Three capable novilleros, El Mella, Cid de María and Tomás Bastos, shared three ovations in a novillada with picadores at Madrid's Plaza de Las Ventas on April 19. The six novillos from Antonio Palla generally lacked class and commitment, though the fourth was applauded on its drag. The trio showed clear intent to triumph before an audience of less than half capacity.
Madrid's Plaza de Las Ventas hosted a novillada with picadores on Sunday lasting two hours and twenty minutes, with 8,835 spectators according to the organizers.
El Mella opened against a mobile but uncommitted novillo, handling it steadily if without continuity. With the classier fourth, he started on his knees and linked series on the right horn, but the faena faded; he required four descabellos after a full thrust. Cid de María persisted determinedly with the offensive but shallow second, and outshone the classless fifth with his resolve, killing on the second attempt.
Tomás Bastos shone in the third with deep passages on both horns despite a bland charge, finishing with a clean thrust for an ovation. Against the sixth, manageable on the right but tricky on the left, his early commitment waned. Wind hampered the afternoon.
Antonio Palla's novillos were unevenly presented: first mobile without commitment, second and third short of stamina, fourth classy but fading, fifth classless, sixth noble on right. Awards: ovation with greeting for El Mella (first), silence for him (fourth); silence and ovation for Cid de María; ovation and silence for Bastos.
