- This topic has 14 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by
.
- Posts
This year we have Dodging Bullets, Ptit Zig, Sam Winner, all started out as 3 yr-old hurdlers, now competing at the highest level over fences. The only prevoius one I can recall is Commanche Court, who won the Triumph for Ted Walsh, went on the win an Irish Grand National, a Punchestown Gold Cup, and was possibly unlucky 2nd to Best Mate in th the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Any others?
Is it a coincidence all 3 are trained by Paul Nicholls? A reflection on his training methods or the quality of horses he buys?
This should be your field Bachelors.
A few mentioned already… Countless French breds (probably the majority) ran over hurdles as three-year-olds – Kauto Star, Voy Por Ustedes, Master Minded, Madison du Berlais etc
Well Chief raced as a juvenile but not as a three year old and the same applies to the likes of Vibrato Valtat, Silviniaco Conti and Flagship Uberalles.
Regarding the current crop of chasers, Hinterland, Saphir du Rheu, Irish Saint and Smad Place all ran as three year olds in the UK as did The Young Master although his juvenile campaign was pretty dire. Dynaste, Ma Filleule, Medermit, Twinlight and Unioniste raced over hurdles at three in France but not the UK. Caid du Berlais and Houblon des Obeaux also contested French juveniles and would have ran in the UK as three year olds had the Finale hurdle not been postponed in their respective years.
Well some of the above mentioned already had their careers going for some time in France. Like Long Run, Voy Por Ustedes and of course Master Minded and Kauto Superstar.
But as you can easily see there are very few BRITISH or IRISH breds among them. A few german bred horses can be found and a minimum of roughly 90% of them is French bred.
This shows quite the impact the French have on British and Irish NH racing. And lets not forget that these "new" French bred horses are build to last compared to the French bred in the 90’s.Ah well, if it’s good old British bred examples you want, look no further than Desert Orchid, who began his career with a last flight fall in the Walton Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton.
This year we have Dodging Bullets, Ptit Zig, Sam Winner, all started out as 3 yr-old hurdlers, now competing at the highest level over fences. The only prevoius one I can recall is Commanche Court, who won the Triumph for Ted Walsh, went on the win an Irish Grand National, a Punchestown Gold Cup, and was possibly unlucky 2nd to Best Mate in th the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Any others?
Is it a coincidence all 3 are trained by Paul Nicholls? A reflection on his training methods or the quality of horses he buys?
This should be your field Bachelors.
Reflection on the number of horses going through the Nicholls yard. Stacks of horses don’t make it for one reason or another. NH stores seem the hardest to get going, 4/5 before they do a bumper and about 7 before they seem to get near a chase course, if at all. By then the 3yr old hurdlers are way more advanced be it French of British bred. Look at Nicholls hit rate with the expensive horses bought through the Cheltenham Sales, Italian Master to name one of many. Point to Point expensive purchases seem another way to do your money also.
The great Viking Flagship (half brother to the already mentioned Flagship Uberalles) was trained by Martin Pipe during a relatively low key juvenile hurdle campaign that included his now celebrated success at Lingfield on the all-weather.
Remarkably he was an 18 race maiden on the flat when he joined Pipe – having started off in a 2yo maiden at Naas which was won by another future top class but ill fated National Hunt recruit in Thetford Forest – and it took two runs over obstacles for the little warrior to finally break his duck on his 21st career start.
Few could have imagined the heights he would climb to over fences – especially after Dunwoody decked him at Nottingham on his chasing debut!!! That still hurts to this day!
I remember seeing a classified in the Sporting Life for Viking Flagship seem to remember he was being offered for a relatively modest sum .
Usually they seem to disappear fairly quickly, but Tiger Roll is a real exception. The only comparison I can think of is Commanche Court, who won an Irish Grand National, + was a slightly unlucky second in Best Mates’s first gold Cup, when hitting the last very hard. Katchit won the CH, but form tailed off after that.
I know he just got beat [still hurts] but dear Barizan was still running up till last September [hope he’s ok…].
And there will still be fools rushing to back triumph winners for the following years champion hurdle
The qualities needed to win a Triumph just seem so far removed from those needed to win a top steeplechase, let alone the Grand National
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.