It’s been another brilliant day of racing 0ut here on the steppe; having maintained the advantage they gained over DH last night, today’s racing may prove decisive as AC and AN enjoy showers and the comfort of the Tserendorj family’s beautiful gers at urtuu 26 while DH camps out again just out of urtuu 25.

In addition to being ahead, AC and AN continue their unblemished record of no vet penalties or time penalties at all and the advantage this gives them should not be underestimated.  With three vet penalties already on her card, DH can’t afford any more as a fourth would mean automatic disqualification.  DH has to be incredibly conservative with her horses now and may have to scratch her head for ways to chip away at the lead the incredibly consistent team ahead of her have built.  HQ aren’t sure, for example, why DH stopped, turned off the racing line & then took a very surprising route in to urtuu 25 today, but we imagine that this veteran of two derbies was throwing everything she had at the race in an attempt to catch the leaders by navigating cleverly.  Not her first rodeo.

For DH, the race is no longer about maintaining her lead or even (as it has been for most of today) trying to catch AC & AN.  She will have to carry on thinking creatively & pushing as hard as she dares if she wants to stay ahead of the pack behind her nipping at her heels.  CH and AL are in urtuu 25 in warm gers a mere 7km behind Devan and EAL is there with them.

As the front of the race heats up, there are some notable quiet achievers in the middle.  HW, just outside 24, still stands a good chance of catching CH, AL & EAL given how well she’s going, even if she’s unlikely to get into the overall lead.  The Archibells, MT & JP are still racing well and consistently.  It also looks unlikely that they will challenge for the lead now, but they are making good ground.

At the back of the field, we take our hats off again to GR & JL.  They were allowed to ride until 9 tonight to allow them to gain as much ground as possible and they did.  They’re at 19 with the rest of the pack.

Sadly, the blood wagon is still full and we’ve had another retiree today – CS.  Still smiling, but from the slightly more plush surrounds of the non 4×4, slightly river-water-smelly blood wagon.

Leaderboard

Urtuu 26 – AC & AN

In between 25 & 26 – DH

Urtuu 25 – EAL, AL, CH

In between 24 & 25 – HW, just before 24.  The Archibells, MT & JP further back

In between 23 & 24 – VA

Urtuu 22 – CR, EK, KR, JM

Urtuu 21 – TTM, KO

Urtuu 19 – JS, NMS, MG, WG, KOL, DHE, PK, CON, SN, MGR, MM, TB, JL & GR

Urtuu 18: CF

Retirees: CS, FA, KG, MS, SA

In the bloodwagon, keen to get back on the course: RH, CB, MB, RB