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It would be an unbelievable decision really not to just add the token entry…it also makes me wonder whether it was an error that is trying to be covered up? The quote from earlier is a very short and abrupt one…I may be reading too much into it but it seems to me from someone who wasn’t happy about the decision?
As has been said…there were plenty of quotes kicking about after the Gold Cup saying both the Betfair and King George were serious targets…fair enough if they choose the Hennessy over Haydock but at least the option of Haydock is still alive…I can’t believe they wouldn’t have had a KG entry to fall back on as Mark Bradstock himself said there really is a limited amount of races he can go for…Betfair and KG being two out of six he stated…
What happens now if the good old unpredictable British weather throws us a week of nice weather at the back end of the month and we end up with decent ground at Newbury? They bang on about how dependant the horse is with underfoot conditions and I’d say it’s almost certain they wouldn’t run him carrying top weight around Newbury if there isn’t a decent amount of give in the ground…where does that leave their campaign then? A last minute 10k supplement for the King George?
Strange decision…really strange…
Think you are strangely ignoring the fact they have always and consistently said they were aiming for the Hennesey and the Gold Cup SC.
We may disagree with this, but I have no idea why you would “strongly suspect” they forgot?
I’d ask everyone slagging Coneygree’s connections if they felt the same when Denman was never aimed at the KG? Of course not. Let’s not criticise the little guy if Paul Nicholls was above reproach.
Maybe it was easier for Paul Nicholls to persuade Denman’s owners to go to the Hennessy as he had quite a decent horse from his yard dominating King George’s at the time! A luxury that will never be at the Bradstock’s door….
Judging from some of the comments above about Coneygree, there are some here who appear to be convinced that the connections of a horse are under some kind of obligation ‘to punters’.
Perhaps somebody can explain what this obligation might be.
The Hennessy option probably also has something to do with her late father Lord Oaksey who won the race in 1958 on Taxidermist and not only bred Coneygree but also Carruthers who won the 2011 Hennessy. Traditionally back in the day it used to be the big test for a Gold Cup horse because there wasn’t the limited handicap or level weight races around to tempt them away. Imho a win carrying top weight in a Hennessy has much more gravitas to it than a King George win.
Coneygree is a strong relentless out and out galloper (very Denmanesque) that doesn’t have a noted change of gear, he has to be ridden from the front so he can gallop his rivals silly, therefore, he will always be much better suited to the likes of a Newbury and Cheltenham over Kempton.
Yes he was visually very impressive at Kempton but with the exception of Saphir Du Rheu (who fell early on) he was up against vastly inferior opponents (hence my earlier comment about a mickey mouse race) and his winning time was 6m 7.70sec compared to Silviniaco Conti’s King George that was run 4sec quicker at 6m 3.30sec. Would Coneygree have been able to have run 4sec faster at any point in his race or was he only capable of maintaining the same pace he was galloping at?
I believe in the cold light of day that his connections know in their hearts that he does have the basic speed to deal with the likes of a Vatour, Don Cossack et al around Kempton and that is why he wasn’t even entered – I can’t see Newbury being allowed to get any faster than good to soft come Hennessy day and that will be no problem to him especially going another 2f.
With regards to Denman, didn’t he have issues running on a right handed course which meant the King George was a no no – I seem to remember him getting beaten a long way by the inferior Madison Du Berlais at Kempton one day and also jumping markedly out to his left at Punchestown when also beaten in the Guinness Gold Cup.
TTC, I don’t have any ‘ideas’ about either Coneygree or the Bradstocks. Their professionalism or lack of it doesn’t come into it: the biggest of trainers have made entry errors. I’ve no financial interest in the horse running in the KG, in fact, I backed Vautour for it back in March. It suits me fine for Coneygree to miss it.
What I was commenting on, as many in racing were, was the utter lack of apparent logic in not entering the horse. There has to be a reason for that decision. They surely did not simply never give any consideration whatsoever to the KG for such an impressive Gold Cup winner. Past reports indicate they had every intention of running him. Perhaps they changed their minds, as they’re perfectly entitled to do. But why not just say that? Even after time, there is nothing stopping them from simply saying ‘We changed our minds’
Does it seem to you a logical decision?
