Well! Northerly narrowly went under in the big race to an honest trier in Freemason.
While Northerly is an out and out excellent horse, was it a case of "tricky Fred" getting his just desserts. The look on his face after the race was adequate recompense for me following last week's debacle.
"Stone-face" Patty Payne employed tactics which to many of us were a bit unusual, but Fred wasn't going to criticise his rider in front of the assembled media( I'd like to be a fly on the wall in after race discussions between this pair, who many have said have brought the image of racing into disrepute . However, the camera caught Fred in moments of reflection when he was unaware he was being monitored. The look on his face was enough for me-perhaps a case of a man being too smart for his own good? Maybe there is justice after all, although none of this reflects on the great horse which tried all the way in his typical "bulldog" style. It's just a shame that the stigma of his connections' actions have detracted from this great competitor, which must rate highly in the equine hall of fame.