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The chocolate hat that FOF suggested I buy is waiting at the foot of my stairs.
How could anyone not be impressed by Binocular today?
Katchit appears to be way below par but that was the case last term b4 Xmas.
I have hope but it is much thinner than b4
With the exception of Binocular,last years Supreme remains a poor form race.
But this horse is massively progressive,
Congrats to all who saw it prior.
Not me!?!
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David already said what else needed to be said which I believe goes without saying.
Is there an interpreter in the building?
David already said what else needed to be said which I believe goes without saying.
Is there an interpreter in the building?
My thoughts entirely Reet, probably over celebrating.
Mark
Value Is EverythingI’ll repeat what I said in an earlier thread – the time to judge Katchit will be when he runs on a left-handed track again.
Although he won at Wincanton last season, the form was modest – he beat Blythe Knight 5L there, but by 36L at Cheltenham.
Going right-handed his jumping isn’t as slick and that’s such a key aspect of his success that imo he’ll never beat top class horses that way round.
Has Katchit really declined or he is simply running to his normal level (taking out last years CH)? On ratings you can easily mark him at 162 for his Ascot run which is as high give or take a pound as I ever rated him prior to last years Champion Hurdle.
Katchit is up against better horses this year and tough as the reigning champ is he just isn’t that brilliant.
Beaten on his seasonal reap by Snap Tie who was third behind Captain Cee Bee and Binocular in the Supreme Novices which is a very strong race which also included the likes of Kalahari King, Blue Bajan, Deep Purple etc. That wasn’t a bad run considering Snap Tie is probably a 160ish horse and Katchit was giving him three pounds.
Next up beaten by Choma Womba at Wincanton who I have as a 156 horse. Chomba possibly ran to around 153 on the day and Katchit was giving her ten pounds – another low 160’s performance from Katchit.
Then the Boylesports – Completely destroyed by an easy 170’s + Binocular. If you rate the race around Chomba and Crack Away Jack again you get around 162 Katchit.
So where is the decline? Where is the lack of entusiasm? Seems to me the horse is just facing far stiffer tasks now and is out of his depth. I’d look disinterested and out of sorts too if I was shoved into a race and expected to take on Usain Bolt.
You could step him up him trip to three miles I think personally he would stay but then he will run into Punchestowns. However I now have Hendersons horse rated 167. Four or five pounds improvment from Katchit at the festival and the World Hurdle could be his best chance of entering the winners enclosure.
At two miles poor Katchit is going to find it increasingly difficult and frustrating IMO.
Has a Champion Hurdler ever gone on to win the Stayers’ ?
Don’t know off hand. Didn’t Nomadic Way once finish second in a Champion Hurdle then win a Stayers?
I could be mistaken its a long time ago now.If Dawn Run can win a Champion Hurdle and a Gold Cup …………………
Although he won at Wincanton last season, the form was modest – he beat Blythe Knight 5L there, but by 36L at Cheltenham.
I think it’s slightly misleading to imply Katchit is a 31 length better horse going left handed than right. Wincanton was very much Blythe Knights ideal conditions and it was no surprise to me he got far closer to Katchit there than he ever would on soft ground at Cheltenham.
David,
I think what Alan was getting at is Katchit is a far better horse on a left handed course (Cheltenham) where as Blythe Knight is a better horse on a sharp (ish) track (Wincanton). Not that Katchit is a 31 length better horse.
Mark
Value Is EverythingAnd Katchit was pretty poor on the AW; what I call a "nearly there" horse.
In fact, I think he won only once when with Channon. That was at Salisbury, so not sure about the "handedness".He may come back, but I doubt it myself. Like Kauto Star, he was always lagging a bit behind all the hype, imo.
Of course, I may be wrong. We”ll see.Has Katchit really declined or he is simply running to his normal level (taking out last years CH)? On ratings you can easily mark him at 162 for his Ascot run which is as high give or take a pound as I ever rated him prior to last years Champion Hurdle.
