- This topic has 15 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 1 month ago by
.
- Posts
Tomorrow Lough Derg will be running in his 10th Grade 1 / Grade 2 hurdle this season, his 7th over 3 miles. I’ve no knowledge of racehorse physiology so the question I ask to anyone who might have some knowledge of the subject, is it asking too much of the horse considering he ran at the festival and here just a few days ago?
I can’t speak from a physiological point of view, but to my eyes he’s still running his races (thought Team Pipe got their tactics the wrong way round yesterday). He’s not had as short a break before however, so I hope tomorrow doesn’t take too much out of him.
Talk is of running at Sandown as well if required to secure the Order of Merit.I am uneasy with this frequent running just to chase the Order Of Merit, I just hope it doesn’t all end in tears.
He owes his connections nothing – give him a break.
If Lough Derg finishes in the top 5 tomorrow, he will leapfrog Kauto Star to the top of the OOM leaderboard (if he is sixth they will both be tied on 100 points but KS leads due to points gained in Gr1 races).
I wonder will we yet see Kauto Star in the Betfred Celebration Chase on the last day of the season or Lough Derg in the Scottish Champion Hurdle.
Personally I think chasing some extra cash rather than putting the welfare of your horse first is shameful, just hope it doesn’t all end in tears.
I think it just about enters the realms of brutality. It seems very desperate and cold of connections.
Absolute disgrace entering him in a race over two miles, far too sharp for him – absolute shame on connections.
He has had a good season, owes connections nothing – he should not have run yesterday and should not run in the Scottish Champion either.
I was dissapointed to see him line up yesterday. If they do run him in the Scottish Champion it will be a sad moment in what should be a banner year for the D.Pipe stable.
After his last two runs he should be left to have a nice holiday but if he is full of beans then maybe he should have a run but the Scots Champ Hurdle is a limited handicap so he may end up giving away lots of weight and a surprize result may occur
The Order of Merit was designed to make the best horses run more often; not average horses run non-stop.
It’s quite similar to the 2005/2006 Order of Merit when Royal Shakespeare beat Monkerhostin by a couple of points having had his 12th run of the season in the Scottish Champion Hurdle (finishing 6th) after running at Aintree a couple of weeks earlier.
And connections of Royal Shakespeare and Monkerhostin agreed to split the prize money because there was talk of both horses running at Sandown on the last day of the season.
Article from RP cuttings:
Owners agree to share prize for Order of Merit
Published: 25/04/2006 (Sport)
THE owners of Royal Shakespeare and Monkerhostin have come to a private arrangement whereby the £200,000 Order of Merit first prize will be divided between the two camps and neither horse will run in the Betfred Celebration Chase at Sandown on Saturday, writes Paul Binfield.
With just two points separating the pair at the top of the leaderboard of the BHB competition, there had been speculation that they could meet in the two mile chase at the weekend. However, Royal Shakespeare did not figure among yesterday’s 11 entries for the Celebration Chase, while Monkerhostin was entered but will not run again this season.
Philip Hobbs, Monkerhostin’s trainer, said yesterday: “Martin St Quinton and John Webb, who own Monkerhostin and Royal Shakespeare, have come to an agreement and, as a result, the staff in both yards will have a share in the prize.”
Hobbs had previously stated that if it was not for the Order of Merit, Monkerhostin, who has raced eight times this season, “would definitely have been put away by now”. St Quinton also urged connections of Royal Shakespeare on Sunday not to let the lure of the prize-money cloud their judgement, and said: “It would be desperately sad to see Royal Shakespeare – a hurdler – running in the Celebration Chase.”
Steve Gollings, trainer of Royal Shakespeare, had earlier stated that the horse’s owner had instructed him to enter the seven-year-old in the Celebration Chase.
While that decision was ultimately reversed, Gollings had no comment to make yesterday concerning any private arrangement. Both horses have already landed the £50,000 prizes for top hurdler and chaser.
A split of the Order of Merit first prize would mean a further £75,000 each for the two owners, £12,500 apiece for the two trainers, and the same amount for each set of stable staff. Despite the arrangement, the BHB will announce Royal Shakespeare, a 25-1 shot with Stan James at the start of the competition, as the overall winner on Saturday.
Paul Nicholls has four entries in the Celebration Chase.
He said: “Hoo La Baloo will definitely run, Andreas is a possible and I’m not sure about Le Roi Miguel or Le Volfoni.”
ORDER OF MERIT
Royal Shakespeare 87 points’ Monkerhostin 85I fear for the Order of Merit if this behaviour becomes the norm.
- Total Posts 17716
The whole thing is of questionable value, imo.
Lough Derg apart, it was probably the main reason for Kauto Star being brought out again after Cheltenham, and has done nothing for either horse’s wellbeing or future prospects.
All it proves is that if you dangle a large enough carrot, even the better owners and trainers will become donkeys, regardless of the horse’s welfare.
Such as LD and Royal Shakespeare are hardly household names anyway, are they?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.