- This topic has 499 replies, 76 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 6 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I think Celestial Halo comes out of the race with great credit, having been on the pace from the off, but you have to wonder what the jockeys were playing at on the likes of Harchibald, Sublimity and Jered. Sitting fifteen or more lengths off a decent gallop in a championship race makes little sense to me
Surely the second part of that statement contradicts the first?
Great race imo, Binocular stays on up the hill as many people (including myself) thought he wouldn’t, but still not good enough! Who saw that one coming….. The Festival is well and truely underway!
Strange feeling post race – not sure what to make of the form. Punjabi who is a very good horse and placed last year – still wouldn’t have thought he could have won it.
Will have to watch it a few more times.- Total Posts 17716
No, Friggo, it doesn’t. There’s a distinct difference between sitting off a strong pace and giving a horse the chance to close, and sitting so far off a strong pace that a horse has to, in effect, quicken twice. Absolute madness, especially given the way the likes of Jered stayed on up the hill.
Still, the owners had a day out.
Great race imo, Binocular stays on up the hill as many people (including myself) thought he wouldn’t, but still not good enough! Who saw that one coming….. The Festival is well and truely underway!
He stayed well up the hill to a degree but he came from off the pace and the first two were knackered having gone for home much earlier. I think the first two were stopping a bit and Binocular was helped by given a more patient ride. Might be a bit deceptive as to how well Binocular does get up that hill IMO I think this his form here will prove to be a bit below his other overall form.
I think they went off well enough there but then Osana dipped the pace in the middle yet again.
Celestial Halo has run with immense credit to take 2nd. If you read the arce in speed terms with Punjabi (a miler on the flat) being probably the speediest horse in the race (and the only horse who had the speed to come from off the pace in last years race), then binocular (a 9-10f horse on the flat) and then crackaway jack (winner of last years extremely slow fred winter). Thats the order it finished in. Henderson had even stated that he didnt think Punjabi would get up the hill on teletext last night, and he came up it a treat.
Im not knocking the ride from McCoy as personally i am puzzled on how i would ride Binocular at Cheltenham in a race like that.
Would you have him up with the pace more? ? ? I am possibly thinking i would have him up with the pace even more than he was, especially when Osana started dropping backwards at the ttop of the hill.
think Punjabi came 4 th in the triumph in 2007 as I was on him then – quite consistent when you count last year and this as well – hindsight a wonderful thing
- Total Posts 17716
One thing I’m fairly confident of – Hurricane Fly will p*ss this next year.
Celestial Halo World Hurdle 2010 anyone?
Im not too sure, I love the horse, and glad he’s actually proved his class to an extent but really with better judgement of pace he probably could have won that, and groundwise he probably wont get as good a chance ever again.
Equi,
Sublimity
et al
would only have had to quicken twice if the leaders quickened (or even stayed on at the same pace) once challenged. Do you think that Celestial Halo and Punjabi quickened after the last? I don’t.
Great Effort from Punjabi & Geraghty!
Thought old Hardy was going to win at one point but he faded away.
The form of the race isn’t worth the proverbial can of beans IMO as they went too quick, but Nicky Henderson must be the finest trainer in the land. How could he possibly have brought Punjabi on from Wincanton to
that
in 24 days?
Why too fas,t it is supposed to be a Championship race! Well done Punjabi, good job he saved himself last time i love this game. They must have gone too slow for him at Wincanton LMFAO
Celestial Halo World Hurdle 2010 anyone?
Im not too sure, I love the horse, and glad he’s actually proved his class to an extent but really with better judgement of pace he probably could have won that, and groundwise he probably wont get as good a chance ever again.
I think the jump at the last did for him. Watch the race again he fluffed it and Punjabi got away the quicker. Celestial was actually coming back at him a bit again at the end. Had he jumped the last well he may have scrambled home a head or so. Small margins.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.