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- Total Posts 17716
Friggo,
Sometimes common sense must be employed when reading these races, if with a few furlongs to go, only speed horses are involved and everything else is plugging on one paced in behind, you know it hasnt been a test.
That is just basic common sense, if you start to try reading times etc into it you are just going to confuse yourself as to what your eyes just saw.
Bulwark
Then maybe you could explain why Binocular, who had never been off the bridle
at any stage
of his races this season, was being niggled along with 2f to go?
I agree the race-time doesn’t tell it all, but there’s little doubt in my mind this was one of the most attritional Champion Hurdles run in recent times, and even less doubt – had it been run at a lesser pace early – that Binocular would have won it convincingly.
Far from being ‘speed horses’, Punjabi had won over 12f at Newmarket, and won again over Sandown’s stiff 10f in a fast run soft ground race, Celestial Halo had been a running on 2nd in the Melrose, and Crackaway Jack a running on 2nd in in the 19.5f Ascot Hurdle, both run at a proper racing pace. The only ‘speed horse’ amongst the first 4 was Binocular himself, whose turn of foot was dissipated more than it had ever been before, with only his class carrying him through at the finish.
The rest (possibly Jered apart), simply weren’t good enough.It’s funny how racing can throw up surprising scenarios, I guess that is one of the reasons we keep coming back. That and my platitudes.
After the line Binny was in front, I do think he stays.
Twice he has failed valiantly at the festival, and though my first impression was that he could be a good price for next year (being stronger/maybe better ground etc)…who is to say there will not be one reason or another why he may be defeated in the 2010 Champ.
It’s almost a tougher quandary than before when considering him for the hurdling crown.
All credit to Punjabi and Celestial Halo, they really did stick their necks out – Punjabi just refused to lose.
And Binny – take a bow…but will you ever take 1st place at Cheltenham?
Zip
Punjabi had improved all last season, and again on the flat, but it really is time the authorities took a grip on horses of his experience finding double-figure improvement on prep races. If it’s not good enough for greyhound racing, why should it be tolerated for one of National Hunt’s biggest races? Truth is, it happens all the time, but the BHA don’t turn a hair unless some outsider happens to make money from it.
Surely Punjabi’s improvement was down to racing on better ground than the gluey surface at Wincanton? I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the two who fought it out that day didn’t give their running today- they didn’t recover in time from a slog in the Kingwell.
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Carv
Reportedly
"Rusty, after 3 weeks box rest"
for the Kingwell, as quoted by his trainer in yesterday’s RP.
Bulwark
Then maybe you could explain why Binocular, who had never been off the bridle at any stage of his races this season, was being niggled along with 2f to go?
Yes quite easily, you may not have noticed Reet but in the run up to the race Binocular was sweating like a geordie in a maths test, suggesting that something may not be right with him, and in fairness to binocular he looked beaten long before they even hit the hill, I wouldnt be in any hurry to put todays run down as his true form. IMO his class is all that got him a place.
I watched the later program on channel 4, and you can actually see Celestial Halo and Punjabi physically accelerating away from the field in coming round the turn from the blimp footage (not the rest of the filed slowing down either before anyone drops that one in). It was the few extra lengths.
It is also worth remembering that Punjabi was run out of the race by Ashkazar and Whiteoak last time kingwell, who were both quite well fancied, and it when punjabi tried to go with the leaders at a fast pace at kempton (on good ground no less which was the best he could have hoped for), that he soon found himself in serious bother at christmas. On no piece of form I have ever seen from Punjabi, would I think he is anything other than a speedster, likewise with Binocular and Crackaway Jack.
When looking at the times, it may be worth looking at Quevegas time on the hurdle track later in the day, as somehow she was able to run her race in a standard time and still came off the turn full of running. Perhaps the ground is not all that it appeared to be earlier in the day, and that could go someway to explaining what is otherwise a pretty mind boggling result/time in the champion hurdle.
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Is there any chance that Binocular actually needed the race, having had almost three months off since his Ascot run? I don’t like to get too bogged down in times, sectionals and pace analyses, but the way he stayed on having looked beaten had all the hallmarks of a horse just not quite straight.
Theres that possibility, but usually horses seem to sweat when they are relatively idle if they are either getting worked up or coming down with something, but it is not usually a good sign before a race IMO. I’d suspect it was the latter today with binocular as he doesnt usually get too worked up.
- Total Posts 17716
Bulwark
Though others may be able to give a more informed answer, I’d suspect that Quevega’s time owed more to a shoddy standard-time than it did to the ground?
