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Emotion of Hurricane Fly winning aside, my fav Champion Hurdle was Punjabi, Binocular and Celestial Halo. In the grand scheme of things, three pretty average horses (in comparison to the Champion Hurdle "greats"), but a race I will never forget (think I backed Osana that day).
Also, when an ageing Kauto and Denman were swinging around the final bend with the up and coming Long Run in a line of three in the Gold Cup, that is one of the greatest sites I've seen on a racecourse. I'll always remember a demolition job like Master Minded, Sprinter, Dunguib but performances like that are better few and far between because that's what makes them memorable. If they soon become the norm, then unfortunately they'll just be another winner. |
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Miltons you could be right i dont know il be honest two reasons i go to the races one would be because its a big meeting and its the card that attracts me the othrr is a day out and im looking at the horses on the day if the racing isnt that competitive im still enjoying the day, yes agree would be better if the racing was more open how big a problem that is on a week to week basis id say youd know better than me but yes would agree racing over here seems less open but is that going to be massively detremental i dont know things change idealy you would prefer more open racing on a week to week basis but this isnt a massive issue with me personally as a racegoer may be a bigger issue in other areas just dont know
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Rather than aim frustration at Mullins, who is simply trying to buy, train and place horses to the best of his ability (as are all the top trainers), my frustration is aimed at Racing in general as it is the industry that has allowed this lack of competition to happen. For example if there were no JLT chase then there would have been little option but for UDS and Vautour to clash, if there were no Ryanair there would be no debate about Vautour and Djakadam etc... There are too many top class races for too few top class horses (and too many are now conditions events too - today's Clarence House being a prime example).
If it was down to me there would be a Grade 1 2m and 3m conditions hurdle and chase before the New Year (Bula, Long Walk, Tingle Creek, King George) and then the same again at Cheltenham. Aintree could then hold the intermediate 2.5mile Grade 1 races. In between the only graded races should be handicaps. As it stands we have the Schloer, Tingle Creek, Desert Orchid, Clarence House, Game Spirit and Champion Chase all as 2m graded conditions races and only a handful of viable candidates (and without Mullins' and other Irish trainers would be even worse). The Novice pattern (particularly over fences) is even more of a joke. Unfortunately too many vested interests to make any effective changes so we will be stuck with generally uncompetitive (there are thankfully exceptions - King George) top class races. Kudos to Mullins though for running his 3 champion hurdle hopes tomorrow. |
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Yip Ormonde that seems to be the logical soltion to make graded races more competitive, reason for not doing that im sure there are some im not clever enough to know, but agree seems to make sense to me
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Very much agree with Ormonde's comments and I'd add something which exacerbates the problem which is the trend for trainers to seek to arrive at Cheltenham with their horses often having two or if we're lucky three prior races during the season. Go back a few years and the top horses were called race horses and if they were fit they raced. It would make a heck of a difference if horses arrived at these big races at Cheltenham with an average of five or six races behind them. Imagine Usain Bolt turning up for the Olympics after one or two prep races during the season.
I agree with the comment about the great memories. My own is also Kauto, Denman and Long Run coming down that hill like the Charge Of The Light Brigade. The old versus the new. It sent tingles down my spine. I don't think it would have been the same watching Kauto run up a string of Ryanair's leaving the Gold Cup to Denman. |
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another 100K in the bag today in England, getting closer each week to the title
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Can't knock him for having all three entered tomorrow as well. How much they will race each other is another thing though.
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Do not get me wrong, I'm a great admirer of the achievements of Mr Mullins in Jump Racing, nonetheless I'd also like to see the best horses running against one another, all things equal; when a trainer repeatedly runs his horses with sp of long odds-on each time eg Vroum Vroum Mag, to name one, despite the potentials in his yard and multiple their entries in the big races eg Cheltenham, as a racing fan and someone who'd pit his wits against betting firms or fellow racing fans (Betfair) I find that difficult to accept and fathom.
Douvan was an accomplished winner of the Supreme (16f) last year and the natural progression would be the Champion Hurdle (CH) eg Peace and Co (winner of the Triumph/16f); I believe Mr Mullins had intimated, but for Faugheen, Douvan would have been campaigned for the CH this year - the same ownership does not come into it - and Douvan can always take in the Champion Chase (CC) the following year as it is still a very young horse; Douvan (16/17f) is a more appropriate 'campaigner' for the CH than the likes of Nichols Canyon (Neptune), Arctic Fire (16/20/24f) and Identity Thief (16/20f), surely. Gigginstown has stated Road To Riches (RTR) - 3rd in 2015 CGC - is a certain runner in the Irish Gold Cup next month but the participation of Don Poli (DP) will be dependent on Mr Mullins, and his plans for the horse regards Cheltenham - I'd be extremely disappointed if Don Poli is scratched from this race as RTR will give a clear indication of where the potential of DP is next month instead of the CGC in March. |
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Douvan is highly over-rated, he would be behind AF(last CH runner-up) in the CH betting. Supreme horses v rarely win or get close in a CH. NC took the major 2 mile races outside of Chelt as a novice, he took the Royal Bond which was won by 4 future CHlers in the last 15 years, then he won the Deloitte, was only entered in the Neptune as Douvan doesn't stay beyond 2 miles. Then last race of his novice season won the Ireland Champion Novice and at end of year was nominated for Irish Best Horse award. NC was a far better prospect for CH than Douvan ever was.
Don Poli was often thought of as a 4 miler and depending on GC success or flop, he'll be targeted with that in mind for next seasons. If he misses the GC he'll be far less disappointment than when we lost Coneygree for this season. Any other trainer in his position would've done the same, blaming him is like blaming his success in what he does and the owners he attracts. |