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Last summer I saw a horse win at The Curragh and thought: that's something special. I backed him there and then for the 2000 Guineas at 16/1 and the Derby at 25/1, each way for both and in a double. I had a - for me - huge bet on him. He went on to be unbeaten in 5 runs and was the champion two year old. And I have been sitting pretty and smug all winter. He wintered as almost odds-on favourite for the 2000 Guineas and clear favourite for the Derby. I've been salivating for months. If he won just one of those races I'd tidy a hefty sum; if he went and won both, as the bookies - and I - thought he would, I'd have won a fortune.
The horse's name is Teofilo, and this happened today:
Hot favourite Teofilo has been ruled out of Saturday's 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after suffering a setback.
Last season's champion two-year-old, trained in Ireland by Jim Bolger, was found to be sore at the back of a knee.
The Galileo colt won all his five starts in 2006, including the Group One National Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
That's the story of antepost betting. For six months he had a perfect preparation. Last week he had a setback from which he seemed to have receovered and then today - two days before the race - it's all over. As are my dreams of an early retirement.
That's racing, as they say.
(Mind you, I still have him at a good price for the Derby. And I have a sizeable bet on his stable companion, Finsceal Beo, at 6/1 for Sunday's 1000 Guineas, and I really can't see what is going to beat her.)