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Fine performance from Long Run. Hard to believe now he was beaten in the Paddy Power!
Weapon’s Amnesty
Diamond Harry
Burton Port
Riverside Theatre (if he makes a stayer)
Back In Focus (given the ground, this horse could really be something)
Kempes
Pandorama
Time For Rupert
Boston Angel
Captain Chris (see Riverside Theatre)
Noble Prince
Wishfull ThinkingHow’s that for starters?
Don’t forget Quel Esprit. He’ll be a serious contender if Willie sorts his jumping out. I think he’d have been a wide margin winner of the Sun Alliance had he not tipped up three out.
I’d also like to see Rubi Light given a try over three miles. I thought he ran a cracker in the Ryanair for such a young inexperienced chaser.
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Not a 100% natural jumper – but Long Run did just enough whilst brushing throught the top of quite a few fences. I thought he made too many mistakes to have that much left at the end. Something doesnt add up for me about the race – all the mistakes and yet so much left, the fast ground, IC dropping out so fast whilst going well up until then (i thought he was cantering – then coming down the hill something went wrong)
not sure what a friend is the best horse around so his proximity points to the ground imo – i wouldnt go overboard no best ever – come back and do it on soft ground imo
Still a fascinating race and maybe that 6yo stat might be broken a few more times with many more french breads these years.
Fantastic race, as it would have been had the first 3 finished in any other order, and a race that will live long in the memory but, like Beau Ranger, I would question the overall value of the form.
Long Run is a superb horse, and will take some beating in this for a few years to come, but he was unquestionably inconvenienced by the fast surface, making minor errors throughout the race,and is probably capable of much better with a kinder surface to slow the others down.
Kauto Star and Denman both ran their hearts out, and it would have given great pleasure to have seen either of them victorious, but the form of their recent races casts doubt on the form of this race as a whole, rather than accentuates it.
What A Friend is what he is, and though the blinkers and the better ground may have wrought a little improvement, his highest ever OR going into the race was 159, and it’s difficult to believe that he ran to the 175 or so that he would need to make this form the ‘great’ the euphorics would have us believe. Midnight Chase ran his usual game race, but was left behind on this faster ground, though finsihing well at the end, would undoubtedly have finished closer given the proper ‘good’ ground of his previous races. Tidal Bay, who needs all day to jump a fence, also finished closer than he should, considering the surface.
Imperial Commander, for whatever reason, ran his usual inconsistent race, and continued his amazing binary formline of a 3 stone swing in his form, every single time he’s run, for his last 11 races. If I were his owner, he’d have switched stables long ago.
Brilliant race to watch, and a good result for me personally, but I wouldn’t go overboard about he actual merit of the form as a whole.
Thanks are due to both Tuffers and Beau Ranger, for keeping us up to date with both the ground and the local weather, throughout the meeting.- Total Posts 17716
Don’t see your point Reet.
Notre Pere and Halcon G weren’t in this season’s Betfair ChaseMy apologies – wrong year.
I believe the performance of KS and Denman indicate how average this years Gold Cup was.
Nice summation there, Reet. When the rousting on Long Run started at the turn in I thought he was going to follow the script and struggle up the hill, but fair play to him, the "turbo boost" as RUK aptly called it, kicked in and away he went. Well done to all his followers.
An utterly absorbing race and I too felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as Long Run, Denman & Kauto lined up two out!
As mentioned in the "Long Run" thread on the main board, I thought he improved for the extra test in stamina. Albeit the quick ground slowed some of the more galloping types in the field.
I’m thinking that Long Run is the curtain closer of a golden period of staying chasers. Think of how Larry Holmes ushered the end of the golden period of Boxing Heavyweights.
On first impressions, nothing in the novices came out and smacked me on the backside as the next big thing so I think the King George and the Gold Cup are his to lose. Unless of course the likes of Weapons Amnesty, Diamond Harry and Burton Point can come back to their best.
Hear a rematch with Rubi Ball has been mooted for Long Run in the Grand Steep at Auteuil. If true that would be truly mouthwatering!
While great to see Denman & Kauto Star run huge races (Kauto has never jumped better, Denman pure heart as usual), their Gold Cup winning days are over, but there are still races to be won surely. If I was connections I would consider a "Pot-hunting" season next year taking in some of the Grade 2’s (I’m thinking Charlie Hall, Cotswold which would still be extremly winnable for these great veterans).
