- This topic has 161 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 4 months ago by
.
- Posts
Thanks again, Jeremy. I saw this when I was just about to say on the Channel 4 thread that your post there this morning is one of the best I’ve read on any subject on any forum.
Bless you, Joe, very kind! Just my own thoughts on a multi-faceted issue, really, but as the unlikely-to-be-reinstated former C4 Racing veteran Tommo might say, “let’s see what happens”…
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I’m very hopeful for her. I think it’s a great story and as someone who still harbours hopes of one day riding in a point to point himself, it is really cool to see how well she’s doing in such a short amount of time. If she succeeds then she doesn’t just succeed for herself; but she succeeds for everyone who still hopes to one day do it themselves, regardless of age, experience or background.
In the end it was another weekend without a Pointing ride for Victoria Pendleton, meaning it’s now seven weeks since she last rode competitively.
I understand that there was some irritation voiced by a number of racegoers at Wadebridge yesterday who believe they’d been enticed into coming to the Cornwall venue under false pretenses; as indeed there had been at Cottenham on day one of the season, when Ms Pendleton turned out at Black Forest Lodge instead, contrary to prior indication.
I’m genuinely not close enough to any party involved to know whether there was any truth in the suggestion that her sponsors Betfair had been behind the apparent volte-face where Cottenham and Black Forest Lodge were concerned, but either way the creeping issue must surely be one now of whether she’s going to be able to acquire a credible quantity of race practice with the Foxhunter just nine weeks and four days away now.
As far as I understand (and again this is subject to confirmation) the requirements of days past that a rider would need to have had 16 previous rides and/or a couple of wins in any competitive race before being permitted to line up in the Foxhunter no longer apply, and the fact the former Olympian has already acquired a Category A license to ride may well be enough; but regardless of how classy a performer she’s teamed up with, you’d want a bit of value on the SP before throwing your lot in with a jockey who’s career total of rides still hasn’t exceeded penny numbers.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Many thanks, once more Jeremy. I did read a quote from Alan Hill that the horse had pulled out a bit ‘peaky’ – first time I think I’ve heard that expression used about a horse!
The price came down to 7/4 with Coral (the only ones offering a market), and now the market appears to have closed.
I suspect something is afoot, because, even with hindsight, 4/1 just seemed a crazy price unless you knew something outwith the facts I mentioned in my first post. Unless Coral had made the assumption about the riding conditions for the race still being as you mentioned. Anyway, it’s adding a bit more interest to my weekends in this quiet pre-festival January.
Another danger now, of course, is that with the cold snap finally set to arrive later this week the opportunities to get some much-needed match practice over jumps could be on the verge of reducing rather sharply.
(Ah, if only we’d never got rid of hurdles races on synthetics…)
Black Forest Lodge hosts its Silverton fixture this Sunday and that would seem the likeliest to beat the frost and snow, so long as its relative proximity to the coast helps it out sufficiently (the course is located near Kenton and Starcross, not too far inland from Dawlish).
In any event, Sunday’s other scheduled fixture at Sheriff Hutton is the second attempt to hold the one lost to waterlogging yesterday, and the original entry for that, which doesn’t include any Victoria Pendleton-ridden horses, still stands.
Either way, the entry for the Silverton will be released in a couple of hours’ time, albeit under embargo by the PtPRC for another two days after that. I’ll peruse it for any likely rides for Pendleton asap.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I hope she makes it there, if connections are happy to continue on the basis of virtually zero experience then let them. It is possible she could hover around at the back, stay on board and complete, possibly, if that is what they want to do. Reading between the lines, it is possible she’s had a setback/fall/loss of confidence and they pulled the horse out, blaming the horse is the easiest route.
I can confirm that According To Sarah is entered in the Ladies Open at the Silverton, scheduled to be the 1.10pm at Black Forest Lodge this Sunday.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Jeremy,
Am I right in thinking that short of a miracle run of wins over the next six weeks, According To Sarah is not qualified for the Foxhunters.
In which case they still have to find a suitable horse which is a) qualified to run in the race and b) has an owner willing to sacrifice any chance of winning the race.
Personally I find the whole idea preposterous, but perhaps I’ll wake up one morning to discover that A P McCoy is working alongside Sir Bradley Wiggins and hopes to take part in the Mens Team Pursuit at the Olympics.
