Who was the most interesting horse you saw run this weekend?

Agree with your comments about The New One stront. Very strong form for this stage of the season. Our Vinnie was a bit unlucky yesterday. If he had jumped either of the last 2 hurdles well, or if the ground had been slower, he would have won. Major gamble gone down the pan but I expect them to recoup it soon. Southfield Theatre looks a nice horse and Paul Nicholls made very encouraging noises about him in his column on here yesterday.

I backed Our Vinnie but although he missed the last i didnt feel he was unlucky as the winner was just dossing and would have found more. Bradley was the most interesting horse i saw there this weekend. Plenty of improvement off his mark, the 3.5 miler at the Nov meeting being the obv next step. Aintree beckons me thinks

I totally agree about BRADLEY and looks a real strong stayer and will def keep an eye on him. Thought Our Vinnie was unlucky and I would back to reverse the placings.  Third Intention and His Excellency I believe will be below top class and could end up at the right end of the handicap for the Grand Annual at the festival, both jumped well I thought.  The New One looks pretty special to me, but no AP on novice hurdlers after last year.  It's great to see the season coming alive and would love Rite of Passage to go hurdling again.

I was very impressed with the manner of Dodging Bullets' win yesterday. Probably needed the run but never looked in danger and quickened very nicely when asked. Will be interesting to see if this can be repeated in hotter company. 

There was a lot to like about His Excellency's win and I don't necessarily think he will head towards the handicaps. He looks a less than straightforward type but so was Tidal Bay. I have a feeling that the defeat of Third Intention may turn out to represent quite decent form in a few months time.   

The most impressive horse for me though was According To Trev in the first yesterday. Looks a very genuine type - a classic Twiston-Davies sort of horse. Whilst he only just hung on to win, he battled on gamely when under pressure a couple of times and that's a quality I love to see in the horse - just as much as the class and accurate jumping. Definitely one I will watch out for.

Well Glossy you and I certainly see things differently.

Sire de Grugy was entitled to win his novice chase today, but did so very easily.  Badly needed run first time up last season so will be keen to keep him on my side this season.  Live Arkle contender in my book.  Looks built to be a chaser.

Glossy, David Pipe was very downbeat about His Excellency in interview after the race yesterday. Said the horse had been bought to be fun for the owners and would run in novice chases, handicap chases, hurdles and on the flat. He certainly didn't sound like he thinks it's a top class horse.

Your thoughts about Dodging Bullets are very interesting - I saw his race totally differently

Fair one stront, we'll have to see how H.E. Perhaps the penny has dropped with it?

I take it you weren't impressed with Dodging Bullets then? I know the race wasn't of a particularly good standard but I thought he did all that was asked of him, even though fresh. Of course we won't know what he is until he's seen up other company.

PS Nicholls implied he doesn't take his racing too well so we may not see him often this season - he suggested next time might be in around 6 weeks.

Was fortunate enough to be at Ascot yesterday primarily to see Frankel's final race so I will say Rite of Passage who, if staying sound, might give Bug Bucks' something to think about.

Have n't seen GMOOH's race at Kempton yet but understand he could also be aimed at World Hurdle so might be some interesting opposition for the mighty Big Bucks' this season.

Surely GMOOH isn't good enough to win a World Hurdle. If BB has declined enough for GMOOH to beat him something else will win the race.

good horse imo

Glossy, fair enough. I'd be a touch concerned that GMOOH may not stay - he's never run over 21f I think and the World Hurdle is an extreme test of stamina (as we saw with classy 2 1/2 milers like Oscar Whisky and Thousand Stars not seeing it out). As for him running off top weight in the Coral Cup, it's very likely his connections will have 2 or 3 of those craftily campaigned types running against him!

It's also worth saying that, althugh the World Hurdle is seen as some sort of poor relation, over the last 10 years it's been won by excellent horses - which has not always been the case with the Champion Hurdle.

Is Big Bucks in decline is an interesting question. He is 9 rising 10, he's by Cadoudal... Beating VLV by 2 lengths with some urging is not, on paper, a great performance. I love the horse, I'd never back against him, I think he's been the best NH horse in training over the last 2 seasons and he's a Frankel of the jumps. He's incredibly difficult to assess accurately because just does enough and always seems to have so much in hand. But I'm starting to wonder if he is on the way down now - it happens to them all.

It's also worth saying that, althugh the World Hurdle is seen as some sort of poor relation, over the last 10 years it's been won by excellent horses - which has not always been the case with the Champion Hurdle

That's very true.  I think then problem with the World Hurdle is the lack of good novices that graduate from the Albert Bartlett and then stay over staying hurdle trips.  If the World Hurdle is to improve in strength in depth, I think the Albert Bartlett needs to be a better feeder race.

If you look at the past winners of Black Jack Ketchum, Witchita Lineman, Nenaphur Collonges, Weapons Amnesty, Berties Dream, and Bobs Worth: none of these stayed over hurdles over staying trips and succeeded (BJK definitely had the ability though) .  Obviously, there are 2 RSA winners in there, but it terms of the Albert Bartlett bringing through new fresh talent in the staying hurdles division, it's quite poor.

The Supreme / Triumph / Neptune are usually awash with fresh young talent for the Champion, where there's always a lack of that in the AB.  When was the last time an Albert Bartlett horse was the fancied for the World?

It's because the staying hurdle as such is not a target for an end product, not to put too blunt a point on it , it is for horses that don't have another home, failed chasers, too small to go chasing etc....albert bartlett is pretty much a feeder race for the rsa.!

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who won it

I thought that that performance had that bit of something special about it too.

The two obvious ones are The New One and Sire Collonges.

The New one looks very good at the moment for The Albert Bartlet/Neptune at the minute. He needs to keep improving though and I don't think I'd take him yet at the prices for Cheltenham.

Sire Collonges I was very impressed with. He looked a natural chaser and jumped very well (apart from Ruby nearly getting unseated 2 out). He looks very good for the RSA and should continue to improve over fences. Has a very good trainer to school him over trainers and he's a very impressive 3mile chaser for the future. I know the form of his race Friday wasn't the strongest but I'm sure he has much more to offer and improvment in him.

Have to agree with the people who was not impressed by Dodging Bullets too. He did not look like he had much in hand and was getting 8lbs off his only real rival. Dodging Bullets is not a horse I will be following or looking out for with any great enthusiam this season when he comes out again against better horses.

The New One is likely to race next in the 2 1/2 m nov hurdle at the Paddy Power meeting.

I realise that the weekend is long gone but was quite taken by Houblon Des Obeaux in his first spin over fences today. He's been a big favourite of mine for a while. Didn't beat a great deal but looked neat and tidy in his jumping and retains the ability to run on late into the race to win by 11 lengths. He will come up against better I'm sure but with his decent record at Cheltenham, could be an interesting early one for the RSA; a race that seems to favour more dour, less flashy horses in recent years.