I’d be in broad agreement with this, and the rest of your post Ian
Katchit, admirable horse though he is was a brightish light in a darkish year for the 2milers; he won a soft Champion Hurdle barely needing to exceed 160 and the rest of his runs in 07/08 were mid-to-high 150s. On the face of it his return this year at Wincanton was, at the unfavourable weights, not far behind his CH effort and although I find yesterday’s race a trifle difficult to rate with unexposed runners first and second off a lone front-runner tactical affair, the inclination is to assume Chomba Womba ran near-to-scratch ~155 which leaves Katchit ~160 (again) in another race where he was burdened with a G1 penalty.
So not much deterioration on the figures though I would agree with the general consensus that his attitude has not appeared the same this year; and the point about when he goes LH again may well be relevant in that respect.
I’d add that being still only five having endured busy campaigns on the Flat, as a Juvenile hurdler (tough stuff) and then in his first Open season it may be a case in such a small horse of the willingest spirit being sapped coz the flesh aches viz no more improvement despite his tender years
I was actually thinking about Katchits stable mate Franchoek the other day, and was wondering if having a hard race can take away a horses liking of the game.
Franchoek was destroying horses from the front last season pretty easily, definitely a 140ish performer, and it would be fair to say that he was doing it so effortlessly that he never had a hard race. Then celestial halo ran him ragged round cheltenham and he has never looked the same since. Could it be that the Triumph hurdle made the horse realise that racing can be a painful experience. I don’t know, but it’s food for thought.
Likewise Katchit as a 4yo also won his races so easily that he never really had a hard race, and in defeat as a 4yo never really looked too hard pushed, but then at cheltenham he had to pull out all the stops, and had a really hard race. Hasnt been the same since.
Could it be the way King trains them, orcould it just be that the horses have lost their love of the game.
Another possibility to explain Katchits run yesterday, is that the horse might have to be trained for a peak, and may not hold it for long, it is pretty fair to say that Katchit was reallly well fancied in the market last week when the race was due to be run at cheltenham, and kingy was as bullish as you like in reports leading up to the race. Then on friday of this week he issued a statement saying that he wasnt happy with Katchits work prior to ascot and the horse threw in a complete howler.
Could it be that the horse was exhausted from having to stay in top shape for an extended time or could it be that the extended period of physical exertion has possibly lowered his immunity from infection at a crucial stage.
I think the worry is that while he wasn’t winning early last season, he was runnig better races than this. True he is better round Cheltenham, but he is surely a better horse than he has shown so far. That said King did express his concerns about the horses well being based on a non sparkling gallop before Saturday’s run, though he had no such the week before so either something happened in the piece of work he put in last week or its just a case of getting the excuse in early which is not usually King’s way. With no more suitable races for him at HQ before the Champion its a big ask for his fans to keep their faith for the big one.
Has a Champion Hurdler ever gone on to win the Stayers’ ?
Don’t know off hand. Didn’t Nomadic Way once finish second in a Champion Hurdle then win a Stayers?
I could be mistaken its a long time ago now.If Dawn Run can win a Champion Hurdle and a Gold Cup …………………
Nomadic Way was 2nd in 1990 and 1991 Champion Hurdles – then won the 1992 Stayers Hurdle.
Just a question – what if Katchit did win the Champion Hurdle again – and it was his only win of the season – would we assume he was the true Champion – or is the race title a misnomer?? Personally, winning the Champion doesn’t entitle you to that claim.
Just a question – what if Katchit did win the Champion Hurdle again – and it was his only win of the season – would we assume he was the true Champion – or is the race title a misnomer?? Personally, winning the Champion doesn’t entitle you to that claim.
The winner of the Champion Hurdle is not necessarily the Champion Hurdler. The actual champion is the highest rated horse over hurdles that season regardless of what race it was acheived. Usually because the CH has the strongest field and is run at a good pace etc, the winner usually ends up with the season’s best rating, but last season both Inglis Drever and Sizing Europe achieved higher ratings than Katchit. Also would you always regard the winner of the Champion Stakes as the champion flat horse or even the Derby winner as the best 3 year old?
Didnt Hawk Wing get a higher rating than just about every other flat horse a few seasons back? For his lockinge win?
Was he a "champion"?
Was he fck
As well as winning the big race, Katchit performed admirably throughout the season and made his fair share of appearances (unlike some)
Sizing Europes "champion status" is down to one race in a small field with some in and out performers. His Cheltenham win puts him on no more than a par with Katchit at best (through Osana).
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