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Agree with TDK on this one. He’s been a shade keen in his races over hurdles as well, and the (presumably) stronger pace of the Ballymore should help in that regard.
I was really taken by how he picked up again on the run-in when given a flick having just looked to idle a bit after the last (which he didn’t take particularly well anyway). Exciting prospect.
That Albert Bartlett race should be scrapped. It has done nothing only ensure the Best Staying Hurdlers avoid each other.
He looked to win with something up his sleeve today and it was good to see him score after a relatively recent run (his three previous runs had all been well spaced out). We might not see him out again until the Festival, as he goes so well when fresh. I’m on antepost at 25s for the Ballymore Properties (as TDK knows!) but he could end up in the 3m race.
Can’t see the logic of running in the 3 miler. He isn’t short of speed and who cares who wins the Albert Bartlett?
Basically, it’s the easier race and the prize money is not that much greater for the Ballymore Properties.
Come on now – if it is easy races and prize money that you are looking for then why run the horse at the Festival at all?
I guess the trainer just wants to pick up a few nice pots on the way to the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Headgear may be the better for him
Eh???? Have I missed something, Neil?! Why on earth would you think he’d want headgear?!
I also disagree very much with the idea that the Albert Bartlett should be scrapped – it’s a very good race to have – why should staying horses be disadvantaged by being forced to run over a maximum of 2m5f in novice hurdles at the Festival? What is so wrong with breeding stamina?? After all, if your horse is a potential 3m+ chaser why should it be forced to run over inadequate trips as a novice hurdler?
Don’t necessarily think it should be scrapped and it does indeed provide an opportunity for those horses who are too slow for 2m5f.
However, anyone who thinks that Diamond Harry doesnt have the speed for 2m5f must have been watching a different race to me on Sunday!
The way Pandorama won on Sunday (26 lenghts and unextended) would suggest to me that is easily the best novice seen so out far this season in England or Ireland and on current form looks the one for The Ballymore Properties Hurdle.
After the next probable win on Dec 14 the 6/1 on offer now for the festival should shorten the odds by half.
The way Pandorama won on Sunday (26 lenghts and unextended) would suggest to me that is easily the best novice seen so out far this season in England or Ireland and on current form looks the one for The Ballymore Properties Hurdle.
After the next probable win on Dec 14 the 6/1 on offer now for the festival should shorten the odds by half.
I agree that it’s a good arbing opportunity; I don’t think he’ll win at The Festival though. Doesn’t Mullins have one of these horses every year? a novice hurdler (an embryonic chaser) that wins its races easily on soft ground in Ireland then flops at the festival when it encounters good ground, a big field and a fast pace for the first time. Aran Concerto was one, apparently the best horse that he’s ever had (still could be over fences, I guess).
Agreed in terms of the horse but Aran Concerto is trained by Noel Meade. They are very similar animals though.
There is an awful lot of hype surrounding Pandorama but I get the impression that Noel is trying to keep a lid on it. I think he regretted saying that Aran Concerto could be the best he’d ever trained after he won his bumper. That tag followed the horse around for the rest of that season but in fairness, the horse may well justify his reputation over fences.
Getting back to Pandorama, the word from the point-to-point crowd was that this was one of the most promising horses they’ve seen in years. Noel did say that they considered putting him straight over fences so you’d have to think that anything he achieves over hurdles is going to be a bonus. If he gets testing conditions over hurdles he’ll be very difficult to beat, but I feel he could be vulnerable to speedier types on a decent surface.
He might not win a novice hurdle at Cheltenham but he’s one you could well see running in a Gold Cup in the future. He reminds me a bit of Denman as a novice hurdler – real chasing type with the raw ability to gallop other horses into submission.
Headgear may be the better for him
Eh???? Have I missed something, Neil?! Why on earth would you think he’d want headgear?!
I also disagree very much with the idea that the Albert Bartlett should be scrapped – it’s a very good race to have – why should staying horses be disadvantaged by being forced to run over a maximum of 2m5f in novice hurdles at the Festival? What is so wrong with breeding stamina?? After all, if your horse is a potential 3m+ chaser why should it be forced to run over inadequate trips as a novice hurdler?
I only said Headgear after his Uttoxeter race, but now it looks like he will be fine running normaly.
Getting back to Pandorama, the word from the point-to-point crowd was that this was one of the most promising horses they’ve seen in years. Noel did say that they considered putting him straight over fences so you’d have to think that anything he achieves over hurdles is going to be a bonus. /quote]
That ‘anything he does over hurdles is a bonus’ line drives me crackers (nothing personal I C). It’s as if trainers haven’t spotted that you need to start chasing early nowadays in order to reach the top whilst still having enough speed to compete.
War Of Attrition, Kicking King and even Best Mate all ran in their first chase at the age of 5, the same as Pandorama and Diamond Harry are now. Kauto Star ran his first UK chase two days before his fifth birthday.
By the time these horses have done a season over hurdles, a season of novice chasing, they’ll be 8-y-olds when they make their first appearance in a Gold Cup.The game is changing – did these guys not notice the 5-y-olds winning championship races at the Festival, or the 5-y-old winning the Sun Alliance Chase. Hanging around and counting your ‘bonus’ is, in my view, reducing their chance of eventual success on the big stage.
Indeed Alan – SDM has had a season or so off the track and will still be the same age as these horses when they tackle their first Gold Cup’s.
You make a good point about the success of 5yos in novice races at the festival AP, but most if not all of these horses (Voy Por Ustedes, Star De Mohaison etc.) are French bred. Irish bred horses tend to mature and develop at a later stage and therefore a lot of trainers, rightly or wrongly, tend to keep them over hurdles for a season before going chasing.
I take your point about War Of Attrition, Kicking King and Best Mate all running in their first chase as 5yos, but all three of these horses had a year over hurdles to develop physically and learn about the game before tackling fences.
There are compelling arguments to sending a horse chasing at the earliest opportunity. Florida Pearl, who went straight from bumpers to novice chases, springs to mind. But for every success story like Florida Pearl, there would be a horse like Missed That, who probably would have benefitted from a years hurdling before going novice chasing.
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