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Both are runners in the same race today, the 2:30 at Aintree. A HURDLE race over 2m4f on soft ground. Simonsig is the 9/4 2nd Fav and Bob’s Worth is as high as 16/1 maybe a lot higher on the exchanges.
If both of them would be 100% fit, I still wouldn’t understand why they are both running over two and a half miles. Simonsig was better suited by 2m over fences, so today’s trip leaves me wondering if his future races will be over this trip or even longer and whether he is fully fit or not. 970 days of the track is quite a long time, so despite his ability over hurdles from almost 4 years ago he is still a very very short price for today’s race.
Bob’s Worth has to recover from two below-par efforts in the Gold Cup and from a very poor 2014/2015 season.
I don’t know what to expect from both of them, but it will be quite interesting to see how they perform today and what connections intend to do afterwards.
Both Ferguson runners look to have this race at their own mercy, but I won’t be betting on it anyway.What a peculiar race you would think that they were trying not to win with Purple Bay what with the ever reliant Brian Hughes riding….
Good performance from both of them. I have no clue what the clock said and I also had no clue about the outcome of the race. Geraghty was just a bit too confident going to the last and looked a bit “unlucky” on the horse. I still think that the winner beat him fair and square, but I can’t make any suggestions about the reliability of today’s form. Maybe both Ferguson runners underperformed and you still don’t have more than a good match between two stablemates.
Anyway my prediction about the outcome of the race was very poor. Let’s see where they will go on from now.Purple bay was coming back from and injury on an unknown trip and ground, but I would suspect that Simonsig would drop back to two miles for the Tingle creek from that, 2m4f would probably be his maximum when he settles and is fully fit.
He gave Bobs Worth 10+ lengths at the start and travelled powerfully, but was very fresh, Which will be an everlasting problem. I can’t see him being stepped up further. Those early exertions obviously told its tale, but I feel if they just dropped him back to two miles and let him front run like connections of Un des sceaux did they could get the horse to relax, his natural exuberance and speed should be his biggest weapon instead of his weakness.
Good performances from both the front two. Bob’s Worth is a stayer and Simonsig is a speed horse. I was particularly encouraged by Simonsig’s effort. Surely this horse all being well should be aimed eventually at the Queen Mother Champion Chase. It could be a hell of a contest between Simonsig and Un De Sceaux.
Simonsig was impressive there.
Over 900 days off and running very fresh over a distance maybe not to suit, remains to be seen what level he can get back to but a very good start.Charles Darwin to conquer the World
I know it was his first run back after a long layoff but he has never been the most tractable of horses and if they can’t teach him to settle better than that, he will struggle to win anything going forward – his class meant he got away with it as a novice but in against the big boys at G1 level you need to doing everything right to give yourself a chance at winning.
I think after pulling that hard for that long Geraghty knew that there wasn’t much left in the tank and was holding on to him hoping his class would get him home – but you knew he was quite unlikely to find anything off the bridle and that Bobs Worth would find more when it really mattered, I think they should seriously consider the Stayers Hurdle rater than going back to chasing with him.
With Simonsig, they may want to consider the Champion Chase rather than the King George especially when you think he would be up against Un De Sceaux who is a noted front running trail blazer – much more likely to settle behind him instead of whoever is likely to front run at Kempton (can’t see them going fast enough for him to settle properly and you could quite easily see him failing in a heap two or three after pulling too hard during the race).
The idea with the Stayers Hurdle for Bob’s Worth is a “worthy” one. That race is always easier to win than a chase at the Festival. Todays time was 19.00 seconds too slow, but it was still at least half a minute faster than the other races ran there. So you know that he went a pretty decent gallop and there were no signs of stopping.
I would seriously consider him for the World Hurdle.
Simonsig was way too keen and surely this trip could be his absolute maximum unless he learns to settle a bit better.Simonsig was impressive there.
