Cheltenham Festival
There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
These 68 comments are related to the topic:
Cheltenham nightmare!!
Cheltenham nightmare!!
sort by:
Show
per page
Replies: 68
|
By:
beat Brave Inca though,so he stayed alright,just could'nt quicken off a pace that beat a winner of the race and failed by a whisker to beat another winner of the race.
|
|
By:
too soft in the other races,needed good ground.
|
|
By:
I backed Valiramix to win over £120,000
started backing it in the May before and had it doubled, trebled and Lucky 15ed with everything. Was a heavy cash punter in them days and I had stacks of tickets with all kinds of money running on from biggish prices and ended up having 4 grand in cash on it on the day at the track - was in the Martin Pipe marquee as I had a share in a runner and the atmosphere in there was dreadful it was worse than a nightmare I can tell ya and as for the poor owner 93 years old sweet old guy was distraught |
|
By:
Racing Guru - in defence of my favourite ever horse Harchibald...although he was clearly flawed, his preparation was nothing but troubled before THAT Champion Hurdle, and if memory serves, the rumours of his well-being were that bad, that I think he'd drifted to 8/1, when at Xmas he was 2/1 after thrashing Rooster Booster!
I know the County Hurdle (the previous year) looks bad, but he was nowhere near the finished article at that time, and being in front an eternity from home most certainly didn't suit. As for his defeats in the other Champion Hurdles...I do think that a relentless pace on softer ground emptied him, as he wasn't the strongest of stayers like his Nemesis Brave Inca or Hardy Eustace. I think it's clear he handled soft ground well enough, and also didn't have stamina issues, but a combination of ease in the ground and a relentless pace always seemed to catch him out. AND of course the fortitude that Brave Inca showed in spades, which I think broke his heart  I've never seen a horse on the flat or over jumps with so much character, and it's tragic he'll always be remembered for being a rogue & a loser |
|
By:
I've never thought of Harchi as a rogue or loser just needed a really fast 2m. If there 1m4f hurdle races he'd have been unbeatable hence his wins at Kempton. A combination of his stamina limitations and the way Carberry rode him may have given that impression but to me a honest horse but just needed races not to test his stamina.
|
|
By:
2 photos cost me dear. Stormez in the 4 miler when it was the Pipe festival banker and Rocky on Ruby in the Neptune last year. Very costly. I still can't watch last year's Neptune.
|
|
By:
RG - I happen to believe that on good ground and a frenzied gallop he'd have beaten up anything he faced - on any track!
He got 2M well enough, but as I mentioned, I think the combination of softer ground AND relentless pace up front, always seemed to sort him out. The much softer going he won on certainly never stopped him against quality opposition, but it was invariably in small fields with a moderate gallop. That Rooster Booster beating in the Xmas Hurdle was one of the most eye-catching performances I've ever seen, though maybe not the best on face value form. I believe if he'd have been 100% on the day, he'd have won that 2005 Champion Hurdle and it was an interrupted preparation that stopped him...as well as tremendous guts from Hardy Eustace & a canny ride from O'Dwyer. I'm still gutted about it now!  The 'what-ifs' in this game never go away do they? Wayward Lad still hurts as well, and as one poster mentioned earlier regarding Maljimar, the pain is aggravated by everyone else's hysteria about the winner. |
|
By:
I happen to believe that on good ground and a frenzied gallop he'd have beaten up anything he faced - on any track!
so do i. Beating Brave Inca up the Cheltenham hill aint too bad,and just losing out to Hardy Eustace,one of the toughest horses in the same race aint too bad either.Rooster Booster one of the easiest CH winners and most impressive could not do that. |
|
By:
The more I think of it...did Harchibald drift to around 14/1 when doubts surrounded his participation, before coming in to 8/1 - I'm sure someone on here could confirm that.
Buddeliea - I'm astonished someone agrees with me in my exalted assessment of Harchibald...I really do believe he was that good!  I've often imagined how he would have fared against the greats of former days like Istabraq, See You Then, Sea Pigeon et al, and I'm convinced he'd have been the last off the bridle!  For me, he's a Champion Hurdler in all but name, and there was only the 2005 race when he had the opportunity to show it. |
|
By:
not just me mate,me bruv reckons hes the most talented hurdler hes ever seen,and he goes back to the early 80's.
My take on him is that his natural pace was so quick he could not go quicker.You look at THAT CHurdle,Hardy and Brave Inca were given some fair treatment up the hill and still one of them lost to Harchi and the other only just beat him. |
|
By:
such a shame Valiramix died
you would have seen something special massive loss to the history of the sport and would have ruined best mates 3 gold cups - possibly a 185+ chaser and he would have that champion hurdle by 10 lengths |
|
By:
Budd - many others are so quick to put the boot in on Harchi, and it's nice to know that even though I was incredibly biased with him, there are some that agree with my views.
