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Did anyone see his run today?
He looks totally soured with racing, running in a claiming hurdle, out the back and being niggled along from the first flight, was running on at the end but finished a distant fourth.
Someone claimed the horse.
A change of stables might help but the horse looks completely gone at the game.
Colin
Imperial Harry and Seven Is My Number didn’t exactly look on top form for Pipe either…
The tit (possibly Chapman) on ATR actually spoke about Pipe having a bad birthday because Celtic Son had been ‘claimed out of the yard’ – I’d be dancing on the streets if I was Pipe that I’d got rid of such a horse out of his esrablishments – and I’m betting David Johnson was surprised to get £7,000 for him in the end. Unfortunately, don’t be surprised if the horse (who quite clearly hates the game and should be left to enjoy life in a field somewhere) isn’t back out in a matter of weeks having been claimed by the aptly-named Leeches..
The tit (possibly Chapman) on ATR actually spoke about Pipe having a bad birthday because Celtic Son had been ‘claimed out of the yard’ – I’d be dancing on the streets if I was Pipe that I’d got rid of such a horse out of his esrablishments – and I’m betting David Johnson was surprised to get £7,000 for him in the end. Unfortunately, don’t be surprised if the horse (who quite clearly hates the game and should be left to enjoy life in a field somewhere) isn’t back out in a matter of weeks having been claimed by the aptly-named Leeches..
What’s your opinion on David Johnson then? The horse won him over £80K on the track but he still feels the need to get rid of him to the highest bidder for a measly £7K rather than let the horse retire in a field somewhere.
Surprised that you feel that way about the horse, CarryOnRacing.
At one time he looked a very decent animal on his chasing debut and I just wonder why he has fallen out of love with the game.
You could guess that the allegedly rigorous training regime at Pond House has soured him and ,I for one, would be very pleased if he recovered his form in a smaller yard and in a different discipline.
Colin
I totally agree with Colin here.
Yes the horse has done a lot for DJ and Pipe but somehow I don’t think there is much sentiment amongst them guys. I would love Celtic Son to freshen up at his new stable and regain his zest for the game. Let’s not forget the horse is only a 9 year old, and if he rediscovers just half of his will to race he will be the bargain of the season at £7,000.
He ran well against Cousin Nicky the time before last to prove he is still competitive – perhaps today was just a complete off day, or perhaps he saw an hurdle and said to himself, "hang on, this is not what I ususally do". Who knows, but I would love the new connections to dispel the theory that you can’t improve an ex-Pipe horse.
Let him out in the country for a while, do a bit of fox hunting – then send him back over the big obstacles and cheer him as he passes the winning post.
Mike
Obviously DJ’s not enough of a wallah to get a job on RUK..
Seriously though Colin, I’d love to see Celtic Son find his love for the game once again and although it might happen, he may very well be one of the many, as you suggest, that ‘look decent’ on their chasing debuts but in the end aspire to little. It does happen a lot, even with the owners with the seemingly blank cheque books!He ran well against Cousin Nicky the time before last to prove he is still competitive
I’d not look on that effort quite so kindly. He did everything in his power to finish second to Cousin Nicky – a horse he ought to have murdered on the day’s terms – in a four-runner Taunton claiming chase where the only other runners were a Pritchard and the jumping-challenged Orlyheart.
I presume he ran in today’s race in the absence of any other suitable claiming or graduation chase in the near future. I think it’s telling that he has been let nowhere near a handicap this season – he’s never won a handicap chase in his career and the Pipes seemed to have decided he wouldn’t off his present mark.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the beast has physical problems the number of times he has run in the last couple of seasons, I noticed Murphy looking down 2 or 3 times during the race.
I take your point GC, but still, seven grand for a (previously quality) horse who could easily be freshened up for a change of scenery is not a bad gamble don’t you think?
Admitedly he is going to be extremely difficult to place with his current temprament but what would you think about sending him hunter chasing GC?
Mike
It’s not a bad investment at all, Mike, given that he’s still just a nine year-old with only 26 career starts to date when all is said and done.
Enough of his form at 3m-3m2f would offer hope of him proving effective in decent quality hunters’ chases, and I think that might be to where he’s heading – the claimer was pointer / hunters’ chase trainer Mrs S V O Leech.
Personally, though, I think I’d have preferred to keep my powder dry until next autumn with him and target one of the 2m5f-3m1f graduation chases, a win in which would recoup around three times today’s claiming price.
That’s all assuming, of course, that Mrs Leech, or anyone else for that matter, can bring him back mentally.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
This horse epitomised the M C Pipe method of getting the most out of a horse IMO, so it’s no surprise he’s fallen completely out of love with the game. I’m astounded anyone had the guile to claim him as it looks as though he’s sick of the site of a racecourse. As much as it would be a serious hole in the pocket of his new owners, I hope he never gets to the track again and has a happy retirement.
I think the business term is………….“cutting your losses“!
86K wouldn`t cover
5 years at Pond house (Training fees)
Vets Bills
Entry fees
Jockey fees and percent
Trainers percentCost of purchaseand all the other costs!!
A small owner might say “fair play“ we will stick him in a field , David Johnson and sentiment?, i would bet he doesn`t give more than 50p for his annual poppy!!
Having claimed one from Pipe I wish them all the luck in the world, it has taken nearly 2 years to get mine right.
When you think of what £7k will buy you at the sales, the horse is cheap. You know the horse has got it – the only risk is getting it out of him, thats less of a risk than an unproven horse.The horse never cut much ice at that sort of distance even as a youngster.
Thought they might have had him handy and tried to press on.
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