Cheltenham Festival
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This is a serious horse, what are your opinions on what race at Cheltenham would be best for him? I know its early yet and the horse hasn't made his seasonal debut yet after such a long lay off but what do you think could be his championship target?
A classy performer over smaller obstacles, he was fourth in the 2009 champion hurdle. Has all the scope to make it to the top over fences. Having won his first start over fences, he was second to Somersby in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase before running a perfectly respectable race in open company when fourth in the Desert Orchid Chase last Christmas. He picked up a tendon injury after that event but his return is now only a few weeks away.
''He's in really good nick doing what he's doing. He's doing loads and loads of cantering and at the moment he is on course to be back on the track by the middle to the end of January. I'm desperate to know what options we have but at the moment we don't know. He's not been held up by the weather, but I wouldn't have been doing anything different than I had been. At the moment he is definitely where I'd want to be."
A classy performer over smaller obstacles, he was fourth in the 2009 champion hurdle. Has all the scope to make it to the top over fences. Having won his first start over fences, he was second to Somersby in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase before running a perfectly respectable race in open company when fourth in the Desert Orchid Chase last Christmas. He picked up a tendon injury after that event but his return is now only a few weeks away.
''He's in really good nick doing what he's doing. He's doing loads and loads of cantering and at the moment he is on course to be back on the track by the middle to the end of January. I'm desperate to know what options we have but at the moment we don't know. He's not been held up by the weather, but I wouldn't have been doing anything different than I had been. At the moment he is definitely where I'd want to be."
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It's a shame the Victor Chandler is no longer a handicap as that would have been an ideal starting point. He has a lot to do to be competitive at the top level against Master Minded, Big Zeb etc so I'd have though a valuable handicap(Grand Annual) might be best this season (he is a good weight carrier after all).
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^ Grand Annual exactly what I had in mind
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Would he not have nearly top weight,just on what he has acheived already?
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Personally i'd like to see him step up in trip with possibly the ryanair being his festival target.
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Unless he improves markedly on last years form (which is possible of course) he won't be competitive in a Grade 1. He has carried big weights to impressive victories over hurdles at Cheltenham and Chepstow so that shouldn't be a worry. He may be one of those horses who is better off giving wieght to poorer horses than running off levels against the best.
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Was n't particularly impressed by either of his last two outings over fences - and Somersby has n't progressed as I thought he would after that Henry VI chase victory either.
Also thought CAJ was flattered by his proximity to first three in 2009 CH after they'd gone at it hammer and tongs from a fair way out. He's also got prove he's at least as good as he was before a fairly serious tendon injury. Limited evidence on the track that he's a 'serious' horse, he's all about unfullfilled potential thus far. Apart from that, I don't see any negatives. |
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Rease Heath - I thought he was actually the moral winner of that Champion Hurdle and that fourth place does not flatter him whatsoever! We've all got our own views on the race but as I saw it, he was primed for the day and the jockey rode a stinker! I'd maintained through the trials for the '09 CH that come the big day, Crack Away Jack would get there in top shape. He was absolutely superb in the Fred Winter at the previous Festival, showing high class form and looked just the type to progress. Like most people, I've always been swayed by previous Festival form and I knew he'd be up there with the best - so it proved, with him making up about 20 lengths on the front trio to be beaten just over 2 lengths! As I'm sure you've gauged, I'm a big fan of CAJ but I've had reservations about him jumping fences.
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ReaseHeath - completely agree.
He ran on to get 4th in that CH and never contended the race IMO. I hoped he would be a chaser but he ain't much good at that, certainly not a natural. Sadly he might end up on the scrapheap as a highly handicapped horse over hurdles getting beat by those fast improving types. |