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Such a promising start to his career last year, I backed him for the Arkle after his debut when he trounced them, and in his hurdles races after that he did the same to everyone he faced really, but after looking great on the build up and beating no less than My Way De Solzen and New Little Bric in one race he seemed to then fade a bit, not a lot as he was still placing, but was it the horse or the better opposition he faced and the fact he wasn’t always the front runner he was at the start of his career? What can we expect from him this season?
Being a novice I’m not entirely sure what his best race is, he seems to have had a bit of variation and has been aimed at longer distances recently as his career has gone on, and on the flat rather than hurdles, just a bit of warming up before tackling obstacles again?
But he’s been over fences too so does well to handle them being a small horse, he appeared to resent being bullied in the Arkle though, along with what I thought wasn’t the best ride from Richard Johnson with him being a front running horse and held back boxed in ’til near to the end, he still did very well to then come 2nd though so obviously likes to race.
Did well in the Cesarewitch recently in a race in which I wasn’t sure how he would do on the flat, which had a lot of horses running so although being a small horse he seems to have grown in confidence and become more able to handle himself, does anyone know what he is aimed for at Cheltenham, and what his actual forte is for the future?
Would it be wild to say he likes to be in front similar to Desert Orchid and doesn’t race as well with horses in front of him?
Yeah I agree Triple_Crown, I think hurdles are his forte and he has to be given his best ride by a jockey who knows him, as a front runner, but you just have to think what horses are capable of matching and beating him in the same style of racing.. I hope to see him in March in a race that suits, such as your suggestion, and would be far from be happy if the same tactics were applied as in the Arkle this year.
Geez you guys have got some funny ideas
The Champion Hurdle?…….he wouldn’t be sighted with a telescope………..on his recent runs he looks like 2 1/2m over fences could be his right trip.T
Not at all Chris your post was very good reading.
Can’t say I agree that he needs to be ridden from the front. For me you hit the nailed right on the head when you say he resents being bullied.
Johnson instead of biding his time tried to bully him into chasing Pablo at Exeter and his jumping went to pot. That run is best ignored.
The pace of a 2 mile race in top company is beyond him IMO. Stepped up in distance 3 or 4 furlongs, dropped in and allow him do things in his own time could be the answer.
He’s entered in the King GeorgeV which has to tell us something about what the trainer is thinking long term.
To even think about running him in the Champion Hurdle is bordering on the ridiculous. Using Afsoun as a yardstick is even more rediculous. Afsoun was like 3 years old at the time. Horses change as they get older and although he and the third in that race have retained the toe required for hurdling it doesn’t mean Fair Along has.
He would neither have the class nor the speed to trouble the top hurdlers and would be taken of his feet after a mile or so. Just because he runs on the flat doesn’t mean he would have the pace to go the gallop in the champion hurdle..anyway he was fully exposed in the County at Cheltenham….Dream on guys.
More chance of Denman winning a 5 furlong sprint at Royal Ascot.
not saying it wont stay but in my book of horse profiles i have the following as its ideal conditions…………..FAIR ALONG 16-17 FURLONGS ON GOOD TO SOFT OR SOFT 111344120,chipmunk
Sorry TC if iy seemed like I was talking over the top of you I posted unaware that you had replied.
Very briefly your book would say that Chip if the horse hasn’t been given a good enough opportunity to prove he can stay.
TC. Why would they want to run him in the Champion Hurdle and pay an entry fee for a race he can’t possibly win?. That reminds me of a northern horse called Fine Sun who ran in the CH. As the jockey told the owner on his way back in "total waste of bloody time and money"
He isn’t that all that bad a jumper it’s the speed of a two miler that’s causing him to make errors. Seems he makes most of them when getting bustled along He jumps well enough when making the running does he not?
