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I had very similar concerns, Steeple. It seemed even more pronounced than at Newbury.
Looking for a strong staying type which races prominently ( I’ve Footpad and Saint Calvados at big odds, if they take each other on then it might be set up for a stayer as in My Way De Solzen’s year )
I think he is hugely exciting and he is definitely carrying my money.
Mr Claisse should ensure there is plenty of cut in the ground on the Tuesday.
Would Saint C have been in the frame in last season’s champion hurdle though?
Sometimes one needs to step back and have a think before parting with cash.
I’m leaning towards agreeing with Mike here. Would Footpad or Petit Mouchoir have been any less impressive had they contested the same races as Saint Calvados? I think not and the two Irish horses have proven to handle quicker conditions and shown top-level form at Cheltenham; neither of which can be said of Saint Calvados.
Gonna be an absolute burn-up going to the first here with Footpad, The Mouch and Saint C all bombing along.
As much as I love Petit Mouchoir, I fear for his jumping in this scenario.
Rated 143 over hurdles, has improved for the switch to the uk, has improved for the step up to fences, i dont see any relevance to the CH whatsoever, up until the turn of the year, NHH was well fancied for this and saint calvados just beat him 40 lengths, nhh rated 153 over fences, yes he was getting weight, but he could have beaten him the same distance without the weight
You have to give the horses merit on what there doing now, not last year, SC was clearly a better horse than what he had shown in france. Footpad clearly better over a fence.
At this point last year you would have said that footpad probably needed further,
You just answered the question perfectly charles, footpad and PM would have won that as impressively, more impressively? Dont think you could have.
I think hes a great e/w bet
ham has made his point for the defence. lol
North Hill Harvey ran like a drain yesterday I thought. Didn’t look like the same horse who ran the time before. Wonder if something will come to light next week.
“at least he’s not got a poor record on good ground like Footpad has”
Initially i thought this, and if you by his record yes he does.
If you go by his performances, it’s not true. His best ratings over hurdles have come in on better ground…Don’t get me wrong that’s because they were in the highest profile races, but the facts are there.
Would Footpad have been a better hurdler ridden more prominently that he was sitting out the back riding for a place? I think so. He suffered due to playing 2nd fiddle a lot of the time to another wpm horse.
This view has come from his improved runs racing more prominently.
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!Fact remains though that Footpad is 0/4 with the word good in the ground description…
Having watched last seasons champion hurdle quite a few times I just think he’s vulnerable to get done for a bit of toe after the last…
The thought by many that his new adopted front running tactics are serving him well is now in question because I don’t see him leading Saint Calvados?
Loved the absolute delight in the face of Harry Whittington all the way through his interview after the race…he was like a kid on Christmas morning! Was also interesting what he said the work rider said that he thinks he’ll be better and quicker on better ground…
As for Footpad and PM beating yesterday’s field just as easy…does that not also work the other way round?
Before beating PM…Footpad in two chases has beaten a horse rated 145 eleven lengths and a horse rated 139 eleven lengths, then obviously beat PM with the same rival as before in 3rd…
Saint Calvados has besting a horse rated 127 nine lengths, although that horse is 144 over hurdles and since being thrashed by SC has won a competitive hurdle at Cheltenham and finished a good 5th in yesterday’s Betfair hurdle…he then trounced a horse rated 138 by 10 lengths and yesterday beat a 143 and 149 rated couple of horses by 22 lengths and 17 lengths…
One is a shade of odds on and one is 7/1 NRNB…I know who the value is there…
I like them both, and will leave it until closer to the time to decide who i bet in this race…
Footpads tactics of being more prominent seem to be serving him better regardless of SC. Footpad was ridden held up over hurdles, a fair bit different to getting a lead of SC for example.
its obvious hes 0-4 and you are making that a negative, which is fair enough, but do you not buy into ratings even a little bit? They suggest hes been every bit as good with good in the description.
