When I was dropping my son off at the station at around 7.30am on Saturday morning, Noel Fehily was being interviewed by Mick Quinn on Talksport about Silviniaco Conti's chances in the Betfair Chase.
I wasn't expecting anything of note to come from it - racing bulletins and interviews on the programme don't tend to delve too deep, for obvious reasons, not least time constraints - but then Quinn, a race horse trainer when not on the mic, asked Fehily if the horse would be spot on at Haydock later that day.
And I wasn't prepared for the answer from the jockey, which was basically that it wasn't ideal that they hadn't been able to get a chase run into the horse but hopefully that he would be fit and straight enough to win the race.
Not an unqualified thumbs-up for a horse trading at odds-on, by any means.
And then I watched C4's Morning Line at 9am, on which Conti's trainer, and Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls was a guest. He outlined the problems the horse had during the summer, and why his prep run had been over hurdles and not fences, and then he dropped a mini-bombshell by saying that he would have ideally liked another fortnight with the horse.
Surprisingly, not a great deal of this was made at the time - and to be fair, Nicholls didn't in the immediate aftermath of the defeat either - but it certainly registered with me.
And it obviously did with the late big-hitters on the exchange in the final five minutes of trading, as he drifted to over 6-4 before going off at a Betfair SP of 2.39.
In the race itself, Silviniaco Conti jumped for fun and travelled well at the head of affairs - he traded at 1.49 in the run - but he had no answer to Cue Card, who wasn't as fluent at his fences but was always tanking, up the straight, with Paddy Brennan having to take a pull pretty much throughout.
Cue Card really did look out of the top drawer in winning by the race by 7 lengths and I think that he should be clear favourite for the King George on Boxing Day - in fact, I nearly put him up at 5-1 each way for the Kempton race with Betfair Sportsbook - but I think it would be unwise to desert Saturday's runner-up, particularly if he can be made fitter.
Look to back Silviniaco Conti at 13.012/1 on the exchange. There is plenty of 12-1 available in the market place.
The first reason for backing him is that I think Vautour makes the market for King George punters at his current price of 3.8514/5.
Yes, he was tremendously impressive in the JLT back in March and is a horse of huge potential. And he did travel like a seriously good horse for much of the race at Ascot on Saturday.
But he made mistakes, didn't look entirely at home on the right-handed track, jumping to his left, and the form he showed in beating Ptit Zig by 1 ¾ lengths in receipt of 5lb is at least a stone shy of the level set by Don Cossack and Cue Card.
I'm well aware that connections think the world of him, and that they think he will come on a ton for Ascot, where he did look to get very tired up the straight.
But there were mixed reports about his fitness levels there. Some experienced paddock-watchers thought that he looked okay beforehand and was straight enough. Although some post-race comments appeared to indicate that he had been on a diet of full-fat coke and kebabs leading up to the race.
No, I can't have Vautour as favourite for the King George, especially as a contested lead - and he may have to take a lead if Coneygree turns up after the Hennessy - on a right-handed track on likely soft ground are not optimum conditions for him.
I have to give Silviniaco Conti another chance at around 12-1.
Obviously, he is another pace-setting angle at Kempton, even if Coneygree doesn't turn up, and you will rarely see a horse jump better around that track than he did when making all to win the race last year.
But he doesn't have to make it, as he showed when going into overdrive to beat Cue Card (who traded at 1.11/10 in-running) from the second last a year earlier.
Yes, the horse has plenty of defeats on his CV and would find it hard to handle a peak-form Don Cossack and Cue Card, but he is more than twice their price, and we know how effective he is around the track on soft ground.
And then you have to believe in Nicholls. He doesn't react well to defeat and I am sure that he will have his horse in A1 condition at Kempton, with no excuses, and perhaps with a new angle, too.
Nicholls is forever-thinking, and Silviniaco Conti wore first-time cheek pieces when winning the Betfair Chase last season. So it was fascinating to see that his mind was already working overtime, and first-time blinkers being discussed, immediately after the race on Saturday.
I can't resist a small bet on Smad Place at 40.039/1 or bigger, too. The 33-1 across the board is fair, too, for those who want an each-way play.
Only a slight stamina doubt stopped me from putting him up for the Hennessy at 14-1 three weeks ago, and that is where he is heading on Saturday. And the current 8-1 third favourite could well win there.
But I have long thought that 3m around Kempton could be ideal for him, and he did look as good as ever when winning there over 2m4f on his reappearance. He had an operation for a trapped epiglottis in the summer - as did Cue Card, in fact - and it could be that he has returned an improved horse.
If he wins the Hennessy off 155 at Newbury on Saturday - or runs well, despite not quite lasting home - then connections must surely be tempted to go for the King George.
At the price, he is well worth chancing.
Recommended Bets
Back Silviniaco Conti at 13.012/1 or bigger
Back Smad Place at 40.039/1 or bigger