Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jamie Osborne is one of the shrewdest judges of horseflesh in current possession of a jockeys' licence, but he will be reminded of a rare lapse when he swings aboard Collier Bay, the champion hurdler, at Towcester this afternoon.
Osborne rode Collier Bay to victory in last season's Irish Champion Hurdle, but then opted to partner Mysilv in the race which really matters at Cheltenham, thereby allowing himself only a very distant view of proceedings as Jim Old's gelding held off the late challenge of Alderbrook up the hill.
Today's Sporting Life Champion Hurdle Trial, Collier Bay's first outing since, should go a long way towards telling us whether he deserves to be the 3-1 favourite for the defence of his championship next month.
Osborne takes over from Graham Bradley, whose last-ditch appeal against a riding ban was thrown out yesterday, and his post-race opinions should be even more informative than usual. The jockey has already partnered to victory this season Collier Bay's two closest rivals in the Festival betting - Large Action and Space Trucker - and the signals he receives through the reins will give him a unique perspective on the ante-post market.
Today's four-runner event, specifically designed to give Cheltenham contenders a much-needed outing on an easy surface, has turned into a private confrontation between Jim Old, who will saddle Juyush as well as Collier Bay, and David Nicholson, who runs Relkeel and Escartefigue.
"If necessary, Collier Bay will have to make his own running," Old said yesterday. "It's not ideal, and these small fields are always funny races."
Relkeel has not run since his withdrawal from the Champion Hurdle on the eve of the race two years ago, when his record of nine wins from 10 races had propelled him to the head of the betting. "He is also in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham," Nicholson said yesterday, "but let's get tomorrow over with first."
The one blot on Relkeel's otherwise spotless record is his defeat in the Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon three years ago, the latest renewal of which yesterday appears to have pinpointed another hurdler of great promise. Agistment, trained by Jimmy FitzGerald, held the challenge of Forest Ivory by a neck and will now go to the Royal Sunalliance Hurdle at the Festival. "He'll prefer a bit more cut in the ground and he'll go to Cheltenham with more chance than most," his trainer said.
At Lingfield, Lanfranco Dettori rode his first winner in Britain this year on Sweet Supposin in the Clematis Handicap, and immediately afterwards completed a rare double by remaining in the saddle long enough to enjoy his success.
"I have now won on him four times and that is the first time he hasn't thrown me after passing the winning post," Dettori said. "He has a habit of stopping dead after he has won and he has lost me on three occasions. This time I remembered and I was ready for him."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments