- This topic has 297 replies, 56 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
My lasting impression of Kalahari king is the one of him sauntering round Cheltenham into 4th place behind Captain Cee Bee! i felt that day he was a horse to watch when he jumped a fence.On closer inspection he has now ran 30 times, admittedly winning 9 of them, but he just doesn"t have the scope of some of the lightly raced Arkle pretenders in my opinion! I could see him running well at Aintree for some reason!
Equi let’s be honest apart from looking good none of them have acheived anything by Arkle Standards………PN horse looks the part but most half decent horses look good when the opposition falls apart.
Reminds me of thet thing of Cecil’s they made fav for the guineas…….he wa the bees and E’s, this and that come Guineas day he was where?
All you can do is use your judgement and guess at this stage but to talk about what they have achieved over fences is crazy.
- Total Posts 17716
So how can you justify Kalahari King’s form being ‘as good if not better’ than Tatenen’s if comparing their chase form is crazy, and the pair ran only half a dozen times over hurdles between them?
At this stage judgement and interpretation are the major factors in ante-post betting in novice markets (rather than a solid history to analyse and query), but there has to be a degree of evaluation and comparison using whatever information is available. On that basis there can be no denying that Tatenen has been incredibly impressive thus far and would appear to be, at the moment at least, some way ahead of the likes of Kalahari King.
I’m not suggesting that 5/2 or even 7/2 is worth taking but, then again, I didn’t back him at those prices. My main interest in the race, by some margin, is still I’msingingtheblues, but I’m infinitely more confident about Tatenen now than I am him. Perhaps your ante-post liabilities are making your mind up for you, Fists?
I have backed Kalahari King at 25/1 and while it would be very rewarding if he won I may well back something else nearer the time.
I think we are along way off getting to the bottom of this puzzle and it wouldn’t suprise me if neither horses started favourite or were out the first three.
Quite an interesting race in prospect at Newbury on Thursday.
Calgary Bay, French Opera, Pasco and Straw Bear are all entered at the four day declaration stage for the Rooney / Hall Beginners’ Chase at 12.55.
A few people some bad words to say about Cagary Bay which I really don’t understand. He went into my note book as a sure fire chasing prospect and I for one can’t wait to see him run over fences…thanks for the info, will look out for that race.
A few people some bad words to say about Cagary Bay which I really don’t understand. He went into my note book as a sure fire chasing prospect and I for one can’t wait to see him run over fences…thanks for the info, will look out for that race.
He was always going to improve with a fence to jump. He’s a big, good looking horse and comparisons with Best Mate have already started.
Henrietta thinks the world of him and called him a ‘superstar of the future’ – something she has only said about one other horse. I think we all know who that was!
AP also said last season that he was a potential Arkle horse.
He defeated Supreme Novice third Snap Tie, who recently conquered Katchit, last season at Cheltenham, with I’msingingtheblues third. He ran a fine race behind the smart Deep Purple and leading Royal & SunAlliance hope, Breedsbreeze, in the Tolworth. On his final start he found only Planet Of Sound too good, with Free World back in fourth.
I think he will need to improve slightly to take a hand in the Arkle, but I don’t think any of the afforementioned novice chase prospects possess the same level of physical potential that he does for chasing.
The only concern I have this week is that Henrietta Knight has only trained one winner from fifty-seven runners in six months. She landed the Bumper at Ludlow on Monday.
If Straw Bear runs, it will tell us how he compares to the likes of Tatenen.
I knew that
The Arkle is probably one of the hardest races to work outat this early stage……More than a few of us will remember Noland being all the race for this and I can remember thinking he was a good thing and chuffed to bits I had got 16/1…….as we know he was all but a total flop in comparison to what motsst of us expected.Calgary Bay could be awesome over fences but it’s a bit early for Best Mate talks as Noland proved.No doubt he is a good horse but another Best Mate? Wonder if Terry had been on the juice and was standing behind her pulling the strings when she said that
If they moved him elsewhere he could well become top notch (I agree he has the physique of a chaser) but I can’t help thinking Hen and Terry have lost it.
If you were kipped up with baw jaws Biddlecombe everynight you would lose it too
She goes to bed sober and wakes up drunk - Total Posts 17716
Henrietta Knight made similar comparisons when Racing Demon won over hurdles some four years ago, and whilst he turned out to be undoubtedly smart the fortunes of West Lockinge Farm were somewhat greater.
I can’t help but think, as has already been suggested, that things just aren’t working for Knight and Biddlecombe at the moment. I’ve never been a fan of the pair, but when someone like Jim Lewis decides to jump ship then it’s not difficult to imagine that there are problems.
I don’t know if he’ll reach the level clearly expected of him, but if he does I sincerely hope that we’re not treated to another career-long cotton wool debacle.
He’s definitely one to watch, but I wouldn’t get carried away by anything Knight had to say.
May I suggest Kicks For Free as a long shot.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Calgary Bay has not been declared to run at Newbury tomorrow. Straw Bear and Pasco are the only notable entries after French Opera fell in the 1.00 at Kempton this afternoon.
Interesting you should mention Kicks For Free, Himself. It will be very interesting to see if connections take him down the Arkle or SunAlliance route.
I like an Arkle contender who has demonstrated form over further and he ran a solid race in the Long Distance Hurdle last year. He’s no plodder, though, and always travels in his races.
He could run in a hot Novice race at Newbury on Friday, where Afsoun, Breedsbreeze and Ring The Boss are also entered. Will be interesting to see Nicholls choice for the race, can’t see him running both.
- Total Posts 17716
Just on Henrietta Knight, she looks to have a really nice horse on her hands in Somersby who won in impressive fashion at Kempton this afternoon. Gorgeous animal and already built for fences.
After Best Mate and Edredon Bleu I think the thread is hard on HK and TB.
Maybe our expectation is too high.
Mind you Jim jumping ship is a very good point.That could be down to a clash of personalities and shouldn’t come into it really.Unfortunatelly former George Best’s drinking buddy Terry Biddlecombe might scare of big owners from putting a horse in the yard.
He was one of the greatest jockeys ever to sit on a horse and everyone loved the guy but that means nothing now….to say he is drink damaged is an understatement.
They won 3 Gold Cups and no matter what they do now that can’t be taken away from them……TB is an old hero of mines and I have no idea if he is on the sauce or off it I hope it’s the latter.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.