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Our boy Halcon won a good race there, too much weight in the end there but has run another fantastic race.
While I agree that he’s run a fantastic race, I don’t think it’s the weight that’s beaten him: he didn’t stay. Four out, he looked the likely winner but he faded over the last two and his blunder at the last was one of a tired horse. He ran a similar race in this two years ago, travelling well then fading.
Halcon is a top-class ‘chaser but very limited: he needs soft ground, 3m-3m6f and plenty of time between his races. As such, his chances are very limited, which is a shame as a horse of his ability deserves to win many more racs.
I def would not say Halcon G faded. He is a thorough stayer at 4m imo.
He was tired, made an error at the last, the winner absolutely flew home, and HG’s weight was telling.
Enough reasons for it to look like he didn’t stay, perhaps.
Zip
I don’t think you could say he was a non-stayer and I thought off 169 it was one of the handicap performances of the season on ground that wouldn’t have suited- remember all the fuss when Denman won the Hennessey off 161?
Hats off to Alan King for this horse’s excellent campaign this season.- Total Posts 438
carvills, I agree that it was one of the best handicap performances of the season. However, to answer both you and zippy, Halcon ran a similar race under 11st 2 in the race two years ago, travelling well and then fading in the straight. While he may be a bit stronger now, being that bit older, and more likely to be a more thorough stayer as a result, he was essentially outstayed by Miko de Beauchene at Chepstow, overhauled close home- again after a mistake at the last. Coincidence? I firmly believe that 3m6 is the limit of his stamina.
Like I said, he’s a vastly underrated horse because he hasn’t won many big races; indeed, if the ground came up testing at Cheltenham next year, he’d probably be the one to give Denman the most to worry about in the Gold Cup itself. However, because of his limited set of parameters, placing him is very difficult. A horse of his talent deserves to win a really big race.
Helluva performance from the top weight despite it being a fairly ordinary race……I never even knew the winner was in the race until he emerged out of the pack…….well done the lad who bet him at 100/1 and 80/1 when I looked at his form after the race and saw he won the Kent National I can see why anyone looking for an outsider might back him.
How he will react to a hike in the weights who knows but didn’t he look at bit special?………he sprinted from the last like a greyhound and you don’t often see that after 4 miles……must have a great future ahead of him being only a 7 year old…………Grand National next year?
I finally managed to watch a recording of the race having been out today and not knowing the result. Rather surprised, but pleased nevertheless since I drew Iris De Balme in the sweep at work. I had an idea it might finish first 6, but really didn’t expect a win. Very impressive performance in the end, leaving them for dead over the last two.
How he will react to a hike in the weights who knows but didn’t he look at bit special?………he sprinted from the last like a greyhound and you don’t often see that after 4 miles……must have a great future ahead of him being only a 7 year old…………Grand National next year?
I was only watching on TV but he didn’t look like a very big horse to me- today’s easy fences might have suited him better than the big ones at Aintree. He’d have to be of some interest if turning out again in the Whitbread, a double Hot Weld pulled off last year, for all that he’s miles out of the weights at Sandown as he was today.
Halcon was out on his feet.
His jump at the last signified it, he is a very tidy jumper, but he absolutely hammered the last fence, Robert did well to sit on that after the jump.
Massive performance from top weight.
I’ll bet Charlie Huxley’s delighted. He was jocked off the favourite having won on him at Cheltenham, picks up a spare ride and wins at 66/1!
I was impressed with Halcon. My money was done by the home turn so I was really cheering him on. Yes he’s had most of the field out of the handicap, but remember that he’s rated 8lbs higher than Denman was when he won the Hennessey, and you could definitely argue that Denman’s run came in conditions closer to his optimum than they were for Halcon yesterday. The way Iris De Balme sprinted away from him just goes to show IMO the danger of him running on such quick ground. I don’t think it was a failure to stay 4 miles, especially as the race looked to be run at a stronger pace than most contests over such a distance to the naked eye (the fact that the first 5 home were all dour, dour stayers even on good ground may back this up).
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