Calling The McNeill Family re Walkon

I'm sure they will listen to son son.

What you need to remember is his 16 & 17f form is from when he was a 4yo. It stands to reason that he needs further than that now and if you look at the horses he beat, Zaynar & Notus, they aren't exactly speed balls are they?

I was very impressed with Walkon, and he is one to keep on the right side of, but 20f looks about right to me.

nice to see the patience of owner and all staff being rewarded by walkons return to full fitness.
Reading back through racing post its reported that walkon was injured at aintree,slicing through his tendon and he was only 2/3ml away from ending his career.
With the very sad death of millechief i guess all connections needed a boost and whilst that pain will be very real,at least they still have a nice horse in the grey.
Good luck for the rest of the season.

Ignoring Howdi, who is a proven t wat, at least one other on here can see the light. Who cares if you win the Jewson, no one? There is only one decent race for novices per season, the Arkle.

Horses that win that can go on next season and prove their worth over further, as Captain Chris might prove. In any case, fancy taking on Sire Des Champs if he goes for the Jewson, I wouldn't !

What would you lose by running at Newbury next, nothing. Walkon is class try him in Grade 1 company not a poxy Grade 2 at Cheltenham in March.

That is only in your opnion though Celtic. It may be a Grade 2, but it is at the Cheltenham Festival. Some trainers dont like to put the gun to the head of their horses in a novice season so there are plenty who will like the idea of a ''softer'' Grade 2.

I suspect it wont be too long before it is upgrade anyway.

And regardless of what Grade the race is, I am surprised you see him as a two miler. I suspect the horse is a completley different specimen to what he was at 4yo.

For those of you who don't know Celtic Son has single handly ruined upteen of my threads over the years. Boot on the other foot and he don't like it.

This was the urchin who said I was Mark Howard and rying to sell my book.

I won't ruin the threas as I have since found out he is a pikey from Ireland and won't no any better.

CHELTENHAM OPTION FOR WALKON

Alan King will consider the Dipper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham on New Year's Day for his exciting prospect Walkon.

The former top-class juvenile hurdler appears to have retained all of his ability since returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

He beat two useful yardsticks in Zaynar and Notus De La Tour at Exeter on Friday and may be stepped up in class next time out.

"He's absolutely fine, I was delighted with him, obviously," said King.

"I haven't really planned where he'll go next, but it will be something over the Festive period.

"I think we'll stick to two and a half miles, I don't see any reason to want to change it yet.

"There's the Dipper at Cheltenham on New Year's Day which I won with My Way De Solzen which could be an option, but it is only an option, or we might just take a penalty and go somewhere.

"His work has been as good as it's ever been. He's probably been working better than when he was a top juvenile hurdler.

"It was a relief to get it out of the way and to see him do it so well."

Nice racist slur Howdi. You ruin your own threads by being yourself. But you can't see this, so who cares.

I love the idea of people here saying 'he can't beat two milers' without any sound reasoning. Where is your logic? Second in a Triumph and runaway winner of the Grade 1 2m race at Aintree, a flat sharp course, as a 4yo. Somehow now he is supposed too slow to mix it with other two mile horses.

Sizing Europe won over 2m4f as a novice before winning the Arkle, it isn't an issue.

I actually liked the Jewson last year - I though Noble Prince vs Wishful Thinking was a great battle.

It is clear Noble Prince is no 2 miler, and I doubt he would have stayed the RSA distance.  Without the Jewson, we probably wouldn't have seen him at Cheltenham at all and he wouldn't be fav for the Ryanair now.

Cheers zippie ive banned him agree adds nothing and not the brightest

surely winning anyrace at the festival is a dream come true for owners?

Sint - but that's not really the point. The point is the trainer prepped MWDS over 2 1/2 m but ran him in the 2 miler at the Festival. And trainers are frequently creatures of habit.

Tweedledumb - I'm not sure I agree with that. I know I would rather try (and fail) to win one of the real prestige races then one of the fillers - which the Jewson is at the moment. But I'm equally sure many people would share your view. [I think we can exclude the big owners here (Stewart, Johnson, JP, Hales etc) who can afford to target particular races because they have an excellent chance of winning something].

Im thinking from a betting point of view here Strontium. In terms of trainer trends then sure Walkon may be put in the Arkle come March. But do you want to bet on it at this moment in time ? Not for me, although 25/1 will appease if you did.

Howdi is obsessed with me. He'll never leave me alone.

People here have short memories. Medermit was all along going to run in the Jewson but a late change of mind saw him run in the Arkle. That was wrong for that horse but he never looked that quick, so it'll be a shame if Walkon suffers because of that.

Recent winners of the Arkle that wanted or could stay further.

Moscow Flyer
Voy Por Ustedes
My Way De Solzen
Tidal Bay
Forpadydeplasterer
Sizing Europe
Captain Chris


All of the above were seen as quick 2milers bar Sizing Europe, so this ent quick enough rubbish is exactly that, rubbish. You need a highly rated hurdler, not a quick one.

Its not rubbish.

An Arkle winner needs to be able to jump fences quick enough on the day to win that years Arkle.
Over the years we have had horses that stay further that have won the race,you can get away with it if you get a bit of luck or the opposition aint strong etc like MWDS OR Tidal Bay,or like Moscow you have both speed and stay.
My opinion on watching Walkon and the races he has run in suggest to me that he wont be good enough over 2m to beat this seasons lot,and it appears connections agree.

in an ordinary year hed still want further

I know we could call last year a bad Arkle, but I'd say he would have at least split the short runner Finians Rainbow and the Stayer Captain Chris but I get what you're saying.

Peddlars Cross and Al Ferof are the standard, Peddlars has won in neat style but is a point winner, yet no-one here wants him to go for the 2m4f race. Al Ferof scrapped home from For Non Stop over a stiff 2m, but no-one here is suggesting he should go for the 2m4f race. Both would have bolted up in the Exeter race, would everyone say they now should go for the 2m4f race?

Obviously no.

Pass those two horses, what seriously has a chance in the Arkle at this stage, not a lot. As some is rightly pointing out, the 2m4f race in March might be even stronger than the Arkle.

PC and AF could probably win both of those races,but the Arkle is the one they want.
Walkon would not beat either of those 2 in The Arkle imo,and it appears in the opinion of connections too.
Keep banging on though Celtic,if you must.