Flemenstar v Sacre

Flem no chance if the ground comes up like it usually does. Some chance if GTS, and only if soft or worse would he have an earthly, and probably would win if it came up heavy as NH would save SS for Aintree.

like to see it,but it aint gonna happen.
Irish Hennessey next.

Flemenstar would get handed his ar*e, just like the rest.

I love Flemenstar and think he's a special horse, but have to agree with the above

Trainer apparently said he dont like the Ryannair for his star horse.
Now thinking about the QM!!
It could happen.

SS in danger of scaring of most of the opposition so a genuine challenger would at least make for a spectacle. Having said that I can't see SS getting beaten

However, Flemenstar's trainer suggested his charge could drop back even further than the Ryanair's 2m5f. "Personally I think the Ryanair is a non-entity of a race, and I wouldn't think after that that he's a Gold Cup horse," Casey said.

"You need a two and a half miler for the Queen Mother [Champion Chase] and I think that's the race for him. The other fella [Sprinter Sacre] would be quaking in his boots if we turned up."

shirley only the Gold Cup will do? I wouldn't run it anywhere else

blimey! Sprinter quaking in his boots?? PMSL, Flemenstar would just set him up nicely

flemenstar in the champion chase would add a bit of much needed spice to the race as it is in danger of being a penalty kick for sprinter sacre , flemenstar is a strong traveller and good jumper and may be the one to give the monster a race !

Hope they go QM - would add a massive amount of spice to the festival.

I'd still make the monster about 1/3 to beat Flemenstar but at least it would give us something that might be able to run within 10lbs of SS coz there is little else that can

judorick
28 Dec 12 21:36
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27 Nov 11
| Topic/replies: 10,762 | Blogger: judorick's blog
blimey! Sprinter quaking in his boots?? PMSL, Flemenstar would just set him up nicely

Think the quote is from Francis Casey post race interview judo, he said it with a big grin on his face and a massive stage wink!

I hope at least one of Flem or SE bite the bullet and take on Sprinter - QM will be a better race, don't really want to see Spriner with 5 rivals all of whom are targetting the place money.

indeed I really want to see the monster show what he can really do and he will need some high quality rivals to do it

Francis Casey, son and assistant to Peter, said: "I'm disappointed we lost, but delighted with the way he ran. He ran too free - he was too well in himself. He just emptied, but we're happy.

"I'm sure he'll get an entry in the Gold Cup, but personally I'd drop back in trip."

However, Flemenstar's trainer suggested his charge could drop back even further than the Ryanair's 2m5f. "Personally I think the Ryanair is a non-entity of a race, and I wouldn't think after that that he's a Gold Cup horse," Casey said.

"You need a two and a half miler for the Queen Mother [Champion Chase] and I think that's the race for him. The other fella [Sprinter Sacre] would be quaking in his boots if we turned up."

love to see him firing away from the front with that brilliant jumping of his, if SS ate him up, so be it, nice to see them looking at running in a race that is worth a horse like this,like the quote too about the ryannair being a non-entity of a race, it is, just ruins the proper championship races.

I agree about the Ryanair but it could end up being the the most competitive and interesting race of the meeting.

It'll be a cracker of a race alright, I'd like to see CC and flemenstar both run in the queen mum though.

So would NJH and BJG.

Yes they probably would, the race deserves to have a quality field turn up, and SS needs top quality horses to race against him so to show him in the best possible light too....too many walk overs against real inferiors won't do his legacy much good.

I would love to see this happen. It would make the QMCC a great deal more interesting. I'd have to agree with everyone else though: Flemenstar is a lovely horse, but Sprinter Sacre is a monster.

any evidence that flemenstar has to have very soft ground ? i.e has he dissapointed on good ground ? who knows, he might revel on it !

Its what we want for sure.What a prospect that would be.
SS,SE and Flemenstar,plus Sanctuaire,jumping with speed in a QM.
Be some spectacle,and one of those races that i personally would not be that bothered who won,doubt i would punt too much on it anyway.
Problem i would have is getting to sleep the night before!!!

