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A magnificent performance of power and speed, exhilarating to watch.
His pedigree indicates that 12f is beyong him, but I can’t see anything troubling him at a mile, provided he continues to enjoy the game. He certainly has plenty of attitude, I wouldn’t like to meet him on a dark night.
Sir Percy ran a fine race, a little better than I’d thought he’d manage, but my feeling about his breeding is that it indicates 10 rather than 12 furlongs as his ideal trip. But, it’s not impossible he’ll stay, and they’ll have to run him, and as we know, 10f horses have won the Derby on many occasions (Sir Ivor, Roberto, Benny The Dip…).
Horatio Nelson looked a little dull in his coat to me (of course it might have been my television), and can improve on his effort today.
I’m not one to blow my own trumpet and I have to confess that I also backed Horatio today, taking some of the gloss off today’s result, as I felt that he was the value bet. However, from the archive section of the forum, I couldn’t resist letting you all have another look at what I had to say on October 15th last year (from the ‘Dewhurst spoiled by O’Brien’ topic –
‘…btw – in addition to saying GW will not race again this year AOB also said he was the best 2-yo they had EVER HAD at Ballydoyle. You can still get 7/2 about him for next years Guineas. LUMP ON. ‘
Lol – excuse my indulgence, I’d like to temper it by saying I wasn’t the only one – here a couple of other quotes from the same topic –
Thedarkknight –  ‘…anyone with a formbook and half a clue will acknowledge that he has a fantastic set of juveniles that look set to dominate the 3yo scene next season. ‘
EC – ‘Personally I still have GEORGE WASHINGTON top of the 2yo tree on my speed figures.’
More EC – ‘If GW trains on as his sire’s offspring suggest he should I think we should have something really decent to look forward to. If he hadn’t got the training-on stats on his side I would think it was a 3yo racing against 2yo’s ie well grown 2yo that won’t progress much over the winter..he has looked so superior. He could just be something special I reckon’
And, finally, from Jackane – ‘…i’m a big fan of Ballydoyle’s 2yos, and i think they will absolutely dominate everything next year’.
(Edited by cormack15 at 7:43 pm on May 6, 2006)
George Washington’s performance was, visually, very impressive, but beating the ‘best’ of last season’s two year old’s doesn’t mean he is anything special in the grand scheme of things (which is, of course, the basis for all major judgement).
I seem to remember a majority of TRF members rubbishing the achievements of a certain Mark Johnston filly after her Guineas victory (which was run in a time that compared very favourably with the top class Haafhd).
Funny how times change.
What an absolute privilege to go and watch such an animal. Very cocky bugger though!! Like DB said, everybody started clapping when he was about to go to the winner’s enclosure and just started backing up. Fallon and O’B started patting and stroking him, but he wouldn’t budge and kept going backwards. they took him off to the saddling boxes and he was gone!!
Comparisons to El Gran Senor are a bit premature I think (bearing in mind that I backed GW and love him to bits!!), and we have to see how the form works out. I haven’t seen the time figure so can’t comment on that.
Attraction was an incredible filly, so to dismiss her against GW would be foolish, but GW was visually amazing.
GW won’t get 12f, I guarantee you that, but could possibly get 10f with a very resourceful ride. Going to the front, before sending them to sleep and kicking on?
Sir Percy ran a cracker though and has silenced me over my doubts of his ability. I thought he had been very lucky in all his races, and thought he could be one of the shocks of the race finishing way down the field, but well done Percy!
I thought the way he won today suggested that a step up to 10F rather than a step down in trip may be on the cards. He’s bred to get 10 and it’s only his scintillating speed that has many doubting his staying powers. I wouldn’t be surprised, depending on how the rest of the O’Brien team progress, to see him tackling the Eclipse or somesuch rather than sticking to a mile.
(Edited by cormack15 at 7:59 pm on May 6, 2006)
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The horse won well & is obviously high class. Aiden O’Brien & EC were both right, (for once:)).<br> Having said that, the time was modest, and Sir Percy apart, rags filled the next 4 places. Be interesting to see how he progresses
Quote: from cormack15 on 7:58 pm on May 6, 2006[br]I thought the way he won today suggested that a step up to 10F rather than a step down in trip may be on the cards. He’s bred to get 10 and it’s only his scintillating speed that has many doubting his staying powers. I wouldn’t be surprised, depending on how the rest of the O’Brien team progress, to see him tackling the Eclipse or somesuch rather than sticking to a mile.
(Edited by cormack15 at 7:59 pm on May 6, 2006)<br>
Didn’t his dam win over 13 furlongs as a three year old?
If George was slower you’d be tempted to think a mile and a half might be within his range but as you say horses with that sort of speed just don’t stay. Interesting.
Probably a mile will be George’s optimum then again maybe he’s just a freak of horse and sensationally good.
Personally Sir Percy has Derby written all over him for me.
I don’t get where all that ‘he won’t stay’ stuff came from anyway. Was there that question mark over Dubawi last year before the Guineas?
Everybody seems to be overlooking GW’s dam Bordighera and half brother Grandera, yet everybody is so sure that Sir Percy will get 10f, even though his sire (Mark of Esteem) has a lower stamina index than Danehill, and only raced over a mile. Is there a conspiracy theory against Coolmore!?!
Everybody seems to be forgetting that I was just as sure as EC that GW would win! Give ME credit!! :biggrin:
Yay, another coolmore supporter!!! I’m very suprised O’B expressed doubts over stamina. I didn’t even look to the breeding to know that he’d get a mile – just looking at his races made me think he’d get it easily.
By the way, who’s tony?
I saw the Simon Crisford comment in the RP the other day when I was reading through it to get trends. Bit foolish of him since Dubai M couldn’t manage it – and his dam Zomaradah had one crack at 12f and didn’t manage it though. After the Derby, I always thought he’d make a cracking 10f horse.
As much as I dislike Godolphin and love Coolmore, I do think it’s a shame that so many of their great horses are retired at 3yo. Dubawi and Shamardal both got injured last year – Shamardal would have played a vital part in the Eclipse we now know, and Dubawi could have won the BC Mile, or even stayed on as a 4yo and gone for the World Cup.
Jack – I think you’ll find it’s Coomore who’ll be a lot quicker to retire a 3 year old than the boys in blue.
A top class 3 year old in a group where the rest (except one) were trained to a peak. Slowish early pace and no horse willing to pass OO. Slow overall time for the going and winning from coming from behind with that pace is always a warning sign not to over rate. At no stage did GW accelerate, cruised for 4 furlongs and really slowed over last 2 furlongs. GW appeared hard trained for this race and AOB did not seem to have future plans decided. None of the field looked to have the stamina, compactness or speed for an Epsom Derby but many will win again at 7-8 furlongs on similar galloping courses.
[A top class 3 year old in a group where the rest (except one) were trained to a peak. Slowish early pace and no horse willing to pass OO. Slow overall time for the going and winning from coming from behind with that pace is always a warning sign not to over rate. At no stage did GW accelerate, cruised for 4 furlongs and really slowed over last 2 furlongs. GW appeared hard trained for this race and AOB did not seem to have future plans decided. None of the field looked to have the stamina, compactness or speed for an Epsom Derby but many will win again at 7-8 furlongs on similar galloping courses. <br>]
<br>So Robert…to summarise. You think the winner started slow…didnt accelerate and and then crawled over the last two furlongs. Hmm.
SHL
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