Not Perfect But My Most Profitable Cheltenham Festival - PLOG (Punter's Blog) from Roy Waterhouse Steeplechasing

The majority see the 2008 Festival as one of the most successful ever, despite the abandonment on the Wednesday, but what were the best rides of the week? Here are my ideas;

Tom Scudamore, An Accordion, William Hill Trophy
This was the race in which Tom Scudamore could easily have posted his first Festival winner in 2007, but Heltornic fell two out when still going well. A year on and justice was done, as Tom guided iffy jumper An Accordion round to win this year's renewal.

A.P.McCoy, Albertas Run, Royal & SunAlliance Chase
Albertas Run isn't the best jumper and takes a bit of coaxing, and this will have been a harder ride for the Champion Jockey than it might have looked.

Timmy Murphy, Our Vic, Ryanair Chase
Over the first fence it looked as though the fitting of blinkers to Our Vic was going to backfire on connections, as he jumped it twice the size. Not so though, as he settled down in front, needing a niggle passing the stands but staying there throughout the race. We all know Our Vic's quirks though, and Murphy, scenting victory, made sure at the last - one, two, three, four, and on five up he came with a great leap. When the best jockeys get it right, they get it very right, and I wish Timmy rode as positively more often - this should go down as one of the best rides this year.

Paddy Brennan, Ballyfitz, Pertemps Final
You might accuse me of being biased, because I've nominated both my winning yellow-box tips as 'best rides', but I really do think that Paddy Brennan on Ballyfitz deserves to be in there because, tactically, it was spot on. Firstly, he had the horse well positioned - so no being carried back by weakening rivals or anything like that. Secondly, with it looking like there'd be no room on the inner before three out, Brennan pulled Ballyfitz out to get a clear run, and that very much worked as horse and jockey had all the room in the world in front (and on both sides too) to get good jumps and run on - something else he wouldn't have been able to do if he'd been further off the pace. Those that hold up at the back should look at this ride - it was so simple, which made it brilliant. The way I see it, holding up a bit is fine for some horses, but - even for those that need exaggerated waiting tactics - why mess about at the very back?

Jason Maguire, Whiteoak, David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle
Whiteoak has 'found' under pressure a couple of times in her novice hurdles and it proved the right decision for Jason Maguire to get after her before Mick Fitzgerald on Chomba Womba got animated. Not only did it ensure Whiteoak beat that rival, it meant she had the momentum to sustain her effort when Refinement curled up in front after she'd gone on.

Mr James Tudor, Bon Accord, Christies Foxhunters' Chase
A good ride doesn't have to be a winning ride. Bon Accord proved very hard work, some less-than-fluent jumping the problem, and Mr James Tudor pushed and kicked throughout the last circuit and, thanks to that, had half a chance between the last two. The horse's second place is more down to the jockey than the horse.

Paul Carberry, Crack Away Jack, Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap
I'm reluctant to put Carberry's ride on Psycho down as a 'worst' as that horse threw its head around violently in the early stages of the County and, if the jockey was worried that the horse wouldn't get home after that, there is some justification in his delaying his effort; but I've no hesitation in putting this ride forward in the 'worst' category. Now it seems odd to talk of a winning ride as a 'worst', but to hold a horse up at the back in a two-mile race at Cheltenham is usually how you get a horse beaten before the first obstacle. On this occasion the tactic came off, but how much better than the rest of the field is Crack Away Jack - we can only speculate for now.

Ruby Walsh, I'msingingtheblues, County Handicap Hurdle
To a lesser extent than Carberry and Psycho looked to most observers, as I'msingingtheblues was clearly beaten two out, but the fact is that Ruby didn't put the horse in the race and they still beat more home than beat him.

Seamus Durack, Oscar Park, Royal & SunAlliance Chase
This is a horse who clearly enjoyed being up front for his chase wins, and yet Durack missed the break and ended up having to make an effort on Oscar Park to get him in fourth after four out, a position they occupied briefly before they weakened.

That's it, I think. Now I'd better state that, as I could have had Paul Carberry down twice in the 'worst' category, the Crack Away Jack / Psycho-rides are just two individual performances. Carberry remains one of the best - he just wasn't riding as well as he was at the 2005 Festival, when he got it right on Harchibald despite the result, and had Fota Island perfectly positioned throughout in the Grand Annual.

I also think Mick Fitzgerald could have shaken up Chomba Womba earlier and maybe one or two others might have done better than Sam Thomas at straightening up the wandering The Tother One, but they were well placed in their races and those can't remotely be called bad rides.

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