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I think it’s easy for the public to go against UDS for a few reasons, they were begging to see what he could really do at Cheltenham in 2014, but weren’t given the chance, that wasn’t great PR.
He’s been overshadowed by some amazing horses in his stables and was automatically made the villain of the piece when soundly beaten in his prime by a 10 year old Sprinter Sacre.
I think his OR has always been fair though. 172 is what Annie Power was considering allowance, UDS has never impressed me to her level.
UDS has never seemed the most natural jumper, but also needs soft ground, so dismissing him because of one under par run in the Champion Chase is unfair; that Special Tiara finished beside him shows how under-par that one performance was.
I don’t think anyone here is dismissing him at all, merely saying that 172 is a very high rating and to surpass that you have to be a very special horse, which he isn’t quite, ipso facto he’s not underrated, or if he is, then he’s not the most underrated horse of recent times.
UDS has never seemed the most natural jumper, but also needs soft ground, so dismissing him because of one under par run in the Champion Chase is unfair; that Special Tiara finished beside him shows how under-par that one performance was.
Good ground had nothing to do with UDS getting beaten by Sprinter Sacre. SS is just a better racehorse. UDS doesn’t “need soft ground” at all. imo Not far (if anything) below form when 3 1/2 lengths second to Sprinter Sacre. At his best, Special Tiara isn’t far behind UDS anyway. ST is probably now on the downgrade due to age, at that time the pair may have gone a shade too quick – but nothing really.
imo UDS has done nothing this season to suggest he’s any better than previously. He’s the Highland Reel of jumps Racing. Does not deserve an extravigent rating because his level of ability isn’t of the magical variety of the likes of Douvan/Faugheen etc. However, those great attributes UDS has of consistency and toughness make up for that – winning loads of races.
Indeed, far from wanting soft ground, I’d say UDS’s chance in the Ryanair would be significantly reduced on soft/heavy – because it’ll place more emphasis on suspect stamina. ie Had it been soft/heavy last season doubt he’d have lasted home after racing so keenly.
Value Is EverythingCanford Cliffs for me. Should have won the guineas in my opinion, don’t think Hughes gave him the best ride that day.
And I think it’s a shame (as I undertsand) he injured himself running his last race against Frankel, which led to his retirement. I think he was the one horse that could have given him a proper race over a mile if it wasn’t for that.
Take out the guineas and the race against Frankel and he would have been unbeaten over a mile from 3-4…won 5 group 1’s but never really had the headlines I think he deserved….lovely horse.Neptune Collonges for me. Very unlucky to be around at the same time as his more illustrious stablemates Kauto Star and Denman, and hence his classy and durable career went somewhat underappreciated. When he finally had his deserved day of glory in the 2012 Grand National it was cruelly overshadowed by the tragic deaths of Synchronised and According To Pete.
Another underrated horse from the same era was Exotic Dancer, one of the few chasers who could force a top-form Kauto Star to pull out all the stops. Both of the above horses had the ability to have been impressive Gold Cup winners in many recent years, but fate decreed that they would end up in supporting roles in what was a Golden Age of steeplechasing.
Good call re Exotic Dancer but was he underrated?
I absolutely adored the horse; I kept backing it, hopefully, to get the better of Kato but, alas, it wasn’t to be. As Marlingford says Kato always had to be, and always was, on top form to get the better of the perennial bridesmaid. It was a golden age of steeplechasing.
Exotic Dancer wasn’t underrated. A horse that lost five out of five against Kauto Star and was beaten a total of 40 lengths in the process with a rating in the high 170s isn’t underrated. He was brilliant, but he couldn’t beat Kauto or Denman.
Neptune Collonges is a good call. Especially when he won the 2008 Punchestown Gold Cup he was the ONLY RUNNER PF had at the meeting. Being very selective with his runners made Nicholls so special.
huddiespuddies and Ex RubyLight, I agree that Exotic Dancer probably wasn’t underrated from an official rating perspective. I was more meaning that I’m not sure it was widely appreciated quite how decent he was due to his more illustrious contemporaries. It’s good to hear you both rate him highly
I think a few other horses from the same era could be added to this group alongside Exotic Dancer and Neptune Collonges. Imperial Commander and Madison Du Berlais (2008/09 season) are two others that spring to mind.
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