Retirement sinks in for Dobbin as Monet's gets a new partner

Published on Saturday 26 April 2008 02:50

ENJOYABLE as it is, the thought of retiring from the flak that comes with all this tipping malarkey does hold a certain appeal, but doubtless, the only people looking forward to me being pensioned off more than me are those who actually bet The Scotsman's selections.

While a lifetime of slippers and pipe sounds enticing, there are downsides and Tony Dobbin will encounter one of those this afternoon.

Having hung up his riding boots a couple of weeks back, 'Dobbs' will have to sit on the sidelines today when Monet's Garden attempts to win Sandown's Celebration Chase, and being a backseat driver won't come easy.

"I'm the only person who has ridden Monet's, so this will really hammer home to me that I have actually retired. To see someone else on him will be difficult," admitted the Irishman who will at least take some comfort should the Nicky Richards-trained grey land the 80,000 event.

Dobbin has been on board Monet's Garden in all of his previous 23 outings but Dominic Elsworth has the job of steering him home today and hopefully, it will indeed be a steering job.

The two-miles trip is a tad shorter than ideal for the selection but the old Sandown hill has taken a few prisoners in the past so his proven stamina should be a big plus.

As far for the bet365 Gold Cup, the last big race of the jumps season, Iris de Balme would be major contender if repeating the form that carried the Sean Curran trained gelding to victory in last week's Scottish Grand National at Ayr. Despite being miles out of the handicap, there didn't seem to be any fluke about that win so he clearly has chances of following in the footsteps of Hot Weld who notched a similar double 12 months ago.

Even so, I'd like to see Iris de Balme reproduce his form at the Craigie track at least once more before lumping too heavily on him so if he wins good luck to him.

Monkerhostin is almost the same age as me so Philip Hobbs' runner could hardly be described as a young thing but he still has plenty of ability and despite his advancing years has run well enough in plenty of big races to suggest a decent prize is still in his grasp. This could be it.

Former Edinburgh University student Sam Waley-Cohen is a familiar name on these pages and he can again make the headlines on Shatabdi while we have to stick with old favourite Pigeon Island in the previous race.

I don't really know why we doo, we just doo.

The meeting at the Esher track is one of those dying breeds that stages both jumps and flat racing on the one card so there's plenty for aficionados of both codes to get their teeth into.

Medicine Path has won three on the bounce and can make it four under Jamie Spencer while Feared In Flight ran well enough in defeat last term to give him a serious chance of landing the Classic trial for Darryl Holland

At Ripon, the John Dunlop trained Downhiller can defy his name by continuing on an upward curve with his second success of the campaign while Raincoat loos a very appropriate choice in the finale given the weather forecast for the Yorkshire track.

As it's Saturday, some of the more hen-pecked out there might find themselves shopping this afternoon so just in case, the nap goes very early which means you can watch it win and then spend your ill-gotten gains.

Or get them spent for you.

Trans Siberian has only run three times but has done little wrong in any of those outings, rounding off last term with a win on the Wolverhampton sand.

The best bet made a more than encouraging start to this season when going down by less than a length to Look So at Windsor earlier this month and he can get the day off to a flying start by landing Sandown's opener.

Punjabi, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty, won the ACCBank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown. Sublimity (15-8) emerged as the only potential threat, but Geraghty had things in hand and the 2-1 shot struck another blow for British-trained horses at the Festival.

Laertes cruises to victory at Perth

LAERTES (8-1) put up a fine staying performance to land the 25,000 Press & Journal Highland National, the feature race on the final day of Perth's festival meeting, writes Ray Gilpin.

Trained by Chris Grant, the Denis O'Regan-ridden seven-year-old went to the front at the 11th of the 23 fences in the 3m 7f test and never really looked like being caught, passing the post six lengths clear of Lydon House.

No Picnic, trained by Sue Bradburne, collapsed and died after finishing last of the 11 to complete the course. Paddy Brennan was suspended for four days (9-12 May) for his use of the whip on third-placed The Gangerman.

O'Regan had initiated a double on the James Lambe-trained Classic Moon (5-2 fav), who won the opening Scot Ads "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle.

Lucinda Russell took her score to 31 for the season when Spirit Calling (9-1) won the StanJamesUK.com Novices' Handicap Chase under Peter Buchanan.