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In one of the more bonkers recent sales decisions, owner Darren Yates forked out £360,000 for Blaklion last month, a ridiculous price for a 10yo seemingly on the downgrade, presumably for the sole purpose of having a Grand National runner.
Sadly, his trainer Philip Kirby has just announced that the horse is injured and will miss next week’s race. Caveat emptor and all that…
Mike
Whoever advised Yates ought to leave the country. Old Twister, as is his long felt wont, insisted on gutting the horse at Haydock last February in desperate ground over three and a half miles under 11.12. He was 7/1 fav for the National at the time and hasn’t run within 20lbs Of his best since. I doubt he was worth 36,000.
Yes that race was just grim for everything bar the winner Yala Enki, and none of them other than him have won anything since (although Mysteree was a close second in the Eider).
I wonder if Blaklion’s owners have the money to buy Outlander or Don Poli, or will they give it up as a bad job.
I thought Barry Connell was spectacularly ill-advised paying £160k for the 11-yr-old hunter Mossey Joe in 2014, but £400k for Blacklion takes it to a whole new level.
Even if he hadn’t been injured, we already know the trip is beyond him from the 2017 race and that was before his general level of form went majorly south.
The previous owners were probably taking the right michael when they set that sale price for him and then probably must have just about peed themselves from laughing so much when Mr Yates actually ponyed up the money for him.
On a side note strange that the stewards (under the same rule they used in the 4m race at the Festival) didn’t suspend both STD & Robert Dunne for continuing to ride Blaklion & Mysteree to the end of that Haydock race, where they were beaten 54L & 128L respectively…..
On a side note strange that the stewards (under the same rule they used in the 4m race at the Festival) didn’t suspend both STD & Robert Dunne
Very inconsistent application of this rule (and, in my view, it’s a much more important one than counting strokes of a whip). Borderline cases can fall foul whereas obvious abuses occur weekly. I wouldn’t normally single out a jockey, especially when I didn’t see the race, but Hillary View was described as “struggling in last” before his fatal fall at Uttoxeter yesterday and, by all accounts, really should have been pulled up. Can’t see any evidence that the stewards even looked at a replay…
Old Twister, as is his long felt wont, insisted on gutting the horse at Haydock last February in desperate ground over three and a half miles under 11.12. He was 7/1 fav for the National at the time and hasn’t run within 20lbs Of his best since.
Bit unfair imo, Joe.
Grand National is not the only race of the season and Blaklion was a pretty short price for a big race – 9/4 fav.
Of the other two finishers in that Haydock race, Yala Enki has since won off a higher mark and improved again to be 5 lengths 3rd off top weight (3 lbs higher than winner Elegant Escape) in Welsh National.
The other finisher, Mysteree; has since been beaten in a photo for the Eider.
So although it took time to recover, those two have recovered… And Neptune Collonges ran in a renewal of the Haydock race on heavy ground with the same 11-12 (well – less a 7 lb claim) and he went on to win at Aintree. Maybe Twister should’ve used a conditional, but that’s nothing to be too critical.
Yes, it’s true Blaklion hasn’t been the same since the Haydock race; but why? Had wind surgery after that race. So the reason for disappointing at Haydock could be his breathing… Which could happen anywhere and to any horse. Some get over or even improve for wind surgery, some don’t, some are – yes – never the same.. However, Blaklion’s defeat in the Grand National had nowt to do with wind or anything else of his own doing. Brought down at the first fence – not Blaklion or Twister’s fault. Understandably after being “unlucky” at Aintree connections wanted another go at a big prize and the only one still open to Blaklion was the Bet 365 at Sandown (suspect Ayr would’ve come too soon). Being the last race of the season – in theory didn’t matter if failing. But was running in his one and only run right-handed over fences in 20 starts – Pulled Up. Not really Blaklion or Twister’s fault. On his only other chase start he wasn’t seen until December 8th’s Becher. Latest he’s ever reappeared, so probably had something wrong to be absent so long… And just like many other GN candidates was then sent hurdling – not as good in that sphere. Not surprising failed to run anything like his chase form, especially under a 7 lb claimer last time out. Did they want him to?
I agree, the new owner was silly to pay so much, but Twister “gutting the horse”, no, not imo.