PA Stables ‏@PA_Stables

Asked whether the Gold Cup was being considered, Peter Casey said: "We'll have to rule that out. He won't get that extra two furlongs."

Looking forward to a clash with Sprinter Sacre, Casey said: "Our lad is a great jumper. We'd give that other lad something to think about!

Queen Mother target for Flemenstar
Last Updated: December 29 2012, 10:59 GMT

Flemenstar is set to have the Queen Mother Champion Chase as his Cheltenham Festival target following his reverse in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.


After putting previously unbeaten chaser Sir Des Champs to the sword with a brilliant display in the two-and-a-half-mile John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, Flemenstar was a hot favourite for the feature event of Leopardstown's Christmas meeting, but still had to prove his stamina over three miles.

Having travelled and jumped with his trademark panache under Andrew Lynch, the seven-year-old looked poised to go on and record an impressive victory rounding the home turn, but the complexion of the race quickly changed.

Profiles Peter Casey Flemenstar (IRE)
Flemenstar appeared a weary horse after jumping the final fence and although he stuck to his task well enough to finish third, beaten just three-quarters of a length by Tidal Bay in a barnstorming finish, Casey feels his stable star's stamina limitations were exposed.

The trainer does not feel it would be right to test his charge over an extended three and a quarter miles at Cheltenham in March and with the two-mile-five-furlong Ryanair Chase seemingly of no appeal, he is set to tackle the formidable Sprinter Sacre over the minimum trip instead.

Asked about whether the Gold Cup was still being considered, Casey said: "We'll have to rule that out. He won't get that extra two furlongs.

"You'd think he was going to win coming to the last fence (in the Lexus), he was cruising. He just found nothing after the last 100 yards.

"The Queen Mother, that will be it. The two-mile Champion Chase. That will be the one we'd go for."

Casey is confident that Flemenstar is capable of shaking up the current Champion Chase favourite Sprinter Sacre.

"Our lad is a great jumper and has plenty of speed. He jumped well (on Friday) but every time he landed he was wanting to get going," said the trainer.

"In Cheltenham, if we went for the Queen Mother, he'd have to go there, Andrew would be letting him stride on and we'd give that other lad (Sprinter Sacre) something to think about then!

"That's what we're going to try and do anyway."

Casey will consult Flemenstar's owner before deciding on a next port of call, but is leaning away from another crack at three miles in the Hennessy Gold Cup back at Leopardstown in February.

Casey said: "We'll have to think about where we go next and talk to the owner.

"I don't think we'll go for the Hennessy. There is the Red Mills Chase at Gowran in the middle of February. Whether we'll go down there or not I don't know."

thanks BJG

ooh how exciting

Indeed, if him and Sizing turn up we av a proper race and if SS disposes of both of them easily he really is a tank

Love to see the 3 canterin down the hill side by side

Is n't Lynch retained by SE's owners? So if Sizing goes there (I really hope he does too!), there might be a few jockeys clamouring to ride Flemenstar. McCoy could end up riding him?

Personally I think the Ryanair is a non-entity of a race

I'm sure the connections of Albertas Run wouldn't agree with that (who are now £350k better off for it), or Imperial Commander's who used it as a stepping stone to Gold Cup success.

The absolute race for him is the Ryaniar, especially if they think he could get the Gold Cup trip in the future.

Over 2m, if I were Andrew Lynch, I'd jump on Sizing every time personally.

If the ground is good, I don't think he'd get near Sprinter over 2m.  If we have a downpour the week before then it could be a different matter though.

hopefully they do the right thing and go for the ryanair, he's too good a horse to be wasted as a pace maker for sprinter sacre

This morning report:

The trainer does not feel it would be right to test his charge over an extended three and a quarter miles at Cheltenham in March and with the two-mile-five-furlong Ryanair Chase seemingly of no appeal, he is set to tackle the formidable Sprinter Sacre over the minimum trip instead.

Asked about whether the Gold Cup was still being considered, Casey said: "We'll have to rule that out. He won't get that extra two furlongs.