We never seem to hear about the interrupted preparation do we? It was just like Wayward Lad all over again People prefer to see him as a dodge-pot/rogue, and he did let himself down on the odd occasion, like with the defeat to Straw Bear That era was like a poor man's version of the great hurdlers of the late 70's, and that triumvirate are so under-rated! They're greats of the game to me |
|
By:
yep,agree with that,he was going to be a great imo.
One of the most tragic events ive seen on a racetrack. |
|
By:
Valiramix that is,not Harchi!!
|
|
By:
Judorick - Valiramix was a big loss to the sport but I've always thought those aspirations were a bit premature.
You're certainly not alone with that opinion, but I just think for all his huge potential, he still had lots to prove. FWIW, I think Gloria Victis was a bigger loss, but each to their own I suppose. |
|
By:
cost me a hundred grand plus budd
but i would have waived that just to have live could have won it all back in the rest of his career ever watched his Bula hurdle win? simply ludicrous "drew clear, hard held" |
|
By:
i will always fight his corner Hugh.
|
|
By:
what you on about? he was two freaking hurdles from proving it! he was gonna gag up by 10 lengths on the bridle
and I was in the Martin Pipe tent that day and heard first hand - he was a total monster, 6 years old and with the world at his feet you wouldn't wanna say anything like that to my face - I would go all Chewbacca on ya (and I am about the same size) |
|
By:
Thing is Hugh,he was going to p!ss that race,he was tanking along all over them when the accident happened.
He would have won that easily imo,and the size of him he would have made some chaser i would think. We will never know,tragically,but like Judo im pretty sure he would have been a top top chaser. |
|
By:
Judo - I completely agree regarding Valiramix.
There was something doubly tragic about the fact that he lost his life in a race that saw Istabraq bow out with grace, and it was a heartwarming moment to be a part of as the red-hot jolly pulled up after two or three flights received an ovation from those who really love the sport. It was the perfect way to hand the baton to the new king, and I have no doubt he was going to be spectacular. Can't imagine what the atmosphere was like in that tent. I always remember the comment in the race analysis for the Champion too, which, unusually was poetic and poignant. It went something like "It is often unwise to be sure of a horse's chances when they are fully four furlongs (or two flights?) from home, but he looked for all the world like a champion waiting to be crowned." |
|
By:
JR
 You've reminded us before of just how big you are It's called an opinion buddy, and even though I too believe he'd have waltzed it, the opposition was as poor as it gets for a Champion Hurdle. I reiterate, that from what we saw, Gloria Victis was an even bigger loss, but still, both were travesties for the sport and their connections |
|
By:
ACStafford 09 Feb 12 11:42
Barizan and Bensalem are my two. Bensalem was particularly annoying as I didn't back him the next year! Snap on Bensalem |
|
By:
Psycho just failing to get up a few years ago, did my knackers on it,Carberry never forgave the guy and never backed anything he was on ever again,yes Psycho my festival nightmare aaarrrgghh !
|
|
By:
This isn't a Cheltenham nightmare; but still a shocking shocking nightmare
2000 G*****s day in 2011, did a £10 place pot, with only 6 lines (1 horse each race), and again my lack of attention span hit me for 6! Instead of FRANKEL I ended up ticking FURY by mistake. Think the placepot paid £125 a unit... Couldn't believe it! |
|
By:
really enjoyed reading all this guys - some great stuff.
racingguru mentioned Harchi's mark of 138 in the county - i remember talking to Meade in a pub in winchcombe the night before the race and he was adamant the horse had been fecked by the english handicapper! certainly went up through the gears after that - agree with the view above that it was a pity he didnt land one before he was done. |
|
By:
Gold Cup day 2003:
Spectroscope Baracouda Best Mate Kingscliff Golden Alpha La Landiere JACKPOT paid £21,614.00 to a £1 stake I had £2 - GA fell 3 out when in front and won next time out by 10L at Aintree It was however a very good antepost day  |
|
By:
i was on son of flicka as well giggsy .
i share your pain . |
|
By:
Had plenty on Trabolgan for the bumper @ 100/1+. Tony Dobbin got injured in the preceding race and Seamus Durak took the ride. Anyway the favourite Liberman was given a McCoy ride that would see him banned for weeks these days and got up by 1/2L
Also Juveigneur getting beaten by Joe's Edge was another 'kick the cat' moment - must be something about Henderson and Hemmings horses |
|
By:
remember it well uncle (re Trabolgan) - I backed him on the Tote (ew thank god) and last show was paying 200 odd for the win
|