DOUBLE HANDFUL

Racing betting column in association with

ONE of the small pleasures of punting is the opportunity it gives us to spin a hard-luck yarn. And those punters who backed Goshen to win the e Triumph Hurdle haven’t stopped exercising their right to bleat about their misfortune.

The Law Of Punting dictates that if you have a hard-luck story to tell, you milk it.

You cradle it. You embellish it. You lovingly craft it. You make the bloody most of it.

So, when Goshen and Jamie Moore, 10 lengths clear with only a flimsy hurdle separating punters from a payout, came crashing down at the last, well, you had to laugh or cry.

Those who didn’t back Goshen laughed, those who did . . . are still crying.

Had Goshen not encountered that freak mishap, which is probably the abiding memory of the Festival, then he’d still be an unbeaten hurdler with four wins from four races.

Gary Moore’s four-year old was undoubtedly last year’s leading juvenile, winning his first three starts over timber by a combined distance of 68 lengths. But he certainly won’t be carrying my money today.

The son of Authorized has had two lacklustre runs on the Flat to sharp sharpen his fitness, finishing sixt sixth of six and third of se seven at odds of 2-5 and e evens respectively. Top-class juveniles often struggle in open company at the first time of asking and Goshen is an outof-form o top class juv juvenile taking on experienced expe elders. Sceau Royal has been a model of consistency the past few weeks but this will be his fourth race in just 53 days.

In contrast, SILVER STREAK has had only two runs this season, and on his latest outing (Fighting Fifth) he failed to get as far as the second hurdle when he was carried out by the riderless Not So Sleepy.

Evan Williams’ consistent seven-year has seven career victories to his name and two second-placed finishes at Cheltenham. He’s fit, fresh and will finish in the frame.