With regards to Denman, didn’t he have issues running on a right handed course which meant the King George was a no no – I seem to remember him getting beaten a long way by the inferior Madison Du Berlais at Kempton one day and also jumping markedly out to his left at Punchestown when also beaten in the Guinness Gold Cup.
The defeat at Kempton was after his very lengthy lay-off for heart issues – although he won the Hennessey off 174 the following year, I personally don’t think Denman was ever at his best again after the 2007/2008 season / lay-off. To me that made the Hennessey win all the more astonishing.
I find it hard to believe a peak and rampant Denman wouldn’t have served it up to Kauto Star on Boxing Day 2007, but we’ll never know now that is for sure!
SC – I would have entered him if it was up to me, but I think its unfair to accuse them of a lack of professionalism (“they must have forgot”). A lack of communication? That is a fair point to debate, perhaps.
BUY THE SUN
It was a well known fact Denman did not like going right handed. LD73 is correct in saying MDB slammed him in his comeback run although only a month or so later Denman finished 2nd in the GC well clear of MDB. So I don’t think he would have been near KS in any of his KG’s.
Like SC I can’t offer any explanation why they would not enter him in the KG. Even if they run in the Hennessy surely you would see how he came out of the race and if not quite 100% then you withdraw him and all guns blazing for the GC. You only have to look at his run on Boxing Day last year to see he doesn’t mind the track. But just not to enter him whilst fit and at the top of his game is folly IMO
I’d ask everyone slagging Coneygree’s connections if they felt the same when Denman was never aimed at the KG? Of course not. Let’s not criticise the little guy if Paul Nicholls was above reproach.
Denman was entered in the Lexus in the 2007/08 season. You can probably understand why he wasn’t entered in any of the Christmas races the next two seasons (2008/09 Heart problems and 2009/10 Winning the Hennessy off top weight just 4 weeks earlier after these well reported heart problems).
Well well well, don’t I look a muppet! Apologies Steeplechasing you were right on the money.
BUY THE SUN
My 350 or so pound at 5/1 May still have a bit of life in it yet then! And just for the record…it’s not about the bets…it just really did look a bizarre decision… I love the horse to bits…if he goes and wins the Hennessy and he’s not well enough recovered to supplement then fair play… no complaints from me even though I personally would have had a go for the million bonus!
Well thats not too embarrassing at all is it – surely a simple follow up phone call along the lines of ‘have you received our entry ok’ would be prudent if you are not confident with using IT.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t sound as if they are overly keen about running him against the speedsters anyway – I find it unlikely that there is any scenario where the Hennessy won’t take a great deal of winning especially given his run style and ultimately I don’t think it would be fair to the horse to go again four weeks later in likely conditions that won’t play to his strengths.
TTT!
Another great race to look forward to. Tomorrow the five day decs
SC at the moment but will see what evolves during the week
Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said on Sunday: “We have had something like 40mm of rain since Thursday and we have probably got another 40mm to come.
“But the ground has not been raced on and it is the post-drainage era and in that context I am very confident we will race. “It is fresh ground, recently wet – I’d be hopeful that it will not be too testing.”
The ground is currently soft already so this could turn into a right old slogging match – would have to be concerned for Cue Card in those attritional conditions, advantage Conti me thinks.
“I’d be hopeful that it will not be too testing.”
In Kirkland speak, that reads ‘launch the lifeboats!’
Unless the Bradstocks have their hearts nailed to the Hennessy, they’d be crazy not to send Coneygree here, given how badly short of top names this will probably turn out. Not just top names, the Betfair market suggests that no more than a handful will turn up.
I’ve taken some of the very large prices on Betfair in the hope that logic will prevail over emotion
Didn’t like to mention it but his comments have caught him out so many times before that it stopped being funny some time ago.
I think you can pretty much guarantee that the first five home from last year’s race will turn up again, just depends on whether we get any Irish raiders but you wouldn’t be far off 9 runners like last year, which I would imagine Betfair will be happy with.
steeple, I think you have done your money and also answered your own question re the Bradstocks & the Hennessy – all about the history and tradition of the race that ties in with her father Lord Oaksey who won the race himself & bred both Coneygree and the previous winner Carruthers etc
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