2012 Arkle

At first glance yes because I was only looking at him but when I watched Ruby I noticed he had plenty horse under him as well. Played it again and notice Barry wasn’t exactly comfortable with Sprinter Sacre before the home turn. He was dossing a bit and Barry kept giving him a prod to keep him attentive. He was going very well in the straight but like most young horses showed a bit of greeness when the old head cocked. I though Barry was concentrating on not unbalancing him and that’s why he’s sitting as quite as possible. He certainly wasn’t pulling his arms out but going well? yes. I never gave him winning by a long margin a thought to be honest and thought Ruby was going to get there as I said earlier.

We see too many 2 yo on the flat who look to going better than he did and throwing races away through greeness but I thought he showed a lot of character winning the race.

Behind Frascatti Park could it be he blew up turning for home? He had been off the track for 216 days was pretty easy back in the market considering his reputation, he opened at e/e but plenty 5/4 was available despite some heavy bets.

It was also the longest distance he’s ever tackled but if you look back to a much earlier post I made, what I liked was the way he ran on, never stopped trying and this was way before this part of the debate came about. So again I can’t agree he’s a bridle horse.

Cheltenham : I thought I covered this before he met Peddler’s Cross when I said he was a weak horse back then and would prove to be a faster horse and a better Jumper than him.

He looks no more leke a Harchibald than flying in the air in the Supreme.. He’s weakend from his earlier efforts to slip the field his legs are going all over the joint going to the last ebcause he’s got tired, he clouts it and land flat. by that time the nearest challenger to him for 3rd was Cue Card and despite being tired he keeps trying and find enough to pull a length clear of him again

I just don’t know where you are coming from on this I can’t see any reason to think he’s a bridle horse but plenty reasons to think he might turn out to be something really special, even if I am after timing as the penny never dropped until about the 3rd fence at Donnie on my part. I was very much in the Spirit Son camp last year.

Think on the bright side, It could be years before we know if he’s a bridle horse because as far as I can see unless Al Ferof redeems himself after his last effort and slaughters them tomorrow there may be nothing around that can get him off the bridle

Right, I’ve had a proper look at Sprinter Sacre’s profile and the replay of a few of his races. So I’ll just come out and say it; Bridle Merchant.

And then again at Cheltenham in the Supreme. Cruising, asked by McCoy to pick up, finds nothing.

He didn’t jump the last two hurdles fluently in the Supreme and kike Hurdy.. said if he was a bridle horse he wouldn’t have held off Cue Card.

Hehe.

It’s nothing personal, it’s just your somewhat ‘exuberant’ posting style.

I also agree that Cue Card is a big monkey and finds absolutely nothing off the bridle. Everytime he’s come off the bridle he’s been beaten. No short-head bumper victories for his fans to use in his defence .

I think the thing you have to remember with this horse is he’s been taken along very slowly with chasing being his only target. I would say this season has been the first when the trainer has actually thought about the festival. The vibe I got from Nicky last season was that he didn’t even want him to run at Cheltenham.
I will just point out that in the race with Frascati Park the horse returned sick. He would have pissed up in that race if he was sound (imo of course).
As for being a bridle horse while I agree he’s not a horse who needs rousting up to get hold of the bit I do believe he will always find plenty when asked. The Supreme is the obvious example to bring up as it’s the only race he’s been put under pressure apart from his first bumper run. Now my opinion of that race was although he was getting tired by the time he met the hill after going straight through the last he did keep on to get 3rd. He didn’t totally tie up & if you look at who he was racing with in Cue Card he won that silly battle rather well. That is the only reason he didn’t finish the race off he was taking on a high class much more experienced animal in Cue Card (don’t forget he was many people’s idea of a certainty at the time and flew up the hill in the chelt bumper) at the top of the hill and while strong stayers will get away with it I can’t see how it will ever suit a horse with so much class and speed. I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the main aim in the Game Spirit, win or lose will be to teach this horse to settle in off the pace & use his energy at the right time. If done correctly he will run on stronger and faster than anything over 2 miles, hill or no hill.

"He came here to get experience for Cheltenham. Ruby [Walsh] is delighted and I’m delighted.

I’ve left plenty to work on

and he’ll run in the Arkle unless the other race [the Champion Chase] falls apart, which it won’t."

If Somersby ran near his rating today at Ascot, that would make Al Ferof near 160 after just 3 chase starts.

Also I only saw Ruby give the horse 3 smacks, although about 100 yards in the final furlong is hidden due to the close-up on Somersby and Finian.

Somersby’s been over-rated by about 10 pounds imo, since his frequent run-ins with Master Minded (who is also about 10 pounds too high).

Cheekpieces did seem to change his attitude today although I’d like to see that sort of performance twice in a row before re-assessing him.

I will genuinely be shocked if Sprinter Sacre doesn’t turn out to be better than Somersby. As for Master Minded being overrated what a load of rubbish. He was a fantastic horse look at the races he’s won. At times in an absolute canter.
Al Ferof ran well today I thought. I can see him being tapped for toe but he has a great attitude & he showed that today. I do feel that Sprinter is something a bit different though.

I see that Timeform rate Al Ferof’s third in the Victor Chandler at Ascot yesterday as the best performance by a novice chaser this season – and I couldn’t agree more.

I gather they now rate Al Ferof on 161 and that is 3lb ahead of Grands Crus’ Feltham win (which was 158p).

Although he jumped a bit novicey on occasions, I was delighted with his fencing in the main.

He wasn’t foot perfect, but that is exactly why I ran him in the race. Namely, for the experience in a strongly run, high class race that he is very likely to get in the Arkle -and yesterday’s race will clearly stand him in very good stead.

I know we always say it at this time of the year but this season’s race – with Sprinter Sacre, Peddlers Cross and Cue Card to name but three – really looks a hot renewal. I am under no illusions about that, and that Al Ferof will probably need more than 2m in the future.

But, in summary, I was thrilled with the run – he is fine this morning, along with yesterday’s winners Celestial Halo and Violin Davis – and now it is all systems go for the Arkle.

He won’t run before then and my aim now is to get him ready and at his best for Cheltenham and that is exactly what I will do. As we have seen with him in the past, most obviously when finishing second in the Festival bumper and when winning the Supreme, he is at his best in the Spring too.

So I wouldn’t rule out further improvement in six weeks’ time.

And Timeform also make another interesting point. Now, this year’s race will probably take much more winning, but they rate Al Ferof’s Ascot third yesterday 2lb higher than Captain Chris’ winning Arkle performance last year.

So my eyes are set on Cheltenham in March.

But Ruby is looking further ahead, it seems – in more ways than one.

I can tell you that Ruby was thrilled with yesterday as an Arkle trial.

But he also turned round to John Hales yesterday and said "what a ride he’d be in the King George next season."