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BIg race day in the US this Saturday, first post at 12:50pm EDT which I think is 5:50pm UK time. Biggest hurdle race of the day and of the season is at 8:50pm GMT. All races will be livestreamed by the NSA at http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com. Not sure if any bookmakers have odds on them but there is parimutuel wagering.
Ground is looking likely to be good to firm which helps our old champion Snap Decision. There are three Irish horses – Gordon Elliott’s Zanahyr and Fil Dor and Gavin Cromwell’s Ballysax Hank. It looks like Ballysax Hank might handle quick ground the best, though this is Cromwell’s first jumps starter in the US and Keith Donoghue’s first ride in the US. Would be quite something for them to win the Grand Pardubice and American Grand National within a week.
Gordon Elliott has a starter in each of the other jumps races – see entries here https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FH101825USA-EQB.html He’s brought Danny Gilligan and Jack Kennedy to ride for him, while Danny Mullins has several rides for US-based trainers.
Odds are available here:
https://www.oddschecker.com/horse-racing/far-hills/20:50/winner
Prize money isn’t great, is it? $250,000 for the American Grand National……..risible money.
The “Grand National” in the name of this hurdle race is kind of a historical quirk – in the late 19th century Americans being the uncultured swine we are kind gave the name Grand National to jumps races to sound important. There’s another Grand National ran in Maryland in April that’s a bit more fitting for the name, ran over timber fences at 3m2f.
The AGN’s purse is actually lower than it used to be. For a while there was a deal with the Breeder’s Cup and it was named the Breeder’s Cup Steeplechase (there was also a few years where a separate Breeder’s Cup Steeplechase was ran in addition to the AGN just to make things even more confusing) and had a purse as high as $450k. $250k isn’t nothing but I agree it and the purses of other G1 jumps races here should be higher
Thanks for putting the links up Miss Woodford. I enjoy watching these meets and the settings are gorgeous. Jeez but there’s some faffing about though- they eventually go down to the start then mill about for ages.
I see the US is not immune to our affliction of having some novice hurdles with a farcical lack of pace on. Some of the runners were losing their minds with frustration in that last race- already having sweated up at the start. Elliot’s runner noticeably relaxed and professional. I liked the look of Danny Mullins’ mount in the paddock but he did well to get it home in 4th, it looked unrideable for the first mile.
Zanahiyr nearly had Kennedy off at one of the obstacles and wasn’t travelling at all to start with but did well to get up and win. Things got a bit rough, poor Snap nearly got skittled through the cones down the inner. Interesting race to watch though. Elliott’s horses earning their corn today.
I’ll back Fleetfoot in the last, jockey said it was his best chance of a winner. Peak Zarak the Brave would’ve wiped the floor with these though.
A masterclass by Elliott and Kennedy today! American hurdles are bigger than Irish hurdles, more similar to French, that probably confused Zanahiyr but his class showed all the same. Glad to see his owners came over, there will be a heck of a party tonight for sure.
Snap finished well but I suspect this might be his swan song.
Aga Khan breeds Arc winner , Champion Stakes winner and American GN winner in space of a few weeks .
Bit of a dopey ride by the jockeys on the front runners. The one sat on the other’s girth for about a mile. Would they not come to a quick agreement for one to go forward and one to tuck in, not sit there like lemons letting their horses light each other up like the Craigyhill bonfire? (or whatever US equivalent ).
Anyway, didn’t have much on my sole bet of the meeting but quite happy with that, the best horse won. Thanks as usual Miss Woodford for drawing our attention to the races and if Snap is retired I hope he gets a party too
“I’ll back Fleetfoot in the last, jockey said it was his best chance of a winner. Peak Zarak the Brave would’ve wiped the floor with these though”.
Just noticed that Fleetfoot is owned by Molly and Paul Willis. They have several horses with Adam Nicol, our local trainer. But I had no idea they owned horses in America, too. Does anyone know anything about them?The Willis’s started their stable of jumpers in the US a few years ago. They have full ownership of a handful of horses with multiple trainers and have stakes in several others. Their best American horse is Jimmy P (co-owned with Madaket Stables) who has won the G1 Jonathan Sheppard at Saratoga two years running.
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