I didn't have to see Unowhatimeanharry's last race to think that Richard Johnson stole it from the front on the 40/1 outsider but Harry still had aa lot of good horses behind him so we overlook that in what would haave always been the mid-season target and, no, we don't think that Lil Rockefeller will pull off the same trick or that L'Ami Serge, whose run promised more than it delivered last time, so at 7/4, I'll take Unowhatimeanharry (Ascot, Sat, 2.25, nap) to balance the books before Boxing Day.
With the declarations far from obvious yet, apart from the big races, it is tempting to simply nominate Might Bite, as favourite for the King George, and he might well be the finished article now but he's had his hair-raising moments, in the RSA Chase where he veered across the track, did all he could do to get beat but somehow saved Cheltenham from total disaster, and at Kempton last year when he didn't seem to notice the last fence. Bristol de Mai's rating is overblown after his last demoilition job of a good field in which nothing else gave its running and he'd be a better option if it were heavier going. But Whisper, at 10/1 in places, is a fair each way shout after his heroic effort in the Hennessey aand he is now rated ahead of Might Bite, who has beaten him twice. So, I'll swerve the big race and go to Wincanton, with no knowledge of what might turn up to oppose us and thus no idea what price we might get, for If You Say Run (12.55, nap), on something of a retrieving mission after the ignominy of getting beat at 2/7 at Ludlow. That is the horse that got us started and allowed us to imagine an unbeaten run to Boxing Day that didn't transpire so it would be fitting for her to add some symmetry to an underwhelming campaign for me, and save us from perdition.
It might not be David Bowie's best record but it is a David Bowie record.
If she doesn't turn up at Wincanton, I'll take Mengli Khan to win at Leopardstown, 1.50, on 27th.
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The Professor advises Molly the Dolly (Haydock, 1.00, tomorrow) and then mentions a couple for Christmas. One of them is Death Duty, wherever it runs, and that was high on the list of Irish good things from which I picked Mengli Khan so the two of us, the Laurel & Hardy of horse racing, will have that as our closing duet and hope it's not another fine mess we get each other into.
Before that, though, the head-to-head comes to a mesmerising climax as he takes on If You Say Run with Sunshade at Wincanton. Oh, My Giddy Aunt. That adds some interest.
So, All Best Wishes and a Happy Good New. We might still get out of 2017 in one piece.