***PS:- Don’t give Ed "Mo Money" Gillespie ideas, but I bet he’s already planning a "Veterans Gold Cup" for his extended 150 day festival
..when it comes to horses like Burton Port et al, an old racing friend of mine said to me many years ago ‘Mo, they don’t come back’. Sometimes he’d be proved wrong but, in general he was right. I hope to be proved wrong also. The Hennessy seems to be a graveyard for up and coming horses, I’m afraid, and it just shows what an amazing consttiution Denman has. I’ve never been the greatest fan of Kauto and his trainer, but their defeat yesterday pushed them so high in my estimation. As someone else said, sometimes a horse has to lose for us to appreciate how good they are. I’m somewhat overwhelmed by yesterdays race. Having struggled with the number of fatalities we’ve had over the season, it has reminded me of how and why I love the sport so much. It’s all about the horses. Great, brave indomitable horses.
Wonderful race with great performances from the first 4. Fair play to the Waley-Cohens who were totally vindicated… Long Run a great champion.
However, does anyone know whether the stewards had a look at the home turn first time round where Sam nearly put Pandorama over the rails?
One of the most memorable races I’ve seen and emotional on so many levels. Probably the best Gold Cup I’ve seen. And the sun shone on it all!
When Kauto Star and Denman turned for home and tried to burn the rest off, my spine tingled and, for a moment, time stopped. I’d backed Kauto and yelled my heart out for him.
Long Run then loomed up and made it three in a line with two to jump. I could feel that particular moment etching itself into my memory like a diamond-tipped scriber.
And how gusty was Denman? I switched to cheer him to win when Kauto floundered at the last before accepting the inevitable as Long Run powered to the line.
I felt sad for Kauto and Denman but proud at the same time because they were two great warriors who succumbed to the strain of age.
Long Run … let’s see if he lives up to his name
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long run ran well to win the gold cup and the king george and im amazed at the vast improvement this horse has somehow made. the horse hit loads of fences and still won, he could hardly get round cheltenham before, something just doesnt add up to me, if any other horse had hit the fences like long run done they would of went backwards , time will only tell if he continues to improve unless he is something special and has been held back as not to show his true form, i suppose anything can happen in racing these days.
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The first time I saw Long Run on the track at Kempton my first reaction was that he looked awesome, I think its clear they have not been hard on him and given him plenty of time to get where he has… the improvement is phenomenal. The time of the Gold Cup was amazing but even more amazing for me was that the 2 old greats Denman and Kauto Star both at the age of 11 each shaved off about 12 seconds from their own course records….that just seems an impossible feat on the face of it… even allowing for a bit quicker ground.
Maybe there have been some subtle changes to the course in the last 12 months or was the timer struck by lightening without anybody noticing. What A Friend and Midnight Chase would have won the race last year with the times that they clocked on Friday…so although it was indeed a great great performance by Long Run ..it was kind of unbelievable that Denman and Kauto Star did what they did especially at their age….on that note maybe England could even win the World Cup again but only if we were to wheel out Bobby Charlton…Nobby Stiles Geoff Hurst and the list goes on…Quoting those bare times has liitle relevance. The times only tell you how fast the ground is, only when you compare them to the other races on the day do they mean anything.
If you compare the GC to the Foxhunters then purely on time difference Long Run has a speed figure of about 173-175. This also ties in with a form rating from What A Friend who has never been greater than a 160 horse all his career.
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times do in fact count slowhand? even with the ground being a bit faster, a horse runs between 4 to 5 lengths a second , thats 48 faster than they have ever shown, and no ground can bring out such an improvement as what the first 4 clocked.
Well, the old Kauto proved me and a few others completely wrong and vindicated owner and trainer in spades. Well done, lads.
Went through the entire thread again, watched the race again, really is the best race I have ever seen.
Agree with everything said about this race – a privelege to be there and, for just a moment, I thought my dream of a Kauto win was going to come.
That aside, has anyone seen any explanation as to why Kauto didn’t wear his usual noseband ? I’m sure it would not have made a difference, but it seemed odd he didn’t wear it.
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