Over 900 days off and running very fresh over a distance maybe not to suit, remains to be seen what level he can get back to but a very good start.I agree with you Nathan, I was really pleased to see that he still
looked well. I don’t think it would be fair to expect him to show
more than he did, having been off for 3 years, and Nicky Henderson
did say it was “a means to an end”. I think they will be more than
pleased with him.It will be interesting to see where they go with him next, if he
improves for this and keeps well he would be running off a ridiculously
light weight in the Hennessy considering his old form.Henderson says the King George was thought of, and an entry has been made,
but he also stated “he doesn’t strike me as a 3 mile horse, but maybe
he is”I’m just glad to see he still looks a decent race horse, it would have been
so depressing if had run really badly or been pulled up, I reckon that
would have been the last we would have seen of him. I don’t know if he
will ever be the horse he once was, I’m not so sure he will be, but at this
stage I’m happy he looks like he can still mix it with the best.It was great to see both of them show some of their old sparkle.
I like the idea of Bob’s Worth going the staying hurdle route but I doubt he will.
It will be Hennessey for him and probably Tingle Creek for Simonsig.
Surprised to see Simonsig claim most mentions in this thread, after such a superb display by Bobs Worth. For the first time in the past two seasons this fine horse – one of the most consistent in training – showed real appetite and enthusiasm.
I’ve mentioned several times on here that I wish Mr henderson had been more forthcoming about BW’s training issues, of which, it seems, there have been many. Breathing op(s) have been mentioned, but I get the feeling it goes quite a bit deeper than that.
Anyway, I’m astounded to see him still available at 16s for the Hennessy. If Coneygree runs, as it seems almost certain he will judging by his trainer’s comments, Bobs Worth will carry 10.5 and get twenty one pounds from the Gold Cup winner. Bobs Worth is unbeaten at Newbury (two Class 1s, the second one being the 2012 Hennessy). If NJH has solved all his problems, he must be the biggest handicap blot of this short century.
As for Simonsig, as LD73 says, Geraghty knew that all he could do was hold him together on the bridle, for the sake of his confidence if nothing else. Those who know the horse and jockey well (and BW’s renowned resolution when on form) will have made a killing at the Betfair odds of 1.07.
NJH seems determined to put the grey back over fences, despite the fact that the horse has never been able to bend his back properly over them. Unless they’ve fixed that (and I doubt they have) he’s unlikely to win at the very top end.
I’d agree with that Joe, Simonsig remains one of the most overhyped horses of recent times, and I just hope they know what they’re doing. I fear for him, incredibly fragile, and I’d be very surprised if he’ll take much more racing. Accident waiting to happen.
Phil Walker said “What a peculiar race you would think that they were trying not to win with Purple Bay what with the ever reliant Brian Hughes riding….”
Well said that man
Hi Joe, I don’t disagree with anything you said, I just
think that the talk has been about Simonsig because he
has been off for 3 years, and it was pleasing to see he was well
and could still race. He was an incredible horse at his best.
It will be interesting to see where he is aimed at next.Obviously plenty are in agreement with you about Bobsworth,
the 16s has gone now, best priced 14/1. I can see that
disappearing soon too.I think people should look at the race as a whole. Purple bay was never ridden to have any chance and is more than likely over rated. Devilment was out of it’s depth, Royal Boy fell, so what have we left.
Two Henderson horses, one that as been completely out of form and the other coming back from a near 3 year lay off.
It may turn out they are back to somewhere near their best but I would hang fire until they run again before I make any judgement on what was acheived here.It may be nothing and one may get value backing against them next time.
A goodjudge once told me that once a horse as had an injury they never come back to what they once were. They may be good but they never get back right to the top.
There may be the exception but in general terms I have noticed that to be the caseA hard race to have firm opinions about. I suspect Henderson is very pleased on the whole. He`d hoped for a race with plenty of runners to offer Simonsig cover.
I thought Stuart Machin
s commentary stating de Boinvilles hard at work on Bobsworth was extremely wide of the mark.On the point of Brian Hughes – did the man make any attempt to get Bailey`s Concerto involved in the handicap chase ? 4th place was certainly not he best placing the horse could have achieved from what I could tell.
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