- This topic has 91 replies, 31 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 10 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
A romp giving weight away in a handicap, a defeat of the Arkle winner (and future Champion Chaser) over an inadequate 2m, thoroughly gubbing the best staying chasers around in a Grade 1 over 3m, an effortless King George win, a battling win conceding 10lbs to the previous season’s Gold Cup 4th……………………….a comprehensive Gold Cup victory……………you know……….that kind of stuff.
None of these performances in isolation spell ‘greatness’, but when viewed in context over the course of a single season, they do. IMO, at least.
Spot on GH. Let’s hope for more of the similar this year, or perhaps more pertinently that his busy (by modern standards) annus mirabilis hasn’t soured the horse; his run at Aintree continues to nag.
Mmmm…it was a slightly peculiar effort. Giving 14lbs to Monet’s Garden around Aintree (he’s never been out of the first two at this venue in his entire career) was a difficult task but he never really travelled.
Did anyone else think that he looked uninterested?
Mmmm…it was a slightly peculiar effort. Giving 14lbs to Monet’s Garden around Aintree (he’s never been out of the first two at this venue in his entire career) was a difficult task but he never really travelled.
As you intimate, on the figures the run was more than satisfactory, as was his attitude in the closing stages, but horses that fanny about like he did for much of the race don’t exactly fill me with confidence next-time-out, particularly young French-breds with nigh on twenty runs behind them.
Sincerely hope he’s the horse he was last year
Haven’t scrutinised the Betfair Chase yet but a far from straightforward analysis is anticipated
over 2 miles, 2 miles 4, 3 miles or 3 miles 2, moscow would have beaten best mate. best mate was good, but not great, and was lucky not to come up against many good horses. just look at his rating! beating sir rembrandt by a neck, please!!!!
over 2 miles, 2 miles 4, 3 miles or 3 miles 2, moscow would have beaten best mate. best mate was good, but not great, and was lucky not to come up against many good horses. just look at his rating! beating sir rembrandt by a neck, please!!!!
Not a bit of wonder that i don’t look on here much lateley, with ignorant mugs like dave posting.
dave, get yourself another hobby, as you know feck all about horse racing.
I am 95% behind Grasshopper on this. They never took any chances with Best Mate and lets face it he never exactly scooshed up in his Gold Cups. He never really shone like a superstar and definately lacked that sparkle Kauto has.
But what of Kauto….Let’s say he wins tomorrow then he will be odds on for Kempton. If he then won at Kempten easily, we are likely to see the smallest field for the Gold Cup in years.
So we get to the point where have a real champion. Then what?
They won’t run him in the Hennessy, he’ll come back for the Betfair next year.
The days of champions humping 12stone lbs in the Hennessy are gone.
Look back the results and see the last time a class horse Like Kauto or Best Mate even ran let alone won the race.
I would love to see Kauto win giving away 10lbs and more to the best of the rest, but it just isn’t going to happen.
He’s already better than Best Mate anyone with half a clue about racing can see that, but you can’t take anything away from Best Mate cos he didn’t do what no other Gold Cup star is likely to do either…
They never took any chances with Best Mate and lets face it he never exactly scooshed up in his Gold Cups.
Not sure what your definition of scooshed is, but a 10 length victory in his second Gold Cup where he had the race sewn up 3 out was pretty impressive. Chives and Valley Henry who tried to match strides with him that day folded in the straight and were never the same again!
When you see what nutcases the rest of his family were, the Hen deserves plenty of credit for keeping him so sweet that he proved so consistent.
over 2 miles, 2 miles 4, 3 miles or 3 miles 2, moscow would have beaten best mate. best mate was good, but not great, and was lucky not to come up against many good horses. just look at his rating! beating sir rembrandt by a neck, please!!!!
Over two miles, more than probably.
Over three and beyond, Moscow Flyer wouldn’t have lived with Best Mate; a horse who in my mind is comparable to (if not better than), any Gold Cup winner in the last 20 years. His second Gold Cup win simply oozed class. I don’t know why he is suddenly so maligned.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
It’s because, as Henrietta Knight said at the time he does everything so easily…therefore didn’t look impressive.
Best Mate; a horse who in my mind is comparable to (if not better than), any Gold Cup winner in the last 20 years. His second Gold Cup win simply oozed class. I don’t know why he is suddenly so maligned.
There’s nothing sudden about it, old boy. You should have been here the day Kicking King won his Gold Cup. Some appalling stuff was directed Best Mate’s way that day but it wasn’t the first time.
Trouble is horses can only compete with their peers of the time. The better the opposition the higher you will be rated.. Dancing Brave, Arkle, Nijinsky etc etc
If Kauto Star wins the gold cup this year and Denman, MWDS, Exotic Dancer et al line up he will in my book become a better horse than Best Mate..
Trouble is horses can only compete with their peers of the time. The better the opposition the higher you will be rated.. Dancing Brave, Arkle, Nijinsky etc etc
If Kauto Star wins the gold cup this year and Denman, MWDS, Exotic Dancer et al line up he will in my book become a better horse than Best Mate..
The posts I have made on this forum prove that I’m a huge Best Mate fan. Aragorn, your final paragraph is spot-on.
It’s because, as Henrietta Knight said at the time he does everything so easily…therefore didn’t look impressive.
And John Gosden said Nannina needed ten furlongs before she hosed up over a mile at Ascot.
When will people stop taking trainer / jockey speak as gospel?
It’s because, as Henrietta Knight said at the time he does everything so easily…therefore didn’t look impressive.
Yup she said it right after they said something about being as good as Arkle. Even the frogs in the local duck pond were having a laugh at their expense and she had to say something.
Once he wasnt too fresh Moscow would win every time. With benefit of hindsight I wondered whether they shouldnt have tried Moscow over 3 in his final year .Barry G always said he would have got the three miles.
Pity Foot and Mouth robbed us of Moscow Flyer vs Istrabraq at cheltenham but I guess he might never have gone chasing then
.One Man, Desert Orchid, Dawn Run all won good races at 2m and 3m but I just don’t think Moscow would have got 3m.
Fast as he was he wouldn’t have beat Istabraq …we are talking about one of the best Champion Hudlers of all time here………I know he was a very good hurdler but had chaser written all over him……Look at the great Flyingbolt, he was beaten easily by Salmon Spray and he was a much better horse than Moscow IMO.,
Pretty sure the yard and Jockey would know his ultimate trip and had they thought for a minute he would have got 3m he would certainly have run in the King George.
Kempton is probably the easiest 3 miles in the country to get.
I
Who’s to say that Moscow wouldn’t have stayed 3 miles, or even won a gold cup. Barry Geraghty said that he was at is "Awsome best" over 2 1/2 miles and believed he would get 3.
Also, at a premium time for 2m chasers, Moscow was always king regardless of track or ground conditions.
Best mate wasn’t so good when taken out of his comfort zone at Cheltenham…. A hammering by beef or salmon at leopardstown springs to mind.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.