Theoryofeverything won the 7:00 Unite Ewing Hope’s Happy Retirement Handicap at Ayr at 7/2, the joint-favourite edging a three-way finish by three-quarters of a length under Jason Hart for David O’Meara.
Horse
Jockey
SP
Ten ran in the most valuable race on the Ladies Day card, over a mile on ground good, good to soft in places, with a short head separating second and third.
The Race Story
The market got the shape of it right even if plenty of tipping columns did not. O’Meara ran two at the head of the betting and it was Theoryofeverything — whose form figures read grimly but whose mark had collapsed to a dangerous level — who produced the finishing burst that mattered, running down the front-running Military Leader inside the final furlong. Military Leader, sent off co-favourite after another bold showing, just failed to make all, with Breakdancer flying home late at 14/1 to be beaten a short head for second. The one the locals wanted, course queen Jannas Journey, could never land a blow and missed the frame — the mare’s remarkable Ayr record takes a rare dent.
Tipster Accountability
Close, but no. Our Ayr preview put up Jannas Journey each-way at 13/2 and lost both halves of the bet. The frustration: the same piece named Theoryofeverything among the favourites but marginally preferred stablemate Walsingham — the wrong half of the O’Meara pair got the vote. None of the tracked tipsters in today’s tipster review were engaged.
Looking Ahead
The 7:30 Christmas Parties Handicap over six furlongs is next, where Mr Cool — a course-and-distance winner and the most-tipped horse at Ayr today — heads the market at 9/4 for Charlie Johnston. The 8:30 finale features Wicklow Way, though the double he was meant to anchor died with Tiger in the 6:30, won at 20/1 by Pol Roger.