Value Is EverythingYes, it’s true Blaklion hasn’t been the same since the Haydock race; but why? Had wind surgery after that race. So the reason for disappointing at Haydock could be his breathing… Which could happen anywhere and to any horse.
More likely his upper respiratory apparatus finally collapsed under the strain of being a small horse trying to give over a stone to a mudlark stayer on that ground. Jockey was pushing and shoving from before 3 out and didn’t relent till he’d climbed the last. Fair dues to the brave little horse for trying his best.
Watching the replay of the closing stages you can also see Wild West Wind- who looks to be going well enough- begin stopping before 3 out and getting pushed and shoved and faced into the 2nd last even though I’ve never seen a horse go backwards so fast. Luckily he refused it; but has not completed a race since.
Mysteree isn’t even in shot and perhaps was nursed home at a canter.
I know the ground was not good anywhere last year but still- that was about the worst last prep race before the National the horse could have had. Also- I don’t think Sandown being right handed was the most likely reason for him being pulled up.
Good grief. Mr Yates has just forked out £170k for the fading Dom Poli because ‘he wants to have a Grand National runner’.
God knows what he’d pay for Samcro.
Mike
One of them is 10, rated 157 and won his last race back in Dec 2015, the other one is 11 and rated 158. His last win was Nov 2017 in the JN Wine.
What’s the plan with both of them? First of all, keep them sound then find the proper races to win some decent prize money. But they don’t look like handicappers nor like Charlie Hall or Betfair Chase material.
I think Gigginstown got a lot more than expected.
Mr O’ Leary can’t have believed his luck when he received those offers.
As the old saying says, a fool and his money are soon parted.
Price of having a runner in the National I suppose. You could argue it’s cost-effective considering the amount some owners invest over years, never finding one good enough to make the cut. Actually Outlander ran quite well (and beat all of O’Leary’s runners bar Tiger Roll!).
I doubt they have thought much beyond Saturday’s race – maybe even considering selling on to cut losses? Would still be a considerable loss though.
Silly business if you ask me ….. Darren Yates said on TV that buying Don Poli would ‘just be buying a runner’ and he sounded against the idea but clearly couldn’t resist.
I would love to see ‘the books’ of the people who bought Outlander because the whole operation behind trainer Richard Spencer have put millions into the sport for precious little return ( relative to what they’re spending) and buying a runner at the GN would be another example of them having much,much more money than racing sense.
It’s rich man’s ‘mug’s game’stuff.
The most unsatisfactory thing is that the day before the horses run the name of the trainer is changed to someone who has had zero to do with prepping the horse.Silly
The Yates horses have left the Kirby yard
Wouldn’t blame Philip Kirby for the lack of ownership success. It’s more the wrong horses that Mr. Yates tends to buy. Look at his statistics for the past NH season (2018/2019): Lady Buttons, Top Ville Ben, Little Bruce, Skipthescales and Suggestion just to name a few multiple race winners who have kept improving throughout the season. I can’t think that Philip or his methods are the problem and looking at the prize-money the stable has won overall, I think they will do very well without the Yates.
Any thoughts?Think it’s a blessing in disguise to be honest. The Kirbys have some very loyal owners and I did wonder what effect the Yates would have on the stable. Do feel sorry for poor Blaklion, though, who doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going these days. They’re a very caring stable from what I’ve heard and put a lot of effort into rehoming their horses.
Think Yates has been most disappointed by the performances of Staplegrove, Magellan and South Seas who have all disappointed for Kirby. Obviously, this seems a very short-sighted decision made by an impatient owner but all 3 have been truly dire with only 1 placed effort (from Magellan) to speak of. As a flat trainer, Kirby has a lower strike rate of 7% (I know this is a poor statistic, but I don’t currently have access to anything more sophisticated) than over jumps so can understand the decision partially.
Don’t think this will be a catastrophe for Kirby, currently Yates only has 6 horses and better that he jump ship now rather than further down the line when more horses would have been in his ownership. Yates also seems to be sending his horses to Skelton (not sure yet whether this will apply to South Seas & Staplegrove as well, Skelton has only had 13 flat runners with no winners or placed horses) which few could argue represents a downgrade from a jumps perspective.
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