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The one problem I saw was his handicap mark, as it’s already 149 with the potential to go even higher. So we won’t run him again over fences until after the Aintree weights are published in February, and as he’s a novice over hurdles we can run him in a couple of staying events between now and then, possibly starting with the Grade 2 3m event at Cheltenham’s December meeting.. I’ve been in no rush with him, so he hasn’t done any fast work and we’ve yet to get stuck into him. I like him an awful lot and can see him being entered for the Gold Cup as well as the national, as Cheltenham is as good a trial for Aintree as anywhere.
The story of a great engineer
He’s the greatest of them all they claim
Number one his engine Casey Jones his nameCome on Gingertipster and Imperial Call, join in the chorus in unison . . .
Steamin’ and rollin’
Casey Jones
You never have to guess
When you hear the tootin’ of the whistle
It’s Casey at the throttle of the Cannonball Express
So it looks a bit like either Casey Jones OR Parsons Pistol will run in the National.One complication is that I think that this time the Irish National is 5 days before the Grand National.
Got to come clean here and admit that, although there has been a lot of talk of Casey Jones on other forums as a potential National winner, I really know nothing about him; not even his age. I may have ew’s on Black Apalachi, Irish Raptor, War of Attrition, State of Play and Character Building, because they’re decent prices and look as if they’re being aimed at the National. Irish Raptor only because NTD seems to think he will stay even though no one [myself included] thinks he will; do think that NTD knows more about training National winners than I do. Russion Trigger is also a good price and, although his jumping seemed a bit dodgy last season it might just have been lack of experience and he did very well considering the stable had a virus for part of the season.
Casey Jones was so impressive on his seasonal debut that I was worried that Meade would set his sights higher.
Having said that, the only thing higher is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and he is just shy of that class.
I overlooked this one yesterday.
. . . he is eligible for graduation chases. One advantage of those races is the handicapper gives you a bit of leeway afterwards, and I don’t want this one going too much higher in the ratings as we may take him back to Aintree for another crack at the National. We just need to sharpen up his jumping a bit.
I decided to give the Desert Orchid Chase a miss on Sunday, as I ended up spending the entire day messing about with the Melbourne Cup on the betfair forum. Seems I made a mistake.Haven’t had a close look at either horse yet, so I’ll just give the bare details from the RP, and then come back to them later in the week.
Toby Jug
Won the Dessie by 7 lengths and 9 lengths. Sound jumper. Maybe the Becher. Longterm aim the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. National possibly on the radar? Is in the betfair market. Timmy Murphy rode it, so Comply Or Die and Merigo had better start applying the lipstick if they want Timmy’s attentions.
Palypso De Creek
Winner of the French Grand National as a 5yo, though in the RP Analysis bit, it only refers to winning a French G3! Will be 7yo next year, but I suppose we have to let him off that, based on what he’s already done.
"It is Alan’s dream to win the National. Longshanks ran well in it for him and this one looks to have the credentials for the big fences."Don’t Push It
has been added to the Grand National market!
Does this mean that Jonjo has said something about it?Arbor Supreme has been added to the Ladbrokes ante post betting at 33/1. May take them up on that.
Buckler eyeing Becher Chase for The Sawyer
By Racingpost.com staff11.06AM 28 OCT 2009
BOB BUCKLER is considering sending The Sawyer back to Aintree for the Totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase over the Grand National course, despite the horse falling on his first attempt over the fences in the John Smith’s Topham Chase.
The nine-year-old was in the process of running a sound race when crashing out at the final fence on that occasion but bounced back to form with two solid efforts in the space of three days at Punchestown, including when taking second behind J’y Vole in a two and a half mile handicap chase.
Buckler said: "The Sawyer would need to be a bit higher in the handicap to be guaranteed a run in the John Smith’s Grand National and the Becher Chase could be on the agenda for him.
"He’s a big, burly horse and I might just be a bit too easy on him at home. He actually looked half fit having run twice at Punchestown.
"He was still going well when he fell at the last in the Topham Chase and it was just one of those silly mistakes. He might have been getting a bit tired but he seemed to take to the fences there and I would like to see him go over them again."
I’m mainly referring to ignoring the horse for the GN, but given what Buckler achieved with Niche Market last season, the horse is one to keep an eye on for other races.Becher Chase count now 33.
