“We’re not people to go over the top but we go there with a fighting chance,” Wyer says. “Paul Carberry [Wyer's fellow Irish jockey] has a saying at the moment after he’s come in off a winner `I had the right stuff there’, he says I think I’ve got the right stuff for Saturday.”. MICK FITZGERALD has been given the mount on Imperial Call ahead of Richard Dunwoody in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. The gelding’s trainer, Raymond Hurley, said yesterday evening: “We had a meeting of the owners today and it was decided to offer the mount to Mick Fitzgerald. He has accepted and we are delighted.”
It had been thought that Dunwoody would be offered the ride but his agent, Robert Parsons, commented: “Richard hasn’t been contacted and he has no mount in the race for the first time in many years.”
Tony McCoy, who was also linked with Imperial Call, is to ride last year’s runner-up, Challenger Du Luc.Meanwhile, Michael Hourigan is still looking for a jockey for Dorans Pride, who runs in the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown on Monday. Dunwoody has been the regular pilot for Dorans Pride but the former champion will be aboard Florida Pearl for Willie Mullins.In the same day’s Welsh National, bookmaker opinion is that Dom Samourai will avenge his 1997 defeat by Earth Summit.In last year’s race Nigel Twiston-Davies’ gelding, the subsequent winner of the Grand National, fended off the thrust of Dom Samourai by a length and three-quarters, giving the Martin Pipe runner 13lb.With that concession increased by 2lb – Earth Summit emerged as the new top-weight with 11st 10lb at yesterday’s forfeit stage – layers favour Dom Samourai to turn things round.With 21 acceptors left in yesterday for the pounds 50,000 handicap, the sponsors, Coral, price last season’s runner-up as their 3-1 favourite, with Earth Summit second choice at 4-1.. TEETON MILL has joined See More Business at the head of the market for the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day after sustained support yesterday.
Ladbrokes and the Tote cut the Venetia Williams-trained Hennessy Gold Cup winner to 5-2 joint-favourite as punters seek a seventh victory by a grey horse since Desert Orchid’s first success in 1986. The Tote tightened Teeton Mill from 100-30, while Ladbrokes had begun trading at 3-1 yesterday.
“Since we started betting on the race on Saturday that has been the horse that everyone has wanted to know about,” Ladbrokes’ Andy Clifton said.”Other firms were bigger than us on Saturday morning but I think people have looked at the race and taken the view that only two horses can win it.”It is only the fact that there has been good support for See More Business as well that has stopped Teeton Mill being outright favourite.”. THERE IS nothing like a heroic failure to blunt the critic’s edge. To go down fighting against all odds strikes such a chord in British hearts that it evokes more admiration than a clinically achieved success.
It is a curious habit and one which has brought succour to many a gallant loser from Jim Peters to Nigel Mansell.
Glenn Hoddle’s England team were this year’s vanquished heroes and, six months on, the memories of summer still bring conflicting emotions. “Not regret, but sadness,” said Hoddle when we spoke last week.This has been a difficult month for the England coach. A dislocated family Christmas is to come, his employers are in turmoil and he has had to endure a series of television programmes raking over England’s World Cup defeat to Argentina.The two remembrances of England’s match with Argentina were trying enough, he then had to sit through the BBC’s Sports Review of the Year – which featured an electronically created shot of David Batty scoring that penalty.”That was a bit of a shock,” he recalled “I’ve had very mixed emotions watching all the programmes. In a way they are great to see but it is very hard to sit and watch. The Argentina match was such an amazing game, that’s why they made the programmes.