Royal Ascot: Backing Zarigana is easier than collecting paintings

Bernard Berenson was a well known collector and dealer in Italian old master paintings before WWII and by the time work ended up in New York its pricing had risen quite considerably.

As a result an intrepid collector went to Rome to deal at the coalface and alighted upon a Titian where a favourable price was agreed. However, the dealer mentioned that exporting the work might prove difficult in that the fascists were sharply controlling exports. That noted, the dealer asserted that this was not a problem because he would arrange for a picture of Benito Mussolini, Il Duce, to be applied to the Titian and the buyer, having successfully passed throuh Italian customs, would then go to a specialist art restorer in New York who, known to the dealer, would gently remove the portrait of Il Duce.

This was fine and the collector congratulated himself on the execution of his cunning plan. The only problem proved to be that the art restorer reported that he had indeed removed the portrait of Il Duce only to find that his staff had found that a little bit of the Titian also came away to reveal that beneath it was a picture of Il Duce.

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It looks as if the utterly absurd Ed Miliband is being pushed aside on oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. This is bullish for Jersey Oil and Gas (JOG). Where they get to from the current 160p is uncertain but north of 300p seems entirely reasonable.

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Returning to the main meal, I am relieved to be able to report that Trawlerman slaughtered the others in the Gold Cup. And, rather more confidently, I expect Zarigana to whoosh home first in the 4.20 today. It is currently 2/1 and should be odds on.