Cheltenham Festival
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The Gold Cup 2012
The Gold Cup 2012
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Newbury - Big track wide open spaces, Jodami wins off 10st 1lb.
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TLU - Silver Buck was one of the first horses that I truly adored and even to this day is third in my list of favourites behind Harchibald & Kildimo
 Silver Buck won his Gold Cup comfortably on better ground having been done for stamina reserves on softer ground at previous Festivals - maybe a bit like Kauto Star in having been beaten by stronger stayers like Denman & Imperial Commander. I remember plenty of doubts about Wayward Lad's stamina (prior to his first King George) but for me there was no doubt he truly got the Gold Cup trip even though he didn't win it - arguably he was a stronger stayer than Silver Buck! It was no secret that he was not at peak fitness when he was nailed by Dawn Run, but the courage he showed to remain in contention, and then for that one last effort up the hill to be all in vain was heartbreaking - aggravated by the unanimity in celebrating the mare's triumph. It felt like the whole world was overjoyed whilst I was stuck indoors sulking  Virtually all of these greats we speak about are comfortable enough at Kempton though Cheltenham is the obvious HQ. However, Newbury is such a smashing track with no excuses for anything! PS - I didn't know R.Carver was a silver Buck fan...the man's got taste  |
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TLU - Sibton Abbey off around 10st 2lb?
What happened there squire  |
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Don't know if R Carver is an SB fan but know for sure he remembers the era
 I loved Sliver Buck too but have to say loved Wayward Lad even more! Amazing horse and even though I hadn't backed him was furious that the mares allowance robbed him of glory. |
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TLU - I think Wayward Lad is fourth in my list and if there's been a harder chaser than him that battled his sac off year after year in the highest grade then I haven't seen it!
These chasers that are under pressure so far out ALL seem to have a limited shelf-life, and it's strange he developed that quirk as he was such a traveller in his early years. Does anyone remember Bradley's interview after THAT Gold Cup? I was nearly in tears myself that day |
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TLU - little trivia question about Wayward Lad...who beat him over hurdles?
I think he was beaten twice and I can only remember one of them right now. |
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No don't remember that interview. I remember Wayward Lad had a really bad setback in the run up to the Bregawn/Famous 5 gold cup and bradley (on bregawn) saying he was going well and suddenly became aware of something coming alongsides going even better and he thought it was Combs Ditch but it was wayward Lad and he just blew up, needing the race but finishing an honourable 3rd.
Can't remember who beat him over hurdles, was it at Cheltenham? |
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I think both defeats were at Newbury and one was to a horse of Gifford's called Lumen (receiving weight) who at the time was much more experienced, and had given the brilliant Celtic Ryde a good race prior to that.
All I can remember is that the other one was a horse that never did anything and was called 'Wood' something or other. Shirley someone will remember that? |
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TLU - I've promised you guys on here for some time that ONE DAY, I'll transfer the VHS to DVD and put them on youtube when I learn how to.
That interview was gut-wrenching! Bradley was holding back the tears and he must have said the words 'I promise you...' about 15 times, regarding what SHOULD have happened, after Wayward Lad had been stuck in his box for a solid month due to really bad weather at Harewood. |
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Hugh, I remember Lumen, one of Josh Giffords, ran for Peter Hopkins who owned Vicario Di Bray, and a few other decent sorts.
As for the 'wood' something, can't think, but as a long shot, I'm sure Oakprime used to run a lot at Newbury, couldn't be him could it  doubt it though. |
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Fabulous - W/D Sir! I knew I'd seem those orange colours & white chevrons somewhere before...just couldn't place them as VDB was Jonjo's.
I'd forgotten the owner's name - any more you remember with those colours? Oakprime don't ring a bell at all...I think we're gonna need the help of that 'Onlooker' bloke again I'm almost certain it was 'Wood' something, like Woodland Forest, but I can't remember it doing anything afterwards. Almost sure it was at Newbury too. |
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He had others like Green Willow, Homeson, and Our Fun.
There was a Woodside Road kicking about in the 80's, ran in The Topham, but that's the only one that fits that description. Pretty sure it wouldn't be him though. |
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Weren't those three you mention ALL Gifford's too?
You have a good memory squire, because I'd well forgotten about them, even though Green Willow was really promising in his early days. |
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Yeah, all Giffords. Green Willow ran well for a long way in 89 RSA Hurdle, before disappointing. Our Fun, Homeson, and Lumen seemed to run every Saturday when I was a kid. The last I remember of any of them was Homeson running in The 87 Scottish National won by Little Polveir. I really wanted him to win, but he flopped big time.
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The 80's were great for the bum meetings attracting the superstars (invariably handicaps) which just does not happen nowadays, and it'll never happen again!
The big meetings are the be all & end all, and programmes for the top horses are mapped out well in advance nowadays. Races like The Morebattle (Kelso tomorrow) are only popular because it's an obvious detour after weather problems. The days of Silver Buck or Night Nurse turning up at Market Rasen, Hereford & Catterick are well & truly gone, and younger racing fans would scoff at the Festival prospects of their ilk. |
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TLU / Hugh - not got time to add much now, but very interesting stuff. Silver Buck was probably as good a looking horse as I have ever seen, the absolute perfect specimen. Mrs C loved him wholeheartedly too.
I will never forget Jodami gettingbeat in the Hennessy off 10.2. He finsihed 6l in front of The Fellow getting 25lbs. A few short months later he beat The Fellow (firm in the description!) in the Gold Cup off levels. Jodami is one of the best CGC winners I recall. One of the biggest horses I have seen, could tracel and quicken, pure class and met him a few times at the Malton open day. I am getting misty eyed now! |
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Sam Waley-Cohen is taking nothing for granted as Long Run has his final outing before defending his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown in Friday's Betfair Denman Chase.
