Juliette's Weekly Frolic
A punter from Pinner writing to the Sporting Life last Tuesday, voiced his " disgust " at ante-post betting lists which " kidded" the public into supporting non-runners. Yet another bad loser, querulous, irrational and prejudiced? Perhaps — his nonstarter even had a valid excuse for not racing— but a leading bookmaker's defence: "that every effort is made to quote only intended runners in our advertisements" is carrying wide-eyed innocence a little far. Take Tantalum. . . .
For a fortnight or more this horse has been bobbing up and down the ante-post markets for the weekend's big 'chases. The chances of his going for the Mackeson ' only a week after an initial outing were slim by anyone's reckoning, but when backed down to second favourite for last Friday's Kirk and Kirk,' it was only reasonable to assume that he would turn up. But no, and here he is again, second choice for Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup. Clearly he is either off-colour or else being kept on ice for something extra-special, and as I understand the horse really will materialise at Newbury, he must be our liveliest chance of foiling the brandy raid of Irish hotpot Sea Brief. One gentleman who would be delighted to see me wrong is that intrepid speculator standing to win £90,000 from a double struck coupling the Dreaper horse with Celtic Cone in the first running of the Yellow Pages Long Distance Hurdle at Wol-. verhampton the same afternoon. With prize money of £3,000 plus an antique carriage clock, the telephone race is bursting with talent. Probable favourite Coral Diver will be making his last hurdling appearance before going 'chasing, while Celtic Cone will be all out to retain his title as top juvenile. But, as the name of the race implies, this is a long haul and Highland Abbe and Parlour Moor have, in this respect, the best credentials. The former has won a trio of stamina tests since September but was beaten more than eight lengths by the latter at Cheltenham in the Spring.
Back to Berkshire where Friday's Oxfordshire 'Chase looks the right opportunity for ex-American hurdler/chaser Tingle Creek to defy the challenge of the all-conquering Winter stable, His first two outings over here have been in hurdles, but his last 'chasing effort, back in November '71, carried him into fifth place in his country's Colonial Cup.
'Horses to follow' is not proving one of my more brilliant schemes — those likely to be in action at Newbury this Saturday being Tudor Dance, who takes on Inch Arran in the 1.30 and Official who takes on just about everything an hour later. I wish them luck.
Assets: £107.50. Outlay £3 to win Tantalum, Parlour Moor and Tingle Creek. Six to follow, assets: £16.
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