Cheltenham Festival
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29 Apr 12
13:02
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05 Jan 10
The wheel has turned for Irish hopes in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, says Ronan Groome irishindependent.ie
IN every sport there are cycles. Teams come and go, enjoying success for a period before slipping back into the shadows to rebuild.
When the seven-year-old War Of Attrition led home an Irish 1-2-3 in the 2006 Gold Cup, we thought a new period of dominance had begun, an era of Irish-trained Gold Cup horses. It didn't turn out that way. In fact, the opposite occurred and since that result there have only been nine Irish-trained horses deemed good enough to take their chance in Cheltenham's main event.
This season's renewal of the Irish Hennessy probably best identifies the weakness of our three-mile chaser division. After a lengthy gap of 16 years since Imperial Call won the Hennessy before going on to Gold Cup success, Quel Esprit led home a field that bore an uncanny resemblance to a midweek Grade Two event in Thurles three weeks previously. The omens didn't look good.
We would eventually end up with just two horses in the Gold Cup again, both priced at 100/1.
With success comes great expectations and the lack of a Gold Cup contender is a little disconcerting for the Irish racing fan, given the luxuries afforded in the other divisions.
But maybe the wheel is turning again as a look at next season's Cheltenham Festival ante-post lists -- the stimulator of excitement in National Hunt racing -- will fill you with optimism for the Irish Gold Cup challenge.
Sir Des Champs, First Lieutenant, Flemenstar and Last Instalment are all to the forefront of a new generation. A six-year-old and three seven-year-olds, with an accumulated total of just 21 runs over fences. The future looks bright.
But these sporting cycles don't just start by chance and, in the case of Irish jump racing, the game-changer has come in the form of Michael O'Leary's operation. The Ryanair boss has been Roman Abramovich-like in his pursuit of Gold Cup horses and is seeing the results of the strategy now -- three of the above-mentioned carry the Gigginstown colours.
Having seen his €100,000 take-it-or-leave-it offer for Simonsig turned down after the point-to-point bumper at the Fairyhouse Easter meeting last season, the offer was upped to €150,000 this year, only to be again politely declined. Who would bet against that offer reaching €200,000 next season?
"He's looking for fine big types who might develop into good staying chasers. If you had a horse and it wasn't 16.1 or 16.2 and couldn't carry the weight to run in a Gold Cup, then you wouldn't bother ringing him," said Last Instalment's trainer Philip Fenton.
Since winning the Gold Cup with War Of Attrition, it's all O'Leary has wanted and Irish trainers are reaping the benefits.
That Sir Des Champs was under the scrutiny of a Gold Cup favourite on only his fifth start over fences, as a novice and in his first Grade One, probably gives you an indication of the impression he has made. We didn't learn much more, only that he can stay and that Davy Russell can defy gravity when he needs to. The error at the last was due to complacency more than anything else and should not take away from another highly-satisfying performance.
First Lieutenant is O'Leary's most expensive purchase yet at €250,000. However, the son of Presenting has gone some way already towards repaying that fee. A Neptune Hurdle was merely a bonus for this fellow as he was always going to be a chaser. Produced in impeccable condition for the RSA Chase, the seven-year-old ran a cracker to be second to Bobs Worth and an extended Gold Cup distance would be right up his alley.
Last Instalment made his mark early in the season before succumbing to injury. Described by Fenton as "absolutely designed to jump fences," the seven-year-old is unbeaten over the larger obstacles. Not only that, he is a double Grade One winner.
Flemenstar joins the pack as another highly-exciting horse. After routing his rivals in a Grade One at Leopardstown at Christmas, Peter Casey said among other things that this was a Gold Cup horse.
Connections shrewdly swerved Cheltenham this time round and were rewarded by another breathtaking performance in the Powers Gold Cup. The sky is the limit.
These four are the new generation of Irish staying chasers. Out of the last five renewals of both the Lexus Chase and the Irish Hennessy, disappointingly the titles have stayed at home on only four occasions.
With the added presence of Quito De La Roque, Rubi Light and Pandorama back from the sidelines, this looks set to change next season. We are on the brink of a new cycle
IN every sport there are cycles. Teams come and go, enjoying success for a period before slipping back into the shadows to rebuild.
When the seven-year-old War Of Attrition led home an Irish 1-2-3 in the 2006 Gold Cup, we thought a new period of dominance had begun, an era of Irish-trained Gold Cup horses. It didn't turn out that way. In fact, the opposite occurred and since that result there have only been nine Irish-trained horses deemed good enough to take their chance in Cheltenham's main event.
This season's renewal of the Irish Hennessy probably best identifies the weakness of our three-mile chaser division. After a lengthy gap of 16 years since Imperial Call won the Hennessy before going on to Gold Cup success, Quel Esprit led home a field that bore an uncanny resemblance to a midweek Grade Two event in Thurles three weeks previously. The omens didn't look good.
We would eventually end up with just two horses in the Gold Cup again, both priced at 100/1.
With success comes great expectations and the lack of a Gold Cup contender is a little disconcerting for the Irish racing fan, given the luxuries afforded in the other divisions.
But maybe the wheel is turning again as a look at next season's Cheltenham Festival ante-post lists -- the stimulator of excitement in National Hunt racing -- will fill you with optimism for the Irish Gold Cup challenge.
Sir Des Champs, First Lieutenant, Flemenstar and Last Instalment are all to the forefront of a new generation. A six-year-old and three seven-year-olds, with an accumulated total of just 21 runs over fences. The future looks bright.
