Sport can be likened to unscripted theatre, and there was a surprising last act at Newbury yesterday.
The Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle was billed as the match-up between Thistlecrack and Unowhatimeanharry and, at one point, the script was falling nicely.
Then it went out the window completely as Thistlecrack fell tamely away in the last two furlongs and Unowhatimeanharry was felled by Beer Goggles, a 40-1 outsider trained by Richard Woollacott.
Thistlecrack was returning after a 10-month lay-off with a tendon injury in for a prep race before he attempts to win the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton Park for a second time on Boxing Day.
For the first two and a half miles Thistlecrack jumped slickly behind Beer Goggles. But then Tom Scudamore became more animated on Thistlecrack, who found nothing and finished fifth. And there was little more for Barry Geraghty to call upon from Unowhatimeanharry as Beer Goggles powered on for the biggest moment of his trainer’s career.
As Woollacott took the plaudits, Colin Tizzard took stock. “Until two out he looked like he could possibly win it,” Tizzard said, his mind still taking in what his eyes had seen. “Before the race, looking at these other ones, he did look as though he was burly. And I think he’s run like that.
“He ran a little bit fresh – I think we were absolutely right coming here before we go to the King George. He’s a big, heavy horse now and he just got tired in the last two furlongs. As long as he comes out sound tomorrow we shall be going there. Nothing’s been lost.”
Perhaps, but it takes a leap of faith to believe that a horse who has just been beaten 13 lengths can win the King George 25 days later.
Unowhatimeanharry is likely to head for the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 23 but Beer Goggles is more likely to be held back for the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in late January. By that time they might have finished celebrating.
A clearly emotional Woollacott said: "I'm nearly crying. When we bought him he'd won off 104 and I said 'we'll have fun'. We didn't really expect him to keep going the way he has, but he's tough and sound, a lovely horse."
If Willoughby Court keeps going this way he will be a contender for the major honours come the spring judged by the way he beat Yanworth to win the Ladbrokes Novices' Chase.
This race has been won by three subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winners – Denman (2006), Bobs Worth (2011) and Coneygree (2014) – and three miles will be this horse’s metier in time according to his trainer, Ben Pauling, but with the JLT Chase the more likely option at the Cheltenham Festival.
"I was umming and ahhing about whether he was a three-miler, but I think you'd have to stick at two and a half. It's a great start," Pauling said.
Tizzard will need a better finish from Thistlecrack.
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