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Sorry for the sensational Sunday morning headline but what with the rain, wind, snow and frost decimating the fixture list and trainers keeping so many good horses wrapped in cotton wool until Cheltenham I am struggling to stay interested!
Of course we all have March to look forward to but should the season really all be about that one week?
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Jonibake,
I agree with you. Due to the number of meetings being abandoned I feel as if the season just hasn’t built up any momentum.
Today was another sickener.
Hopefully, we will have a good, early spring.
The weather curtailments, the feeling that Denman and Kauto are past their best, festival cotton wool syndrome and the same handful of horses being analysed, analysed and analysed again for the same few championship races at the festival doesn’t help imo.
Roll on the Guineas…
And the concentration of 80% of the talent in a handful of yards doesn’t help either.
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The weather curtailments, the feeling that Denman and Kauto are past their best, festival cotton wool syndrome and the same handful of horses being analysed, analysed and analysed again for the same few championship races at the festival doesn’t help imo.
Roll on the Guineas…
Roll on the Guineas Cav, roll it on son!
You have got to be joking?
We’ve got the best novice hurdler we’ve seen for at least a decade, Cue Card.
We’ve got a terrific lot of 2 mile hurdlers with potential to be well above average. Binocular, Hurricane Fly, Peddler’s Cross, Menorah, plus Oscar Whiskey and Mille Chief who are "could be anythings".
We’ve got a Master 2 mile chaser who’s come back this year almost as good as ever. With last year’s winner Big Zeb, newcomer Woolcombe Folly who put up an outstanding time last time. And Somersby who has at last shown what his potential promised. Another above average section.
In the other hurdle division, a newcomer in Grand Crus who may be able to topple (possibly) the best staying hurdler we’ve ever seen.
Imperial Commander still there defending his crown. The disappointment is old boy Kauto Star, seemingly on the downgrade, but still could yet return. Denman just as / almost as good as ever when 3rd in a better Hennessey than when successful. With his conqurors as improvers. And Long Run who could be another Great racehorse, owned by a sporting owner and ridden by a capable amateur jockey son.
What’s so depressing?
Value Is EverythingO.K.
The abandonments and light campaigns are unfortunate. Particularly when the horse has never shown a "best fresh" make up.But surely we have a lot to be grateful for?
Value Is EverythingAll of what Ginger said, basically.
For me, the jumps remains a fantastic product providing limitless fascination and nuance at all levels – the aforementioned reluctance of some of its major players to turn their horses out a little more often, the occasionally unhelpful obsession with all things mid-March in the Cotswolds, and even the cold snap, does little to alter that.
Yesterday’s smorgasbord, encompassing as it everything from the biggest meeting in Ffos Las’s history, to a superlative display from Medermit, to the continued renaissance in Blazing Bailey’s fortunes, to Eric’s Charm melting hearts all over again, to the biggest win of Clare Wills’ riding career, to Willie Twiston-Davies showing us that Baby Run won’t fail this season on account of polish in the saddle, gave us nothing whatsoever to be depressed about. Not. A. Thing.
Cherish your sport, jumps chums. Hold it close.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I’ve just come back from watching some excellent racing at Musselburgh’s Cheltenham Trials Meeting. There ain’t much wrong here!
Rob
I agree there are plenty of good horses out there – its just we dont get to see them!! Denman, Diamond Harry, Peddlers Cross, Imperial Commander once, Kauto, Menorah, Long Run twice. It never used to be this bad.
As fun as it is watching
any
racing I would like to see the best horses competing against each other a bit more often. Those two Champion Hurdle trials were complete non-events. One could have learnt as much watching them in a routine gallop.
It’s not all the trainers fault and there have been some injuries to throw into the mix but for me this has been a season of few highlights and one to forget.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
I think it adds to the season, the sense of hype and anticipation, that the main protagonists do not clash until Cheltenham. Granted, it might be good to see these star names a bit more but can you seriously justify running some of the faster, better ground horses on the bog like surfaces we have had in the past few winters? Could have completely bottomed out some unfurnished novices.
Granted the season being geared around Cheltenham isn’t for everyone…but I love it. And you get plenty of top class action along the way. You can see jumpers appearing in novice hurdles and follow there careers for years. Jump racing is very much a case of seeing which horses develop from Bumpers to Gold Cups/Champ Hurdles. Its following horses for years not just one 3yo season like the flat.
For excitement, for joy, for tears even, Jump racing builds it over years – you cant look at one season in isolation – like with flat horses.
As fun as it is watching
any
racing I would like to see the best horses competing against each other a bit more often. Those two Champion Hurdle trials were complete non-events. One could have learnt as much watching them in a routine gallop.
I don’t understand why there weren’t any trainers other than the four that entered horses didn’t look at the £45k prize fund & think they could take some away from Ffos Las.
All five horses in the Welsh Champion Hurdle got paid just for turning up.
I love NH but this obsession with Cheltenham and this craic of running a horse only two or three times in the season is starting to annoy me. They’re RACEhorses ffs. They’re supposed to RACE. The best thing anyone who wants to promote racing can do is find some way of encouraging trainers not to leave their best horses standing in their boxes all year long because they have it in their head that if they run their horse after November it might have a negative affect on their Cheltenham prospects.
Why haven’t we seen Menorah, Denman or Imperial Commander in recent weeks when there’s been suitable (and valuable) races available to them and we’re still a good five weeks away from the middle of March. It’s beginning to get farcical at this stage.
Give me a horse like Limestone Lad or Solerina who’d compete at a high level every other week over some horse that we only see three times a year at the big meetings. I accept that some horses don’t have a great constitution and are fragile but they’re not all made of glass. Even Hurricane Fly has run three times at Grade 1 level so far this winter.
Diamond Harry and Imperial Commander, one early run followed by a 4 month break, come on, that’s way too much.
Not much they can do with the weather disrupted year, It’s been frustrating more than depressing, though it is depressing when it’s frustrating.
Cheltenham is brilliant, it’s my Christmas and summer holidays rolled into one, nothing wrong with the intense focus, my only gripe would be to level out the good quality races over the whole weekend, too many overly busy Saturdays followed by a quiet Sunday.
I agree there are plenty of good horses out there – its just we dont get to see them!! Denman, Diamond Harry, Peddlers Cross, Imperial Commander once, Kauto, Menorah, Long Run twice. It never used to be this bad.
I can totally understand Diamond Harry and Imperial Commander are kept fresh for the Gold Cup. Their form strongly suggests they are best that way.
However, there is no evidence to suggest Denman, Kauto, Peddler’s, Menorah or Long Run are any worse with three or four runs before Cheltenham. Menorah had a fantastic season last in 10/11 (admittedly OTT at Aintree, but that’s understandable).
Value Is EverythingI love NH but this obsession with Cheltenham and this craic of running a horse only two or three times in the season is starting to annoy me.
I agree, more and more I am finding that anytime a horse puts in a above average winning performance the question is are they running at Cheltenham?
Then again I don’t mind it so much compared to some of the dross run at meetings life Fontwell on Sunday. I love Fontwell, and its one of my local tracks, but I haven’t gone racing there for a long time as the standard of the racing is so poor and appears to be getting worse. I’m getting worried its going down the path of Chepstow and becoming another Northern Racing non-success story.
Likewise Phil, love the course as a spectacle, figure of eight over fences, able to see the whole course easily etc. Used to be a regular at Fontwell before Northern Racing took over. Standard of racing has slipped and entrance fees gone up. Now I go there once a year, if that.
Bath Racecourse is the same. I remember backing Oaks winner Casual Look in her maiden there once.
Value Is Everything
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