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Earlier start time a must.
Having a standing start in principle sounded good but that wasn’t what we got today as the whole field were borderline breaking into a hack – my issue with NH starts in general nowdays is that they ask them to walk in from way too far back to start with which encourages them to gather more speed as they come in or you get the equally daft result where the starter drops his flag to start the race and the field are still 50+ yds off the tape.
With a standing start (if you do it properly that is) I don’t think you needed to move the first fence forward 60 yds as well – there isn’t really a place they can move that fence forward enough to ensure that the horses are not racing too fast once they get to it. Jockeys also need to be a bit more sensible in this regard by not being hell bent on rushing forward to get a position.
21 finishers
7 pulled up
4 unseated ridersCorach rambler over jumped first unseated then fell riderless second and was immediately caught and fine.
I notice first four where all above 11st, winner had 11st 6lb, second 11st 4lb 3rd 11st 6lb and 4th 11st 2lbNow with regards to the changes made standing start cannot be called standing start also how they wanted in plans when changed for all horse to be spread out didn’t seem to work as we knew
As for moving first fence nearer to runners to slow them down, I would be interested to know what speed they where going when got to it and jumped it as to my eyes it seemed much fasterWell done to I am Maximus and team he was a good winner, for a second I thought we was going have another Gold cup winner win it as they hit the straight.
Pleased for connections of Kitty’s Light, lowest weight to finish in top five in fifth. He ran well for them, not good enough to win a Grand National but he some horse to achieve what he has
Delta Work ran a cracker 11yrs old, Elliot had said he was flying at home but I am Maximus is a better horse Also Galvin placed maybe missing the Cheltenham cross country helped keep them fresh
Of the fences jumped on the three days over national course the only fence that seemed to have fallers or unseats being the chair. Bechers brook just like any of the other fences these days
Is 21 most ever to complete? With 0 fallers though the anti brigade still won’t be happy no matter what
VF x
A little surprised to see I Am Maximus as big as 20/1 for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
I suppose he still needs to find some improvement but that is by no means impossible.
I do feel sad that there is no longer a place in the race for horses like Just So. Maybe there should be a consolation race for those that don’t get in?
I like that idea Moehat. Not sure old Just So would get in even so these days though.
If I remember correctly someone called him Just Slow and said he needed the race to be 6m – he wouldn’t even qualify for the race now.
I think 20-1 for the Gold Cup is rather short for I Am Maximus – this season he ran into GDC in both the Savills Chase (beaten 31L) and the Irish Gold Cup (beaten 17L), not sure he has that much improvement in him and the owner might have a better option for the Gold Cup.
To me this is a National horse through and through.
Yep. And hope for heavy going!
Mullins has plenty of ammunition for the trainer’s title. I would be surprised if I Am Maximus runs at Sandown.
I just wonder if they’ve backed themselves into a bit of a corner today. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to see horses falling left right and centre but going on about this narrative, the attention from the anti’s is bound to turn to getting rid of fallers at any race course. How long before we start getting fences halved in size and effectively becoming large hurdles? Anyway it is what it is unfortunately, it is good they’re all coming home in one piece. An enjoyable race for sure but a rout in the end for the winner and its not really the puzzle/lottery it once was is it? A 2nd winning favourite (co) in a row, the 3rd in 5 years having had to wait nearly 10 years for one after Don’t Push It. If you take Noble Yeats out of the picture its 10/1, 4/1f, 11/1, 8/1f, 7/1jf.
The antis are complaining about horses wearing tongue ties and pulling up in races now.
“I do feel sad that there is no longer a place in the race for horses like Just So. Maybe there should be a consolation race for those that don’t get in?”
Moehat, I too miss those Nationals of the past full of long distance specialists who would really struggle to get in now. Looking at this year’s entries, a horse like Tommie Beau would be a modern example. It does feel like the race has moved away from its original spirit somewhat, though realistically little can be done on that score.
The Becher Chase often attracts horses who would have been National horses of an earlier era. I have long thought that this race gets somewhat overlooked in what is a very busy period, and more could be done to make that a celebrated race in its own right.
Moehat, these antis also oppose people keeping dogs and cats as domestic pets. There are people who have legitimate concerns about some aspects of horse racing and there are evangelical fanatics. The latter are a very vocal minority.
I think the mentality of targeting horses at the GN has changed in the past 5-6 years a lot. Now with Mullins dominating the GC the likes of Galvin or Delta Work bypass that race and are kept fresh for the National which makes life harder for the lower rated horses. Especially with the number of runners reduced to 34 you’ll struggle to find another Just So and it will leave you with loads of classy horses carrying over 11st and still getting involved in the finish.
As already mentioned in other “National trial” threads these races don’t deserve that name as (almost) none of the British trial winners ran in the GN today. Maybe the day will come when there will be more staying handicaps restricted to horses, let’s say with an OR between 125-150. Eliminating the ones with Championship potential from those races.“How long before we start getting fences halved in size and effectively becoming large hurdles?”
Maybe it is already happening. I have read chatter online about how the fences have been reduced in size. I do not know if they have but I did wonder if they were smaller when I was there on Thursday.
I doubt we’ve seen the best of I Am Maximus by any means. Wins an Irish Grand National as a novice, comfortably wins a G1 over 20f on his seasonal debut, then ends the season by galloping clear like a fresh horse in the Grand National. After the race Mullins said: ‘He’s quirky, he’s immature, but he’s learning all the time’
I’m more tha happy to take the 20s for the Gold Cup in ’25.
And very well done to D Maxwell in 6th – a much better jockey than he gets credit for.
“The antis are complaining about horses wearing tongue ties and pulling up in races now.”
I obviously have no sympathy with them but I think the anti-racing crowd are damaging their own cause. Are they really expecting the public to get upset about horses wearing tongue ties or blinkers?
Most fair minded people realise they are extremists with ridiculously unrealistic ideas. I saw Richard Hoiles arguing with one of their representatives during Cheltenham week. Hoiles asked him if he thought it was wrong for horses to be ridden. He replied that he thought horses should be allowed to make up their own minds, which reduced the show’s host to laughter.
Likewise Kevin Blake was arguing with another of them on Sky News this week. It seemed to me like the protestor did not really care about horse welfare. It was people using horses for betting that irked him.
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