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Connections of promising horses get excited all the time. I’ve often heard it said that the best time of year in a yard is before the season gets under way, when dreams are still intact. Inevitably, most of them get shattered.
I’ve never seen Aidan O’Brien speak so openly about one of his horses as he did after the Lockinge on BBC. He was so full of emotion he could barely get the words out coherently, but he wanted to communicate his sheer pleasure at being involved with the horse. He spoke of the pleasure of watching HW work, and of his natural talent. He blamed himself (as he frequently does, unlike many another) for having got things wrong in the past. He was prepared to speak in this way because the horse did show that day how he is capable of something special.
OK, he’s infatuated with the horse, but I think he’s being completely sincere. I don’t detect any cynical motive at work. If anything, it has only served to deflect attention from his other stars of last year who achieved more that he did.
Dungheap, you’re right about (only) one thing, that HW is still in training this season in an effort to improve his record. There’s nothing unusual in that. Marcus Tregoning said the other day that if the photo had gone the other way in last year’s King George, Nayef would not still be around.
Dungheap,
Super response, I think you have just spit your dummy out. None of your arguments have any balance or cohesion. Criticising Ballydoyle for having an open day, what rubbish, especially when other trainers have open days.
You obviously have quite a large chip on your shoulder.<br>
spoken with true wit sir, may I suggest after the puppet….the puppeteers.<br>
(Edited by Dungheap at 1:30 am on June 21, 2003)
The most popular thread over Royal Ascot and its criticising a horse,it’s connections and not congratulating the winner. :banghead:
Too much jealously, too much hype on hype!!
<br>p.s.Dungheap<br>
gosh a threesome
<br> thats what you’ve been doing with your hands under the sheets :laugh:<br> i wonder if there will be a reply:rolleyes:
Aiden,<br>You feel saddened about the thread, so do I, I feel saddened that we can’t question things without being shouted down all the time. Even when we have a valid point.<br> You said
Load of crap Dungheap.
<br>When you mis-understood my thread. I was not critising, ballydoyle’s open day, but the manipulation of the press and you (where they have suceeded).
If you and swingofapair do not recognise satire, then que sera. At least that manchester city supporting JohnJDonahue, could reply in kind, not in vulgarity.
Dungheap,
It’s satire, just satire……didn’t you recognise this :rolleyes:
Maybe the threads should be kept to horse racing !!<br>I’ll try to
(Edited by Wingandaprayer at 8:55 am on June 24, 2003)
I know this won’t be popular judging from the stick Dungheap has come in for but I agree with Dungheap’s main point on this topic as the ballydoyle’s policy of hype and spin only sets some horses up for a big fall. The way Hawk Wing has been talked up over the last 2 seasons has left the horse wide open for critics to have a go, if he never was going to win a classic then he was always going to be disappointing in some peoples opinions, despite the fact most connections would be thrilled to own a horse with HW’s achievements.
I believe hype and spin have detracted from our sport considerably recently with the sport being more like politics nowadays than celebrating the worthy winners, there have been some great horses over the last 3 seasons but because their connections don’t carry weight in their voice or talk up a season in advance they will never be recognized as truly great by most punters.
For instance take Best Mate’s amazing achievements, one of only a select few double Gold Cup winners and is undoubtedly a classy act, yet he is not consider great as hardly any topics are about him but if this horse was in Ballydoyle there would be a topic started every week on him like there was with Istabraq! Unfortunately spin is ruining our sport now as it obviously blinds punters into thinking that only hyped horses can be great which I find really sad as unless they are overly hyped beforehand it’s unusual they’ll considered to be great.
The best Derby winner so far this decade in my opinion was not from Ballydoyle and yet he was not considered one of these great horses because of his connections not over hyping him. If the hype horse does not live up to high expectations then it detracts from the worthy winner as so many topics are started on the hype horses and very few on the worthy winners. But to make matters worse is how people buy into the hype machine and anybody who dares to stand out from the crowd and say different is quickly mocked by the many.
Unfortunately hype from the right people starts hysteria and the only thing to suffer is the horses who would under normal circumstances be celebrated for their top class performances but are ridiculed as they can not live up to the hype their connections have spread around in the hope of adding to stud value.
I have no sympathy for the connections over the bashing of HW but it is unfair on the talented creature just because his connections have made a rod for his back.
Quote: from Daylight on 9:31 am on June 24, 2003[br]<br>I have no sympathy for the connections over the bashing of HW but it is unfair on the talented creature just because his connections have made a rod for his back.
Agree,unfortunately the horse has little say in this.He’s a good horse, not the greatest,not consistent
Daylight, are you suggesting that Istabraq was hype, and I think Kris Kin is the worst derby winner this decade.
There is a difference between Ballydoyle and the Racing post. I think it is lazy journalism from assholes like Claude duval and RP subeditors that has hyped horses injudiciously. It was airwave before ascot, it is choisir now. Johnny murtagh’s quote that he will win everything if he stays at this side of the world was all over the press in teh past week.
Ballydoyle are past the stage now when they need publicity to survive. They welcome it as any business would, but i dont think that magnier et al are writing scripts for O’brien after his horses run. In fact, O brien is very circumspect when talking about his horses. (Ever seen Oliver Brady) Sadlers wells and before him MVOB winning those gp1s over the years has done more than enough to publicise Ballydoyle.
The press can and will blow anything up ten times bigger.
Frankie’s Kheleyf jockey error quote was apparantly said after he rode work on him. It was picked up and made into a headline. That’s just one of many of recent examples.
MH I think Daylight was referring to Sinndar.
Best Mate – a lot of older racing fans are challenging some B.M publicity by saying he’s not Arkle and has a lot to live up to and they say BM is not facing the kind of opposition Arkle faced. In a way it’s good because with Best Mate we’re not getting too big – we’re accepting him for what he is and to younger fans he is very exciting.
Hawk Wing (having been compared with Brigadier G in some quarters) hasn’t necessarily faced the kind of opposition he did either. Maybe DL has a point although I agree with MH about the press and journalism.
And I want to be a journalist….!
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