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I’m glad the first Derby (1985) I attended was when it was still on a Wednesday.
My first sight on arrival took my breath away – Epsom Downs was completely RAMMED, you could not see a single blade of grass, it looked like between a quarter and half a million people on The Downs, half of London used to take the day off for it.
Now it’s just another Saturday “big race.”
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"They should have made the Derby move from Wednesday to Saturday an experiment ID, with a return ticket to Wednesday if there was no real benefit.
As you say it was an unique day lost for change’s sake.
I know trainers and jockeys will have their plans but here’s food for thought from one of each who fall in my “respected” league………..
“Given his past problems we will see how Pure Vision comes out of the race before making any firm plans. It will probably be a bit too much of a rush to run him again to qualify for the Cheltenham Hunter Chase but we have more time if we want to take him to Liverpool.”https://www.racingpost.com/news/latest/brian-hughes-likely-to-miss-cheltenham-festival-again-but-sets-sights-on-aintree/537343
“As sad as it sounds, there’s genuinely not one horse that I know I’ve got the ride on at Cheltenham,” he added. “Where Donald’s yard is, owners like going to Aintree and I could tell you a good handful that are going there. Sooner rather than later we’ll hopefully unearth one of those good horses.”The Champion Hurdle was once established as a clear second to the Gold Cup in terms of the importance of the Festival events but as it has gradually lost its mojo, the Champion Chase has sailed past it. I think this is one of the influencing factors in the smartest novice hurdlers more likely to turn straight to fences.
Altior was another at that crossroads – I just can’t believe that a few decades back, even though the hurdling division was overall stronger, that he would not have started off the following season in the Fighting Fifth or Cheltenham Champion Hurdle Trial come Bula. Christ, he really looked the part as a hurdler the day he won the Supreme and that’s without the crystal ball to see how the career of the third home would map out.
A cracking thread by the way…
The Champion Hurdle is my favourite NH race, and its gutting to see. Isn’t 2m hurdling more lucrative than 2m chasing? So why the lack of Novices staying hurdling? Strange one.
Who is the last Supreme winner to go on and win the Champion? I know this one. I have no idea who is the last one to win it the following season mind. Appreciate It is trying to become an endangered species!
BUY THE SUN
The Champion Hurdle USED to be my favourite Jumps contest.
As Cancello stated, it had an incredible roll of honour from Persian War to Sea Pigeon but, since Istabraq….
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"2005 was a classic race ID. You wouldn’t dispute that, shirley?
Any darts at the two questions?
BUY THE SUN
I wonder if a few owners are thinking about what happened with Samcro?
He bolted up at Leopardstown, then won the Ballymore and looked to have the world at his feet.
After the Ballymore, Jack Kennedy said he could not wait to put him over a fence. Instead he stayed over hurdles – and flopped.
OK, he had health issues which cut his season short. And maybe the Ballymore form was over rated. But it looked like a wasted year.
Aside from his narrow win in the Marsh, he has not come remotely close to fulfilling his potential.
Gigginstown must regret the decision to keep him over hurdles.
“2005 was a classic race ID. You wouldn’t dispute that, shirley?”
It was certainly memorable.
It’s the race where, if you criticise Carberry, you’re apparently a pocket talking, know nothing, betting shop punter.
But for me, not even hand riding a horse until literally five seconds before the end of a race, and relying on an instant response, is the definition of insanity.
Francome in 1981 showed how to win the race on a horse who couldn’t be in front too long.
But then Francome was the better jockey.
Err, Brave Inca?
I know Browne’s Gazette should have – but that’s a different story!
And best ever Supreme winner was surely Golden Cygnet.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Brave Inca is correct. But I am not aware of the last Supreme winner to follow up in the Champion the following year. And yes, Golden Cygnet sounded outstanding. His ill-fated final race in the Scottish Champion (handicap) had some line up!!
In light of some above posts, I have had a look at the last thirty Supreme winners, split in bunches of 10.
1991-2000 – 7/10 went to open company Hurdles the following season.
1/10 went to Stud (Tourist Attraction)
1/10 went on to the flat followed by retirement (French Ballerina)
1/10 went on to a mix of open company hurdling, a Bumper (!), and Novice Chasing (Arctic Kinsman)2002-2011 – 7/10 went on to open company hurdles.
3/10 went on to novice chasing.2012-2021 – 4/10 (assuming Appreciate It hurdles this season) went in to open hurdling.
5/10 went Novice chasing.
1/10 ‘Retired’ (the infamous Labaik)Cetainly a pattern of going Novice chasing becoming more favoured as time goes on – it seems (for whatever reason?) the tide really turned massively from Al Ferofs win in 2011.
BUY THE SUN
Hors La Loi (III) won the 99 Supreme, was 2nd to Istabraq in the CH of 2000 and won the very next CH in 2002.
Great stuff from TTC.
Such a good thread, this one, Clive can be very proud!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Can’t believe the C Hurdle being run down; Annie Power and Faugheen were electric, Hurricane Fly a warrior. I love 2 mile chasers, but they come third in prestige to the GC and the CH. Money talks, and there is a reason that the 2 mile hurdle prizes are substantially larger than 2-mile chasing.
Supreme a great race.
Henderson’s have all gone on to win the Arkle/CC
And Mullins winners went elsewhere because Hurricane Fly was around
Jetzi won it but didn’t win the Supreme likewise Binocular
Jonbon wins it next yearGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
TTC writes:
“But I am not aware of the last Supreme winner to follow up in the Champion the following year.”
Bula won a division of the Supreme in 1970 when the contest was known as the Gloucestershire Hurdle. Between 1946 and 1971 the race was run in two divisions, except for 1946 & 1963 when there were three. This is why Vincent O’Brien was able to collect ten victories in eight years 1952-1959.
Post WW2 Bula is the only horse to have won this race followed by a Champion Hurdle the very next year.
I shouldn’t imagine anyone takes any pleasure in running the Champion Hurdle down.
But exciting finishes and game battlers do not necessarily equate to great horses – you can find both qualities in a Class 5.
I would, however, agree Faugheen is a shocking omission by me – he was very good.
I would love to see future winners of the quality of: Night Nurse, Istabraq, Monksfield, Persian War, Comedy of Errors, Lanzarote, Bird’s Nest, Bula, Golden Cygnet, Gaye Brief, Salmon Spray, and Sea Pigeon.
But in a world where all the middle-distance Flat quality below about Group 2 gets sold to race abroad and the NH store focus is on chasers, I can’t see it happening.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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