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I often wondered why Moscow Flyer was never tried over 3 miles. He won over 2+1/2 on soft ground over hurdles, He won the Melling chase running away, seemed to have plenty of stamina, he was the best of a brilliant generation who gave outstanding weight-carrying performances. The Gold Cup is much more prestigious than the 2-mile Champion, so you’d think it would have been worth a shot. Obviously Jessica Harrington knew something we didn’t.
Of the current crop, Sizing Europe and Somersby are the only likely 3-milerFlyingbolt
Won the Champ chase and Irish National.
The only others to spring to mind:
Crisp – based on ’73 National
A young Kauto Star probably could done the double if he had a 100 day break in between.
- Total Posts 17716
Desert Orchid.
Placed only in
Queen Mother
and
Tingle Creek
, but won the
Victor Chandler
(2M 1F) under a huge weight, beating Panto Prince and Vodkatini. And all these were during, not before, his exploits in
King George, Gold Cup
and
Irish National
.
I’m surprised, and a little disappointed, at the lack of respons to this thread. So mnay horses are pigeon-holed; e.g could Big Bucks compete over 2 miles? Could Badsworth Boy have won a King George?
Is it right that horse like Big Bucks and Moscow Flyer are allowed to settle for the lesser prize?Thought I’d never say it, but SS could be as good as Arkle. Absolutely magnificent, even allowing that SE is slightly past his best. He finishes so full of running and is so superior, surely he’ll stay 3 miles. The competition there is fiercer, the prizes bigger, the prestige greater. Come on Nicky, think about it; SS can do it!
I think 188 underestimates him. Wishful thinking is a decent yardstick and he’s smashed him by 25 lengths.
Awesome.
Great performance. Great horse.
Despite his class, I can’t see him staying 3 1/4 miles in a true run race at Cheltenham.
Better than Arkle – lets wait and see shall we.
Where are the Mill House’s on his C.V. ?If he remains at 2 miles there won’t be any Mill Houses. It’ll be penalty kicks for the next few years. SS is amazing and I want him to be allowed to prove it. 2-milers just don’t get the same recognition. The 2 biggest NH races each year are the KG and the GC; SS should be thrashing them in those contests as well. If he doesn’t stay, though I think he will, he can go back to 2 miles
If Sprinter Sacre sticks to 2-milers, he’ll be the next Big Buck’s. Well-regarded, the best such-and-such distance horse of all time, but not in the same esteem as Arkle or Kauto Star.
Thought I’d never say it, but SS could be as good as Arkle. Absolutely magnificent, even allowing that SE is slightly past his best. He finishes so full of running and is so superior, surely he’ll stay 3 miles. The competition there is fiercer, the prizes bigger, the prestige greater. Come on Nicky, think about it; SS can do it!
Be fair, crazy idea at this stage.
Sprinter Sacre needs a two mile pace to settle. He’d pull his head off in the Gold Cup. May be class will enable him to get 2m4f now, but his greatest attribute is speed so likely to be best at 2 miles for the time being.May be IF (a big if) Sprinter Sacre learns to settle like Desert Orchid eventually did – it
might
be possible in a couple of years time to
think
about the Gold Cup.
Value Is EverythingIf Sprinter Sacre sticks to 2-milers, he’ll be the next Big Buck’s. Well-regarded, the best such-and-such distance horse of all time, but not in the same esteem as Arkle or Kauto Star.
Except the 2 Mile Chase division is without question a stronger division than the staying hurdle division.
I wondered how long it would take before the customary fools come out of the woodwork to spout errenous ideas on divisions and their value relative to others.
Ratings are based on form ; not the distance they ran over. A 19 lengths demolition of Sizing Europe destroys any peak Big Bucks form. Big Bucks is a great horse, Sprinter Sacre is a contempary monster.
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