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This animal appears to be made of something very special. It might seem silly to highlight an obviously top class horse, but I’m beginning to wonder how long it will be until they find the bottom of him.
He is a remarkably athletic mover for such a big horse, with everything from head to tail seeming to help drive him along in that powerful rhythm. That’s the only unusual thing I can see about him. Something to look forward to next season, along with Douvan, who looks like he will get his jumping together despite that difficulty bending his back, and Vautour who looked yesterday as though he might gallop away and win by a mile until that fall.
Another unusual thing was how Vautour got to his feet, springing almost catlike do get upright again – can’t ever recall seeing a faller do that. It was an indicator of how much energy he had left and how little the fall affected him mentally. Let’s hope we see him against Thistlecrack in the Gold Cup.
If Thistlecrack were yours. what would you do?
He is old to be going chasing.
Go chasing for the Gld Cup?
Stick to Staying Hurdles?May be,
Go novice chasing, then step him up in something like the Cotswold or Denman, see how he goes there. If looking like a top class chaser then go for the Gold Cup. If not looking quite good enough revert back to hurdles for Cheltenham.Value Is EverythingI have been watching this horse carefully too, I agree he is a big bodied and very deep through the girth, he has a very big strong ground covering gallop. He finds it easy. Having a Google it is interesting to see that he was bought for only 43,000 euro and the owner has bought the full brother for a whopping 165,000 euro and also bought the half brother that has already won. The dam is by Ardross sire of Alderbrook, Karinger Bay and Young Kenny and won a few races and was trained by Venetia Williams. He is by Kayf Tara who is a top sire standing in England, good to see a lovely horse bred in the UK, bought well and is top class, there should be much more encouragement financially in the UK to breed horses. There is a French sire called Montmartre (sire of Bigmartre 3rd in last race today and Willie Mullins Petite Parisienne, Paul Nicholls has one called Capitaine, well worth following Montmartre offspring who are just starting to make their mark).
Ginger I think if they didn’t go for the gold cup they would live wondering what might have been. No one breeds a horse, trains a horse and owns a horse to win a world hurdle. It’s either a stepping stone or a place for stayers who can’t jump very well. They would be mad to stick to hurdles. Also because he has a lot of experience over hurdles I don’t think a novice campaign is that necessary. Once he schools find there is no reason why he couldn’t start off in a few of the softer, small field graded staying chases, something like the race that Don cossack won in down royal could be a nice easy start to see if he will make a chaser
Ginger I think if they didn’t go for the gold cup they would live wondering what might have been. No one breeds a horse, trains a horse and owns a horse to win a world hurdle. It’s either a stepping stone or a place for stayers who can’t jump very well. They would be mad to stick to hurdles. Also because he has a lot of experience over hurdles I don’t think a novice campaign is that necessary. Once he schools find there is no reason why he couldn’t start off in a few of the softer, small field graded staying chases, something like the race that Don cossack won in down royal could be a nice easy start to see if he will make a chaser
He showed such pace today that I wonder why they never considered going fro the Champion Hurdle. 3-mile hurdling is relatively uncompetitive, and it may be his opposition is so poor it’s making him look good.
Ginger I think if they didn’t go for the gold cup they would live wondering what might have been. No one breeds a horse, trains a horse and owns a horse to win a world hurdle. It’s either a stepping stone or a place for stayers who can’t jump very well. They would be mad to stick to hurdles. Also because he has a lot of experience over hurdles I don’t think a novice campaign is that necessary. Once he schools find there is no reason why he couldn’t start off in a few of the softer, small field graded staying chases, something like the race that Don cossack won in down royal could be a nice easy start to see if he will make a chaser
He showed such pace today that I wonder why they never considered going fro the Champion Hurdle. 3-mile hurdling is relatively uncompetitive, and it may be his opposition is so poor it’s making him look good.
shaneshill is no slouch – maybe too late to go chasing but didn’t work out for big bucks either. I would think he has schooled but no idea really. The way he powered away .. that talent is not going to last forever. I would go chasing but with only a 2-3 runs. Problem as I see it – think soft ground suits him and plays to his advantage – on a good ground gold cup how confident would you be
I’d stick to hurdles and try to dominate the division for as long as possible. To my eyes, Thistlecrack is not a good jumper – he often corkscrews in the air and ‘guesses’ at his hurdles. He only survives these mistakes (and makes them look insignificant) because he always has plenty of energy.
I would NOT like to see Thistlecrack steaming around Cheltenham’s chase course or attempting to bunnyhop the fences on a sharper track like Kempton. The horse gambles too much with his jumping and looks like a candidate for a proper pearler.
That’s just my own impression of the horse’s technique and I would love to be proved wrong, but I will be very nervous if he ever moves away from hurdling.
Ginger I think if they didn’t go for the gold cup they would live wondering what might have been. No one breeds a horse, trains a horse and owns a horse to win a world hurdle. It’s either a stepping stone or a place for stayers who can’t jump very well. They would be mad to stick to hurdles. Also because he has a lot of experience over hurdles I don’t think a novice campaign is that necessary. Once he schools find there is no reason why he couldn’t start off in a few of the softer, small field graded staying chases, something like the race that Don cossack won in down royal could be a nice easy start to see if he will make a chaser
He showed such pace today that I wonder why they never considered going fro the Champion Hurdle. 3-mile hurdling is relatively uncompetitive, and it may be his opposition is so poor it’s making him look good.
Thistlecrack’s opposition is far more stronger than the 2nd raters that Douvan has been beating up.