"You'd think he was going to win coming to the last fence (in the Lexus), he was cruising. He just found nothing after the last 100 yards.

"The Queen Mother, that will be it. The two-mile Champion Chase. That will be the one we'd go for."

Casey is confident that Flemenstar is capable of shaking up the current Champion Chase favourite Sprinter Sacre.

"Our lad is a great jumper and has plenty of speed. He jumped well (on Friday) but every time he landed he was wanting to get going," said the trainer.

"In Cheltenham, if we went for the Queen Mother, he'd have to go there, Andrew would be letting him stride on and we'd give that other lad (Sprinter Sacre) something to think about then!

"That's what we're going to try and do anyway."

Now at lunchtime they change their minds:

However, trainer Peter Casey said a decision on which race Flemenstar would target at Cheltenham would not be made until after the Hennessy, not ruling out any of the championship races.

"We spoke with Flemenstar's owner, Stephen Curran, this morning and it's been decided that he will go for the Hennessy," said Casey on Saturday. "We'll keep talking things over before the races close, but he'll probably be entered for all three races - Champion Chase, Ryanair and Gold Cup - at Cheltenham and we're in no rush to make any plans for the festival.

"All that's definite is the Hennessy. We think he deserves another shot at the distance. He ran too freely being held up in the Lexus and we probably used the wrong tactics. He jumped super but every time he landed he wanted to go on about his business. The ground was very gluey and that didn't help. He was absolutely fine this morning."

Must be getting lessons from Willie Mullins.

The caseys are obviously purists and realize the ryannair has no tradition and want to run in the race with proper status, they're not thinking about the relative pound signs or how scary SS is, they just want to see their horse to best effect, a refreshing attitude and I for one hope it pays off for them, go on flemenstar and the caseys.!!

^
Didn't see that, oh dear, another owner refusing to accept the bleedin obvious

I have no problem with the Ryanair.

Having a sh!t budget airline sponsoring it doesn't help, but the race has boosted Albertas reputation and legacy 10 fold.  If it weren't for that he'd have never stayed in the Gold Cup (despite winning a dreadful renewal of the RSA) and hopelessly outpaced in the QMCC.

I have to own up to only being into racing and NH for about 5 years, so I've never known a festival without the Ryanair; but I can understand where you are coming from though Duffy.  I wouldn't be happy if they brought a 2.5mile hurdle race.

From my point of view, if I owned a horse I would do anything to have a runner at the Festival, let alone a favourites chance of winning a Grade 1 chase (ps I backed him for a few quid in the Gold Cup yesterday, so have no financial interest in him for the Ryanair)

I really hope they go for the Champion chase. Plenty of chance it comes up soft with the amount of rain we have been having the last few months and then it would be a battle royale. Would make the race so much more interesting with both Sizing and Flemenstar going for it. The way he cruised into the race yesterday would be fantastic to see all three horses still on the bridle some way out.

You are all dreamers if you Think he would get within 10 L of S C

i think the point is that we want a race and not a walkover.
it would be great to see SS having to take on the best around,and if he is so much better so be it.

yes spot on Buddeliea, I would prefer it it wasn't MM in 2009 as it wasn't the most exciting of races.

I hope Flemenstar goes for the Champ Chase as it would add a huge amount to the race. As good as he is though he's not a 180 horse. I think he would bring a similar level over 2 miles as Sizing Europe who I also hope runs.

Flemenstar would certainly add interest to the QMCC but doubt he will trouble SE let alone SS,unless its Drumlargan/Mount Rivers esque type underfoot conditions....and despite all the rain the course does seem to drain better now.

Yes, we want to see the horses who would be most effective over 2 miles running in the queen mum and not having their connections running scared of one horse, it seems that flemenstars trainer at least is up for it, let's hope that the tizzards finally figure it out also as a few of us have been crying out for , for a long time now, yes, we know their horse is effective at 2.5, but get in the proper race and have a bloody good tear up over 2 miles, if SS is too good, so be it....the cursed ryannair won't be no walk over anyway.

A bit harsh about the Ryanair(personally I like it)but I take your point.