Flat season to look forward to, with nine runners ready for the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.

The last three winners of this race have gone on to win the he 2,000 Guineas the following spring, so whoever hoever triumphs in the Futurity is sure to have a rosy future.

Aidan O’Brien has won this race nine times, and anything he pitches in has to be treated with total respect, unlike me.

The master of Ballydoyle had seven entries at the confirmation stage but decided to rely solely on WEMBLEY to bring up his tenth win in this race.

On the face of it, one win in seven starts is not a statistic to set the pulse racing, but then statistics don’t always tell the full story. Five out of six people who play Russian Roulette maintain it’s safe.

The son of Galileo has the best form on show with a second place in both the Dewhurst and National Stakes.

In my o opinion, Wembley should have won both races. It It’s clear the tactics in bo both those races were t to hang around at the back of the field and press the button late on.

In the National Stakes, jockey Wayne Lordan got boxed in a and only started to fly ho home when the race was l lost.

Ryan Moore was too far adrift out wide in the Dewhurst and not near enough to the race’s principal protagonists. He also didn’t find top gear until the race had slipped away. There’s no worse sight for a punter to see their charge flying home fastest of all only to finish second.

I can’t see Moore making that mistake today.

“The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.”

– Brett Harte