San Isidro, May 12: Missed Opportunities
I have been somewhat sceptical of the much-touted (and much needed) recuperation of the Juan Pedro Domecq ganadería, but there was a fine string of juanpedros for this year’s San Isidro which really should have left the plaza with fewer ears intact.
Daniel Luque (relegated to this uncompetitive cartel and preferring not to talk, at this stage, of the veto placed on him by Andrés Roca Rey, which became apparent in an interview with the Peruvian earlier this week) was not to blame. Indeed, his efforts to cut an ear from his first bull were possibly made harder by the banners proclaiming “Madrid merece más seriedad” and “Palcos exigentes - no al triunfalismo” that were displayed amongst the spectators before the corrida got underway, as well as the strong, cold wind that existed throughout.
The sevillano began strongly with his first opponent with lovely slow capework - verónicas, tijerillas, a larga and then a remate in which half the capote was dropped to the ground. Daniel even opted for a second quite of chicuelinas. After dedicating to the public, the matador produced some excellent linked derechazos, only for the bull to soon tire, forcing Daniel to focus on crossing the line of charge to bring off close single passes instead, including, at last, some naturales. It was a lengthy affair (one of a number today, but this one stood out as not being boring), an aviso sounding as Luque cited for closing, profiled, manoletinas. An honest, but low, sword meant the faena ended to a minority petition.
His second juanpedro was the worst of the string despite - like its companions - showing well in the opening tercio. Daniel opted to go early to the left hand in the faena, but the bull had lost its mobility and its matador eventually decided to call things to a halt, delivering a fine estocada and receiving palmas.
Angel Téllez had an excuse for not performing better today in the form of a spectacular cogida as he attempted gaoneras to Luque’s opening bull which left the toledano unconscious. He didn’t reappear - against medical advice, with injuries to his dorsal lumbar region - until after the third bull, his lote now coming out in fourth and sixth places.
Franciso de Manuel, facing the second and fifth bulls, had no excuse at all. Both Téllez and de Manuel came across as young, inexperienced toreros with no personality passing perfectly lidiable bulls at great length for no discernible purpose. Perhaps the one exception was de Manuel’s performance on his opening juanpedro, a lidia that displayed some structure and ambition, but was hopelessly scrappy from start to finish. Admittedly, Francisco wasn’t helped by a bull that often stumbled when presented with low passes, nor by the strong wind.
But one was left with impression that both he and Ángel Téllez (whom a sizable number of spectators opted not to see on his last bull, preferring to leave the plaza and find some warmth instead) had let today’s opportunities pass them by. Their combined efforts led to a tally of four avisos and four silent responses from onlookers. Téllez’s banderillero Juan Navazo did place the finest sticks of the day on the last bull, receiving saludos.
