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A bit more from the Racing Post:
SUBLIMITY came through a workout at Leopardstown yesterday morning in a manner that left trainer John Carr and jockey Philip Carberry convinced that he is in top form with the defence of his Champion Hurdle crown only a week away.
The eight-year-old has raced only once since catapulting Carr into the limelight at the Cheltenham Festival a year ago, but yesterday’s gallop, with two stablemates, prompted Carberry to say afterwards that the horse felt as good as he ever had.
Sublimity, who beat Brave Inca, the then defending champion, off a light preparation in the Smurfit Kappa-backed Cheltenham showpiece a year ago, is a best-priced 5-1 for a repeat. He finished fourth behind Osana in the Boylesports International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December on his only start this season.
Carberry said: “He quickened nicely in the straight and felt very good. In fact, he felt as good as I’ve ever felt him. He did everything with a lot of enthusiasm and appeared to be in great form after the work. It seemed to have switched him on and he took it all very well.
“A lot has gone into having him right for next Tuesday. We’re almost there and all season it has been all about one day.”
Carr said: “I was very pleased with what Sublimity did and the way he sprinted away from the other two horses at the end of a mile and six furlongs. It was just what we wanted.
“He will school on Wednesday and probably breeze at home on Friday. He is due to travel to Cheltenham on Saturday.”
Carr was quick to scotch rumours that have been aired at Cheltenham preview nights over the past week that his stable star has been bursting blood vessels.
“I’m very surprised to hear what has been said and I cannot understand why such stories started or where they came from,” he said. “There have been times in the past when Sublimity has had problems with mucus in his lungs, but he is fine now and that’s the way we intend keeping him. We have never seen him bleed.”Dave Nevison thinks Sublimity should be 50/1 (on what he has shown this season) and can’t see why anyone would back the horse to win the Champion hurdle this year. Really?
Mr. Nevison is a knowledgeable guy, who does know his racing, but surely he is way off the mark there – or is he possibly prone to hyperbole on certain occasions ?
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Dave Nevison thinks Sublimity should be 50/1 (on what he has shown this season) and can’t see why anyone would back the horse to win the Champion hurdle this year. Really?
Mr. Nevison is a knowledgeable guy, who does know his racing, but surely he is way off the mark there – or is he possibly prone to hyperbole on certain occasions ?
I would agree with DN’s statement regarding his price based on this year’s form but, of course, his form this year consists of one run when he was half fit. All I think we can say about Sublimity is that he’s clearly had a far from ideal preparation and no-one in their right mind should back him before having the benefit of a paddock inspection on the day. I’ll be phoning my paddock judges in the pre-parade ring before the race and I’ll post their thoughts.
All I think we can say about Sublimity is that he’s clearly had a far from ideal preparation and no-one in their right mind should back him before having the benefit of a paddock inspection on the day.
Has anyone seen any decent pictures of how he looked on the gallops on Monday? The ones I saw on the RP website weren’t too clear, but surely if he looked fit there then surely he becomes backable if he was fancied on that previso?
All I think we can say about Sublimity is that he’s clearly had a far from ideal preparation and no-one in their right mind should back him before having the benefit of a paddock inspection on the day.
Has anyone seen any decent pictures of how he looked on the gallops on Monday? The ones I saw on the RP website weren’t too clear, but surely if he looked fit there then surely he becomes backable if he was fancied on that previso?
I think the description I would be looking for is ‘fit and well’ ie not just physically fit but with a bright eye, gleaming coat and a spring in his step. Unfortunately, I don’t have the oppotunity to go racing as much as I used to but on many occasions I have backed a horse on the basis of a paddock inspection. At the Festival all the runners should be trained to the minute so if one stands out (in a good or a bad way) based on paddock inspection you should always take heed IMHO
Sublimity won the race last year having only had one run..a tin-pot affair at Navan on heavy ground, where he beat a maiden of Noel Meade’s by 20 lengths. He’d have had harder mornings with his lead horse.
