Our Conor appreciation thread

Was truly sensational.

Not sure what happened to Rolling star but Connor's win was unreal.

when i heard 10s for champion i thought it was bet ante post bet id seen for a while all gone now!

when i heard 10s for champion i thought it was bet ante post bet id seen for a while all gone now!

scolardy?

The start of a good day for me. Best performance by a novice I've seen since Golden Cygnet. What will he do next year!?

it was a spectacular performance for sure so it will be interesting to see how that compares with the likes of The New One and MTOY next year

I guess it's possible that the bunh in behind weren't all up to much, but the ease with which he strode further and further clear was phenomenal.

I hope he stays sound because he has a massive future

DO YOU REMEMBER GOLDEN CYGNET HIGHEST RATED NOVICE OF ALL TIME....

DO YOU REMEMBER GOLDEN CYGNET HIGHEST RATED NOVICE OF ALL TIME....

Just watched GOLDEN CYGNET best races from 1978 on you tube he was a great one for sure but i think Our Coner was the best novice permormence iv ever seen.  .. its just a shame that GOLDEN CYGNET died in the scottish champion hurdle before his greatness could be REALIZED.

Like everyone couldnt get the 10s but got some 8s with hills for next year's champion. Really impressed

Got 200 on at 10s with Coral, no probs

Only question he needs to answer is Good ground but given he will race mostly in Ireland and come over here once a year where they water for GS on day 1 it is unlikely to matter.

Our Conor v The New One v Hurricane Fly v My Tent Or Yours

(God willing)

Already semi-erect for next year's Champion Hurdle!

Countrywide Flame, Rock on Ruby should be in the list too

Brilliant performance. It will be interesting to see what else his sire "Jeremy" produces.Reckon he's fee has
gone up after that

He's potentially the best hurdler I've ever seen.When he won on debut at Navan,I'd never seen a juvenile jump so well first time out.In his next race at Fairyhouse,his jumping was again magnificent,although he wasn't ultimately as impressive,probably owing to a relatively slow early pace.I broke the habit of a lifetime,and backed him for the Triumph @ 16/1 (documented on here before the after time brigade go into meltdown) before he took on Mullins pair in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown,and although he won convincingly and received rave reviews,I was slightly dissapointed with his jumping,although to be fair,he did just seem to meet quite a few,just not on a stride,and he fiddled them sufficiently enough.
As for yesterday...quite simply he gave me goosebumps watching him.Only time will tell if the field he beat were a below average bunch or not,and of course we will have to wait until next year before he can be assessed properly against the cream of the 2m hurdlers,but I'm already looking forward to seeing him again.I think and hope he could be a special horse.

Add Champagne Fever to the mix

Beat MTOY fair and square.

So we have a serious 5yr old next season,and a bl00dy good winner of the supreme and a good runner up.Plus a 10yr old champion,and another horse trying to regain his crown.

What will the stats/trends boys think of that

Can you be sure where Champagne Fever will go next though? I was thinking he'd probably go novice chasing now as that was talked about last season.

As for Our Conor bar the Black Aeroplane his was the most impressive performance this year. I've backed him for next years Champion (I know he'll be 5! but that was seriously good). The New One would be the biggest danger for me

He won easy, wasn't that impressed with his jumping though early on, could of been the ground though tbf. Budd under the impression CF is already back at home schooling fences for next season.

really mate? would have liked to see him in the CH myself,owner might as well!!
he would certainly add something to the race with his front running,and ability to stay well up that hill.
really hope he stays hurdling next season

they could change their minds, but from what i gathered it was a last minute call to go hurdling instead of chasing so they could get experience into him. Like you say though add him into the mix and it would be a very strong field next year.

Champagne Fever virtually certain to go over fences imo.

Doubt they'd be schooling him over fences a couple of days after winning at Cheltenham though.

Champagne is nailed on to over fences. After the race on Tuesday in an interview Willie said they've already been schooling him and he's 'electric' to quote him.

It's funny you say that about his jumping last time at Leopardstown , Hemsby. That was part of the reason why I backed him!! He didn't jump some of his hurdles cleanly but still was able to smash them and have plenty left at the finish. That was what made me stand up and take notice!

Would it be worth considering letting Our Conor take on Hurricane Fly at Punchestown in a few weeks time?

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.

Fantastic novice performance. Pretty sure that the owners have said they are stepping Countrywide Flame up in distance next season and Rock on Ruby is most likely going chasing so can't see either of them opposing. Still a Champion involving HF, MTOY, Our Conor and The New One would be great to see.

One other side note, did anybody read what Mullins said after the race, "We'll be back to Punchestown but I've been looking at the French Champion Hurdle as well.  It's three miles and one, but I think he'll stay it."!!!

Can see Champagne Fever in the Jewson next year

Judging by the supreme time to the champion time its looking like you should concentrate on the young challengers now.

how was conors time in relation to others

The triumph is ran over 2m 1F so the only race you can compare it with is the Vincent O'Brien.

Our connor time 4m 11s

Ted Vale time 4m 16s

Ted vale carried 8lbs less than Our connor plus the Vincent O'Brien is one of the most furious races and Our Connor didn't come of the bridle so very good performance.

good performance so..

Make your own mind up, OC 12 seconds slower than HF in the champion but 1F more on far softer ground and HF all out, I know which horse I want to back in the champion if both turn up! MTOY, OC and TNO will be the 3 for me.

So,so difficult to try to compare times as the two courses are very different.Throw in pace of the race,differing ground conditions (even between this years Triumph and County),different weight carried etc and its a virtually impossible task to assess accurately IMO.
Just had another look at the race on YouTube .....


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pMjqxyZ1dUM

.....it truly was a fantastic display,with his jump at the 3rd last just sublime.

ASSSSUMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE CANT WAIT TILL NEXT YEARS CHAMPION A new era guy
..................................GAWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN CONOR

really like him...

I wouldn't be as keen as others to back antepost as I haven't seen him on better ground yet and he clearly likes cut, as the jockey said after the race he was glad the rain came...

he looks top class however but there are no sweets at 5-1 with a year to go and not knowing how he will handle proper decent ground has to be a concern especially at these skinny odds...

a top class prospect, he certainly is though

did my rating for the Triumph - came out at 157 , Supreme was 154, Neptune 156

so quite similar really

Judo

Does your Triumph figure take into account WFA?

and oc not coming off bridle to any great extent?

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

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.

Just read - one million euros apparently.

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

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.

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.

^^^^ 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.

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.

Id sell without a doubt as 99.9% of people would, impossible money to turn down

Sorry for my ignorance but who exactly is Barry Connell? Hows he made his money? Seems to have cash to burn

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.

Given the change of jockey 'Depreciation Thread' will now be more appropriate. The news must have been manna from heaven for the bookmakers.

it rained before Ted Veale's race. Might make that OC time look better than it is.

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.

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.

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.

duffy




 


     duffy   






  25 Mar 13 00:16 
Joined:


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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.


Rate reply:


Good post was thinking this myself this morning.

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?

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.

Not running in the Irish Ces now .. interesting developments.

1st race back at naas.....in a flat race!!
Did I hear that right earlier on ATR???

Yep running over 1m4f at the weekend on the flat. Just to get him tuned up for the Morgiana.

GAWWWWWNNNNNNNN OOR CONOR

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?

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.

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.

Jockey has put up 2lb overweight

4th, decent run I suppose, was buffeted about a bit. Champion Hurdle winner? Not for me. TNO Wins.