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Cheltenham Festival
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These 69 comments are related to the topic:
Our Conor appreciation thread
Our Conor appreciation thread
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Judo
Does your Triumph figure take into account WFA? |
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and oc not coming off bridle to any great extent?
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Racing Post @RacingPost
Champion Hurdle fav Our Conor bought by leading owner Barry Connell in wake of ultra-impressive Triumph win - full story in Weds Racing Post  |
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I heard the owners turned down 400 grand for him after he beat the Mullins pair 6 weeks ago.
Which surely means Connell must have paid close to a million for him. |
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Just read - one million euros apparently.
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can't say i blame them, our conor would have to win 15 or so grade 1s like hurricane fly to earn his owners that much money
fly's winnings are about 1.25m so far |
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Big Bucks winnings are up there also. Binocular, Solwhit and Thousand Stars have won good money but the remainder of the current crop of hurdlers have won very little by comparison. Not easy to get back a million but its for the glory. However it has to be a bit empty when one buys ready-made winners.
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Do they hope to get back the million by lumping on in a race? Just wondered why it would be worth paying £1m for a horse when would be very unlikely to win that back for you.
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^^^^ for the sport and glory nothing to do with recouping cash - breaking even would be a 16-1 shot even with a horse of his class.
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What would you do if the horse was yours, if you were sole owner, he was your only horse and your personal circumstances were as they are.
On one hand that's a lot of cash and could buy several more top quality horses, not to mention set you up for life. On the other hand are you ever likely to get another with the potential of this one, ok he may not win you this amount but you could be giving away a champion. I actually think its a pretty tough decision, but I would have to take the cash and hope to get lucky again. |
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Id sell without a doubt as 99.9% of people would, impossible money to turn down
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Sorry for my ignorance but who exactly is Barry Connell? Hows he made his money? Seems to have cash to burn
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From a few years back
A Man Apart By Stephen Dwyer By the time he was three years old, Barry Connell knew what he wanted from life. His father Patrick brought his little boy to race meetings every week, after which Barry desired nothing more than to be a jockey. Fast forward forty years, Barry Connell is a successful fund manager, having established Merrion Capital, a stockbroking firm, he then established a 50-50 joint venture called Rockview Merrion Investments. Rockview manages a hedge fund for high net worth individuals. Success was quick to arrive and Barry’s brainchild was worth €35m in a few short years. Racing fans will be familiar with the Rockview series of bumpers which Connell has sponsored since 2005. The Rockview series is run over ten tracks and allows qualified riders to accumulate points in designated bumpers. At the end of the year, the final takes place at the Curragh and it recognises the leading qualified rider, the winner is handed a €2,500 Holiday Voucher. Patrick Mullins is in the hunt for a hat trick of titles this year, Katie Walsh won it in 2006 and 2007 and Niall “Slippers” Madden claimed it in 2005. It’s a fine idea and one of the ways of demonstrating the interest that Barry Connell has for the sport. As well as being a sponsor, Connell is a successful dual owner and jockey. Last year saw 13 winners, including his biggest ever Irish success Rock And Roll Kid in the valuable Tote Mile Handicap at Galway. Shinrock Paddy also won The Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan. He also joined the elite few of Cheltenham winning owners when Pedrobob landed the 2007 County Hurdle under Philip Carberry. Self admittedly, the main reason for getting involved in horses was to ride them and fulfil that childhood dream. Ever a man for self-actualisation, 1999 saw Connell taking out a jockey’s license to ride in a charity race over one mile six furlongs at Fairyhouse. On the day, he rode his own horse, Bushman’s River, to victory by a short-head and was bitten by the riding bug. No doubt he is a latecomer to the game but his enthusiasm and exuberance for riding are admirable. At 51, the same age as Mick Kinane, Connell has had many successful days riding his horses to success in bumpers. He even won a bumper at the November Cheltenham meeting of 2003 when riding The Posh Paddy which was surely a career highlight. He does not ride over hurdles but his famous yellow and dark blue colours have won him many admirers. His riding style is unique, sitting high in the saddle he is not a purist, he does not come from an