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Seems to have had an appauling last month IMO. No strength in depth in his novicle hurdlers (Had varuous short priced disappointments recently), some notably disappointments this year (Hold on Julio, Lovcen, Smad Place, Vendor) and doesn’t seem to have one viable Cheltenham candidate IMO, unless Grumeti/Montbazon impress assuming they return.
Strange how the yard has gone from being #2 in the country only a few years ago to really being quite mediocre. I know King has never been known for his bumper horses, but the lack of talent per year in that sphere combined with very few better class French recruits is very apparent when comparing with other top stables.
"We haven’t run many recently but they have all gone well and now we step up a gear for Sandown and Warwick" – Alan King, writing in the ‘Weekender’.
I like the look of a few of his runners tomorrow especially Godsmejudge at Warwick.
Hold On Julio is no mystery, he is just massively over rated!
Didn’t King have quite a problem with a virus through the stable the year after? he certainly had quite a decline in 09/10 from his previous career best of 08/09, taken time to recover his stock.
Too many quality horses now spread between Nicholls and Henderson with the latter having a massive upsurge in his numbers since 08/09 has made it hard for others to compete when people are cueing up to send them quality horses, personally think it does little for jumps racing having so many good horses in so few stables, not a big enough calendar or horse population to support it.
I think King is still perfectly capable, Medermit and Grumeti have yet to come out this year yet due to set backs which would not be a help at all, everyone needs some flag-bearers
Hold On Julio is no mystery, he is just massively over rated!
Didn’t King have quite a problem with a virus through the stable the year after? he certainly had quite a decline in 09/10 from his previous career best of 08/09, taken time to recover his stock.
Too many quality horses now spread between Nicholls and Henderson with the latter having a massive upsurge in his numbers since 08/09 has made it hard for others to compete when people are cueing up to send them quality horses, personally think it does little for jumps racing having so many good horses in so few stables, not a big enough calendar or horse population to support it.
I think King is still perfectly capable, Medermit and Grumeti have yet to come out this year yet due to set backs which would not be a help at all, everyone needs some flag-bearers
King had a serious infection i believe, which is cited as the main reason for the severe decline in performance the following two years.
Nicholls and Henderson do have a monopoly to an extent. Undoubtedly true. It is also true he has been hampered by injuries to his better horses recently. Montbazon appears unlikely to race this year. The quality of his Bumper and Novice hurdler/chasers this year though is particularly uninspiring.
Surprised if anyone who backed Lotus Pond and Dundee will be rushing to disagree.
I don’t think his loyalty to the stable jockey helps matters.
Having said that you could pick holes in many of the stables languishing behind Nicholls and Henderson. You could hardly say Hobbs has been setting the world alight.
Seems to have had an appauling last month IMO. No strength in depth in his novicle hurdlers (Had varuous short priced disappointments recently), some notably disappointments this year (Hold on Julio, Lovcen, Smad Place, Vendor) and doesn’t seem to have one viable Cheltenham candidate IMO, unless Grumeti/Montbazon impress assuming they return.
Strange how the yard has gone from being #2 in the country only a few years ago to really being quite mediocre. I know King has never been known for his bumper horses, but the lack of talent per year in that sphere combined with very few better class French recruits is very apparent when comparing with other top stables.
He’s had a few winners, operating at around 15% which is about right for him at this time of year.
I think he’s overrated as a trainer and should have Hutchinson as he main jockey.
The yard has won about 10 chases since April which is rubbish for an outfit with those horses.
Think the handicapper has vastly overrated Handazan though. 133 ?
Totally agree Mark TT,I think he is a very mediocre trainer and a lot of the top horses he has had have’nt stayed at the top for long unlike Nicholls,Henderson et al.I also think Thornton has lost it,he would do much better if Wayne Hutchinson was No1.
I was thinking of posting a thread on Thornton. Horses seem to jump poorly when he is on board, and Hutchinson is undoubtedly IMO a better jockey. Hutchinson is actually quite underated IMO.
His strike rate is about at its usual rate, but the number of well backed young horses who have run shockers in the last month for him is bizarre. He’s had alot of disappointments.
King isn’t a bad trainer. When he was winning 100+ races a year, he didn’t exactly have huge owners. Jockey is certainly part of the problem, but simply the quality of horse isn’t there.
Two wins and a second in Kingy’s last 11 runners I believe. Not in particularly outstanding form, but not poor form either in my opinion. Nothing that’ll stop me backing Araldur in the Lanzarote.
Value Is EverythingI remember Alan King saying he had too many fast ground horses in his yard.
Phew……..Relieved you dont just talk a load of Bollox on my thread Moley!
Mmm, Alan King is one of my least favourite trainers. He just doesn’t get the longevity out of his best horses, with them peaking for one or two seasons before their form and attitude utterly capitulates. Maybe he overworks them at home – I have no idea. His handling of Voy Por Ustedes; with the horse running for 18 months with an undiagnosed injury, was bordering on negligence.
There could be some mileage in the Hutchinson > Thornton theory, too. West End Rocker would certainly agree!
I can’t work him out sometimes. Seems a nice chap but as others have said his top horses don’t seem to last many seasons – Voy Pur, My Way de Solzen, Katchit …
Anyone visited his yard and picked-up any vibe?
Robert Thornton’s a big part of the problem imo.
This. He needs to make Wayne Hutchinson his number one jockey.
Robert Thornton’s a big part of the problem imo.
Its often said a horse ‘Isn’t a natural Chaser’ well the same applies to Choc Thornton as he’s not a natural Jockey on a Chaser,so many times I’ve seen him get it wrong going into a fence and lose momentum and many a time he just manages to get one over albeit not pretty but at least its got over.His latest public ‘nightmare’ was riding ‘Hold On Julio’ at Ascot so much so this ‘Natural chaser’ as Alan King called him has now reverted back to hurdling! Chocs a different Jockey over hurdles and his record shows it,whether its to do with injuries I dont know but he’s not the same Jockey that rode for ‘The Duke’ all those years ago imo.
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