I swept away the form books, tore up my carefully compiled tissues, forsaked sniffing around for cheeky each way value, and generally ditched my English bias. For money has spoken and, as has been the case for years now, but even more so than ever, the Irish population of horses, concentrated in very few hands, is just better than our own. I've been guilty of beating on, bets against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past, where Nicholls held sway and medium-sized stables could plot one up for the Pertemps.
Thus unburdened, I nailed an 8/1 winner in Tiger Roll (admittedly an old favourite), who I'm fairly sure I've only backed three times - The Triump, the 4miler and yesterday - then followed that with a 45/1 winner in the next, and finished off with a wee Willie Mullins forecast in the bumper (should have done the trifecta!).
So, today I shall be keeping a few old English faves onside but otherwise I've turned coats, jumped ships, switched sides, to where the grass is always greener and the horses run true. Otherwise known as Gordon Elliott's stable.