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<br>I must say that I thought it was a great season this time around.
2005/06 was a real shocker. For different reasons we lost Best Mate, Rooster Booster, Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop and Baracouda and then we had the 10 fatalities at the Festival so the game really needed some new superstars to step up. And they certainly did…
Kauto Star won the first Order of Merit race of the season at Aintree and things just went from there with him. I just pray that this horse stays sound for the next 5 years. Quite amazing to think that we may never have even seen Kauto race over 3m if he had stood up in the 2006 Champion Chase.
Exotic Dancer would have been horse of the season in most other years and it has been great to see him progress as he has. AP deserves a lot of credit for working out a way to ride him and I was astonished when he was as big as 6-4 @ Aintree! But for Kauto, you’d be looking at a King George & Gold Cup winner so this must have been one of the bets of the season.
And amongst the younger horses, we’ve got the real top notchers in My Way De Solzen & Denman and then some top-class prospects below that like Aces Four & Twist Magic.
In Ireland it’s been a pleasure to watch Nickname mop up and I still think that he should have been allowed to take his chance at Cheltenham. The ground was lovely and there’s nothing to say that he won’t handle better ground.
Obviously there were some downpoints as there’s always going to be with Kicking King & Trabolgan not returning and career threatening injuries to War Of Attrition, Star De Mohaison & Mighty Man but overall I think we’ve had a very good deal this time.
How was it for other forumites, highlights/lowlights?
I think I’m with you there for the race of the season trackside. I never tire of watching it and every time I do, I can’t believe he got up to win!
As it’s closer in the memory I have to also add Spot thedifference’s recent victory at Punchestown. <br>
Stating the bleedin’ obvious but Kauto Star was very much the highlight of a most enjoyable season. Haven’t been so taken by a chaser for a long time and his jumping quirks render him all the more entertaining.
If it’s possible to be disappointed with a horse who eventually won two G1s then it would be Monet’s Garden, if only because I got him wrong pre-season and was relishing the idea of him mopping up the top staying chases.
After an all too lengthy break the 2007-08 season is thankfully underway and has already thrown up a promising young chaser in Quirino who won at Ludders yesterday.
ED’s rise to glory is the story of the season for me. This may be because I had him in the Paddy Power at 16s though! I just wish he gets a really big race (KG/GC) one day, just so unlucky to come up against an opponent like KS. I also think in hindsight that Sublimity winning the CH will be seen as very significant.
Low point of the season would be the late diappointment of BJK. He started as he finished last year, but it finished in a very sorry fashion.
For me, the continued rise of Alan King and Choc Thornton as one of NH’s biggest forces has been great to watch. He has to be Nicholls most obvious challenger for the future.
Kauto has been amazing, I haven’t been watching racing much more than 5 years and he is definitely the best chaser I have ever seen. Exotic Dancer is an unlucky horse but I can see him putting it up to Kauto next year. Great stuff..
I think for the future, as mentioned, with MWDS and Denman in the staying division next year we could be looking at an era comparable with the recent 2 mile chasers (MF, Azerty and Well Chief) if not better if they all stay fit.
The hurdling division has been a bit disappointing for me but I thought sublimity’s performance at cheltenham was fantastic. For next year I fancy another Irish horse to dominate – Clopf. Provided he doesn;t go chasing, which I don;t think he will, he’s the winner of next years CH.
Agree with most of the above. Good post Paul
A mention too for Katchit. Fabulous little beast who i think is going to take some beating next year
Pleased to see Nichols and King do so well this year, both treat the public with real respect
Most welcome aspect of the season has been the desire by some of the top trainers in these isles to really campaign top horses from beginning to end. Lets hope its a genuine trend and that the planned campaign for Sublimity for instance will be the exception
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It would be nice to have a week or two to reflect on 2006/07 before the ‘new season’ started. However, ’twas not to be……..
Really nothing that hasn’t already been said,
A very eventful season which bodes very well for the next few years. Paul Nicholls has ruled the roost and not a Saturday seemed to go by from November to March without him winning one of the big races. Kauto Star was undoubtedly the star and his only blip in the closing stages of the Aon Chase at Newbury almost seems like part of an intentional twist in his awesome campaign – he looks very much the one to beat in next year’s already awesome looking Gold Cup picture with stablemates Denman, the improving Neptune Collonges, Alan King’s My Way De Solzen and Exotic Dancer who will no doubt be back for another crack.<br>Katchit set a recent unprecedented benchmark over Two miles and I think this year’s Triumph Hurdle looks very strong and will throw up a lot of future group horses – Punjabi, who has an almost identical profile to Katchit in that he struggled on the flat but looks an absolute natural over hurdles, will have a very strong 2007/08 campaign in my opinion!<br>
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It has to be Kauto Star’s Betfair Chase for me.<br>Seldom have I seen a properly contested gd1 chase won with such complete authority. The Betfair Million was in the bag from that point on and, his Aon blip apart, was never in doubt.<br>For all those who think of tilting against him next season, be warned; in a Ch4 interview on Saturday PN said the horse had shown a lot of improvement since Cheltenham, which must be a sobering thought for those aspiring to his crown. <br>The best since Dessie, and every chance he is even better. Rejoice, a Star is born.:cool: <br>
STD winning was the biggest sham of the season due to Nina Carberry’s ride on the runner up
Quote: from robnorth on 11:19 am on April 30, 2007[br]It would be nice to have a week or two to reflect on 2006/07 before the ‘new season’ started. However, ’twas not to be……..<br>
I entirely agree Rob. It does nothing for anyone’s morale for a season to finish on a Saturday and a new on to start on the Sunday. Not good at all.<br>However, has been a great NH season for me. Agree with all the top performances mentioned above but to top it of I am now part of the top yard North of the border which is just so exciting…bring on next season, just preferably not quite so soon…
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