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Ginge, I agree with you that he was still very good on the day, but after his last run in the Boyne Hurdle (which was 70 seconds slower than the standard time) the tank looked pretty empty. It was impossible to tell how much of an impact his injury had on that performance and whether connections would be trying that hard to win a X-country which gets more competitive from year to year. Or would they rather accept this as another step towards the Grand National?
QF,
Most of the time it doesn’t work, but sometimes these (and Grand National) fences can rekindle a horse’s enthusiasm. Silver Birch won the Becher Chase and Welsh National in December 2004. Then came a long spell in the wilderness. Seven races without showing much atall, including blinkers used and comments in Timeform like “evidently one to be wary of for the time being”…Should he have been given a chance to redeem himself in this race?
Should he have been retired?Two years and three months after Chepstow, March 2007 a good 3 1/2 lengths second (back to his best) to X-Country specialist Heads On The Ground… Just a month later Silver Birch found himself in the winners enclosure after winning the Grand National.
It’s not unusual for a horse to fall out of love with normal/park fences and yet run well over X-country fences. Don’t have to look very far. Today’s third Out Sam just one example. Timeform squiggle horse who’s been placed twice on this course this season, both times @ 33/1 after losing his form elsewhere.
As I say, imo worth a go just didn’t work for Might Bite. Do agree, hope he’s retired now.
Value Is EverythingIf you agree with me Ex-Ruby, that Tiger Roll was “still very good on the day” then Tiger Roll should have started odds-on. ie Before the race – the rating he put up today would probably be good enough to win. “Probably” means has a better than 50% chance of winning and therefore deserved to be odds-on.
Value Is Everythingsad to see Might Bite in this race. How was a slog over 3m 6f on heavy ground going to suit him?
I think they popped him over a few tyres and oil drums at Seven Barrows and decided based on his reaction to that to send him here. I think it is a good thing that jaded old ex 2.5-3mile stars and horses that trainers decide the week before to slap in the race as a warmup for the National (looking at you Tizzard) in a shitey attempt to copy Elliott, get absolutely beaten out of sight in this race by the well schooled course specialists. It forces some respect for the race rather than treating it as “Oh well our Olympic Champion is fading so we’ll pop him in the egg and spoon race for a bit of a laugh”. Just send it team chasing FFS.
Not saying that horses need to be schooled for it from birth like some of the French ones…you don’t mind the likes of ex Olympic event rider Jessie or banks king Enda steadily reschooling and preparing an older horse all season, or Gordon who probably selects carefully from his ranks of not-top staying chasers (Out Sam came 3rd and with Tiger Roll likely heading for the pipe and slippers, I expect Gordon might have one or two middling to younger horses in mind to start schooling for next year). Or indeed any trainer who is willing to put the time and effort into training a suitable horse properly- ie something that stays, is light on its feet, preferably not jaded to buggery and has done more than pop over a drain at home at some point in February.
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