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Not sure about Trabolgan; there could be a mighty Grand National run in him.
He"s the only danger to Calgary Bay in Saturdays Sky Bet Chase too Moe,getting a stone off the Big horse!
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Keen Leader and Kingscliff were both particular favourites of mine – I could happily watch the latter’s victory at Ascot over and over again – but I always hoped that Irish Hussar and Trouble At Bay would improve to challenge at Grade 1 level. The same sentiment applies to Decoupage who I remember watching bolt up in the Tote Gold Trophy in 1999. He was the first winner I ever backed with my own money (though as a rather baby-faced 14-year-old I didn’t have the pleasure of either placing the bet or collecting the winnings) and it was disappointing to see him limited to just a handful of subsequent outings.
The other two horses I would have loved to have seen more of, though both proven in top class company, were Rhinestone Cowboy and Landing Light. Mini Magnier rarely escaped criticism when partnering the former, but their destruction of Iris’s Gift at Punchestown was a joy to behold.
As for a horse failing miserably to build on a promising novice career, Very Optimistic springs instantly to mind. One of many inductees to the ‘I Couldn’t Hack It Under Jonjo Hall of Fame’, he won his first three races in effortless fashion – giving the soon-to-be 140-rated Accipiter an absolute pasting in the process – but lost his way following a poor performance in Fundamentalist’s RSA Hurdle.
We followed [purely by accident] Iris’s Gift that year and were at Punchestown when he got beat;from what we heard connections of the horse were devastated. However, we should have realised what would happen because Rhinestone Cowboy walked round the paddock oozing class and wellbeing; perhaps it was one race too many for Iris’s Gift. A guy staying at our b&b lost a fortune on him. Seemed a bit shabby of the trainer to beat him with another one of his horses, but I guess I don’t know the full story.
I would have to throw in Kildimo,i had my biggest bet on him at the time to win the Gold Cup,but could never reach those echelons,he did win at double figure prices for me on occassions,one being the Becher chase,he jumped the National fences like a stag!My favourite victory would be the RSA of his,Bradley rode him like only brad can,when he wanted to! A bigger dissapointment has to be Carvills Hill,if ever you saw a one trick pony it was this fellow.His finest hour came when he won the Welsh National with 11-12,beating a Grand National winner in Party Politics by half the track,giving him well over a stone.Unfortunately he never beat anything other than Handicappers,but he was such a talking horse at the time,i think all his victories came at odds on prices,he was another one of those horses that looked as though he was a world beater,big strong beast who could gallop,unfortunately wasn"t so strong mentally and his demise was exagerated in the 92 Gold Cup by blundering his way round Cheltenham,which was actually won by a handicapper in Cool Ground!
A horse I’ve been racking my brains to remember the name of for gods knows how long, if anyone can help?..
‘It’ was trained by Martin Pipe and ran in the black and white Mercer colours. It had won each of its 5 or so races by an average of 3 fences before lining up as favourite ridden by D Bridgewater for a novice chase at the festival in 95′, I think, and may of been the race Sweet Duke won under Tom Jenks for Twister.
It went off 3/1 fav if memory serves, and as a huge field hurtled to the first at 100mph on what must have been G/F ground, the horse jumped it in front but broke one of its front legs seemingly in half on landing – a sickening sight. A good few bit the dust that year including a Nicholson trained horse or two.
Monsignor looked almost unbeatable before his injury and surely would have been/was a special animal.
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Draborgie, OTS – he was favourite for the Arkle won by Ventana Canyon.
Tatenen- High class french import who started respectably, won the November novices chase at Cheltenham and then I thought here we have one. Alas, he partook of the Irish water and has not been the same since. This despite being favorite for everything.
The handicapper was quite lenient letting Draborgie in off 105 at Warwick. Will never forget that performance – had never seen anything quite like it at the time.
Could probably add Ashkazar to this list too, i thought he would go on to be a very good horse, but has ultimately disappointed somewhat.
Will never underatand what happened to Fundamentalist. Backed him when he beat Inglis Drever in the Sun Alliance . Next season won the novice chase on Greatwood day then bang… never the same horse again.
Thought Roger Fishers Ekbalco a few years ago was going to be the dogs dangly bits but Cheltenham wasn’t for him.
Stu
Stu
Snap! I, too, expected great things from Ekbalco He had a few decent horses around then and a very good claimer attached to the stable around the same time, one of the Goulding boys, who went on to win The Scottish National on a 66-1 on a front runner, I forget his name? Astral something?????
Off the top of my head, Carvill’s Hill and Florida Pearl, both of whom probably had even more ability than they were willing to show on the racecourse. Had Carvill’s Hill been able to string two decent jumps together, he would definitely have won a Gold Cup… but alas; apart from his Welsh Grand National win, he was somewhat of a disappointment.
On the flat, does anyone remember the Vincent O’Brien trained colt, Danzatore ? At one point during his two year old campaign, I thought he was the second coming.
Oh well, we all make mistakes ! 
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Draborgie, OTS – he was favourite for the Arkle won by Ventana Canyon.
That’s the one MG – I didn’t think it was the 96′ Arkle! I was pretty new to the game back then and wouldn’t have even known the Arkle was the 2 mile novice championship.
What sticks out the most is the bright sunny day and the suicidal pace they set off at. Glad to say I haven’t seen such stupidity since.
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Like "H" I immediately think of Carvill’s Hill he was a huge disappointing to most people I think.
Horse called Winter Rain trained by old man Dickinson never quite reached the heights I thought he would.
The massive King Cutler from way back is a horse I thought would win a Gold Cup but never came near.
Pollarsdtown I thought was a Champion Hurdle horse but fell just a little bit short of top class after being a top class juvenile.
Royal Athlete looked a potential Gold Cup horse and was a huge disappointment. He did win the National off 10st 6lbs but could have and would have carried 11st 6lbs had he not lost his way.
Recently, Binocular who I supported and touted to win last season’s Champion Hurdle from the first time I saw him. Jury is still out on him and I still believe he’s in a different league to anything around and will prove it in March.
Recently, Binocular who I supported and touted to win last season’s Champion Hurdle from the first time I saw him. Jury is still out on him and I still believe he’s in a different league to anything around and will prove it in March.
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