area steeped in the equine world; he is a Southside Dubliner with no riding background. At times his riding approach was abecedarian but that was not the case in Stratford last year aboard his £60,000 purchase, Frascati Park. Going left-handed for the first time, the 6/5 favourite hung badly right. Connell appeared to lose everything, he dropped his whip, he lost the off-side rein, in fact he lost everything but his nerve. Appearing calm and in control, he sat motionless on the horse and won by a neck on the line, he was subsequently given the At The Races ride of the week. The Racing Post was suitably impressed at this feat when writing “this true Corinthian did not put the bump into Bumper”. Retiring this week due to a prolonged riding injury in his left arm, Connell will still be heavily involved with racing. His last winner as a rider was aboard Bullock Harbour at last month’s Listowel Harvest Festival, it was the second win of 2010 following on from six wins in 2009. Appearing as he did on race cards as Mr. B Connell, he has to be admired for fulfilling his lifelong dream, defying his age and being a man with the courage of his convictions. In 2008 he was asked if the racing bug had left his system and if had had plans on retiring, he replied in the negative noting “look at the Flat jockeys and some of them can ride away well into their 50s”. Yet another job done for a man apart. |
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Given the change of jockey 'Depreciation Thread' will now be more appropriate. The news must have been manna from heaven for the bookmakers.
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it rained before Ted Veale's race. Might make that OC time look better than it is.
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Arklearkle 17 Mar 13 16:44 Joined: 28 Apr 11 | Topic/replies: 2,018 | Blogger: Arklearkle's blog
Our Conor impressive but he probably beat a bunch of trees. As most Triumph winners have discovered its a big step up to winning a champion hurdle. However I do accept that he could be a future super star but I would not spend the groceries on him yet. Grands Crus and Michail Dhag were so good they were going to win the gold cup in their novice years. The media make the hype and the bookies rub their hands in glee. Apologies for being such a spoilsport. Have to agree with all of that. Could be anything, but could you really have a 5 year old being the fav for the Champion Hurdle at this stage? We won't know how good the Triumph was until next year when they run in open company. What looks a strong novice race at the time may turn out to be p!ss poor, and vice versa. |
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Another little sub plot to the emergence of an irish top hurdler is that we will now be treated to some interesting clashes between HF and OC through the season, we will have a very good idea just how good or not OC is by the turn of the year.
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The Triumph hurdle form hardly boosted there. As I always say the bookies love the media hype about all these wonder horses. I agree with you Well people backing a five year old at 5/1 twelve months before the race is just crazy.
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duffy
duffy 25 Mar 13 00:16 Joined: 28 Mar 03 | Topic/replies: 8,656 | Blogger: duffy's blog Another little sub plot to the emergence of an irish top hurdler is that we will now be treated to some interesting clashes between HF and OC through the season, we will have a very good idea just how good or not OC is by the turn of the year. Rate reply: Good post was thinking this myself this morning. |
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There's also Annie Power who could enter the Irish mix, so a fascinating prospect over the water for the top hurdles. Very hard to knock Our Conor, but 5/1 favourite?
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No harm done to the Triumph form with Sametegal a good 2nd in the Scottish Champion Hurdle off 143. They did finish in a bit of a heap though.
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Not running in the Irish Ces now .. interesting developments.
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1st race back at naas.....in a flat race!!
Did I hear that right earlier on ATR??? |
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Yep running over 1m4f at the weekend on the flat. Just to get him tuned up for the Morgiana.
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GAWWWWWNNNNNNNN OOR CONOR
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OR is 84 and this is a Premier Handicap .. has to be reasonably fit for today imo. Some strong opposition and he is 3/1 on here, anyone betting?
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I hope he wins today because I'd love to have some odds against on the Fly when he spanks Our Conor in a proper race in Ireland.
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Get the impression they aren't going to be too hard on him today. It's a means to an end more than a serious target. Couldn't back him at the price myself.
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Jockey has put up 2lb overweight
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4th, decent run I suppose, was buffeted about a bit. Champion Hurdle winner? Not for me. TNO Wins.
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