The first thing I would do is talk the owner down and get all ideas of winning any big prizes this year out of his head. Find the horse some easy 2m4f races where they can teach him to settle and he will get the trip no problem. He was made way too much use of at Cheltenham, little wonder he was back peddling when the race got serious. If they keep running him over 2 miles he will go sour on them so they have to come up with something……..the poster of this thread got that right
Hobbs is nobody’s fool and I can’t see him going the hurdling way, for me he will find the right opportunity for the horse and I would think he will keep him chasing and run him over 2m3f to 2m5f very soon.
or he’ll go straight for the Champion Hurdle and win by 30 lengths
I don’t remember too many people criticising his jumping before the Arkle.
Using collateral form from a year and a half ago from one race where Afsoun threw away his chance due to being too edgy (imo) is a dangerous way of thinking.
I think he needs a step up in trip as well. I think going to 2m4 would also take the emphasis off his jumping ever so slightly, and he may well make fewer mistakes. In terms of big race targets he could suffer a bit from ‘Monet’s Garden Syndrome’ (a bit too slow for the QM, won’t stay the Ryanair), and I’d suggest sending him to the Melling Chase as the big target. Sharp 2m4 could be his ideal trip IMO.
I think he needs a step up in trip as well. I think going to 2m4 would also take the emphasis off his jumping ever so slightly, and he may well make fewer mistakes. In terms of big race targets he could suffer a bit from ‘Monet’s Garden Syndrome’ (a bit too slow for the QM, won’t stay the Ryanair), and I’d suggest sending him to the Melling Chase as the big target. Sharp 2m4 could be his ideal trip IMO.
Agree.
The trainer has already admitted it is very difficult to find suitable races. In my opinion there is also a doubt about both his jumping and enthusiasm. If there was an opportunity I would try and front run in a two and a half mile hurdle but I suspect he will remain over fences. For me he is on a slippery slope.
Fair Alongs major target for the season is the Chester Cup in may im afraid guys! which is abit of a bummer for all us jumping fans!
He looks set to try 3 miles in the King george though, and it wouldnt suprise me to see him improve for the trip, but he cant win it.
As for his jumping i think he is so small he finds it hard to jump flat out over 2 miles but the step up in trip will help.
He will undoubtably run at the festival and probably in the Ryan air chase which im sure he will get the trip if they dont go mad from the front, after all he was staying on on the flat over 2 miles 2.However, he has missed alot of work with an infection in a hind leg so he isnt a certain runner in the KG
I think Fair Along will never return to his best, and should probably be sent to Peter Monteith to see if he (and some new scenery) can rekindle his enthusiasm so he can win a few handicaps once his rating has dropped enough, as he reminds me of one of those prematurely jaded, young-but-over-raced beasts of Pipe’s.
Don’t know about Peter Monteith but may not be a bad idea…grand lad Peter but chances would be slim…..can I ask why you thought of him?
I hope he doesn’t run in the King George v I have enough worries without a speed horse like him popping up and discovering he was a 3 mile horse all along.
Chances would be less slim thankfully.Can’t see him winning the Chester way too sharp and too many others would do him for toe. Wasn’t he beaten in it before?
Wonder who’s idea that was…….the trainers or the owner?
Don’t know about Peter Monteith but may not be a bad idea…grand lad Peter but chances would be slim…..can I ask why you thought of him?
Hi, it wasn’t a serious suggestion to send Fair Along to Peter (as you say, chances would be too slim!) but the horse just reminds me of those David Johnson-owned horses like Locksmith, Medison and Standin Obligation, who, after perhaps a decent novice season (where they were over-raced / landed a gamble that they were hard-trained for) just lose their enthuisasm while also having a handicap mark that is beyond them. I hope I’ve got it wrong, I’m writing him off prematurely and he just needs further. But I can see him spending some time in the doesn’t-have-a-trip, too-high-handicap-mark, no-suitable-races twlight zone.
Oh I see.was just wondering if you knew Peter as I knew him very well and was wondering if that mad Irishman Donal Nolan is still around, who I haven’t seen in years………….he’d sort the beggar out would Donal he’d kick the fooka in the belly which was Dons answer to everything
Still think he can make a good 2m4f horse my one prayer is the beggar don’t go to kempton and spring a major suprise then I would be tempted to shoot him.
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