In the end it was another weekend without a Pointing ride for Victoria Pendleton, meaning it’s now seven weeks since she last rode competitively.
I understand that there was some irritation voiced by a number of racegoers at Wadebridge yesterday who believe they’d been enticed into coming to the Cornwall venue under false pretenses; as indeed there had been at Cottenham on day one of the season, when Ms Pendleton turned out at Black Forest Lodge instead, contrary to prior indication.
I’m genuinely not close enough to any party involved to know whether there was any truth in the suggestion that her sponsors Betfair had been behind the apparent <em class=”d4pbbc-italic”>volte-face where Cottenham and Black Forest Lodge were concerned, but either way the creeping issue must surely be one now of whether she’s going to be able to acquire a credible quantity of race practice with the Foxhunter just nine weeks and four days away now.
As far as I understand (and again this is subject to confirmation) the requirements of days past that a rider would need to have had 16 previous rides and/or a couple of wins in any competitive race before being permitted to line up in the Foxhunter no longer apply, and the fact the former Olympian has already acquired a Category A license to ride may well be enough; but regardless of how classy a performer she’s teamed up with, you’d want a bit of value on the SP before throwing your lot in with a jockey who’s career total of rides still hasn’t exceeded penny numbers.
gc
I went and there were a few grumbles. However, the horse was on the card twice and it might have been the conditions – the rain down here has been absolutely incredible and they might have just decided to wait.
A few well known horses ran and the vast majority of the crowd had a great afternoon !
Am I right in thinking that short of a miracle run of wins over the next six weeks, According To Sarah is not qualified for the Foxhunters.
In which case they still have to find a suitable horse which is a) qualified to run in the race and b) has an owner willing to sacrifice any chance of winning the race.
Yep, According To Sarah hasn’t met any of the qualification criteria for running in the race himself. One horse who very much has done, however, is Join Together, who I understand remains Ms Pendleton’s intended ride come Cheltenham. According To Sarah is being used for match practice.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
A few well known horses ran and the vast majority of the crowd had a great afternoon !
No arguing with either of those details, certainly! I’m sure I questioned the wisdom of splitting the maiden to create an eight-race card out of an initial entry of just 66 horses either here or elsewhere; but in the event a turnout of 46 runners across those contests at a participation rate of 69.7% isn’t to be sneezed at, for all that it’s a bit down on the equivalent fixture in 2015.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Not one but two mounts for Victoria Pendleton at Black Forest Lodge this Sunday, according to the Post, with the rider set to get the leg up on Supreme Danehill as well as According To Sarah.
What the paper’s interview with Barry Orr of Betfair doesn’t mention is that Orr is the owner of Supreme Danehill, last seen under Rules pulling up in a Newton Abbot novice handicap off 97 last summer, having acquired the ex-Gordon Edwards-trained gelding in the interim. As with According To Sarah, this is an animal to be classed as something to practice on, rather than anything even approximating a genuine Foxhunter aspirant.
The interview goes on to state that Ms Pendleton’s Foxhunter mount will be confirmed after those rides on Sunday, which seems a little odd to those of us who’ve understood that the partnering of her with Join Together was long since a fait accompli.
Then again, perhaps Join Together needs first to prove that he’s as close to the top of his game as ever when lining up in the season’s first hunter chase at Taunton tomorrow afternoon. Bryony Frost, a multiple winner aboard the Rose Loxton inmate, keeps the ride for now.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Gaynor, all very interesting, but what is your view, you are obviously very knowledgable in the P2P field and I would be interested to hear.
Gaynor?
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Sorry, I tend to speed read! Graysonscolumn, do you mind giving your thoughts, as a rider of many years (3 Day Eventing/Dressage) I find it very interesting to think someone can be fast tracked through to that sort of standard. I remember years ago there was a TV programme about ‘fake’ or ‘real’ performances, whereby Tim Stockdale the showjumper taught someone who had never ridden before to showjump against professionals, and then it was analysed by professionals as to who was the fake and who was the pro. They picked the ‘fake’ only due to the fact they were too correct in their approach and had no natural self defence against any untoward movement of the horse. I feel that even if VP starts (and will obviously be well mounted), that the qualifications given to the Foxhunter could not have possibly been done with this sort of use in mind.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.