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They knew it, didn’t they? I mean something went badly wrong shortly before the Tingle Creek.
Apparently Willie said he’s not happy with his work the past couple of days but is that enough to write off a season? Something more than that I expect.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Maybe something old reoccured which sidelines him for at least a few weeks. After that it would be almost impossible to bring him back to his old self by mid-March.
Surely a well-thought decision, but will the matchup Douvan vs. Altior ever take place? I’m not quite so sure…..But ruling out April and May and June too?
I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s that with this one.
Just think of Faugheen. There was no rush to get him back to the track. Same calibre of horse, same approach, I guess and hope.
Sounds like something more than just plain old lameness to be ruled out for the whole season even taking into account the softly softly approach – wonder if it related to the pelvis injury? Assume Min will now step in as super sub.
How much of sods law would it be if Altior also ends up missing Cheltenham seeing as they are now talking about going straight to the QMCC without a prep, it might not take much to blow that plan out of the water.
I am starting to get the vibe that it will be long odds on that we ever get to see a Douvan v Altior clash with both of them being at their very best – a bit like the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight being 5 yrs too late.
Big horse, problems always a danger with horses that size and his style of ‘jumping’ (kind of sloppily clambering over when he could be arsed) was an added peril. Very likely over rated too imo.
Why are people so crazy about Min? He was no match for Altior in the Supreme Novices, he missed Cheltenham last also through injury and is unproven in a Graded races outside novice company. Yet he is a best-priced 4/1 now.
There will be many trainers targeting the QM Chase this season as Altior might miss the race as well.
Special Tiara always likes it there in March, Charbel should recapture his past Festival form and Politologue and Fox Norton haven’t stopped improving yet.
Despite Douvan’s absence it still will be a very competitive race.I’m not sure Douvan is overrated per all his beatings of Sizing John, Joe. I wonder whether Douvan was feeling something which caused him to jump badly in the QMCC or whether his sometimes erratic style/bad mistake caused the fractured pelvis. Whatever, it stands to reason that his current lameness is in someway related to his injury in March, one that can only be left to heal naturally. In the circumstances, given his relative youth and the recent successful comeback of Faugheen following a long absence, it’s a wise move to ease off this season and hope for full recovery by next autumn. Whether that will occur cannot be known until he enters serious work again. With both Douvan and Faugheen there will be a risk every time they run that they may break down again.
Unfortunate, but sadly predictable. Horses with physical problems are more suseptible to more physical problems. Just hope Altior gets to Cheltenham.
Value Is EverythingAlways happens to the good ones. He could have been one of the true greats; effortlessly unbeaten as a novice hurdler/chaser, and that generation of Sizing John + Fox Norton have proved to be a vintage one. Just hope me makes it back, but must be serious doubts
Very hard to say he is overrated with a British record of 13 wins from 14 races (11 of which were either G1 or G2).
Personally I think the pelvic injury was as a direct result of jumping the third fence in QMCC and even though he was given plenty of time to recover from that specific problem, I just wonder whether there was some internal knock on effect from it that maybe isn’t visible to scanning procedures resulting in this intermittent lameness.
Hopefully this isn’t something that is a bigger cause for concern and they are just being overly cautious but I just have that niggly feeling in the back of my mind that this is something more serious and we just might not see him return the same horse.
All fingers firmly crossed that I am just way off base.
But ruling out April and May and June too?
I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s that with this one.
Same.
It’s particularly unfortunate as he accomplished the striking feat of winning at all 3 spring festivals, which requires not only brilliance, but also soundness
I completely disagree that he was overrated.
Of the past few years, he’s the only horse that would get within 4 lengths of a fit Sprinter Sacre.
They are miles better than any other 2m chaser since Master Minded.
Though I expect if Altior gets back fit, he will be every better than Douvan. Shame we won’t ever see them race against each other.
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