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Okay, so he’s never going to show his form around Prestbury Park, but that should not detract from his ability. His Lexus win in December is the performance that marls him down as being Europe’s finest staying chaser.
He won that day by 4 lengths barely having to come off the bridle and value a bit extra to boot. Has anyone noticed the three horses that chased him home? They were War of Attrition, Forget The Past and Hedgehunter. Those three may be more adaptable but clearly the Beef has their measure when he gets optimum conditions.<br>
Absolute rubbish
Doing it in very limited conditions proves little to me
a very odd "best stayer in chasing" that gets slaughtered in the ultimate test year after year (and also ducks the no2 race at kempton)
I like versatility in the "best staying chaser". The forumites will abosutely sluaghter me for this but the best staying chaser in my opinion will be TRABOLGAN. Will place at least in 2007 Gold Cup and win in 2008. Top horse. :o
"…doing it in very limited conditions…ducks the number two race at Kempton…"
Does that mean Beef or Salmon is comparable to Best Mate then, clivex?
Granted, he came good at the Festival, but you have said yourself that Cheltenham isn’t the be all and end all of National Hunt racing and considering that, the two horses are identical.<br>The only difference I suppose is that Beef Or Salmon actually looked good in his tin-pot races.
(Edited by LetsGetRacing at 8:19 pm on Mar. 17, 2006)
Clivex
Which horse in training has proved he is versatile under all conditions? War of Attrition won very well today, but you could argue he had his optimum conditions today i.e. a test of stamina on a sound surface (suits a lot of Presentings).
Why should the Gold Cup be the be all and end all. Not every horse will get its optimum conditions at the festival. What they do at other times throughout the season should not be belittled because they run poorly in unsuitable conditions.
I did rate Best Mate. Not seen out quite enough maybe but a superb jumper and a good traveller
Constantly winning against small fields with often only one genuine competitor, however impressively, does not compare with beating the full cream of the crop wherever that may be
I do agree that the GC isnt the be all and end all. I would say the KGV has constantly had higher rated winners, but BOS has ducked that too. Granted he had a decent alternative but to prove a few points, you would have thought that it would have been targeted one year? Although Sandown railways fences and Kemptons testing jumps may be the real reason….
The key to BOS is the ground and he needs it soft. On soft ground I’d agree he is the best staying chaser around.
Trabolgan is potentially up there at the top of the tree but needs to prove it against the best in a championship race.
War of Attrition reminded me today of KK last year. Travelled strongly and looked in command all the way round before drawing clear fairly readily. This was only his second race over three miles or further and he looked ideally suited by it. You’d have to say that in the absence of KK he’s been the best around this season bar on soft ground where an in-the-mood BOS would appear to have his measure.
Beef Or Salmon off the menu next year
by Andrew King
<br>BEEF OR SALMON’S Gold Cup tale of woe continued on his fourth attempt in the race when he trailed home a never dangerous 11th of the 18 finishers as the 4-1 favourite. <br>Having not won outside of Ireland in his 30-race career there is now a major chancethat Beef Or Salmon has made his last journey to the Festival, according to trainer Michael Hourigan.
“I have to believe the people now,â€ÂÂ
More than that…
Wouldnt fancy him in osft at sandown or kempton with the quick fences or in soft in a big handicap field either…
I wouldn’t fancy Hedgehunter, WOA, Kicking King and co to beat him on soft ground at Leopardstown etc…would you? Give the horse a bit of credit. Be interesting to see if BOS and WOA clash at Punchestown.
Well yes aidan ..perhaps (although WOA could continue to improve and I wouldnt be so sure about KK), but thats a rather more limited scenario than it would be for most other contenders isnt it?
Thats the point really, although as ive said before, would have been good (and maybe beneficial) if he had been campaigned a little farther and wider
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