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Delighted with the run of Gentlemans Game at a nice price. GDC super impressive again and will surely emulate Arkle and Best Mate and make it five members of the Triple club. Not sure FTF will get up the hill at Cheltenham and he and Gaelic Warrior look in between horses trip wise, but pretty sure only one will go to the Ryanair.
Il Est Francais still looks a potential monster to me and I hope they don’t swerve the Gold Cup. He came to Kempton off the back of a PU whereas Banbridge had 2 runs under his belt so I reckon it was fitness more than lack of stamina that told in the last 100 yards. His last furlong sectional was still as quick as anything bar the winner. .
Is it petty of me to say I wish he had a nicer name? ( as with Al Boum Photo). He’s such a special horse. I keep thinking back to that fall he had in the Turners when he had the race at his mercy.
I backed il eat for the GC at the he start of the season , however the KG surely showed he won’t be suited by the extra distance , however if he was to run he may unsettle GDC with his jumping
Il Est Francais has little to no chance of running in the Gold Cup. Trainer has shortlisted the Ryanair or the Champion Chase as a target if he did go to Cheltenham.
“I think Galopin des Champs is a pretty cool name”
I agree. I also agree that Al Boum Photo is an awful name and he never got the credit he deserved because of it.
“Is it petty of me to say I wish he had a nicer name?”
No. It’s pretty insular, though. Johnny Dineen was making a similar point about French names on Upping The Ante this week; to me, it just smacks of laziness and an inability/unwillingness to adapt.
I speak French and the mangling of French names, and increasing antipathy towards them, really irritates me.
Don’t get me wrong. If it’s goodish ground Fact To File still has a chance in the Gold Cup. However, on heavy or even soft the amount of emphasis on stamina that needs, will be far too much unless he can settle better.
Value Is EverythingI think the French have a rule that horses must be named a lot sooner than in Ireland or Uk.
Value Is EverythingBien dit, Msr Gladiateur. Johnny Dineen should take a look at some of the Gaelic names if he thinks French is difficult- but he’s a loud mouth know nowt’ anyway. As for IEF, it’s the owner who decides at the end of the day not the trainer. Mr Kelvin-Hughes has unfinished business with the Gold Cup- Santini would have beaten Al Boum Photo in another 50 yards in 2020, so I’ll still hold out hope that he’ll run on the Friday, whatever that other rent-a-gob Chappers may say. Don’t forget they fully intended to run in Le Grand Steep’ last May, before he disappointed in his prep run, so they clearly had no doubts about stamina then.
He didn’t look a stayer in the KG , going to last your expect Reveley the throw the kitchen sink at him , he didn’t as I reckon he knew the horse was empty
“Is it petty of me to say I wish he had a nicer name?
No. It’s pretty insular, though. Johnny Dineen was making a similar point about French names on Upping The Ante this week; to me, it just smacks of laziness and an inability/unwillingness to adapt”.
Al Boum Photo is a horrible name in any language – just like Beef Or Salmon.
Sloppy pronunciation is hardly anything new and certainly not restricted to French names (as the cringeworthy attempts at Juntos Ganamos on Thursday proved, albeit the horse himself IS French!) …and don’t even get me started on the Gaelic names!!
I know what you’re saying HDLG, but the alternative view is that Reveley was looking after the horse – he’s only 6 with a history of broken blood vessels. If he knew Townend had him , there was no sense in pushing him too hard.
“Al Boum Photo is a horrible name in any language”
So you’d be complaining if a horse called Photo Album won the Gold Cup?
It’s also worth remembering that the horse is by Buck’s Boum and out of Al Gane. Perfectly fair name, in my opinion.
But it’s ugly to pronounce. And I’m saying that as someone who loves the French language. My favourite French name of all time is Sabin du Loir. Years ago we had a French student staying with us whose English was as bad as my French so, for a few days we felt quite uncomfortable with each other. Then, one day I tried to explain to her that there was a horse called Sabin du Loir and I loved his name so much that I would say it to myself. She then told me that she had an English phrase that she felt the same way about ‘All Things Change’. After that we seemed to understand each other on a different level. I have a lovely letter from Mrs Pipe about Sabin du Loir.
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