The Newbury Grade Two was saved from last weekend's abandoned fixture, along with the bulk of the card, allowing Nicky Henderson's star stayer to have one final prep run before next month's Festival. The seven-year-old has been beaten by the legendary Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase and the King George VI Chase so far this season and his jockey is keeping his fingers crossed he can get off the mark for the campaign at Newbury. Long Run faces four rivals, with champion trainer Paul Nicholls saddling both What A Friend and Tidal Bay. Henderson also runs the returning Burton Port, with David Bridgwater's stable star The Giant Bolster completing the select field. Waley-Cohen said: "It's always really exciting riding Long Run and it's going to be a good, competitive race. You always want to win these races, but it isn't going to be easy. "A horse like What A Friend was only just fourth in the Gold Cup last year and we have to give him a significant amount of weight, so you have to take that into consideration. It's a warm race in it's own right and an important prep on the road to Cheltenham. The run should set him up perfectly for the Gold Cup." Waley-Cohen does not believe the race being delayed almost a week will adversely effect Long Run's Cheltenham preparations. He added: "The race is a bit closer to Cheltenham than it should have been, but there is more than enough time between Friday and the Gold Cup, so we're very happy. He had an extra session with Yogi Breisner a week ago and it's all systems go." The rider could so easily have been forced to sit out the Newbury race, as he was originally set to be suspended. But as the Scilly Isles Chase was also rescheduled, Waley-Cohen had a reprieve due to the rule stating bans can be deferred on days when Grade One races are run. Waley-Cohen continued: "I got a bit fortunate with that, but at the end of the day, it is all about getting Long Run to the Gold Cup in the best possible shape. It would have been hugely disappointing to have missed the ride, but it's great that I still have that opportunity." |
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Yogi has been coining it in lately.
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 - is it payment up front or on results though Strontium?! |
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r. carver, getting nostalgic i remember the jumps racing in the late 60- early 70s when the jockeys wore what looked like wooly jumpers in the owners colours and for some reason it all seemed better ,the races on the telly black and white where the pictures looked grainey and the horses running in going that resembled a ploughed field .fred winter ,fred rimmel w.a stephenson tim forster ,tony dickinson ,horses comedy of errors bula lanzarote ,captain christy flash imp the dikler to name but a few great days, but was it better or is it just nostalgia .
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I reluctantly admit it is probably just nostaligia, though those wollen jumpers were the business and I do wish we still had them. Sad I know. Pretty sure Dessie's is on show in the hall of fame at Cheltenham. Bring them back! |
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when the ran in a downpour in those jumpers they must have weighed in a few pound extra !or did they wring them out first .?
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Weight didn't matter in those days, 12st 7lb against 10st was not a problem, these days they complain if a Gold Cup winner has to concede 7lbs in a conditions chase.
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TLU - those were the days buddy...Silver Buck conceding about 34lb to Sunset Cristo (who was third in the Gold Cup soon after) and just getting nailed
Back to those old colours and the U-boat skipper jumpers...anyone remember a couple of old hunter chasers called Woolly Jumper (who sported a woolly jumper) & Yellow Jersey, who had just that!  Then there was a classier hunter called Border Burg, whose colours were the same as Scorpio's kit (serial killer from Dirty Harry) even down to the beige britches! |
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PS - I always used to wonder about that very pertinent point FW made about when it rained, as those jumpers must have been like sponges!
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Border Burg
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Cant see anything to trouble long run this afternoon. Thought Nicholls might have sent something out to test his jumping but maybe he feels thats would be counter-productive. If you havent nailed your colours to a gold cup winner by now youre not gonna be any wiser in 4 weeks time!!!!
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I've talked to a clerk of the scales about this and they gave them an allowance. Apparently those colours were like sponges. If they all weighed in 5 lbs over because it pi$$ed down they were (and are) fine. If one did, they were in trouble!
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Strontium - that's utterly bananas innit? 5lb?
 I suppose it was the same for all at a certain time, but what were the parameters when some were sporting silks and others had U-boat skipper jumpers? |
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i remember wooley jumper trained by fred winter ,unless the memorys going !
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Hugh - that's a good question! I was told by this Clerk that even the modern silks can pick up 4 lbs in water and mud if it's raining hard and heavy going. The pads that go under the saddle cloths can also (easily) pick up at least a pound in horse sweat.
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might be seniality catching up with me but am i right in saying some of those chasers in the 60-70s carried 12st 10lb and even 13 st,may be wrong about this !
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Using Arkle as an example (because I have the figures handy) I can see one example of him carrying 12-11 and one 12-10 in a chase. There are plenty where he carried 12-7.
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thinking now it may have been hunter chasers that carried 12.10 and 13st
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if they did carry 12 .10-13 st ,what would they wiegh in at after a torrential down pour those jumpers the gloves even they jockey caps were they made of a wool type substance must have weighed a ton . remember playing footy on heavy pitches as a boy in the 60s and the old fashioned leather ball with laces got really heavy on a wet pitch like kicking a medicine ball ! when the opposing team got a free kick near goal ,the ref never had any bother with the wall being 10 yards behind the ball the wall was nearer 15-20 yards back , last thing you needed was the ball in your knackers or face .
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lol at corals pushing long run out to 5/2 .
the champ never touched a twig . nice warm up get on. |
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really really liked the effort by Burton Port
how will he come out of the race? |
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If both horses turned up in similar form at Cheltenham I'd fancy Burton Port to turn the tables. Hopefully he'll come out of the race sound.
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put the rod away.
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I agree Slabster I already fancy him now and am going to get on - I think he will reverse the form
Have to say I have been completely bored by the Gold Cup up to now but that race has just introduced a new element of interest |