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Quote: from jackane24 on 9:40 pm on Feb. 5, 2006[br]Was also very lucky to get that second – Mister McGoldrick had to swerve to avoid Robert Thornton which buggered up the momentum and could easily have got 2nd. <br>
Changing the vein of the thread, wasn’t that race a dismal contest? Indicative of the poor standard of British hurdlers. The German horse would have won but for missing the last.Yes he was tiring but the others were hardly flying. Perhaps the German hurdlers are better than ours! 66/1 Royal shakespeare for Champ Hurdle says it all.
While I feel it has been a nice addition to NH racing and interesting to follow throughout the season, it irritates me a bit when I see Royal Shakespeare on top of the Order Of Merit leaderboard as I just think he’s no good.
(Edited by PAULCS at 10:05 pm on Feb. 5, 2006)
Yeah, the race was absolutely shocking. When royal shakespeare is the favourite, the winner, and the LEADER of the order of merit, it just makes you marvel at what a crap race and crap season it has been so far.
The scilly isles was not exactly a classic renewal with no really classy juveniles, and the agfa was a 4 horse race and they were all incredibly average horses. I couldn’t believe Self Defense was 2nd favourite.
<br>Granted the ground was pretty lively but these trainers can’t complain about fewer opportunities for Novice Chasers when there is a Grade 1 with a first prize of £28,000 being contested by only 4 runners.
Looking at past renewals/winners of this race(Best Mate aside), I think it’s time it was downgraded and the Independent Newspaper Nov Chase at the Open meeting should take its place as a Grade 1 with a roll of honour as follows-
1999 – Fadalko<br>2000 – Best Mate<br>2001 – Seebald<br>2002 – Azertyuiop<br>2003 – Thisthatandtother<br>2004 – Fundamentalist<br>2005 – Accordion Etoille
Why for example, was Monet’s Garden not in the field yesterday?
Back to the topic of Iris’s Gift, I’d not be happy that it would complete the course but if it does it must have a chance with the lack of quality in the field. I’m assuming McCoy would ride the horse?
Monet should be running at Carlisle this week. Nicky Richards was just on Racing Replay saying it – I want to see thet jockey take the wrong course – Steven Crosse was it???
But having Grade 1 races with 4 runners is an absolute mockery. There are 31 Group 1s in britain in the flat season, but bearing in mind how many grade 1s there are in ireland, there are probably 31 grade 1 races every weekend!!! the prize money really needs to represent the true value of winning the race.
As an owner I know what it’s like to have dreams of winning the big one. But generally the trainer will bring you back to earth with a bump so it surprises me that Jonjo hasn’t advised against IG taking his chance. Dreaming is all part of the racing game but at some stage reality needs to set in. I had Triumph Hurdle dreams this year with Gardasee, but came to the conclusion that he was probably a stone below the best over hurdles and his future lies over fences, he won’t get the soft ground he needs and most likely he would not be able to dominate from the front.
To me, it looks like Unsinkable Boxer in the Gold Cup all over again. His races prior to his GC run were very similar to IG in terms of his inadequate jumping and come the Gold Cup, I see IG running the same type of race…..toiling at the back after blunder after blunder before finally being pulled up……in one piece hopefully. IG cannot be compared to the ill-fated Gloria Victis who jumped soundly in the main and was perhaps a victim of inexperience.
(Edited by naps at 8:13 am on Feb. 6, 2006)
If IG was mine (if only) Iwould put him back over hurdles before he turns sour or kills himself, being top class hurdlers all thier lives didn’t do some brillient horses I could mention any harm.
It really is a myth that all that connections of Iris’s Gift have to do is to send him back over hurdles for him to be top class again.
He cracked a cannon bone and was off 10 months after he was beaten by stablemate Rhinestone Cowboy at Punchestown. There’s also every possibility he was also affected by the virus in that time also. Both possible factors in preventing him being as good as he was.
I’d at least give a try if he runs bad at the moment they’ve lost nothing if he picks up his game then great, I just hate seeing a lovely horse keep hitting the deck and not just racing over fences but schooling too.
I usually take it as a given to oppose any horse back over hurdles that has jumped fences for at least 9 months (a season).
There are the odd exception, most recently Mister McGoldrick but like DJ says it is a myth that all he has to do is turn up to win the World Hurdle. There’s Rhinestone Cowboy, Asian Maze, Mighty Man, No Refuge and the dark horse for me is Blue Canyon, I wouldn’t rule him out.
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