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I see Nicky saying today that ‘it’s perfectly possible’ Constitution Hill will have just one more run before the Champion Hurdle. It set me wondering if Cheltenham and the BHA could do anything, especially for its Grade 1s, to encourage more racing for these types. How about each runner gets 1lb less in its Festival race for every run it’s had that season?
I’ve posted this before: in the 75/76 season Night Nurse went 9 runs unbeaten.
I’ve been following racing since the 1970s and I miss the days of open campaigning and respecting the entire season, not just the Festival, as much as anyone.
But Grade 1s are Grade 1s for a reason – they are, by definition, championship events and, weight-for-age and weight-for-gender aside, they are rightly level weights contests.
For me, the rot really set in with Best Mate, hardly sighted between Cheltenham Gold Cups, but Nicky Henderson himself has been at it for years too, See You Then being an early example.
It’s a shame but, for me, interfering with the weights of Grade 1 races is not the answer.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“but Nicky Henderson himself has been at it for years too, ”
Not meaning to misconstrue your words but what are you aluding to exactly? !!
Don’t you mean Nicky’s vets?I’d have thought it was blindingly obvious what I’m alluding to, Sam – giving horses very light campaigns between Festivals.
I’m not sure how you’ve worked vets into the equation, but those are your words, sir, not mine!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"A light campaign geared around winning at Cheltenham or at least giving the horse the best possible chance of that
Constitution Hill had two runs prior to the Supreme.Blackbeard to conquer the World
Ian, to be fair to Henderson, See You Then had notoriously bad legs as he aged. In his first Champion Hurdle season, he ran four times before Cheltenham. And with Best Mate, the trainer said no matter what race he ran in, he took a huge amount out of himself and needed a long time to recover. I’m only sorry she did not train Bristol De Mai, who would, I believe, with a less cavalier trainer, have won a Gold Cup.
Fair comment, Joe, but I do think Henderson is predisposed towards giving horses light campaigns between Cheltenham Festivals in a way, say, Peter Easterby wasn’t back in the day.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Only joking Ian.
Of course.
My words and I’m sure all those shenanigans are firmly in the past.
I would love to see these great horses competing regularly and not wrapped in cotton wool and of course nipping over the Irish sea more often too.“It set me wondering if Cheltenham and the BHA could do anything, especially for its Grade 1s, to encourage more racing for these types”
Not necessary. If it works for the trainer and their respective horses just let them get on with it I say. A Plus Tard only had 2 runs and won a Gold Cup. Al Boum Photo only had one run and won 2 Gold Cups. And Championship races are level weights races to see who is the best, that shouldn’t change imo.
I also watched/listened to a podcast where someone from the Racing Post said that the rich owners don’t care about prize money, they buy for the glory of having Cheltenham winners. That may have been different 30 plus years ago with owners which may have been one reason we saw horses running more often.
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