p p q 6 Monday, July 20, 2009 racingpost.com Best of the blogs KING GEORGE ROAD TRIP What our top writers are saying on – American stars could clash at home and away times; I was just cleaning it and it In the first of a five-part NICHOLAS went off. All of these are as nothing series leading up to compared to the one that got tennis Saturday’s midsummer GODFREY ace Richard Gasquet off the hook this week after he’d tested positive for Weblog Eyes down for double-header highlight at Ascot, cocaine at a tournament in Miami in March. Steve Dennis visits the POSTED AT 10.17AM JULY 16 2009 The future looked a little bleak for oldest-surviving winner of the one-time Wimbledon semi-finalist the King George VI RECENT news that those two until it transpired that rather than American superstar females Rachel having been a knowing substance & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Alexandra and Zenyatta are unlikely abuser, he was, in fact, merely the to clash is as disappointing as it was victim of the inappropriate advances S BOB DYLAN once said, predictable. of a woman called Pamela in a you would not think, to Florida nightclub, who had kissed New Jersey-bound Rachel look at him, but he was him so often and so vigorously that Alexandra’s form is all dirt, and her famous long ago. He’s just she had contaminated the poor lamb owner Jess Jackson doesn’t want to an ordinary brown horse in risk her on a synthetic surface in with a positive dose of the old A a field, white face and one white foot, Colombian marching powder. California, where the Breeders’ Cup picking away at the grass like What this meant was that although will be held for the second year ordinary horses do. running in November. he failed the urine test, it would have Admittedly, he looks immaculate; Zenyatta’s owner, the record- been taking the piss to ban him, there is a bloom in his coat that company exec Jerry Moss (the ‘M’ to because he could rely on the defence speaks of vigour, health and plenty of Herb Alpert’s ‘A’ in the A&M record of ‘no fault or negligence’. work with a brush. And there is about label – she’s named after the Police I tried this defence on my wife him a certain indefinable something LP Zenyatta Mondatta), has last night when I came home skint that draws the attention, captures the backtracked on recent musings from a night out, having done my eye, sets a little bell ringing in the suggesting he would be sending the brains on the evening meeting at back of the mind when he raises his five-year-old to meet the Preakness Kempton and sunk 16 pints to drown head at a sudden noise, pricks his winner somewhere outside my sorrows. “I feel I must point out ears, walks towards his small knot of California. to you that no fault or negligence can Critics on either side of the pond be attributed to me, darling. I was admirers at the field gate. have already lambasted both teams standing minding my own business in He passes us, turns around and as scaredy-cats, but here is a possible the betting shop when a woman passes again, as though measuring us. solution from a transatlantic fan. named Maureen, who said her Perhaps he sees the camera, perhaps Why meet just once when they could brother worked in a pub in he hears us mumbling, warmly and meet twice? Why not make it a Lambourn, told me about one that appreciatively, perhaps he’s just been double-header, with home and away was due to have the handbrake let bottling it up. legs? off. Well, I had my conkers on it, it Down goes his head with a squeal That way we would all be happy – got stuffed, then Maureen, who had of delight, he paws the earth, digging and both horses would get the chance downed half a crate of Mackeson in, slipping a little on the wet ground. to race on their familiar territory. and a bottle of Dubonnet before she He sashays side to side, wriggling Why are these two fantastic horses came out, snogged me like a sink with exertion, blowing fiercely down so unlikely to meet up? Rather like plunger, entirely against my will, his nose, now flicking out a leg, now Nigel Tufnell’s amp in Spinal Tap, the thereby contaminating me to the tossing his head, all grace and power brilliant Zenyatta’s unbeaten streak extent you see before you now. and energy and mischief. Then he now stretches all the way to 11. Darling.” wheels away and up, up on his hind Although the vast majority of these And then she hit me in the face with legs, forelegs fighting the breeze, head victories came at home in California, a saucepan and slammed the door. thrown back as if to say ‘look at me she put up one of the best now, do you remember me now, this is performances of her career on the what I was and what I still am’. dirt at Oaklawn