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I’m not so sure about the priming for Cheltenham Gordon I think you’ll find he’ll be 110% fit for the Victor Chandler and that will be his Gold Cup as PN likes to say. If he wins and wins well I still say he’ll go after the QMCC where the place money is huge in comparison to the Arkle and as Sprinter Sacre is the next coming it is the easier option
I still say he’ll go after the QMCC where the place money is huge in comparison to the Arkle and as Sprinter Sacre is the next coming it is the easier option
John Hales isn’t contemplating running the Iron Man
Al Ferof
in the Champion for financial reasons dear boy,he’s in it to win it and being 7yo is certainly old enough to do just that.
Azertyuiop
won the Arkle at 6 then the Champion at 7 so i can see his logic.Obviously i think they should take the easier option of the Arkle!
Then the Champion next year and the years after…. I still say he’ll go after the QMCC where the place money is huge in comparison to the Arkle and as Sprinter Sacre is the next coming it is the easier option
John Hales isn’t contemplating running the Iron Man
Al Ferof
in the Champion for financial reasons dear boy,he’s in it to win it and being 7yo is certainly old enough to do just that.
Azertyuiop
won the Arkle at 6 then the Champion at 7 so i can see his logic.Obviously i think they should take the easier option of the Arkle!
Then the Champion next year and the years after…. I’ve heard that Hales is down to his last pile of gold and the difference in prize money is life or death…
I see pricewise has gone for my selection oscars well
elgransenor1
30 Dec 2011, 00:46
I quite like the chance of oscars well in the champion after that decent run today.he got outspeeded by the filly today, but at cheltenham up the hill his lack of a change of gears may not be so significant.
last year he came to himself in the spring, and was travelling best of all in the neptune before making a horrendous mistake at the last. he stays further than 2 miles as well which you often need in a champion hurdle winner. certainly rates a very decent each way bet.
great minds think alike, clearly
I still say he’ll go after the QMCC where the place money is huge in comparison to the Arkle and as Sprinter Sacre is the next coming it is the easier option
John Hales isn’t contemplating running the Iron Man
Al Ferof
in the Champion for financial reasons dear boy,he’s in it to win it and being 7yo is certainly old enough to do just that.
Azertyuiop
won the Arkle at 6 then the Champion at 7 so i can see his logic.Obviously i think they should take the easier option of the Arkle!
Then the Champion next year and the years after…. I’ve heard that Hales is down to his last pile of gold and the difference in prize money is life or death…
It’s not John Hales who will make the decision although he will think he has, it’s Paul Nichols who is on a commission and he’ll put his pocket before what anyone wants and convince them it was their idea
EGS: I wish you well with Oscars however without any fear of contradiction Oscars was NOT travelling best at all, tiring coming to the last and getting swamped! It was that plus being a tired animal that brought about the mistake IMO
well perhaps but he clearly gets more than 2 miles while also retaining loads of pace.
ideal type for the champion, although i’ve got mixed feelings about segal tipping it up as it’s now decimated the price.
I’ve stumbled across some very useful information whilst writing a post about the Arkle. It refers to French-bred horses running in the Triumph and Supreme. I haven’t looked into the Neptune yet but I expect I’ll find similar results.
Between 2002 and 2008, the highest placed French horse finished between 4th and 7th.
In 1999, the FR-bred Katarino won the Triumph for
Nicky Henderson
, won at 7/4 6 weeks later and then didn’t win for 32 months (only 7 starts in that time). After going to a new trainer he won the Foxhunter’s at Aintree twice.
In 2000, the FR bred Snow Drop won the Triumph and had just 1 subsequent start, finishing 4th.
In 2009 the FR-bred Zaynar won the Triumph for
Nicky Henderson
, won his next 2 starts at 9/4 and 1/5 (the former impressively in November 2009, the latter unimpressively in December 2009) and then was beaten on his next 11 starts, including at prices of 1/14, 11/8, 13/8 and 4/1 twice. Only won again after moving to a new trainer.