Certainly difficult to recall from memory any other top class races over that particular c/d.
I’d still maintain that the whole of Binocular’s form suggests he’s run exactly as expected, under the circumstances.Equitrack
Nicky Henderson did postulate similarly after the race, though what that says, given his record of getting horses fit for the Festival, would be as close a declaration of incompetence from a top trainer as you’re likely to see.
Just a thought but after what everyone has said after last years champion, maybe this years champion proved that Tom Scudamore didn’t get it too badly wrong. Wonder what Mr. Barr thinks and who is going to ride it now!!!
I have to agree with what monksfield said; I felt let down afterwards..nothing to do with backing or not backing the winner; I go to Cheltenham in the hope that I’ll be there to witness something special..Best Mates 3rd Gold Cup, Istabraqs 3rd Champion..seeing a young horse who could become one of racings greats…also think that Nicky Henderson was pretty shocked and, dare I say embarrassed by Punjabi winning. Katchit winning again or Brave Inca coming back would have filled me with elation……nobodies fault of course, but there was no magic to the race. I didn’t think Binocular looked too good before the race, but he’s a strange wishy washy sort of bay and there was talk that he didn’t sparkle when he did his racecourse gallop, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Just a thought but after what everyone has said after last years champion, maybe this years champion proved that Tom Scudamore didn’t get it too badly wrong. Wonder what Mr. Barr thinks and who is going to ride it now!!!
I agree. I can’t work out what the thinking behind the Osana run was. Surely he should have finished much closer to Celestial Halo. It’s left me scratching my head!!!
Well, after an e-mail I’ve received in the last half-hour, I think the hurdling scene could well be in for a bit of a shake up in the next year or so, because one of the best stayers on the flat in recent years has been bought to go hurdling, and has an entry in a novice hurdle at Auteuil next weekend. From what I can remember, the horse won the Prix du Cadran and (I think) the Ascot Gold Cup in 2005, and if retaining that ability, could be one of the most exciting recuits to hurdling we’ve seen in some time.
The horse? Reefscape! Hmmmm….Champion Hurdle 2010 anyone???
Darren – AngloGerman
________________________________________‘The Hungarian’s going hell for leather’ – Jim McGrath
Wouldn’t have gone to a certain trainer in Germany, would he, Darren?
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.
The horse? Reefscape! Hmmmm….Champion Hurdle 2010 anyone???
No mission, world hurdle perhaps…
Wouldn’t have gone to a certain trainer in Germany, would he, Darren?
gc
No, Christian hasn’t got him!!!!
Probably out of his price range!!He’s gone to Francois Cottin apparently, trainer of Louping d’Ainay and Musica Bella amongst others, and a trainer well known for his use of British and Irish jockeys in France – Phil Carberry, Dean Gallagher etc. I did go over to the France Galop website to see who owns him – the site is down at the mo, but I’d guess Jean Paul Seneschal has bought him – he of the famous orange and black silks, and owner of most Cottin-trained horses.
Darren – AngloGerman
________________________________________‘The Hungarian’s going hell for leather’ – Jim McGrath
The horse? Reefscape! Hmmmm….Champion Hurdle 2010 anyone???
No mission, world hurdle perhaps…
That’s a really good shout Bulwark – the Cadran and Ascot Gold Cup are both over 4000 metres / 2 1/2 miles, and of course with Kasbah Bliss running in last years Cadran, maybe the World hurdle is a much more realistic target.
Darren – AngloGerman
________________________________________‘The Hungarian’s going hell for leather’ – Jim McGrath
Definitely mate, when you look at how celestial halo has to dig in to try grinding out wins in the 2mile division (and IMO he is much speedier than reefscape) I reckon that the 3 mile route is the one to go down with reefscape. Saying that I thought the 3 mile route was the one to go down with celestial halo at the start of the season too.
The thing with the 2mile hurdle races is that the more competetive ones will be run (in equivalent stamina speed terms) like anything from a 1m2f flat races, to a 1m6f flat race. Some of the really slow ones more like a 1mile race, depending on track, ground and pace.
It has been so long since reefscape has been running within that distance window and he is getting older, so would be better aimed along a staying route. With his ability to go well with cut the cleeve and the long walk should be no bother to him IMO. He just has to get up to a level where he can defeat big bucks, but on flat form he has the class and just has to add hurdle jumping to his CV, but I’m sure I wouldnt be the only one who would find him to be a very interesting addition to that division.
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