Taking stock

The jumps season starts to take centre stage in the next couple of weeks but a couple of events this week haven't necessarily shown the game in the best light. There were four fatalities at Wetherby on Wednesday; the course will have to pass an inspection before the meeting scheduled for Friday and Saturday October 30th / 31st will be allowed to go ahead - the Charlie Hall Chase is the feature of the Saturday. Meanwhile, yesterday at Cheltenham of all places, the four runners in the five o'clock race were forced to take the wrong course after staff failed to remove a temporary running rail. A stewards' inquiry ensued and all jockeys were exonerated - how often do we see that happen? The incident has been referred to the BHA - rumours that the groundstaff concerned have been served with a one-day ban for misuse of the rails are wide of the mark.

Two impressive winners this weekend... The proverbial handicap snip Darley Sun ran out an easy winner of the Cesarewitch and the Kempton Christmas Hurdle is now on the agenda for Starluck after the gelding won on his seasonal debut whilst remaining in second gear.

Earlier this week in The Times Paul Nicholls put up three dark horses from the yard to watch out for - Aiteen Thirtythree, Royal Charm and Valentine Vic. Don't say I didn't tell you.

Finally, as Sea The Stars prepares to take up a new career at stud, Julian Muscat composed a fascinating double-page spread for Thursday's The Times that gave a glimpse into the esoteric world of the horse breeder. Hills offer 12/1 that any of Sea The Stars' first crop of three-year-olds will win a classic.

On reflection

Earlier this afternoon Sea The Stars won the Qatar Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe in breathtaking fashion. At the home turn the horse looked boxed in near the tail of the field; when the gaps appeared, the horse took them, ably assisted by Mick Kinane in the plate, to beat Youmzain and Cavalryman two lengths and a head, thereby securing 'equine immortality' in the process.

In his post race interview, Mick Kinane, 50, described the horse as 'phenomenal'. The jockey's entry in Sean Magee's compilation The Race Of My Life (1996), is Belmez's neck victory over Old Vic in the 1990 King George at Ascot; I suspect if he were asked the question today, the victory of Sea The Stars in the 2009 Arc would be his selection.

In the immediate aftermath of the race, trainer John Oxx refused to confirm the horse would be aimed at the Breeders' Cup next month. This evening Coral offer the best price about the horse for the Classic - 4/5.

Roughly an hour and a half after the showpiece, Yeats finished third on his final run in the Qatar Prix du Cadran and was given a standing ovation by racegoers. May he enjoy a long, happy retirement!

And, just in case you were wondering, The Stag, from Huntingdon Rugby Club, won the 2009 Mascot Grand National...