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Would be fascinating to see him under top weight in a big handicap.
Would be for sure but I really can’t see it happening especially for what would likely be his first run at Cheltenham.
I am still highly dubious that he will have the stamina for his number one target, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris over 3m5f which will likely be run on testing ground, especially given how free going he was at Kempton.
Watching him at Kempton, I really didn’t think he wanted to be going up in trip and personally, I would love to see him in the QMCC rather than the Gold Cup, which I think could also see him at (or beyond) his limit stamina wise.
Let’s be quite clear about this – I have backed Il Est Francais for the King George VI Chase and this means I expressly forbid connections from running him in the Grand Steeplechase De Paris (too far) or the Mackeson (he’d be top weight, it’s too close to Kempton Park and there’s no need).
Racehorses racing – I’ve never heard such nonsense.
The sooner the horse is switched to Nicky Henderson the better, frankly.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Won’t be running at Cheltenham festival next month. His main aim next season will be the king George
VF x
The diminishment of the great pre-Christmas handicaps has been a significant loss to NH racing. The Hennessey and Massey-Ferguson used to attract strong fields and feature spectacular weight-carrying performances.
As reported in the Post this morning, he runs in the final established trial for the Grand Steeple at Auteuil on Saturday. The race is the Prix Murat, Grade 2, over 4400m and currently has six possible runners.
Il Est Francais has a 5kg penalty for his Grade 1 win at Kempton – none of this half penalty for wins in novice races in France. His main challenger seems likely to be his stable companion, Gallipoli, a 7yo. He has improved his French chase rating by 12kgs since his owner switched him to Noel George and partner last summer. He’s been second in two Grade 3 chases over C+D this year, so has the advantage of race fitness, as well as being in receipt of 5kgs.
The race also features Gran Diose, trained by Louisa Carberry, who finished second in the Prix Haye Jousselin over 5500m last November – that race is the other Grade 1 chase for older horses in the French program, effectively their equivalent of the King George. He did however finish 20L behind Gallipoli recently and probably needs the longer trip.
I remain to be convinced. Seems to be endless hype surrounding this horse. He beat Hermes Allen and Kilbeg King at Kempton, neither of which were Grade 1 horses over fences, in fact Kilbeg King has never won a race over fences. He won by just over 10 lengths, not 20 or 30. It wasn’t Captain Christy. The reaction for me just underlines how desperate we are to laud supposed superstars. He needs to do a whole lot more to reach that status.
Forget the final margin, could have been much further. Absolutely no dissension across the whole gamut of NH pundits.
Sometimes you just need to trust what your eyes are telling you.On the day I don’t think he could have won any further. It wasn’t as if he cruised through from the rear and won by a couple on the bridle.
For ‘NH pundits’ I prefer cheerleaders. Of course they all agree that’s why the sport’s media is so bland. Any dissention and you end up on the sub’s bench.
The cheerleaders is a fair description of the ITV bunch, bar Ruby. I was referring to comment across all media, where I didn’t see a single comment in the same vein as yours. I think if you crab that performance, you crab anything.
The horse won you don’t have win by 20+ lengths to justify his ability. He was only shaken up between the last few fences and from my eyes was barely off the bridle, the distance could have been far greater.
The more I know the less I understand.
In my view I am just being realistic about the performance.
Out of interest I watched the race again. I still don’t think he could have won by much more. He looks very much speed over stamina. His quick jumping enabled the jockey to save for the finish. Had he tried to win by further I doubt he would have finished off as well. His sharper jumping enabled him to have a relatively easy lead. Not sure that would be so easy to repeat around a stiffer track like Cheltenham. It wouldn’t surprise me if he never appears in a Gold Cup.
Times tell you he’s a bloody good horse, Stilvi.
It’s not just opinion it’s evidence.Value Is EverythingIt’s only part of a picture, although I think you will find that selling platers have set track records. Plenty of horses set decent time figures and actually turn out to be disappointments.
Time will tell, but at the moment he’s a novice chaser who has won a pretty ordinary Grade 1 from two horses who were not Grade 1 standard. He still has much to prove. I think this season’s novice chasers were ordinary, and if I were Galopin Des Champs I wouldn’t be too concerned.
The overall time and sectionals compared to the same day’s King Geoge, Stilvi.
Value Is EverythingI am stating the obvious here, but they were two entirely different races. One was competitive on the front end which resulted in a Grade 2 horse eventually mopping up a Grade 1, and the other wasn’t. As I touched on earlier that lack of pressure enabled Il Est Francais to finish his race off so much better than the other race. Had he been in the King George he wouldn’t have had that luxury, and I doubt he would have finished off in the same manner. The implication that he’s a better horse just because he ran a quicker time on the day is dubious to say the least. He needs to prove that on the track.
“The implication that he’s a better horse just because he ran a quicker time on the day is dubious to say the least. He needs to prove that on the track”.
———————————————–I say again, It’s the overall time AND the sectionals.
It is the overall time combined with the sectionals of both races that mean it is not “dubious”, Stilvi.
The two combined mean Il Est Francais HAS proven it on the trackValue Is Everything
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