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It was notable too Maurice that just before the race that Williamson talked of one danger only to RC namely RB .
I agree that unless something unfortunate happens to the Booster between now and ther ace or he is brought down that place only is best for any others
(Edited by Ardross at 2:02 pm on Dec. 3, 2003)
Grasshopper.
Your bang on with what you say about Our Vic.My big problem was it is completley unknown what route he will be taking.I had hoped that if he runs on saturday over hurdles that would be a sign that a hurdle campaign was on the cards.I’m not to worried about the ability of the horse i take a chance but if he then went for the arkle or some such and the champion was out of the question i’d be a little sick.
just two things from me.
1) i think sporazene could travel off any pace and the wya he travelled up the stright when all otehrs bar one fell away after making a horlicks of the last was impressive. Havent been more impressed since RB beat MR Cool. He is second best in my books.
2) apart from him, the only danger to RB winning the chmapion might be the fact that he just might be in decline. It was an unusual feat that he improved so much so late, but one that took him to the top of the tree. However age is still not on his side. I wouldnt go against teh horse on this, but i would have expected him to beat Sacundai easily last time out, ( i dont go with teh Johnson blew it theory) and he hasnt been out since. If he is anything like the same horse he was last march, and sporazene doesnt improve like he might, then its all there for teh taking.
He did not get the trip in that ground . Look at how he made ground though – had the race been over 2m at Aintree he would have won in a hack canter
Rooster Booster won the 2003 Champion Hurdle on merit and deserves full credit for that, but at this stage of the season surely he must be opposable. A few suggestions why:
RB is the clear form pick, but next year he will be a 10yo who has raced over hurdles knocking 30 times. Surely he will not be improving again? (I think I’m right in saying that RB’s improvement a year or so back coincided with P.Hobbs installing a polytrack gallop). So the question is if anything can improve to reach his level of form. There are enough lightly raced, second season hurdlers who possibly could. Rhinestone Cowboy has only had 5 races over hurdles, Self Defence has only had 7. That’s without considering the winners of the novice events at Cheltenham 2003.
Another interesting point about this year is the number of classy flat horses (rated 90/100+) who have been sent to jump trainers. I’m sure most will blow out or follow the novice route, but if just one them shows an aptitude for jumping it could blow the CH market wide open. There’s enough to choose from this year, Lingo, Adiemus, Debatable, Chivalry, Vintage Premium etc.
I still think the RC has more class than any of the current contenders, & he’s going to get better with experience. It’s just whether his technique has been improved enough.
I get the feeling Rooster has had his moment in the sun, whether Baracouda turns up to demolish him or not.
I suspect that Back In Front has a great deal more ability than people give him credit for. (And if you remember Mo, I said the same about a certain Strong Flow before the Hennessy.)<br>
Mr Miller
For the last time :o
Baracouda will not run in the Champion Hurdle as the Doumens and JP know he is not fast enough !!!
RB is a certainty if he is in the same form as last year
Indeed you did, Steve, and it has been remiss of me not to contact you to congratulate you on your spectacularly well-founded belief in the horse.
I just wonder whether we’re in an era where winning at the festival has become so much the be-all-and-end-all for the majority of trainers, especially the Irish, that even the novices are being brought to thier peak sooner than might have happened a decade ago.
I also think if you look back through the novices of the last ten years you’ll struggle to find one that’s run a really big race at the festival then made significant improvement the following season as a hurdler.
I respect the chances of BIF, RC, etc. but I just believe such is the level of RB’s form he must not be opposed until there is concrete evidence that he is over the top.
11 lengths is a lot to make up Colin .
Furthermore, of the novices none of them is a Group 2 winner like Alderbrook
I’m not sure Ardross, 11 lengths sounds alot, but in NH racing, maybe sometimes it just equals a dodgy jump & a loss of momentum.
If you turn it around, in last years CH, you had a professional performance from the experienced RB, who was right at the top of his game…..& then an inexperienced novicey performance from RC (particularly during the early part of the race), & yet he still got within 11 lengths of RB. You can take that as a positive for RC, without in any way detracting from RB’s performance. I’ll concede that if RC performs like he did last year he won’t win, but if he they have improved his technique, he will be very dangerous. Then we will have to start debating his resolution!
I take your point about the flat horses not being Group 2 winners, but there are still alot of them this year.
The pretenders to the throne are either already exposed as inferior (e.g. Intersky Falcon) or have shown a level of form miles below what is required in March (Back In Front).
Grasshoper, remember March is a long time away yet, I’m sure you’ll see the real Back In Front in March. He is far from near his peak.
Colin, I don’t see any difference in the flat horses that switched to hurdles from last year, until they run against the top class horses can they be judged.
JohnJ.<br>
The best two novices of last year, contested the Champion Hurdle
I’m sure if you listened to any of the quotes after the Supreme novices, you would of heard Norman Williamson saying that if Rhinestone had of ran in the Supreme novices, he would have chosen BiF ( Not just becasue it was Edward O’Gradys horse). I don’t know if that gives you an indication of what horse he thought was better.
You are obviously bullish that Bif won’t get near RB at Cheltenham this year, what price will you offer me on BiF to win the Champion?
About Back In Front…
I would ask you to look at it from this angle. He hit something like 158 at the festival, an excellent rating, well up to the standard of the event. His form this year is soem way below thta, but improving. He’s obviously been roughed off and brought along with either solely the Champion or perhaps one other main target on the agenda. If he’d hit about 150 frst time, then 157 second time I could have agreed that he was going places, but both his figures have been a bit lower than I would have liked to see at this time of year. He’s still got to get back to March’s level never mind find the requisite 20lbs beyond that…
It may be of some interest to you regarding the form of Back in Front.Last Year he finished behind Hardy Eustace in the novice event that was run last sunday at Fairyhouse then just got up later to beat a no mark over the christmas period at leopardstown looking nothing like a horse who could win the supreme like he did.The fact is that Back in Front was a spring horse when he ran in the bumper was a spring horse when he ran in the supreme novices and will be a spring horse when it comes to the champs.<br>As a spring horse he is not therefore running at his time of year.No doubt grass you don’t think that different horses come to hand at different time’s of year?
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