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Anyone want to offer an opinion on this horse today? I don’t know what he had for breakfast but he looked as though he could have run another 4 miles at the finish.
By Presenting so a trip and good ground probably his thing, shares a damsire (Kalanisi) with some decent stayers and got Old Vic on the dam’s side as well.
Good enough to beat Monty’s Star in a maiden hurdle and finished third in a Coral Cup, beating Lucky Place. Was considered worth running in an Albert Bartlett.
But he’s small and doesn’t jump fences well in a big crowd on a tough course, so ended up well handicapped. Punchestown is a bit easier and he managed to get into some sort of rhythm and start jumping a bit better than usual kept out on his own. Top few in the handicap probably tired after a season mixing it in big races, the rest not got the engine.Reported in the Racing Post;
Trainer said, regarding the apparent improvement in form, that jumping at a slower pace over the extended distance seemed to contribute to the apparent improvement, which was noted.
Opened at 16-1 (was bigger than that the night before). Went off at 15-2 joint favourite.
They knew this horse was going to win before he walked onto the horse box. Went the long way round to ensure there was not a chance of being interfered with or brought down.
Form this season. Weakened into 8th over 20 furlongs. Then 11th of 12 finishers. Followed by 9th of 12 beaten 52 lengths. 10th of 11 finishers at the DRF. Pulled up at the Cheltenham Festival.
So had run against 70 horses this season and beaten 8 other finishers home before yesterday.
Then wins with his head in his chest with Mullins not even moving a muscle and probably not wanting it to look embarrassingly easy.
Nothing to see here guys.
Certainly makes me want to revise my opinion that WPM always sends his horses out to run on their merits.
I love the use of the word ‘apparent’ improvement.
Horse owned by the O’Leary’s who are not getting much joy with their horses trained by Elliott at the moment.
So no harm showing how it should be done with a horse who up until yesterday was still a maiden over fences and never once looked like winning over fences.
He was hammered in the Albert Bartlett, only beating one horse home…but that horse was Hiddenvalley Lake and he turned out alright. The Albert Bartlett is an odd race sometimes.
Trainer says “National horse for next year” but the hustle and bustle of Nationals might see his jumping go to pieces again. I think yesterday was his day.
I think I would have liked to have heard from the jockey too. Exactly why was he kept away from every other runner taking the longer route round almost taking the paint off the standside rail & giving ground to all? I noticed in a later race some did the same but I suspect not for the same reason Mullins did.
This horse had barely shown an ounce of form this season and then wins with such ease that Mullins didn’t even move on him and looked at the big screen more than once. The horse was still galloping on after the line after nearly 4 miles!
I know some will claim it’s that magician again Willie Mullins but to me something felt very off about the whole thing. And someone clearly knew looking at the price drop.
Perhaps someone could explain where in the form book that performance was lurking?
I do hope the handicapper takes a dim view more than the stewards seemed to.
“Perhaps someone could explain where in the form book that performance was lurking?”
I just did.
No magic. Just good placement- Punchestown is a really wide track (the biggest racecourse in the world according to Ruby Walsh in a preview) so there was space to do that. Also a well known fact that the trainer doesn’t really bother schooling his horses much at home and they learn on the job- hence the improvement in jumping. He ran in the Albert Bartlett so no shock horror that he ran well over fences off 123.
I thought you were being ironic by the fact he was a knackered 2nd last in the Albert Bartlett beaten over 43 lengths.
Don’t think that’s screaming let’s run him over 4 miles and win as though he only joined in 2 furlongs from home.
Funny not a single word in the stewards report telling the same story as Danny Mullins.
‘Ride of the season’? It was definitely something of the season.
Well, you wouldn’t have thought the horse he beat, Hiddenvalley Lake , would’ve won an open G1 over >3 miles would you? They don’t get on the boat if they’re no good and he was taken to the festival twice.
Trainers’ website the night before – when he was still available at 25-1 – said:
“Shanbally Kid (Danny) has lots of experience over shorter trips. We have left the blinkers off today as we felt he might be too keen. With his experience and light weight he could be good each-way value.” So we were telt. Our own Venture to Cognac has been keeping an eye on him all year and got that price, and I backed him as well on the morning albeit his price had started to contract a bit already. It wasn’t some massive secret. Mullins’ thoughts on ground and trip preferences for Presenting horses are well known and if you’d been watching his races you’d know that jumping was his Achilles heel and that Punchestown was always going to suit better than Cheltenham.“Funny not a single word in the stewards report telling the same story as Danny Mullins.”
“He loves a bit of room; he’s a little bit timid I suppose and being out there on his own he’s just relished it and what a feeling you know, That trip, getting a bit of space away from horses”
“David Casey, Authorised Representative for W.P
Mullins, trainer, stated that jumping at the slower pace over this extended distance seemed to contribute to the apparent improvement in form. ”“trip” and “extended distance” are fairly similar words. “Jumped poorly” is in one of his previous stewards report when beaten in his first chase. Also obvious when watching race videos. It was a good ride. Danny Mullins used to showjump ponies to a high level (like Robbie Power) and is good over fences.
Shanbally Kid also made it into the Racing Post stable tour in the autumn, so it’s not like he was hidden away.
I didn’t see the races on Friday so don’t know how wide they went then but Emmet Mullins had seen some benefit in going wide and after he’d been successful he came up with the phrase “monkey see, monkey do” when interviewed.
“I thought you were being ironic by the fact he was a knackered 2nd last in the Albert Bartlett beaten over 43 lengths.”
That was a weird Albert Bartlett. As well as Hiddenvalley Lake, other horses that ran craply and were PU were:
Chianti Classico- won the Ultima next year
Dawn Rising – Royal Ascot winner that year
Embassy Gardens- 2nd in NH chase next year
Monty’s Star- 2nd in BANC next yearOf the horses in that race who were given a rating over fences, the worst over the bigger obstacles was Rock My Way who got 134 for a chase win at Doncaster.
improved for the application of cash- wasn’t trying all season – Bobby kept the faith and made hay. WD all who backed it (sadly not me)
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