No Loose Change

There was good money for No Loose Change at big prices for the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton on Saturday even though he was Paul Nicholls’s second string behind the favourite Michel Le Bon. He was ultimately pulled up, but he shaped quite nicely, certainly well enough to suggest there is a day in him yet.

He was untidy at the first fence, but jumped well after that. He was kept wide throughout and edged closer down the home straight on the second occasion, but Daryl Jacob had to rein him back heading onto the final circuit as Triangular improved on his outside. That meant that he was right in behind horses at the water jump and he just trailed his back legs through it. Switched back to the outside, he made progress halfway down the far side to get right into contention, and despite being forced out wider than ideal at both of the last two fences down the back straight by The Package, he was one of just three horses in with a chance of winning the race leaving the back straight. He breasted the cross fence, however, and he quickly got very tired, with Jacob pulling him up before the third last fence.

The Bob Back gelding was an impressive winner at Newbury in March, and he has just struggled to cope with a rise in the weights since then, but judged on this run he is up to winning off this sort of mark. He has now been pulled up on his first two runs this term – he apparently wasn’t suited at all to the tight track at Fakenham on his first run – and he has worn a tongue-tie on his last five runs, so maybe he is having a problem with his breathing, maybe he needs a wind operation or better ground or both. Nicholls admitted after this run in his stable tour that they’re not sure what the problem is at the moment, but that they may just leave him off until the spring when he will get better ground. He is not one to give up on, and he should be under-rated when he returns having been pulled up on his last two runs. He is obviously talented.

12th November 2012