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Naylor bought Decoy Daddy in 2010, later won a couple stakes with him..
Last year he bought the middling handicap horse Black Jack Blues, and promptly won the American Grand National with him. Finishing 2nd in that race was his other summer steal, ex-Nicholls trainee Organisateur.
Then he bought Alfa Beat for the Grand National-well, the jury’s still out on that purchase.
Then he bought Pullyourfingerout, an also-ran in the AES Champion 4yo Hurdle, and won a novice hurdle last week
He also bought the Corsican Boy, who finished 5th in his debut here, and Black Quartz, who most recently finished 3rd in a maiden hurdle.
His latest steal is Nearby, winner of the 2010 Elite Hurdle (and finished 2nd to Nearby back in August. After finishing last in last month’s Kingwell Hurdle, Naylor brought him over here and now he’s entered in this Saturday’s Carolina Cup along with Black Jack Blues.
Bear in mind that Naylor, a former timber jockey and one of few people to win the Maryland Hunt Cup as a rider and owner, is also a billionaire ski resort magnate and philanthropist. So if you’ve ever wondered where [insert mediocre chaser here] went, it’s probably Unionville, Pennsylvania.
Oh hey, remember Via Galilei? The horse who finished fifth in the County Hurdle Handicap at Cheltenham
last month
?
Yep, he’s Naylor’s latest purchase. He’s the highweight in the G3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap at Middleburg on Saturday. Black Jack Blues is scratched from that race.
There is an American grand national? I didn’t even know you did jumps racing?
Where have you been? Certainly not paying attention to the succession of American jumpers (Bubble Economy, Slip Away, Saluter, Flatterer and now Incomplete) that have occupied my avatar.It’s actually the Grand National
Hurdle
. The Breeders Cup used to sponsor and lend its name to it (the Breeders Cup Steeplechase, or the Breeders Cup Grand National), but they stopped sponsoring it in 2008 or 2009 so it’s back to the old name. Back in the 1970s American steeplechasing switched over to using standardized movable hurdles called National fences. So all the old "steeplechases"-the Colonial Cup, the Iroquois, the Temple Gwathmey, etc.-are really hurdles now.
There’s a
timber
race called the Maryland Grand National that is much more worthy of being called a Grand National. It’s next Saturday, 3 1/4 miles.
Of course the spiritual equivalent of the Aintree Grand National is the Maryland Hunt Cup. Two of the three American horses to win at Aintree, Jay Trump and Ben Nevis, had previously won the Maryland Hunt Cup and Maryland Grand National (timber races), while Battleship won the American Grand National (before it was a hurdle).
More info at
http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/And about Via Galilei/Black Jack Blues/J.W. Delozier being a wimp
http://www.st-publishing.com/cms2/index … s-gwathmeyWhat has stopped the Americans from coming to Aintree? I have fond memories of Ben Nevis, and Uncle Merlin’s fall when going clear still rankles.
What has stopped the Americans from coming to Aintree? I have fond memories of Ben Nevis, and Uncle Merlin’s fall when going clear still rankles.
Well,An American horse with any chance at the Grand National, would be a timber horse, Most timber horses, at least the ones racing at the level of the Maryland Hunt Cup/Virginia Gold Cup, are old. The last time a horse younger than 10 won the MHC was in the wacky 2001 race, which resembled that year’s National in turf condition and number of finishers. Ben Nevis won the MHC at ages 9 and 10, but didn’t win the Aintree Grand National until he was 12. So by the time a horse has won enough big races in America to be considered a Grand National quality horse, he’s about ready for retirement.
Trainers also know the limitations of their horses. In my opinion we haven’t had a truly Grand National quality horse since Von Czadek. Saluter was an incredible horse of course, but he didn’t quite have the stamina for Aintree. Bubble Economy might be worth a trip to England, but he’s 13.
The Grand National itself has a much bigger purse than any American jumps race, but otherwise the money earned over in England isn’t worth the cost of bringing a horse across the pond.
And the high number of publicized fatalities in the race certainly haven’t helped advertise it either.Via Galilei just won the Temple Gwathmey.
Country Cousin second, Pierrot Lunaire third. Pierrot Lunaire, you may remember, was a Paul Nicholls trainee, Aintree Top Novices Hurdle winner and multiple group stakes placed. He was purchased by Calvin Houghland and brought to the US 4 days before the 2009 Iroquois Hurdle, and upset Good Night Shirt on soft turf. Hasn’t shown that form since, though.You all remember Best Alibi, right? Owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed Bin Suroor. He was 4th in the 2005 Racing Post Trophy, 2nd in the 2006 Dante Stakes, 6th in the Derby, 3rd in the Irish Derby, won the York Stakes, 6th in the 2007 Dubai City of Gold, 10th in the Sheema Classic, 2nd in a Class 3 race and disappeared off the face of the Earth…or so you thought.
He was actually bought by Irvin Naylor back in 2008 and raced sparingly since then. He’s entered in an allowance hurdle at Foxfield this Saturday.
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