That, to me means there are less question marks over footpad on the ground than SC.
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!A work rider think he’ll be better on better ground? Why don’t the trainer come out and say it?
Connections have to stay positive really but ground is an unknown for sure and my gut feeling is at the business end he’ll get left behind by either or both the Irish horses on better ground. Time will tell.
Fact remains though that Footpad is 0/4 with the word good in the ground description…
Footpad has shown himself to be fully effective on decent ground Zamorston, just because he doesn’t have ‘1’ beside the run doesn’t mean he didn’t run to form. Looking at those four runs, his best hurdles form came on a sounder surface.
1 – Held up off a slow pace in the, not best placed in the race, finished third, as good as anything he had achieved at the time.
2 – Second to Petit Mouchoir at Leopardstown, beaten a length when seemingly unfancied.
3 – Just behind Petit Mouchoir again in the Champion Hurdle, fourth. These two runs were his best over hurdles.
4 – A distant third in the stayers hurdle at Punchestown, travelling well but looking a blatant non-stayer.
You didn’t mention he also has run on Yielding this season, which is the Irish equivalent of good to soft, and won as he liked.
Whatever beats Footpad, I doubt it will be the ground.
The thought by many that his new adopted front running tactics are serving him well is now in question because I don’t see him leading Saint Calvados?
I would think connections would be happy to drop in and take a lead, as they did at Christmas. It’s not the tactics that have made the difference this season with Footpad, its his jumping.
My immediate thought after yesterday’s rout by Saint Calvados was that the Arkle is shaping up to be one of the races of the week if the four main contenders get there.
Saint Calvados is arguably the most exciting horse of the season so far and I see a few tipping him now for the Arkle saying they’re not concerned about the ground. If he had a normal action I’d be inclined to take the chance and back him, but everything about that knee action says ‘deep ground specialist’. There’s no evidence he will be as effective on good ground or good to soft; he’s run on neither.
It would be great to see a small trainer win the Arkle and I’ll be rooting for him, but I won’t be backing him unless it’s proper soft ground.
I think the most impressive aspect of Saint Calvados’ performance yesterday, other than the wide margin of his victory, was the speed over his fences. He was taking lengths out of the field. He was fast and low and it was difficult to envisage him falling at a fence.
As a betting proposition at the moment I too am concerned about his knee action with respect to his suitability for good ground.
SteepleChasing – I’m not sure I understand your comment, or concern, with him jumping straight-backed and how that could cause a problem at Cheltenham. His jumping looked A1 from my perspective. Are you implying that if he didn’t meet a fence in the perfect stride he would need to flex his jumping style?
CNC, no, he just doesn’t bend his spine properly, so that affects the back end much more than the front. He caught his back legs a bit in the birch 5 out, 2 out and, less noticeably at the last although he’d be entitled to a couple of tired jumps there.
When I saw him first at Newbury I thought he was an accident waiting to happen given that stiffness, but it says an awful lot for him that his power mostly overcomes the lack of flexibility. But it will be costly in energy and he doesn’t help himself in that department either with his enthusiasm, which is great to watch but he gave himself quite a hard race yesterday. To keep doing that you need to be a Denman, which he might well be, but I’ll hold off for now.
Anyway, as to Cheltenham, the third last was the one which came immediately to mind. With more experience in him I wouldn’t be so wary, but attacking that at speed on goodish ground when you’re not sure to get your backend up and clear is a daunting prospect.
I sincerely hope he pulls it off. I enjoy watching him, especially those big ears which seem permanently pricked in anticipation of the next fence. His attitude is wonderful but Coleman will need to get him under considerably more control or he’ll burn out before his time. Still, he’s the most exciting horse I’ve seen since Vautour.
Would Saint C have been in the frame in last season’s champion hurdle though?
Sometimes one needs to step back and have a think before parting with cash.Mike, he was only 4 last season, therefore he wasn’t allowed to run in the race.
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