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He was right about that one.. Massasoit I think was the horse in question and was given a 150 rating for winning a novice hurdle which is as he pointed out nonsense.
That’s the one, thanks!
I’ve seen instances of that a few times, always in Graded races with either unexposed novices (as above example) or when there are exposed horses who haven’t been dropped in the handicap as much as they should have.
Because BHB ratings are sometimes nonsense. Cerium is not worth that rating. If there was scope for common-sense in the framing of these races, then Nicholls would be perfectly right to run him IMO.
I think it was Nicholls who said that it was stupid that one of his novice-hurdlers was rated more than Diamond Harry, who had won far better races, and he couldn’t understand it. Diamond Harry then beat that hurdler on the bridle in his last race! I think he’s got his own ideas about BHB ratings and he’s probably right.
He was right about that one.. Massasoit I think was the horse in question and was given a 150 rating for winning a novice hurdle which is as he pointed out nonsense.
The 150 is nonsense but at the time he beat On Raglan Road on the bridle who was widely tipped to be one of the top staying hurdlers, and had won on the bridle himself in his previous start.
There’s always scope to downgrade a horses rating which IMO is what will happen with Massasoit in the very near future. Can’t see him running off more than 135 by the seasons end.
Massasoit was going fairly well turning in and then made an awful error which put him out of the race. Would not have beaten Diamond Harry, but that horse improved a good deal that day too.
Form is not what race a horse won, it is what horses he beat. Something many trainers do not realise. Although Nicholls horse had not won at Cheltenham, his form was not that far behind Diamond Harry’s at the time.
Nicholls is a trainer, not a handicapper, odds compiler or soothsayer.
Mark
Value Is EverythingI read a lot about "openess" and the media on this thread.
Just wondering which Ditcheat horses will be running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
I suppose it’s obvious, but I’m a little uncertain. Can anyone help, please?All being well four for sure Denman, Kauto Star. Neptune Collonges and Star De Mohaison.
Possibly Nozic. With Gungadu, My Will and Big Bucks almost certain to run in other races. Big Bucks is almost sure to run in the World Hurdle.
Thank you, David.
I wasn’t sure that all was well with Denman. Price drifted on the Exchanges, and some talk about the National.
2 questions. Did Paul Nichols ever say the same rule should not apply to the Champion Hurdle?
Does anyone think Rippling Ring is anywhere near as bad a a hurdler as Cerium is a chaser, who couln’t run near his present mark if rocket assisted?
Big Bucks is almost sure to run in the World Hurdle.
…pending a decent enough run in the Cleeve Hurdle, I reckon. I’m sure they’re hoping he books his place there, as the only other Ditcheat entrant in the World Hurdle is the increasingly hard to win with Mobaasher.
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.
These 100-1 shots never win Gold Cups, do they?
Norton’s Coin anyone?
Does anyone else think there needs to be a standard function on word-processors/messageboards for highlighting text as ‘sarcastic’? a button next to bold, italics and underline? It would make it so much easier over the Internet.
re Norton’s Coin Richard Dunwoody rode him prior to Cheltenham and was impressed with him; he wasn’t the healthiest of horses but when he was right he was a pretty good horse.
These 100-1 shots never win Gold Cups, do they?
Norton’s Coin anyone?
Does anyone else think there needs to be a standard function on word-processors/messageboards for highlighting text as ‘sarcastic’? a button next to bold, italics and underline? It would make it so much easier over the Internet.
[u:3v0912n1]The trouble is some people take everything so seriously they wouldn’t recognise irony even if accompanied by klaxons, flashing lights and dancing girls.[/u:3v0912n1]
[[u:1xrap0bj]The trouble is some people take everything so seriously they wouldn’t recognise irony even if accompanied by klaxons, flashing lights and dancing girls.[/u:1xrap0bj]
Even I would consider do the ironing if there were dancing girls.
So he has this piece in the Post that allows him to get on his soapbox. What’s the verdict on What A Friend yesterday? ‘We think he has a big chance’.
Today, the gracious one tells us, ‘The horse had a very slightly dirty nose in the 48 hrs leading up to the race.’
Why do the Post continue to publish this to allow him to tuck the punters away?
The market near the off strongly suggested What A Friend wouldn’t be winning, and so it proved….
The market near the off strongly suggested What A Friend wouldn’t be winning, and so it proved….
…………………No use to the people that have already backed it! ( not me by the way)
There are lots of imponderables in this sport but lets get some of the easier ones out of the way :
There is no excuse for Paul Nicholls or anyone else writing a column in the trade paper and not telling the readers exactly what they know about their runners both good and more importantly bad and let the punters decide what to do with the information on the understanding that there can be no comebacks whetere the horse wins or loses……….but put the information out there or don’t bore us with your column.Paul Nicholls changes his tune more times than most people change their underwear.
IF there was any problem with What A Friend or any of his horses he should say so in advance at least it gives punters the choice of laying the horse off if they’ve already backed it.
True Paul Nicholls doesn’t have any allegiance to punters but telling them something after the event is a bit of a p – take.
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