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I suspect you could be right David in suggesting that we do less with our horses at an early age. The French on the other hand do have their horses racing and jumping at a much earlier age. The likes of Master Minded had plenty of experience in France before coming over here and it is definitely a contributary factor as to why French breds tend to be more forward at an earlier age.
Whether the breeds themselves have markedly different characteristics though, I do not know.
The French don’t categorise their horses as "novice" "open" per say when youngsters so they race according to age.
Take Cyrlight for instance who ran in 3 and 4yo chases before being pitched into open company so in effect had two seasons in novice company before being forced to race in open races (at 5). There’s also the option of flitting between hurdles and fences for those two years, something which trainers in the UK and Ireland seem very relucatant to do with novices – once you go chasing, no matter how poorly a horse runs the trainers seem to want to make a success of it that season and then go back hurdling the following one.
I’ve often wondered why so many pointers, winning ones even, are started off in bumpers, and then maiden hurdles, when switched to racing under rules.
Williams sounded much more positive towards aiming at the 2m 5f race when interviewed after the Challow.
I’d suggest that’s as much the result of a certain Irish bubble bursting than anything else, though having seen him today Diamond Harry should fear nothing in the novice hurdle division IMO.
Goes for the 2m5f race, though will be entered for both. Timmy Murphy wanted to make the running today and didn’t believe Nick when he said "hold him up, we’ll do them for speed". On dismounting he said "Jockey wrong, trainer right". He might run again on 24 January at Cheltenham to keep him ticking over.
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