If you review his career to date, Sublimity has won seven races and six of those have come after a layoff of twelve weeks or more. I am suprised that people can try and make a case for horses like Afsoun (who will be physiologically beaten before the tapes go up and also needs further) and Katchit (beaten fair and square by Osana in the Boylesports) yet dismiss Sublimity and his trainer. What nonesense. The trainer knows the horse better than anyone and trained him to perfection last year.
As Sublimity’s price drifts, he becomes more appealing. My reading is that there isn’t a great deal of depth to the race and the winner will come from Harchibald, Sublimity, Sizing Europe and Osana. If I get 6/1 on the day, I’ll be delighted with an EW bet-to-nothing.
Last year the dogs were barking this horse for some time before the race.
Now everyone bar the trainer and jockey are saying he is not ready.
Best wait and see if there is good money for him or see him in the paddock.
I suspect he might drift to around 7/1 on the day, if not before.Ginge
Value Is EverythingIf you don’t fancy Sublimity, don’t back it – simple as that !
I still think he’s worth a modest each way investment in what looks like an open champion hurdle.
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If he’s not ready Ginge…surely Osana won’t be ready either ?
Were you at Newbury last night BSB?
It was a bit worrying if …. is right. Hopefully he recovers in time (have a big price about him before the Boylesports) but would not back him now. In fact the more I look at it the more a Sizing Europe, Harchibald, Katchit 1-2-3 looks the forecast though have never had a forecast bet. And think something might crop up at a big price for 3rd. Afsoun, does not sound as if he is in top form either, possibly Punjabi, though he would not want soft (wouldn’t stay).
Any ideas for 3rd spot BSB?
Ginge
Value Is EverythingGinge…my fancy would be Sublimity – Sizing Europe – Harchibald.
Katchit has obviously got course form but I haven’t been totally taken with him this year. He’s a small horse and life is that much tougher against the best.
I didn’t get to the Newbury preview which is poor considering I work around the corner. Saving myself for the Lyggon Arms (and apracing) on Monday night.
Were there suggestions of a setback for Osana ? It wouldn’t come as a massive surprise considering he’s been withdrawn from a number of intended engagements since the Boylesports. The horse had six runs last season, so he doesn’t need to be given a long break between races to keep him sound. The horse obviously takes his racing well, so why would they change his training regime so radically if everything was OK ?
This thread is nuts….we have some of the best judges in Ireland in attendance at Puchestown but Gige saying the horse looked dull on TV
Tuffers has taken the bait and he spies ready to keep us all informed………anyone who knows the horse knows he doesn’t need to race to get fit which ws pointed out by someone who rightly said he had a public workout last year when 3/1 on in a race against some mules.To make it worse Ginge says Katchit is not CH class then tips him to be in the firts 3 and beat a CH winner…………i’m rolling oiver laughing here
Sam the biggest danger to Sublimity is Katchit who will ruin his day IMO……I don’t ecpect a big run fom Osana but I do expect Katchit to do what he did in the Triumph…….I think the little horse will be fitter than you have ever seen him he’s had a very easy seaon unlike last year……If he hits the front 3 out you can forget Sublimity………he wont be getting a soft lead down to the last like he was last year and i don’t think he truly gets the trip………2 reasons….looked like the winner at the last against Noland
but stopped dead when he hit the rising ground………when he hit the front last year he went 3 lengths clear but the minute he hit the risng ground again he just ran on at one pace……….luckily nothing was coming at him.If I’m wrong I’m wrong but that’s how I have always seen this race panning out………..I can’t see Katchit holding off Sizing Europe with his giant stride and harchibald will be on the bridle longer than Sublimity and might just finsih in front of Sublimity………….all just opinions mate and who gave Hardy Eustace a chance when he won at 33/1…….I haven’t backed a champion hurdle winner since Istabraq but the last few Champion hurdles were so bad, by memory I only had one bet on some rag EW against Brave Inca……..This to me is the start of a new era for the CH and if Sublimity wins I will be truly disapointed as I don’t rate the horse and the last thing racing needs is a Champion who goes into hiding all year
The only point I would make, Fist, is the one Nick Mordin makes in ‘The Winning Look’:
When it comes to considering the physical condition of racehorses, British punters are at their most bone-headed. Few of them would dream of spending good money on a car, a pair of shoes or even an apple without having a chance to look at it first. But when it comes to horseracing, commonsense seems to go out the window. Every day millions of pounds are bet by punters on horses who they have never seen.
