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This horse is entered In a grade 2 novice chase at Wincanton on Saturday.
Looked potentially top class when winning its first 4 races, beating very good opposition on the bridle before it finished 16th in the Coral cup at Cheltenham. Not seen since.
Obviously had his problems and is now back with Robert Walford where he started before moving to Nicky Henderson.
Has the talent to be a top chaser but fitness not assured
Thoughts???
DEEMAN
This horse is entered In a grade 2 novice chase at Wincanton on Saturday.
Looked potentially top class when winning its first 4 races, beating very good opposition on the bridle before it finished 16th in the Coral cup at Cheltenham. Not seen since.
Obviously had his problems and is now back with Robert Walford where he started before moving to Nicky Henderson.
Has the talent to be a top chaser but fitness not assured
Thoughts???
DEEMAN
He hasn’t actually gone back to Robert Walford – it was Robert Alner who originally trained him, fwiw.
I’d also argue that he never looked a potential top-notcher, merely very well handicapped, winning off a mark of 114 at Cheltenham on debut for Henderson. The runner-up that day has improved out of sight since.
Tim is still going.
I think he’s training nearby to where the Alners’ were in Dorset,might even be their old yard.
Not sure to be honest,but one winner and a third from three runners isn’t a bad start.
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I’d also argue that he never looked a potential top-notcher, merely very well handicapped, winning off a mark of 114 at Cheltenham on debut for Henderson. The runner-up that day has improved out of sight since.
Whilst he was undoubtedly very well handicapped, it was hard not to be impressed by Aegean Dawn in those two runs in the autumn of 2010: he laughed at Dynaste at Cheltenham and then outpaced Mille Chief at Ascot- that ill-fated gelding bolted in under top weight in a Sandown handicap (off an OR of 145) on his next start, before following up in the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
It’s all well and good saying that Dynaste has improved since, but it was perfectly reasonable to have expected Aegean Dawn to have done so too: the Pipe gelding was having his fifth run that day, whilst it was only Aegean Dawn’s third racecourse appearance. Throw in the fact that he has the build and pedigree of a three mile steeplechaser (dam a half-sister to Cool Dawn), and that he was under the tutelage of one of the two best trainers in the game, and it was perfectly reasonable to have expected Aegean Dawn to progress into a top-class performer.
Obviously, he has had his problems since and has now left Seven Barrows, so a watching brief is advised, but Aegean Dawn is one of those horses who could have gone to the very top. Who knows; he still might.
Not knocking Aegean Dawn per se – plenty of people thought the handicapper had made a huge mistake, and that he deserved a mark nearer 130 than the one he started on, but there’s an enormous gulf between "useful" and "top class", and that’s the simple point I’m making. I hope he does well for Robert Walford, and I’m delighted to see Paul Murphy giving him a chance with both Aegean Dawn and Carole’s Destiny.
Bit of info re: the Walford/Alner setup here:
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