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Trying to figure out what a trainer’s figured out is a quick way to the poor house. Every trainer is an optimist – as are most people in racing. Beshabar’s trainer, Tim Vaughan strikes me as being fairly shrewd as trainers go, so why is he running the third favourite for the John Smith’s Grand National in the Hennessy Gold Cup?
Beshabar is already rated 150 – the same as this year’s National winner Ballabriggs was when he lined up at Aintree. A prominent run in the first prestigious staying Chase of the season is going to do his mark no good at all; even a poor run probably won’t affect it.
Well, the National is five months away and anything can happen between now and then. What Tim Vaughan has today is a horse he says is ‘happy, fit and healthy’. I think he’s still well handicapped to and almost certainly has a fair bit of improvement in him.
Although he’s a 9-y-o, this will only be Beshabar’s 6th run over fences and he has got noticeably better with each one. At Cheltenham a year ago he was two lengths off the winner (Wayward Prince) and staying on when he was brought down two out. He followed that with an easy long odds-on victory over 3 miles at Doncaster before running a sound race to be second at the festival to Chicago Grey. A rise of 8lbs in his rating for that wasn’t enough to stop him winning the Coral Scottish Grand National next time.
Those final two races of the season (4m and 4m 1f) might mark him as a plodder but I think he might have run so well in them despite the distance rather than because of it. He has wins at 19f and 20f (twice) in his CV. He didn’t see a racecourse till he was five (2nd to Petit Robin over 19f) and this big horse might just be finding his feet now. I’m confident he’ll have the pace for this and that it will probably suit him better than the four milers do.
At around 14/1 I think he is very good value today.
I’ll be having a small saver on Neptune Collonges even though it looks like he is just there to keep Paul Nicholls other two runners on decent weights. Neptune Collonges, 6th behind Beshabar in the Scottish National, is 10 years old and not many his age win a Hennessy especially off such a high mark. But his very talented young rider, Harry Derham reduces the burden by 7lbs and this classy grey – placed in a Gold Cup – could run much better than his price of close to 50/1 on Betfair suggests.
Good luck. Let’s hope all today’s horses and jockeys come home safe
That was wonderful.
I’m really thanking Matty Batchelor for that. Carruthers kept getting outpaced and outjumped, but he had the sense to keep pushing him up to dispute the lead where the horse seemed happiest. It was a very intelligent ride.
Great to see Carruthers back in winning form too. I hope they train him to win the Pillar or AON and the Bowl at Aintree now.
I’ve been really torn between Great Endeavor, Murihead, Planet of Sound and Carruthers.
In the end i had to go with Great Endeavor and Muirhead, but i only hope i’m not kicking myself for neglecting the other two
Excuse me while i go choke myself
The two i go against filling the first 2 places. Just great.That was fantastic. Both horse and jockey are favourites of mine and i’ve always believed this horse had a race like a Hennessy in him and i have always had full belief in his ability to win a National one day.
Well done Grimes and The Young Fella for tipping the winner and congratulations too to all involved with Carruthers – a family steeped in NH racing.
He was a horse I loved until the 2009 Sun Alliance when I thought he got a gut-busting ride that would finish his career. I said straight after that race he would never win a decent race and I’m delighted to be proved wrong.
Kudos too to Ginger for another fine ante-post summary of the race, always one of the highlights of the forum for me
Didn’t have time to look at the race; the S.O. was on Planet of Sound [he always follows the Hobbs’ horses..P o S owes me nothing after his win in Ireland] but I was screaming the Oaksey horse home. What a grand day for racing; for it to be won be someone who has done so much for the sport was wonderful. Congratulations to The Noble Lord! [wipes away tear form eye yet again]
I’m made up for Mattie Bachelor. I had the pleasure of working with him this year and a friendlier, funnier guy you couldn’t hope to meet.
This horse is his whole career and he was really worried before the season started that he might lose the ride. He even told me he would retire if he did. After Noel Fehilly rode him first time out this year I feared the worst but thankfully he was back on board today.
I hope this can now be the catalyst for a change in fortunes. He gave it a asuperb ride.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
delighted for all the connections, magnificent. It was very touching to see the other jockeys so quick to congratulate Mattie, as I’m sure some of them were very disappointed for themselves.
Well done Grimes and The Young Fella for tipping the winner and congratulations too to all involved with Carruthers – a family steeped in NH racing.
He was a horse I loved until the 2009 Sun Alliance when I thought he got a gut-busting ride that would finish his career. I said straight after that race he would never win a decent race and I’m delighted to be proved wrong.
Kudos too to Ginger for another fine ante-post summary of the race, always one of the highlights of the forum for me
Thanks, steeplechasing. It was a big ask for Michel Le Bon, apart from the length of time since he last raced, with such scant experience against grade-class horses, still less in big fields.
In any case, I had the feeling Carruthers had been laid out for it this year, and no horse would have been harder trained to the minute, though some, presumably, most, would have been equally hard-trained. But he jumps like a stag. I didn’t see his first mistake, but his second one looked negligible to me. Truth to tell, I didn’t notice it at all. Perhaps, he trailed his hind legs.
As you may know, his half-brother by Karinga Bay, Conygree, won at Uttoxeter yesterday, and showed the same courage and resolution. Their dam is a half-sister to Destriero, who, as you also may know, won one of the big Cheltenham novice hurdles, to the great jubilation of the marauding Irish plunderers!
Agree about Mattie. He is a delight. Never seen other jockeys so pleased for one of their colleagues [except perhaps McCoy winning the National].
WYMOTT for me at 14/1
I thought Wymott ran a very respectable race in the end. Was he about 5th/6th?
A great race today, was chuffed to see fair along run such a good race. Always looks a bit small for jumping big fences but tried his heart out today after sulking a bit and getting behind!
Smashing race and a great result with no hard luck stories really. Pleased for the winning connections – he deserved a big one.
Many congratulations to team Oaksey. 53 years since the noble Lord-then John Lawrence- was the winning jockey in this race.
Great for a small yard to win such a prestigious race as the Hennessy.
well done the young fella tipping three of first four home and well done mattie bachelor dont know much about him but the way the other jockeys congratulated him speaks volumes for the type of guy he is
Thoroughly engrossing race, rife with talking points. Aiteen Thirtythree travelled beautifully, but didn’t appear to stay, which surprised me as I secretly suspected this race was just for him. It makes me wonder if the Ryanair is more his race, or whether he’s just not as good as Paul Nicholls suspected.
Full respect to Carruthers though, and everyone who’s part of his story. I honestly never saw him as the winner, but it certainly doesn’t grieve me to see him first past the post. Well done to everyone involved
The two i go against filling the first 2 places. Just great.
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