But these sporting cycles don't just start by chance and, in the case of Irish jump racing, the game-changer has come in the form of Michael O'Leary's operation. The Ryanair boss has been Roman Abramovich-like in his pursuit of Gold Cup horses and is seeing the results of the strategy now -- three of the above-mentioned carry the Gigginstown colours.
Having seen his €100,000 take-it-or-leave-it offer for Simonsig turned down after the point-to-point bumper at the Fairyhouse Easter meeting last season, the offer was upped to €150,000 this year, only to be again politely declined. Who would bet against that offer reaching €200,000 next season?
"He's looking for fine big types who might develop into good staying chasers. If you had a horse and it wasn't 16.1 or 16.2 and couldn't carry the weight to run in a Gold Cup, then you wouldn't bother ringing him," said Last Instalment's trainer Philip Fenton.
Since winning the Gold Cup with War Of Attrition, it's all O'Leary has wanted and Irish trainers are reaping the benefits.
That Sir Des Champs was under the scrutiny of a Gold Cup favourite on only his fifth start over fences, as a novice and in his first Grade One, probably gives you an indication of the impression he has made. We didn't learn much more, only that he can stay and that Davy Russell can defy gravity when he needs to. The error at the last was due to complacency more than anything else and should not take away from another highly-satisfying performance.
First Lieutenant is O'Leary's most expensive purchase yet at €250,000. However, the son of Presenting has gone some way already towards repaying that fee. A Neptune Hurdle was merely a bonus for this fellow as he was always going to be a chaser. Produced in impeccable condition for the RSA Chase, the seven-year-old ran a cracker to be second to Bobs Worth and an extended Gold Cup distance would be right up his alley.
Last Instalment made his mark early in the season before succumbing to injury. Described by Fenton as "absolutely designed to jump fences," the seven-year-old is unbeaten over the larger obstacles. Not only that, he is a double Grade One winner.
Flemenstar joins the pack as another highly-exciting horse. After routing his rivals in a Grade One at Leopardstown at Christmas, Peter Casey said among other things that this was a Gold Cup horse.
Connections shrewdly swerved Cheltenham this time round and were rewarded by another breathtaking performance in the Powers Gold Cup. The sky is the limit.
These four are the new generation of Irish staying chasers. Out of the last five renewals of both the Lexus Chase and the Irish Hennessy, disappointingly the titles have stayed at home on only four occasions.
With the added presence of Quito De La Roque, Rubi Light and Pandorama back from the sidelines, this looks set to change next season. We are on the brink of a new cycle
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I see Sid James have got an Irish trainer winner at 7/4.
The English challenge will probably come from Bobs Worth and Long Run, so less quantity than the top Irish ones, but I'd say slightly better quality (only slightly though). I can only see the Irish challenge coming from the three Giggi horses mentioned in the article, and Flemenstar. I don't think Quito and Pando are good enough, and Rubi Light would never get the Gold Cup trip. Weapons Amnesty's chance may sadly have gone. So at the moment I'd have Britain as slight favourites, but the Irish have immense potential. |
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Im in the SDC camp granted its far too soon for a definitive answer of what will be the best of the Irish challangers but it sure is a mouth watering prospect,come winter come!
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flemenstar really excites me. when he quickend last time out, he was jumping straight and accelerating. wow, was my feeling. i'm on this beast every week.
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Call me a sceptic, call me biased whatever but War of Attrition and Kicking King and Florida Pearl when he outstayed Best Mate in the KG - something just not right about those runs.
Horses suddenly staying better than they ever did before or after .....hmmm is all I'll say but it certainly was a dodgy time in Ireland then. |
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...sounds as if its yer pocket talking.
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http://betfred.chromaagency.com/
Charles Byrnes is keeping everything crossed he can keep Weapon's Amnesty and Solwhit in one piece this season after welcoming his two stable stars back into training following lengthy absences. Weapon's Amnesty has been sidelined by a serious tendon injury since winning the RSA Chase at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival, but is now back in work and could be ready for a return to the racecourse by November. "He's back in and everything is good at the moment. He's building up nicely. Please god everything stays that way," said Byrnes. "It was quite a bad one (injury), so we'll just have to see how it goes. I'm very happy with him at this stage, he's doing everything right. Hopefully he'll be ready to run again around November time." Six-time Grade One-winning hurdler Solwhit has not been since chasing home old rival Hurricane Fly in the 2011 Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, but he too is pleasing Byrnes after returning to work. This time last year the eight-year-old was being readied for a novice chase campaign, but those plans have been shelved at this stage. "He's at the same stage as Weapons Amnesty, but his injury wasn't quite as bad. Hopefully he'll be OK," said Byrnes. "Again he will hopefully be back on the course in November time and everything is good at the moment. I think we'll probably stay over hurdles now. He'll have a run in November and then maybe one at Christmas and then we'll see where we are. We might have to go over fences in the New Year, but at the moment we are looking at staying over hurdles." With Weapon's Amnesty and Solwhit both out of action, one of the trainer's stars of last season was talented youngster Trifolium. The five-year-old was third in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and just touched off by Alderwood in a Grade One at Punchestown. Byrnes added: "He's been back in for a while and could be ready to run in about a month. He's still only a young horse so we've decided to keep him over hurdles this season. Obviously he still has to improve a good bit, but he is young and should improve." |
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Interesting about Trifolium, I thought he'd be going chasing
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Gold Cup is wide open
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.........unlike the US Open Judo eh !
Not long to wait now lads. |
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Has Last Instalment had another setback - very weak on the Gold Cup market on here in the last few days?
Also, is Jessies Dream out for another season (again guessing my market weakness here)? |