Golden age

When I’m good I’m very good, but when I’m bad I’m better

In a Cary Grant film in which she effectively played herself, Mae West declared, ‘When I’m good I’m very good, but when I’m bad I’m better.’ Exotic Dancer, the six-year-old trained by Jonjo O’Neill who runs in the familiar pink silks of Sir Robert Ogden, can be good, and he can be an absolute stinker. Five days before the Paddy Power Gold Cup he ran second of three at lowly Carlisle, beaten by 28 lengths after effectively downing tools when asked for an effort. Champion jockey Tony McCoy, by all accounts, was pretty grumpy when his retaining stable asked him to ride Exotic Dancer in Saturday’s big race at Cheltenham, which effectively launches the serious jumping season.

But A.P. McCoy is not just strong and determined: he is also clever. In the Paddy Power he held Exotic Dancer at the back of the big field until the third last fence. The quirky character, a talented hurdler who broke his pelvis in a fall with McCoy last season and runs with cotton wool stuffed in his ears, was switched off and hardly aware he was in a race. He was then brought with a smooth run through the field to challenge at the last fence and win going away up the hill.

Sir Robert’s racing manager Barry Simpson reflected, ‘He is a horse of immense talent but he’s never shown it. I thought there was a good race in him but he has let us down many times.’ The trainer added, ‘He’s run some lovely races but he’s run some awful ones as well. When he’s good he’s very good and I guess he was on a going day today.’