It's the final day of Royal Ascot

It was one of those days yesterday at Ascot where you go full of hope but come back very disappointed. I’m not sure yet what is wrong with Garrel Glen, if anything, but we will be doing lots of tests on Monday just to check her over. My gut feeling is that I ran her over the wrong trip and she needs a mile and a half like most of the family. We will give her a good break now (she is out in the field at present) and bring her back towards the end of the summer. She is a hugely talented filly but we haven’t seen anything like her best yet.

My tipping didn’t get any better yesterday but then neither did Richard's, so we are here on the last day with me a long way behind. I think it is nearly impossible to catch up but you never know. Here are our efforts today.

MHT

2.30  Year Of The Tiger    3.05  Uban Icon    3.40  Southern France    4.20  Blue Point  5.00  Spring Loaded    5.35  Max Dynamite

Richard

2.30  Lope Y Fernandez    3.05  Space Traveller    3.40  Salouen    4.20  Invincible Army    5.00 Baron Bolt    5.35  Cleonte

It is very disappointing that after four days of Royal Ascot there have been nine breaches of the whip rule. This always happens at the big meetings as there is so much at stake. Days off and fines are all well and good, but in these days of animal welfare the only way forward, in my opinion, and we have mentioned this plenty of times before, is to disqualify the horses where the whip rule has been breached. It would only take one horse to be disqualified for the jockey to get it into their head and keep within the rules. The big problem, and we are continuously being told, is that the punters would object, but I am sure they wouldn’t as they would understand the rules as well as anybody. We now have the video referee in football and although there have been a few hiccups everybody will get used to it and accept the result, win or lose. I just can’t see the problem with disqualification. It would certainly benefit the horses and the public at large.