I’d love to see Thistlecrack meet Faugheen and Annie Power at halfway in a 20 furlong clash of the titans.
Ginger I think if they didn’t go for the gold cup they would live wondering what might have been. No one breeds a horse, trains a horse and owns a horse to win a world hurdle. It’s either a stepping stone or a place for stayers who can’t jump very well. They would be mad to stick to hurdles. Also because he has a lot of experience over hurdles I don’t think a novice campaign is that necessary. Once he schools find there is no reason why he couldn’t start off in a few of the softer, small field graded staying chases, something like the race that Don cossack won in down royal could be a nice easy start to see if he will make a chaser
He showed such pace today that I wonder why they never considered going fro the Champion Hurdle. 3-mile hurdling is relatively uncompetitive, and it may be his opposition is so poor it’s making him look good.
Thistlecrack’s opposition is far more stronger than the 2nd raters that Douvan has been beating up.
I’d love to see Thistlecrack meet Faugheen and Annie Power at halfway in a 20 furlong clash of the titans.
And when Thistlecrack was Douvan age he was getting beat up by 2nd raters…….
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Ginger I think if they didn’t go for the gold cup they would live wondering what might have been. No one breeds a horse, trains a horse and owns a horse to win a world hurdle. It’s either a stepping stone or a place for stayers who can’t jump very well. They would be mad to stick to hurdles. Also because he has a lot of experience over hurdles I don’t think a novice campaign is that necessary. Once he schools find there is no reason why he couldn’t start off in a few of the softer, small field graded staying chases, something like the race that Don cossack won in down royal could be a nice easy start to see if he will make a chaser
He showed such pace today that I wonder why they never considered going fro the Champion Hurdle. 3-mile hurdling is relatively uncompetitive, and it may be his opposition is so poor it’s making him look good.
Thistlecrack’s opposition is far more stronger than the 2nd raters that Douvan has been beating up.
I’d love to see Thistlecrack meet Faugheen and Annie Power at halfway in a 20 furlong clash of the titans.
And when Thistlecrack was Douvan age he was getting beat up by 2nd raters…….
All depends on the ripening process Nathan! Some horses are wines, other horses become cheese. Kauto Star was a wine. Long Run was a cheese
There’s no chance of Faugheen and Annie Power meeting. At least appears happy to let Thistlecrack and Cue Card take each other on.
I’d stay where I was and dominate, Thistlecrack is not a young horse (9) next year, and will be open to Mullins horses next season at the Championship meetings. He could end up very much like ‘Rock on Ruby’ with a failed jumps campaign. Should he have a duff year that is a year lost at this stage of his career could see him being a fast failure. If I owned him I’d follow the money year after year like the ‘Big Bucks’ story.
Thistlecrack going fencing excites me far more than him sticking to hurdles. Get him entered for the National as well as the Gold Cup.
As the Tizzards correctly point out, if fencing doesn’t work he can still revert back to hurdles.
An aside if I may.
Yesterday, I was tasked with babysitting my four year old niece. That day of all days, I know…
“Granddad” asked my niece if Uncle BH could watch the horses and she reluctantly said OK.
I figured I’d help her Fireman Sam/Peppa Pig deprivation by showing her a picture of Thistlecrack from my Racing Post.
Immediately, she was enamoured with the beast.
“Hazel Cracker (that’s how she pronounced it… I’m sure my linguist gf could explain why toddlers are prone to such wild and persistent mispronunciation but we’re not exactly on speaking terms at the moment so I let it slide after my tenth attempt at correcting her) is the fastest and all the others are the slowest”
Being the pedant, I also tried to drill in that THISTLECRACK is the fastest over three miles jumping hurdles. Again, to no avail.
After Different Gravey (what a silly name haha) was resaddled, the field went on their merry way.
Throughout the race, “Hazel Cracker” travelled and jumped superbly and at the penultimate flight, my niece noted that “Hazel Cracker” was going so fast, he didn’t even see the hurdle.
She was genuinely elated when he ran out a comfortable winner and I had to spend the next hour re-winding the race so she could see “Hazel Cracker” win again and again and again.
So aside from being an exceptional staying hurdler that draws comparisons with the likes of Big Buck’s and Baracouda, today, Thistlecrack (Hazel Cracker) has probably entrapped a vital fledgling that will be following and funding our sport for decades to come.
Brown Lad was 2nd in the Gold Cup having won a stayer’s hurdle, but I can’t think of any other that’s gone close. Perhaps Thistlecrack could be a unique first. Champion hurdlers have a better record but only one has won it. The Gold Cup is certainly no gimme for a top hurdler.
I’d stick to hurdles and try to dominate the division for as long as possible. To my eyes, Thistlecrack is not a good jumper – he often corkscrews in the air and ‘guesses’ at his hurdles. He only survives these mistakes (and makes them look insignificant) because he always has plenty of energy.
I would NOT like to see Thistlecrack steaming around Cheltenham’s chase course or attempting to bunnyhop the fences on a sharper track like Kempton. The horse gambles too much with his jumping and looks like a candidate for a proper pearler.
That’s just my own impression of the horse’s technique and I would love to be proved wrong, but I will be very nervous if he ever moves away from hurdling.
I see why this view can be taken, however i disagree, he reminds me a little bit of how No More Heroes jumped hurdles, Elliot went on record saying he just didn’t respect hurdles enough and we all know how well he jumped a fence. The way Thistlecrack jumped the last in the Long Walk screamed chaser to me and i for one very much look forward to seeing him in the Gold Cup next year.
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