The only point I would make, Fist, is the one Nick Mordin makes in ‘The Winning Look’:
When it comes to considering the physical condition of racehorses, British punters are at their most bone-headed. Few of them would dream of spending good money on a car, a pair of shoes or even an apple without having a chance to look at it first. But when it comes to horseracing, commonsense seems to go out the window. Every day millions of pounds are bet by punters on horses who they have never seen.
That’s fine for Nick Mordin to say but a horse isn’t a car and he’s an ignorant bastid talking down to the man on the street like that……..the majority of men can look at a car and say it’s in good or bad condition most punters would know where to start when looking at horses…I’ve been around horses most of my days and you seem to have been as well but how often does the average punter go racing or visit a yard?……….or have the finances to allow him the time off work to do it
No offence but I can’t stand these guys who come up with crap like Mordin who seems to think every punter has his expereince or his luck in life ……….what also bugs me are guys who obviously haven’t got the faintest idea what they are talking about trying to appear smart which does no more than put people away who think they must know what they are talking about.
Do you honestly think for one minute Sublimity will turn up looking like he needs the race? That would have been noticed at leapordstown immediatly. This talk about him not being ready is nonsense….the gallop was designed to put the final touches to a well laid out plan and it’s gone well according to what has been written………my guess is he’ll do some road work have a canter and one more serious bit of work 4-5 days before the race and just be kept ticking over and have one more canter after that before CH hurdle day………you’ll make our call and be told he looks great…….wanna lay me a bet on it?
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to be told he looks fit but dull in his coat. At the moment I’m leaning towards Catch Me but the ground conditions and paddock inspection will be crucial.
I know what you mean about Nick Mordin’s writing style but the fact is that betting shop punters are doomed to lose money because they lack crucial information about the animals they are backing. That doesn’t make them bad people but it certainly puts them at a disadvantage
Fist,
Have you had a bad day or something, calm down and stop abusing people.I still do not think Katchit has produced one single Champion Hurdle class run. However, at a preview night there was negitive information on both Sublimity and Osana. IF that info is correct, and if those two run poorly, then the best horses are:
Sizing Europe, Harchibald and (some way below those two) Katchit. If you read what I say Fist I have never said Katchit will not win the Champion, just his form suggests he is exposed as just below top class and unlikely to improve. He is though more consistent than most and may well be able to get placed.
Ginge
Value Is EverythingWell, we’ll find out in just a few days
We know that Katchit has to improve on his previous runs this season but see no reason why he can’t.
If the field stays largely unaltered (ie big) and the weather doesn’t go against us we should be guaranteed a strong pace which will suit us, hopefully we’ll get a lead into the home stretch at speed and he can go on from there… at both Newcastle and Wincanton Katchit had to make it himself from a long way out (and off a slow pace at Newcastle that set the race up for Harchibald). Stats and opinion are against us… but it seems that there would be few more popular winners…
I’m into hoping mode… wanting to hear the same as last year from the commentator…"look at Katchit… Robert Thornton full of horse.."
This is going to be the longest weekend ever!!!!
Tuffers has taken the bait and he spies ready to keep us all informed………anyone who knows the horse knows he doesn’t need to race to get fit which ws pointed out by someone who rightly said he had a public workout last year when 3/1 on in a race against some mules.
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