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Another very disappointing turnout both in terms of quality and numbers for a valuable chase in Ireland. We are seriously short of quality jumpers over here at the moment. Really hope some good UK horses come over for Punchestown.
Probably be ok but this race come to near to Cheltenham IMO. Would take a pretty decent animal to win this and most that were ran at the festival……decent race alough only a handful of runners but don’t half fancy Big Zeb if he stands up. Thought he ran a blinder last time out and been waiting for this race
O’Greadys horses are running terrible lately and I can ‘t see the others being quite good enough………1st bet since Chelters for me
Take your points FoF, but 2 exposed looking 140 horses, a complete outsider, and Drunkin we saw yesterday. Big Zeb has most improvement in him but he’s not being pulling up trees either. Disappointing for 50K sterling imo.
Staggering lack of enterprise on the part of UK trainers- they’ll be scrapping over half the money against twice the horses in the weeks to come. Taking just Paul Nicholls- would it have been beyond his ken to keep Silverburn back for this instead of wasting him over a trip he was never going to get at Cheltenham?
Am still amazed Racing Demon did not go as he needs 2m4f and is much better going right handed so this race would have been their for the taking
Shocking turnout for the opener in Fairyhouse tomorrow. Just 2 horses go to post for a Gr3 race worth over £29K to the winner.
Fairyhouse really suffers when it is this close to Cheltenham. I’m all for tradition but I would prefer to see the meeting moved to say the last weekend in March / 1st weekend in April so that at least the Irish horses who ran at Cheltenham have sufficient rest to compete here.
It was tried, but failed. The tradition of going on Easter Monday is very strong among people in Meath and Dublin. The only thing really wrong is trainers failing to read the programme book and see these opportunities coming.
Can’t agree more about the weird insularity of some British trainers when it comes to going to Ireland. I can’t ever recall an Alan King runner in Ireland for instance. And not many from PFN given the strenth in depth in his stable. Or the Pipes.
Punchestown is a great festival and occasion and would be significantly enhanced by a really strong British challenge. Having been over the last two years, two years ago the British challenge was absolutely pitiful. Last year not as bad but still mainly second division horses.
Come on UK trainers……
Can’t agree more about the weird insularity of some British trainers when it comes to going to Ireland. I can’t ever recall an Alan King runner in Ireland for instance. And not many from PFN given the strenth in depth in his stable. Or the Pipes.
Punchestown is a great festival and occasion and would be significantly enhanced by a really strong British challenge. Having been over the last two years, two years ago the British challenge was absolutely pitiful. Last year not as bad but still mainly second division horses.
Come on UK trainers……
I’m another to agree on this point. But not only Ireland, but France were they have great prize money and softish ground. Why the insularity? Is it because the trainers don’t rate the racing abroad, or some other reason. Quite frankly it astonishes me. Isn’t there a European Jumps Pattern? If so, who is the top rated Chaser and Hurdler in Europe?
It occurs to me that the entire NH season is far too end-loaded. From Cheltenham until Punchestown and Sandown at the end of April it’s a feast and there aren’t enough horses to go around. As well as that, most of the end of season festivals tend to be run on unsuitably fast ground. Surely there must be a way to spread the bounty a little more evenly thrughout the season?
It occurs to me that the entire NH season is far too end-loaded. From Cheltenham until Punchestown and Sandown at the end of April it’s a feast and there aren’t enough horses to go around. As well as that, most of the end of season festivals tend to be run on unsuitably fast ground. Surely there must be a way to spread the bounty a little more evenly thrughout the season?
It’s one of my bugbears, which I have stated before on here. Yes, we all love the Festival, but it does affect the rest of the season – look at Sublimity for example – one race before the Festival when he wasn’t fully fit. Though he’s not the only one, it happens quite often – horses ‘half cooked’ running in Gd 1 races. I just can’t imagine that happening on the Flat.
It’s pointless running any British horse in an Irish handicap, at least over hurdles, where they would have to run off their BHA mark which is comparatively too high.
Agree about the lack of enterprise of Nicholls campaigning. Think back to the time when he had the likes of Kadaran, Cenkos and Armaturk to name but 3 that kept struggling in top company in the UK, I can;t understand why he didn;t run them in some of the poorly-contested Grade 2 events against the likes of Central House et al.
[ horses ‘half cooked’ running in Gd 1 races. I just can’t imagine that happening on the Flat.
George Washington?
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