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Fantastic to read today that Jim Bolger is thinking in terms of the Triple Crown for Teofilo.
One of my greatest racing disappointments was when Nashwan by-passed the Leger when on the brink of immortality and, with fashions changing and the Arc de Triomphe now the preferred end of term target for top middle distance horses, I never thought I’d have a chance to see a winner in my lifetime. <br> <br>Of course, there is a long winter ahead and a million things to go wrong but what a winter of dreams it’ll be at the Bolger yard and I, for one, will be dreaming with them.<br>
makes a pleasant change to the general run of things these days, but Cormack, Nashwan wouldn’t have won the Leger now would he? only managed 3rd in the Prix Niel, clearly trained off – and you don’t remember Nijinsky and Oh So Sharp ? yes we should include the filly here, it’s high time her exploits were better recognised in this sphere as it wasn’t so long ago.
No, he may not have won LL, but how lovely it would have been to see him try.
Alas, I was too young to have enjoyed Nijinsky, but you are correct about Oh So Sharp. Her’s was a great achievement and does deserve recognition.
I stand corrected!!
Refuse To Bend had the same path as his target after winning the Guineas, a half-brother to Media Puzzle that couldn’t fail to stay 12f+ on pedigree. Trouble was he didn’t and proved best at shorter. I think Teofilo is a very similar type and as a 20/1 backer for the Guineas am glad to hear that Bolger is making that race a priority.
That’s a rather negative approach, TDK. :o
Because the TC is over three different distances, it clearly tests a 3-y-o’s ability to quicken, to quicken and stay, and to stay, over a period of five months in their most important season.
Because recent breeding trends dictate that stamina is less important than speed, the final attribute is less lustrous than it ought to be and thus, the Leger has been devalued.
But it may only take one horse, (for example, Teofilo), to win the TC for the idea to come back into fashion. Trends are temporary. Tradition is permanent.
no probs. Corm  I agree it would’ve been good to see him go for it, like so many others who never get given the chance.  Motivator would be another that springs to mind in recent times.
I can’t help but get rankled though about this Triple Crown business as the filly is rarely mentioned.  It’s an aspect of this male dominated sport that needs correcting.   <br>I’m not being politically correct or anything, far from it, but it’s just as much a Triple  as Nijinsky’s.   Why shouldn’t it be? yet if you ask so many people they will always say Nijinsky was the last one.  <br>It discredits the filly, it’s connections and the race itself.
She was the last winner of it.  <br>Thanks for acknowledging..
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And what a fantastic filly she was. Her 1000gns win was the first race I ever studied form for – and backed her.
She had all three attributes. And people remember her name, which they may not have done, (at least so clearly, if she went for the Arc instead of the Leger.
I’d love to see a horse do the Triple Crown and then retire unbeaten. I’d be brilliant for racing restore the romance to the sport.
It’s such a difficult thing to achieve to do it you have to be an all time great.
Taking on the best over a mile and a half can happen in the King George or if neccessary stay in training do the Arc the following year.
Totally disagree with you TDK. Winning an Arc doesnt even compare with winning the Triple Crown – and it would be just the shot in the arm the Leger needed.
Still think its a bit early to be suggesting he can do it, but hats off to the connections for considering it . They can but dream…
Have to agree that the St. Leger is under-valued severly.
After Motivator’s romp in the Derby last year, I really thought 5/1 was a great price for the Leger – unsuprisingly it was swerved.
And Sir Percy – his half-brother High Accolade came 2nd in the Leger, and he’s out of a Blakeney mare, impacting loads of stamina. But again, it was swerved (admittedly I’m not sure if this was due to him being jarred up at Epsom or not).
Youmzain was sent to the Niel in order to establish him as a sire, although I’m sure many would agree he would have come at least 2nd in the Leger.
And look last year – I was all ready to go to Donny for the Leger, but the moment I saw the final decs I didn’t bother. 6 runners. Would you find 6 runners these days in the Guineas or Derby?
I was so glad to hear Noseda’s comments a fortnight ago about saying that he thought a British Classic was worth 5 French Classics. At least someone is treating the Leger seriously.
he thought a British Classic was worth 5 French Classics.
He’d give 5 Legers to win an Arc…
A Triple Crown is worth more than an Arc win, I think.
I suggest that if SP had won the Guineas, the stable would definitely had gone for the Leger. There is tradition there; Minster Son, Dunfermerline, amongst six wins in the Leger for Dick Hern, Tregoning’s mentor.
It was Sheikh Hamdan who overruled Dick Hern on Nashwan, btw. The trainer was desperate to win the TC and felt strongly that the horse could win both the Leger and the Arc.
TDK, can’t he do all four?
If the St Leger is that ‘easy’ to win, it should be an ideal prep race for the Arc.
A Triple Crown is worth more than an Arc win, I think.
Some time ago it was, but not anymore. The Arc has surpassed the King George in my opinion as the most important all aged 1m4f race in the world.<br>
Oh, taken alone, I agree with you, Aiden. The Arc is a superb race, probably the world’s best, though the Americans would, quite justifiably, argue with that.
Up till relatively recently, the King George, as EC states would be up there too.
But if you’re looking at the best horse, I would argue that a Triple Crown is a better benchmark of equine excellence than an Arc win. Judging by his remarks, Jim Bolger appears to believe so too.
I disagree with the KG losing its status. Let’s look at the last few years….
2001 – Derby winner Galileo. Beat multi-Gr.1 winner Fantastic Light. Wasn’t Galileo touted as possibly the first ever $100 million horse?
2002 – Golan. Won the 2000 Gns after just 1 run, 2nd in the Derby, 3rd in Irish Derby, Niel winner. Beat Nayef, another multi-Gr. 1 winner, as well as Irish Champ winner Grandera and Champion Stakes winner Storming Home.
2003 – Alamshar. The only horse to ever beat Dalakhani, the Arc winner. Beat Derby winner Kris Kin, multi-Gr.1 winner Sulamani. Not to mention Falbrav, Warrsan, Grandera, Nayef, Millenary.
2004 – Doyen, Ascot 12f track record holder. Admittedly the weakest KG in last 6 years, but still had likes of Warrsan, Sulamani, Phoenix Reach and Gamut.
2005 – Azamour, beat Norse Dancer, Arc winner Bago, Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow, Doyen, Oaks winner Eswarah, Mubtaker, Ace, etc
2006 – Hurricane Run vs Electrocutionist vs Heart’s Cry. One of the finest races in recent history, and will probably go down as one of the finest races of all time.
So I’d have to disagree that the KG is losing face. If I owned a Derby winner, I would swerve the Irish Derby and Eclipse and go for the KG, and I’m sure many others would as well.
Quote: from EC on 8:14 pm on Sep. 18, 2006[br]Alleged..very nearly won the Leger..then won the Arc..can’t remember any horse doing the double though..probably missing a really obvious one ..has it been done?<br>
Ballymoss won the Leger in ’57 and the Arc in ’58 but can’t think of any who’ve won both as a 3yo
Nijinsky went close of course
Here’s hoping the refreshing decision to run Sixties Icon in the Arc pays dividends
Edit: Alleged was indeed special EC. Lucky enough to see him in the flesh twice: when winning the Voltigeur and his second to Dunfermline in the Leger. Also the last horse to win two Arcs and the first to acheive that feat since the immortal Ribot; his timefigure in the Voltigeur was around 140 if I recall correctly.
Edit: Ribot being Alleged’s paternal third-sire, I’ve just re-discovered.
(Edited by Drone at 8:40 pm on Sep. 18, 2006)<br>
(Edited by Drone at 9:07 pm on Sep. 18, 2006)
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