I was reading the write-up in Sunday’s Racing Post and Gosden walked the course on Saturday morning and stated that down at Swinley Bottom (lowest part of the course) he was able to sink a stick twelve inches into the ground. I think I would characterise that as soft. There was no explanation why they waited until nearly 2pm before declaring the horse a non-runner. Perhaps Gosden did notify the Ascot authorities that the Derby winner was staying at home but the toffs decided that announcing it would cost them several thousand in lost ticket sales so they kept it to themselves until just before the first race. I would have expected a few more bookmakers to have taken Ladbrokes view by now that Golden Horn is unlikely to show up at Longchamp on 4th October and pushed his odds out.
Pardon my working class roots, but the lady that I heard did not sound very Cheltenham Ladies’ College. More two pints of lager and a packet of crisps...
Sounds more like Gay by the minute! Was she with another fairly fit looking lass? That'd be the clincher! Gay by name..............
No the lady was on her own. If you know the layout of Ascot at all, there is a walkway between the pre-parade ring and the Parade Ring that the horses use to get between the two; and next to it is a footpath that is accessible only to owners, trainers, officials etc. She was on the footpath. If Gay is a horsey woman, surely she must be good for a jump...