Park last year, so this With all four feet back on the floor, is no Lava Man-esque hometown STEVE a shiver ripples through his skin like a bully we are talking about here. DENNIS wave rolling over the ocean. Then However, there is a perfectly he’s up on his hind legs again, turning reasonable (read: easy) set of Weblog Went the day well? Ohhh back the years, 21 years. Mtoto is lucrative Grade 1 events in California yeeeesssss playing to the gallery, and to see him as a prelude to the Breeders’ Cup, so doing sparks the same rush of where she might take on the colts in POSTED AT 9.29PM JULY 18 2009 appreciation and awe as he inspired in the Classic in a bid to secure Horse of the days when he used to come fast the Year honours. Like a STREAK OF LIGHTNIN’ flashing and late and irresistible, a vivid blur Zenyatta’s connections have cross the sky of brown and white and bright yellow targeted Personal Ensign’s unbeaten Like the SWIFTEST ARROW whizzing silks. record of 13, which is the spanner in from a bow At 26, Mtoto is the oldest living Mtoto in playful mood at Aston shook off Unfuwain, galloping away the works, as they won’t be taking Like a MIGHTY CANNONBALL he King George winner. His racing career Upthorpe Stud, where he lives in to win by two lengths. Third was Tony unnecessary risks until she gets there. seems to fly was a glorious one – twice champion honourable retirement Bin; that’s another story. You’ll hear about him everywhere you older horse – that blossomed only Mtoto might have gone out on the go after the late Alec Stewart had skilfully highest of highs by winning the Arc, The time will come when everyone will nurtured him through his first two Mtoto had another Eclipse in the but he was caught in a pocket at the PETER know the name of . seasons, taking care of the colt with locker, another knock-down-drag-out precise moment he should have been vulnerable feet and husbanding his affair with the outsider Shady surging for the line, and although it CHEVA, the Wonder Horse THOMAS talent so that it might be fully realised. Heights, by the time he lined up for took only a few strides for Roberts to Weblog There’s really no excuse [Steve gets quite excited about The race everyone remembers is the the King George VI and Queen extricate him he came up a neck short for that Monsieur Chevalier, who he has 1987 Eclipse, in which the bludgeon Elizabeth Diamond Stakes against of Tony Bin when the camera clicked. convinced himself he owns – Ed] of Reference Point crossed steel with nine rivals. He was only second Even today, teeth are sucked and POSTED AT 9.56PM JULY 16 2009 the rapier of Mtoto in a contest that favourite behind the galloper regretful glances exchanged at what Don’t miss the Racing Post readers voted 44th in the Unfuwain, whose attritional style was might have been on the Bois de Banished through 100 Greatest Races. Reference Point expected to be enhanced by the ease Boulogne. latest blog updates set a gruelling pace, and Mtoto had to in the ground. The Guineas winner During his career at Aston Upthorpe no fault of myown use not only his dazzling turn of foot Doyoun and Derby runner-up Glacial Stud, in Oxfordshire, the son of from Tom but also demonstrate his tenacity in Storm were fancied too, but victory Busted sired a Derby winner in JUST when you thought you’d heard Dascombe wearing down the Derby winner, two was never seriously in doubt after Shaamit and a Gold Cup winner in every excuse under the sun . Sir, sets of yellow and black silks flapping Mtoto had loomed up on Unfuwain’s Celeric, as well as producing the the cat ate my homework; the sheep and Briony like battle standards on a hot summer shoulder a furlong and a half out. outstanding jumps sire Presenting, backed into me, your honour, 53 Craven-Russell afternoon. Michael Roberts shook him up and he Prix de Diane runner-up Mousse p p q Racing Post Monday, July 20, 2009 7 MTOTO 26 b h Busted-Amazer (Mincio) Trainer Alec Stewart Owner Ahmed Al Maktoum Breeder John L Moore Race record 3/215224/11148/111112 Wins June 86 Haydock maiden M Roberts 5-4f May 87 Sandown Brigadier Gerard Stakes M Roberts 16-1 PLAYING TO June 87 Ascot Prince of Wales’s Stakes M Roberts 7-2jf July 87 Sandown Eclipse Stakes M Roberts 6-1 May 88 Goodwood Listed race M Roberts 4-7f Jun 88 Ascot Prince of Wales’s Stakes M Roberts 8-15f July 88 Sandown Eclipse Stakes M Roberts 6-4f THE GALLERY July 88 Ascot King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes M Roberts 4-1 Sep 88 Goodwood Select Stakes M Roberts 1-4f also runner-up 1988 Arc, fourth 1987 Arc detached box, a box fit for such a years, other than now he doesn’t visit AS MEMORIES horse, with a plaque on the wall in the covering shed.