The Sawyer (BEL)
9-y-o (28Feb00 ch g)
Fleetwood (IRE) (10.9f) — Green Land (BEL) (Hero´s Honor (USA) (9.3f))
Trainer R H Buckler
Owner D R Fear
Breeder P MadeleinFrom the Irish Independent:-
VIC VENTURI secured his first victory in exactly three years when making every yard of the running in the Wilderness Chase at Clonmel yesterday.
The nine-year-old looked destined for big things after a winning debut over fences in a Graded event at Galway on this date three years ago, but he had failed to get his head in front since.
Sent off at 11/10 in the hands of Paddy Flood, the Dessie Hughes inmate travelled strongly and powered clear to score by six lengths.
"I thought Vic Venturi may blow up today but he did it well and will go for the Becher Chase at Aintree next," said Hughes
One of my two main fancies for the National,
Merigo
, is making his seasonal debut today, so I’ve got an extra spring in my step (to the fridge and back
). (Other main fancy is Garde Champetre.)Jass
is running in the same race, which is good news after he PU in the Eider.
Bets though are on
Malko De Beaumont
"He’s been ready to run for about a month and we’ve just been waiting for the race to come. There’s plenty forecast, so I hope it arrives, as he’d have a good chance on the right ground. He loves Carlisle, where he’s already won twice."
Antonius Caesar
"Going through the programme book, this looked the ideal race for him, especially as they’re expecting rain. He likes Carlisle and, although he’s gone up in the weights after a good season last time, I’m hoping there’s improvement to come."
edit: done me dough. Was naive to have backed horses that hadn’t had a prep, given the conditions.
Jass ran well, but he’s still at 150 for the GN. Maybe I’m the only person in the country thinking of the GN for him.
I’ve come to the conclusion not to have a bet on him. Now all I have to do is stick to it.
He’ll probably be given a rating in the mid 150s for the Hennessy. He is expected to run well there, and could emerge with a 160.
With a 160, he’d then have to run a 170 to win the National.
Rather explains why a Hennessy winner has never won the National.
May as well start with yesterday’s winner.
7g Silver By Nature
This is one of our nicest horses and a typical example of what we are all about – staying chasers.
He had a bit of a blip in the spring, but he had a wind operation and showed he had reaped the benefits when winning easily at Carlisle yesterday. It is exciting to have a horse like him in the yard and I wish we had entered him in the Hennessy. The7g Ormello
He’s having a well-earned rest as he has been much travelled. In six months leading up until August he’d been to Punchestown, been second in the Swedish Grand National, run over fences at Clairefontaine and been second at Perth and Ayr in between for good measure! He jumps well and he’ll be aimed at the Topham Chase over the big Aintree fences.
Comply Or Die
. . . The National is the only race that matters and everything will be geared towards getting back there. [Putting on 53 pence at 44 seems a shrewd move now.] We’ve yet to decide where he’ll start; we had thought about going over hurdles, like so many National contenders do, but he’s been given a mark of 149 which looks plenty high enough. He’s showing all his old enthusiasm; Oliver Defew, who rides him every morning, tells me he’s his old self, anxious not to hang about when he gets on the gallop, where we let him do his own thing.
7g Freeze Up
Proper old-fashioned chaser, whom Roger Brookhouse bought at the Cheltenham sale nearly two years ago.
Won very easily on his chasing debut at Fontwell in December, and I brought him out again six days later as he was set for a still rise in the weights, but he ran no sort of race. We gave him a nice break, he returned at Plumpton in March and bolted up. They weren’t the strongest of races, and they have seen him go from 92 to 122 in the ratings, but he has the potential to improve further.
You’d think being by Presenting he’d like good ground, but it was soft at Fontwell and had rained heavily before he won at Plumpton. Long-distance handicaps will be his aim – he was originally entered at Carlisle yesterday – and I hope he has a good season.Over The Creek
Has been plagued with leg trouble all his life and his latest injury has kept him off the track since he finished second to Old Benny in the four-miler at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. The only other time he’s run over a trip he finished third in the Welsh National, so he’s still unexposed as a long-distance chaser. He jumps, he stays and he has bags of ability, so the
8g The Sliotar
I’ve always held him in high regard. Chasing will be his job this season and he’s certainly got the make and shape for it. Has only had two runs runs for us, and on the second put up a fine performance when fourth to Kayf Aramis in the Pertemps Final, galloping all the way to the line. If he takes well to fences, he could end up back at the festival for one of the handicaps, or even possibly the four-miler. Although not slow, I think he’ll stay well.
