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Now that the jumps season proper is getting closer all the time. What Flat horse would you like to see switch codes to go hurdling so we could see them run in next years Supreme Novices Hurdle, Ballymore Propities Hurlde or the Triumph Hurlde. It can be any horse in training on the flat. I will get the ball rolling I would like to see Wicked Daze run over hurdles but I think that will probarbly happen anyway as its trained by Sir Mark Prescott then as a rule it ends up with Howard Johnson/Graham Wylie. I would also love the see Ask run over hurdles but as its a group winner it seems unlikely unless a JP McManus comes along with a monster offer for him
What are your thoughts?
Can’t remember it’s name but was 2000 guineas fav trained by Henry Cecil..when it was made fav I said it had more chance of winning the Triumph Hurdle and I wasn’t joking either….thought he looked a right good hurdler in the making.
Twice Over is more likely too join Bobby Frankel than Nicky Henderson.
I like sprinters over two miles on a flat track on decent ground, they have lovely tenancy too waste slow jump breds for turn of foot.
At the same time I think their are too many horses who go jumping who frankly are crap at jumping ans should stick too the flat, you see allot with good or fast ground horses ( or south African dirt horses) who hate the ground and the nasty english hurdles.
Having campagned juvinile novice hurdlers I am not a fan, the atrican rates hellish…
I think the days are long gone when a sprinter could be effective over jumps.
With the end-to-end style of racing we have nowadays (courtesy of M. Pipe), even on a sharp track you need a horse who gets at least 10f on the flat.
Well Patrick Haslem landed a selling hurdle with looking down at stratford a few years ago. He gave the beast a pipe opener at hexham on soft ground too resort her confidence, then hit a seller at Stratford on fast ground with AP Mccoy in the plate, i have the trophy on my side board as i had a small bit in her.
Geordieland. Maybe a bit long it the tooth for a change of codes as he’s nearing 8, but would maybe give him something else to think about. Can’t see them wanting to though, probably more chance of him becoming a NH stallion.
A friend of mine has sold the useful 2 miler Gee Dee Nen (90+ rated) to Jim Best
He’s fit and well, fairly flexible on ground and doesn’t mind a battle so think (hope) he could make an impression this winter
The french derby threw up a few potentially nice candidates in High Rock, Chinchon, Hello Morning, Trincot etc, there were plenty of the classy french also rans last year going for the triumph, hopefully we’ll see one of these if they are not to be kept on the flat to either try stealing a decent race or two, or wait in the hope of improvement.
Ezdiyaad, Perks, Drill Sergeant, Ellemujie, Feared in Flight, All the aces, Timari, Inspector Clouseau and Superius would be nice additions to the jumping ranks if they were to go.
However a few that should go well are Black Jacari (Alan King), Mourilyan (GL Moore) Ballyhaunis (Willy Mullins).
I wouldnt be 100% surprised to see Unwritten Rule attempt the triumph for Dermot Weld, and his early season form on terrible ground would perhaps give him a chance of being decent enough.
I have also noticed that Acapulco is now trained by Edward O’Grady. I wonder what are the chances of seeing him run in the Supreme Novices?
A very interesting prospect for a hurdles campaign would be french bred 3 year old grey filly Lady Deauville. She loves a bit of cut in the ground and Peter Hughes, her owner, is keen on the idea but trainer Paul Blockley is against it. She’s won 5 listed events over 7 to 10 furlongs so far and is a very tough filly.
I think they’d be mad to risk her over jumps.
A well-bred, multiple Listed winner, she’ll surely be aimed at Group 2s and 3s. Anyway, she’d be far from certain to stay 2 miles over hurdles in her favoured ground conditions.
However a few that should go well are Black Jacari (Alan King), Mourilyan (GL Moore) Ballyhaunis (Willy Mullins).
It’s not an outright no, but Mullins is quoted in the new One Jump Ahead as saying he hopes to achieve more on the Flat with Ballyhaunis yet, so a hurdling campaign this winter is unlikely.
I also presume Mourilyan’s move to HJ Brown in South Africa precludes a hurdles campaign for him at least in the short term?
HTH,
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Herman Brown is heading too train in Oz and the horse was bought too win a Melborune Cup so I presume we will see the horse down their sooner or later.
Geordie Land is a bleeder, not exactly a trait that one wants in their NH stock.
Mourilyan has been entered for the Japan Cup but probably won’t be good enough to be invited. However I’d have thought he’ll be back in Dubai in the Spring.
As for a novice hurdler to follow I’ll be cheering for Thundering Star – now with Paul Nicholls and hopefully ready to run later this month.
Donegal, winner of a listed race for Andrew Balding at the Newmarket July meeting and only beaten a head by Conduit in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, was sold for 200,000gns to Bill Hennessy at the horses in training sale.
Will go into training with Robbie Hennessy who will also train Sublimity this season. Could be high class over hurdles if he translates his flat potential to the jumping game.
Another decent flat horse, Houston Dynimo, runs in a juvenile hurdle at Newcastle tomorrow for Nicky Richards. Was only beaten 3L by Casual Conquest in a maiden last year and he could pick up a few races around the northern tracks during the winter if he takes to hurdling.
Is anything to be read into the fact that Balding didn’t retain Donegal for hurdling himself? Does anyone know if he tried to but was outbid? It’s not as if he doesn’t like or do well with the odd one over the jumps.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Is anything to be read into the fact that Balding didn’t retain Donegal for hurdling himself? Does anyone know if he tried to but was outbid? It’s not as if he doesn’t like or do well with the odd one over the jumps.
gc
It’s highly significant that the majority of jumpers from the Balding string over the years have been those sporting the Mellon colours, and I inagine the partnership which owned Donegal were happy to cash in with a view to finding another like him/paying off their mortgages (delete as appropriate).
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