It was a Super Saturday for the European Union half of the Six Nations tournament. FRANCE danced their exuberant way to complete a Grand Slam and laid a marker for success in their home World Cup in 2023.Ireland were equally entertaining in thrashing Scotland to complete a Triple Crown. Even Italy ended a 36 match losing streak, winning in Cardiff with a dashing last minute try.
What of the freedom loving Brexit British trio? Scotland beat England who beat Wales who beat Scotland, all in close games, which merely emphasized their equal mediocrity and equal distance to travel to be a plausible threat in the World Cup.
ENGLAND found some consolation in finding the highest points scorer of the tournament in Marcus Smith. Dampening English pride in his achievement, that was largely because England so often ran out of try scoring ideas in their opponents’ half(three tries in four games excluding a Roman romp) and Smith kicked the penalties efficiently. Eddie Jones must be the only observer to find promise in the English performance.
Nigel Anderton, our correspondent on Cleeve Hill reports on another triumphant week for invading European Union horses from Irish stables.
“Rather like birthdays and Christmas, racing fans look forward to March with 4 days of racing below Cleeve Hill, counting down the days, carefully weighing the respective chances of horses seen or read about. Perhaps it is the time of the year; Spring has finally arrived and optimism is in the air. With Covid putting paid to spectators attending last year’s Festival, a record crowd – approaching 70,000 – piled into the course on day one of this year’s meeting.
The opening day suggested that the number of 23 Irish trained winners last year was not going to be repeated. Horses trained in England and Scotland appeared in the winners enclosure. But the Champion Hurdle was claimed once more by the Irish; Honeysuckle, ridden by the outstanding Rachel Blackmore for Henry de Bromhead.
The duo were to end the Festival making history as Blackmore became the first woman to win the Gold Cup riding A Plus Tard (an 8 year old) to an emphatic 15 length victory going away up the hill.
Indeed the IRISH won all the top Championship races.
Shiskin loathed the heavy Wednesday downpour so much, he barely laid a glove on Energumine in the Queen Mother Champion Chase before pulling up.On Thursday, Flooring Porter (so called after the owners from Galway who number amongst them carpet layers and publicans) led from start to finish in the Stayer’s Hurdle. Allegedly the horse was bought on Facebook for 5000 Euros. This Danny Mullins ride was judged to be the finest of the meeting by many.
So while not as crushing as last year’s defeat, Irish-trained horses again dominated the Festival. The final winning margin was 18-10, the third best haul on record. Paul Townend enjoyed five victories to win the Ruby Walsh Trophy, awarded to the leading jockey, for the second time.
Willie Mullins, who has won more races here than any other trainer, scored ten, a career best, to tie the home team on his own. Perhaps they need to make the Prestbury Cup a three-way race, Britain v Ireland v Willie Mullins.”
I tried hard to find some satirical mileage in Boris’ extraordinary weekend claim that there is a valid comparison between the Brexit vote and the Ukrainian fight for freedom. If the 51.8% who voted for Brexit are like freedom voters risking their lives against overwhelming odds and a war criminal, does that make the 48.2% of us who voted Remain into fifth columnists for foreign tyrants. Whichever way you voted, this was offensive, not least to the Ukrainians. Boris should stick to Peppa Pig. Where’s the Gray report, the Met charge sheet?
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