In 2010 the FR-bred Soldatino won the Triumph for
Nicky Henderson
and flopped on his next 3 starts.
It seems looking at the information I’ve put together than when French-bred horses win the Triumph, it’s usually down to a sub-standard year and therefore ‘disappoint’ due to their elevated expectations.
I know the FR-bred Grandouet trained by
Nicky Henderson
didn’t win, but hmmmmmm. The omens don’t look good in my opinion. It was around the December/January time that Zaynar and Katarino started to go off the boil – will Grandouet do the same? Won the Bula unimpressively against tired/below top class horses in my eyes.
And to be honest you could throw the FR-bred Binocular into the mix as well. He ran in the Supreme as a 4yo. Take away the Champion Hurdle where he won against substandard opposition, a race he’d been ruled out of weeks earlier, and his career has hardly been top notch. Extremely impressive after he finished 2nd in the Supreme, winning at Aintree, Haydock (November 2008) and Ascot (December 2008), and then all went downhill. If you could go back to December 2008 and say that Binocular would win 5 times from his next 12 starts, 2 of them at 1/7 and 1/10, would you have believed it?
Avoid Nicky Henderson FR-bred 4yos who run in the Triumph or Supreme like the plague. They will cost you money.
Avoid Nicky Henderson FR-bred 4yos who run in the Triumph or Supreme like the plague. They will cost you money.
Phew! You had me worried after reading that lot Sacred,my
Spirit Son
doesn’t fall into those categorys thankfully!
Yes my research indicates that Spirit Son is pretty much an each-way banker. Recent French-bred horses who ran well in the Supreme and also the Champion Hurdle the following year have a 7312 record – Medermit the 7. I believe he also got injured in the race, although not sure it would’ve made a difference to be honest.
This all sounds good to me Zarks, got my money down for both Hurricane Fly and Spirit Son
Grandouet in single-figure fields;
111B1F11
Brought down when cruising at Aintree, fell at Wincanton when cruising.
Grandouet in double-figure fields (never run in a field with 10, 11 or 12 runners);
33523
Beaten by at least 5 lengths every time.
Grandouet in single-figure fields;
111B1F11
Brought down when cruising at Aintree, fell at Wincanton when cruising.
Grandouet in double-figure fields (never run in a field with 10, 11 or 12 runners);
33523
Beaten by at least 5 lengths every time.
Too many negatives against this horse for me. I’d be the first to admit he is full of class and travels like a dream. I don’t see him being a Champion Hurdle winner however.
Those facts from Zarks are telling, and the question mark about whether he will find as much as the likes of Hurricane Fly, Zarkandar or Spirit Son when the pressure is on is also up for debate.
The International didn’t seem a great race in hindsight and despite not being fully driven out he didn’t strike me that day as being fully comfortable.
Nicky Henderson’s said as well that the one from his yard to watch for the Champion Hurdle would be Spirit Son. Now I know he’s been known for throwing the odd curve ball in the past, but he really does seem to talk with vigour about his chances this year. I’d love to see him get a run in him nice and soon so he can have a clear prep for the festival.
As for Grandouet, I’m sorry but even a best priced 7/1 doesn’t represent value to me, and I’d be surprised if he even finished in a place.
Looks possibly as if Spirit Son is the first of the market principles to be out of the race. Currently trades at 17.5 on Betfair tonight. Only money available to lay is at 38.
Looks possibly as if Spirit Son is the first of the market principles to be out of the race. Currently trades at 17.5 on Betfair tonight. Only money available to lay is at 38.
I wonder though, if this is down to the fact he missed another key racecourse gallop yesterday morning. Nicky Henderson said that Spirit Son and a few others, were due at Newbury but chose not to take them there because of ‘sticky ground’.
It could of course be that someone knows something we don’t, but I sure hope he’ll make it to Cheltenham
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