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Clive, he still has his excellent strike-rate. But looking back at the Cheltenham November meeting where he only had four runners (8/1, 12/1, 20/1, 28/1), I think some part of the yard might be affected by something or not as forward as some other horses.
“If he won the tingle creek beating CPS and lost the CC that is not a failure.”
When Henderson pulled Altior out of the Tingle Creek last year, he said only one day mattered. He made it quite clear the Tingle Creek, a Grade 1 race, did not. Nice of him to let Sandown know that on one of its biggest days of the year and to tell Betfair it was sponsoring a race of no importance.
Winning one race, even at Cheltenham, doesn’t make you a champion. We (or the sport) need to lose this thinking. Champions perform throughout the season, taking on all comers…..and, get this, they don’t always win.
There’s far too many ‘flat track bullies’ in NH racing…..There have been years when Mullins has entered his best 2m chaser in this race and not turned up.
He’s obviously missed races, but then he has a program book at home to visit as well.. He also has pulled his hot favourites from the race before so it’s not just because he’s frightened of some showdown, which let’s be honest Nicky is these days.
Not for a second saying WPM is much better he used to enter his horses in literally every race when they had 0.5% of showing up, but i think we’ve seen recently Henderson is becoming particularly sheepish with running his horses at all.
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Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!If Willie’s good horses are sound and firing presumably he will want to keep them apart. So Energumene – Hilly Way and CPS- Tingle Creek. After that: well, CPS likes Leopardstown so goes there at Christmas. Then the race-fit, forward going, all guns blazing, slightly right-jumping Energumene would be a good fit for Kempton. Of course he could just skip Christmas and take his brother’s traditional Clarence House route but wouldn’t it be amusing if he took in Kempton as well
“If he won the tingle creek beating CPS and lost the CC that is not a failure.”
When Henderson pulled Altior out of the Tingle Creek last year, he said only one day mattered. He made it quite clear the Tingle Creek, a Grade 1 race, did not. Nice of him to let Sandown know that on one of its biggest days of the year and to tell Betfair it was sponsoring a race of no importance.
Agree entirely and with befair too
Nichols has made a strong point and stance about Saturdays and its about time others did too.
It also hasn’t been helped by some in the media thinking that a spin over hurdles in 2019 for a possible tilt in the GC in 2022 is wonderfully “shrewd” rather than a bit crap.
Racing does also suffer from some seriously odd followers. On the flat its “Retire him!” On the jumps “dont compete before march!”
I think Henderson has enough previous for ducking competitive races to forgive those who think he’s doing so again here. However, if he says the horse isn’t sparking and both he and Nico agree, i can forgive him for putting the horse’s welfare first.
I’d be concerned that this habit of ducking decent opposition until Cheltenham is one of various reasons why our horses get battered by the battle-hardened Irish. Hardly does Shishkin any favours if all he’s beaten by then is sub-par English horses when CPS/Energumene etc. come over to play.
Henderson wittering on about it “all being about one day in March” was outrageous. Hard to criticise prize money when your highest profile trainer is making statements like this.
The best 2m chase of the past few decades is Moscow Flyer beating Azertyuiop and Well Chief in the Tingle Creek anyway. The Rynair and Mares races have made the Champion Chase quite underwhelming IMO.
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The bookmakers should open a market on “What Excuse Henderson Uses For Not Running Shishkin At Kempton.”
The ground is often quite fast at that meeting.
It does concern me a little that the horse has had a wind op.
I have made the point before but I believe racecourse gallops should not be allowed. Why should Henderson be allowed to use the racecourse as a schooling ground or gallops? Make him enter his big names in races, like everyone else does.
Slightly off topic, but when the NH pattern was re-organised for the 1990/91 season, each division had two Grade 1 races; one in December/January, and then at Cheltenham/Aintree for the second half of the season.
The Tingle Creek wasn’t the mid season 2m Gd1, it remained a limited h’cap, won by Young Snugfit. The Castleford Chase at Wetherby was the Gd1, won by Waterloo Boy.Things can stay as they are, and it will keep happening…..or those in charge can be pro active, and do something. I won’t be holding my breath.
More Group 1 / Grade 1 races, all down south, equals more money but poorer racing.
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What is the point of a NH pattern anyway? Most of the top races are won by geldings.
What’s this north/south nonsense got to do with it?
Northern racing has long been in the doldrums at top level but thats not the fault of the planners. Owners dont seem interested (the pissed car showroom owning, camel haired coat, cigar chomping ones with their fat smelly wives that Derek Thompson used to dribble over) and the trainers are nowhere to be seen above class 4 handicaps
And no one complains about how the south is deprived of endless sprint handicaps. We somehow manage too live with that
“The pissed car showroom owning, camel haired coat, cigar chomping ones with their fat smelly wives.”
Do they go to Wetherspoons, Clive?
They wouldn’t be seen dead in one Cork. They think that because they’ve got an inside toilet they’re a cut above the Weatherspoons mob
You do remember those interviews Cork? They always looked the same and it was always with Thommo at Donny.
Thommo seemed to have his hand in his pocket, she was like Niagara Falls whilst the hubby said he would like to watch, even if it meant standing in the wardrobe
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