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Value31….Flyingbolt would probably be rightly p*ssed that you don’t class him in the same breath, looking at some of his handicap runs, there is an argument that he was even better (at the very least he was the far more versatile of the two).
Early in his career would see him win what is now the Irish Champion Hurdle, the Supreme Novices Hurdle (under 12-2) and the Arkle Chase (under 12-4) but it was his 1965/66 season that saw him do the following:
Won the 2m4f Massey-Ferguson Gold Cup (aka December Gold Cup) under 12-6 (giving away at least 25lbs). Following that win, had he ran in the next race he was entered for (the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase at Doncaster the following month) the handicapper would have asked him to conceed 14lbs to……Mill House (who in the event of Flyingbolt’s absence finished 3rd under 12-7).
Flyingbolt’s next actual race would see him win the 3m1f Thyestes Chase under 12st beating Height O’Fashion by a distance (whilst giving her 28lbs), with Flying Wild (who received 29lbs) another 25 lengths back in third. By comparison, Arkle failed by a length to give 32lbs to Flying Wild in the previous season’s Massey Ferguson Gold Cup.
Won the 2m Champion Chase
Finished 3rd in the 2m Champion Hurdle (just 24 hrs after his Champion Chase win)
Won 3m2f Irish National under 12-7 again beating Height O’Fashion (by 2 lengths) and the previous year’s winner Splash, giving them 40lbs and 42lbs respectively. Height of Fashion is the link because Arkle had beaten her in the 1964 Irish National by one length giving her 30lbs.
Although his owner had mentioned taking on Arkle in the 1967 Gold Cup which wasn’t something the trainer of the two (Tom Dreaper) wanted but sadly neither horse would make the race with Arkle retiring after injury in the 1966 King George and previous to that (following a disappointing return to action), Flyingbolt was subsequently diagnosed with brucellosis, a recurring condition which causes inflammation of the joints. He was never the same horse again with the owners bouncing him between several new trainers over the years before retiring him in 1971 after he fell for the 1st time in his career in the Topham.
Had he been trained by someone else other than Arkle’s trainer Tom Dreaper, we most likely would have seen them face off in the 1966 Gold Cup and racing history may have been very different.
Ruby it’s just as likely he’ll fall or go out like a light , that’s why he isn’t shorter
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Henderson whilst he does have the occasional flat runner is a NH trainer at heart so should he pursue a flat campaign would he be better off in another stable?
The more I know the less I understand.
The runner-up from last weeks main event, Square Necker, has been rewarded with a UK handicap mark of 85. That would suggest a mark in the high 90s for CH, although he won’t get an official mark until after he runs again on the flat.
I still would like to know when do the BHA step in? Complete silence. This is a showpiece event and mainstream media will be waiting whichever way it goes.
Imagine if CH falls at the 1st or last and breaks his neck. The image will be plastered on the front & back pages of many newspapers and all over the TV news channels and not just in the UK. There will also be a social media frenzy & furore that horse racing has never seen the like before.
This isn’t just Hendo & Buckley’s decision. This is a racing industry decision.
And exactly what can Yogi do to replicate race conditions over padded hurdles with the noise of the crowd etc? Jumping over rails isn’t going to sort out the horses mental block.
In would be a 1000% NO in countries like Hong Kong, Japan or Australia. Unless he runs a trial race over hurdles. Since that type of events aren’t part of our Racing world the horse shouldn’t run.
Does anyone seriously think that Hong Kong for instance would put Buckley and Hendo above the integrity of the sport? Of course not.Yogi can’t do a thing about that unless the horse can clearly signalise that the mental problems are over.
Totally agree Astralcharmer. The BHA are only too eager to introduce unnecessary restrictions such as horses being banned from running if they are too far out of the weights, yet are silent about a horse with Constitution Hill’s recent abysmal jumping record taking part in a flagship event.
Again, totally agree Astralcharmer. If he runs and the very worst thing happens, the non-racing pages of the media would justifiable ask the question: this is a horse that has fallen in three of his last four jump races, why was he running at Cheltenham? Especially after the furore of his recent run at Southwell and the possibilities of his burgeoning flat career. I can’t see any way for racing to defend itself and you’d still have three days of the festival left, for racing to be put further through the microscope.
I said before the Southwell race that the fuss about Constitution Hill’s participation only made sense if they were still eyeing up a Champion Hurdle attempt.
Tomorrow’s schooling session cannot possibly tell connections anything new about how he will cope back over hurdles under raceday conditions. But it must be long odds on that the horse is somehow going to tell them that he should run at Cheltenham.
If they are considering risk versus reward then the reward is a horse who has already blitzed the field in a Champion Hurdle trying to win it again. Is that a major front page storyline?
However the risk would undoubtedly be front page news and politically with a Labour Government and the even more radical Greens starting to gain momentum (don’t think you’ll find many Green voters in support of horse racing) NH racing in particular might find itself having to defend itself at the highest level and losing control of what comes next.
And this time don’t expect me to fight its corner as I have always done in the past. The decision to run this horse in March would be indefensible.
I’ve just switched on SSR and there at Southwell …it’s all about the hill , it’s getting tedious , any chance we talk about today racing please
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Is it not a bigger risk running him on Good to Firm ground (in 25+ degree heat) at Royal Ascot? Can’t think of a Blue Bresil to win a turf race, let alone a 9-year-old.
“(don’t think you’ll find many Green voters in support of horse racing)”
You’ve got one right here. And I know several others, too.
Lazy stereotyping at its finest.
The Greens want to ban greyhound racing. Now, I can understand the arguments against it but fear that it will be the end of the dog as a breed; not many people would go out of their way to get a pedigree greyhound puppy but ex racers make great pets and are very popular. One of the most ancient of breeds would just die out. At least Starmer and his wife are racing fans although I doubt if the left of his party would be.
I worked many years in greyhound industry for the late great Pam Heasman, everyone of her dogs she classed as her babies and if us kennel staff were not of the same mindset you were shown the door, fingers crossed they leave the sport alone
“The Greens want to ban greyhound racing.”
After consulting with the RSPCA, among others.
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