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Regardless of if UDS would have been running or not if this was a handicap, it’d have been a better race altogether with more runners and interest. Gives the smaller trainer a better chance of winning decent prize money also.
The shambles that is the NH programme was perfectly shown today with the field sizes in all of the graded races.
There are enough handicaps for handicappers to go for. Grade 1’s are Grade 1’s and don’t need lots of runners or close finishes to be good races.
There was once a time when there was not enough Grade 1 races over 2 miles and this filled that gap. Gives an opportunity for Altior to meet either Douvan or Un De Sceaux and Politologue. Unfortunately injury means the first two mentioned aren’t around at the moment and Nicholls has decided the last named is going straight to the Champion Chase. So circumstances mean it wasn’t as competitive this year.
Value Is EverythingRegardless of if UDS would have been running or not if this was a handicap, it’d have been a better race altogether with more runners and interest. Gives the smaller trainer a better chance of winning decent prize money also.
The shambles that is the NH programme was perfectly shown today with the field sizes in all of the graded races.
Exactly, you have firmly hit the nail on the head there. Why can’t we have Grade 1 handicaps? Where was the interest today, we knew it was a formality pretty much that UDS would win and so it turned out. The record book will show he beat a 147 rated horse off level weights. If the big guns are going to avoid each other throughout the whole season long then rather than get these penalty kicks throughout these months we’d get genuinely exciting races.
Look how brilliant it was watching Denman win his two Hennessys off monster weights. And against the argument that these horses wouldn’t turn up – well then they miss out on winning a big prize. Someone has to win it.
UDS may well have won the past 3 renewals but at prices of 1-2, 1-2 and 2-5 so how thrilling is that?
A test of a champion is can they give the weight away, Dessie did it.
And if Mullins avoided this race because it reverted back to being a handicap then it obviously means that he doesn’t think UDS is good enough.
Odds of the past 10 winners are:
2/5f
1/2f
1/2f
7/2
5/4f
1/5f
9/2
4/7f
11/8f
1/4fThoroughly competitive as you can see. Rename the race to ‘The Penalty Kick Chase’.
Brain Power didn’t jump a single fence with confidence or acceptable technique. He looked to be hating the ground and that might have had some effect on his fencing but my guess is that he has quickly fallen out of love with chasing.
They might give him another crack at it after his wind op, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nicky do a Buveur D’Air with him. He wouldn’t be good enough to win a Champion Hurdle but something like the Imperial Cup would be ideal for him. I’d then save him for Punchestown where he might win something like the Punchestown Champion Hurdle if the Cheltenham principals are a bit battle weary or if Nicky leaves Buveur D’Air at home.
To get to where he did today before falling, given the poor round of jumping, proves he has an engine.
I think this performance is entirely a ground issue – his form is all on either good to soft or good/yeilding – with his one attempt on soft before today being when he bombed out in the Greatwood Hurdle.
His jumping at Kempton was on the whole very good for a debutant and he technically didn’t fall at Sandown (stumbled after jumping the fence) so before calling time on his chasing career I would like to see him again on better ground as I think you will see a different horse – I also think he needs a well run race to enable him to settle better if they plan on sticking with the hold up tactics.
Not much option in him going back to hurdles as he is not good enough to win a Champion and he will be saddled with lumping top weight around in the big 2m handicaps.
Yes, the Brain is a good horse. Many horses with such a strong left-/right-handed preference are carrying some sort of physical problem so you wouldn’t be overly confident of him fulfilling that potential. Right-handed 2m hurdles on a decent surface looking like the ideal conditions at this point.
Could be the sort to spring back to form out of nowhere when he gets those conditions, although options are a little limited outside of handicaps (and he IS better than handicaps). Good luck Nicky.
Could be the soft ground that made Brain Power below par today. However, could just as easily be different tactics. I know he’s raced further back over hurdles, but this is a different code and possibly put off by having another horse jumping in front. This was the horse that once taken on in the Henry VIII the jockey decided to go a suicidally fast pace in order to keep the lead. Made running in both chases prior to today; may be Brain Power needs to lead over these larger obsticles? What with the right-handed bias, possibly wants better ground, needs to improve his jumping and possibly needs to lead, plus the fact (after the Kempton performance) clearly goes well fresh… If I were Henderson I’d get his wind checked out, miss both Cheltenham and Aintree, do a lot of schooling and aim him at the Grade 1 2 mile novice chase at Punchestown. Alternatively, if schooling doesn’t go so well go for the Punchestown Champion Hurdle instead.
Value Is EverythingThere isn’t a graded handicap for 2 milers until the Cheltenham Festival if I’m not mistaken?
Tingle Creek serves as that middle ground G1 but then if that was the only option for Grade 1 milers we wouldn’t want that as we may actually race each other pre-fez.
There’s far too many G1/2 options and not enough premier handicaps. It’s what kills the NH game and makes the flat programme 10x better.
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