Air Force One
. . .He’ll have no more than two runs before a break and then we’ll concentrate on a spring campaign with Punchestown again a key objective. He has won on heavy ground but is far happier on a better surface. Noel [Fehily] says he’d love to ride him in the national off 10st 6lb.
6g Cast Cada
His dam, who was trained by Noel Chance, finished runner-up in the 2000
9g Montgermont
He was sent off 9-2 favourite for the 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup when trained by Charlie Egerton but finished well beaten and hasn’t won since, due primarily to jumping problems. The owners have sent him to me, and he schooled most impressively the other morning. He’s on 134, and there’s a 0-135 for him st Market Rasen a fortnight this Wednesday. For a big horse he’s very light on his feet. If we can keep his jumping in one piece he’d be a terrific candidate for the
8g Teamgeist
He has taken plenty of time but is getting there now. He would have won at Plumpton last winter but for making a very bad blunder, but that had something of a silver lining because he remains a maiden. The 4m National Hunt Chase appeals as an obvious target.
8g Ballabriggs
He hurt his back last year, and had time off. I have always thought a lot of him, he is a great big, proper Trevor Hemmings horse and capable of going for a
9g Cloudy Lane
He has done ever so well over the summer. He might be ready in time for the Betfair Chase but we have not hurried him. I thought he would struggle last year and he went and won me a Peter Marsh and that is the sort of thing Cloudy does – every year he pops up and wins a proper race for you. I keep on thinking ‘he can’t improve, he can’t win again’ but he keeps doing it. I am sure he will have an entry in the Grand National and I would have thought he would have an entry in the Gold Cup as well – he is the sort of horse you could see running on to be third or fourth. He was going ever so well in the National last year – that was my one disappointment last season, not that he didn’t win but not seeing how he would have gone. He had top-weight but he was travelling like the horse we hoped he was 12 months before, he was making lengths at fences. It was a real frustration.
7g Double Eagle
He was second to Albertas Run in the EBF Final and won a novice chase, jumping violently right – he is a bit odd and inclined to do funny things, and is better going right-handed. He got a leg but he is back now, just starting fast work. We will probably give him a run over hurdles just to get his eye in and get the fizz out of him. He loves soft ground and is not badly handicapped. He could be a pretty decent staying handicap chaser.
7g Fabalu
He is a grand horse. He had a few miles on the clock from point-to-pointing and could have gone novice chasing, but he won two novice hurdles. He wants 3m, he will get 4m, he goes on soft ground and jumps for fun. It wouldn’t be any surprise to see him in the four-miler at Cheltenham.
Idle Talk
He was unlucky not to win first time last year at Carlisle – he went ten lengths clear down the straight and got caught on the line. Then he went to the Becher Chase, but it went heavy on the day. We will probably go straight to the
edit: slightly different things said on the atr stable tour:-
Ballabriggs
"He hurt his back last year which is why he was off from November. I’ve always thought a bit of him and he’s off a fair mark. Wouldn’t mind him going to Aintree in either the Topham or National. Just back in strong work so he’ll run at the beginning of December. Needs it soft."Cloudy Lane
"Last season was geared around the National and that might change because I could see him being placed in a Gold Cup. The interesting thing is that he’s only ever run at Cheltenham once and he won. There are plenty of races for him, particularly at Haydock where he’s won five times."I’d have thought Cloudy Lane would still go for the National, as the Gold Cup is just as good or better than any other race as a prep for a horse rated about 160.
Bit of a dodgy bet, as I don’t know anything about the horse’s wellbeing, or what it’s targets will be – though obviously it will likely have another go at the Welsh National.
However, Venetia is featured in the stable tours next Monday, and if the National is the plan, the price will disappear.
Has disappeared anyway.
£11.88 @ 181.68 Miko De Beauchene
Does this mean that Jonjo has said something about it?
). (Other main fancy is Garde Champetre.)
He had a bit of a blip in the spring, but he had a wind operation and showed he had reaped the benefits when winning easily at Carlisle yesterday. It is exciting to have a horse like him in the yard and I wish we had entered him in the Hennessy. The- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.