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I really enjoyed watching this race today, and would go out of my way to a racecourse to see my old favourites running…someone said earlier about how handsome a horse Sir Rembrandt is; I can remember watching the horses leave the paddock for the Gold Cup one year; Best Mate, Harbour Pilot and Sir Rembrandt walked past me and I thought I’d never seen horses look so majestc…fond memories.
I think its a superb idea…
Am i right in guessing that this is the second of these this season? I know ive seen one other (wincanton?)
what are the plans going forward i wonder?
it makes for a nice little series of events
Reading the Timeform, there were many in the race who can be poor jumpers.
Do a lot of chasers lose their surefootedness when they get to the veteren stage?
There were also some doubtful stayers and some who even wanted further. Whether, if there were too many races like this, would they be as competitive?
Do agree it was a good idea, even if most are on the downgrade, loved seeing them in the paddock.
The two for the future for me are Sir Rembrandt and Ossmosses. Given a race without any other front runners where he can get out in front. Did well here considering jumped poorly. Just does not jump well when in behind horses.
Ossmosses ran encouragingly on his first run for some time, jumping well and bang there before the last. Not knocked about once his chance had gone. Could be a lively outsider for the National but doubt if he will get in.Value Is EverythingGinger
Not sure if this is the reason but I would presume that chasers start to suffer from back problems as they get older and a stiff back is the last thing you need if you want to jump fences well
Despite that logical observation, it was noticeable that there were no fallers in the veteran’s race today – a couple pulled up, but nothing fell or unseated.
If the seemingly endless quest for even more supporting Festival races continues, Cheltenham could do a lot worse than stage a ‘Veteran’s Final’ – would be far more of a draw (IMO) than yet another novice hurdle.
I found it to be a very good race and it was in very much the same way as the masters events in football which have veteran players recapturing their younger days.
I would love to see a series of these events and it would be great to have for example a race over 3m at Cheltenham during the festival and a 3m2f race over the big Aintree fences.
Also it would help out the hunter chases because horses would not go for hunter chases which would help progress younge horses from the Point to Point ranks.
I am a fan of Tango Royal so it was nice to see him have one of his occasional going days and win this…he has been around for years, I remember seeing him running in Graded chases at Auteuil as a four year old. He seems to delight at popping up unexpectedly after compiling long sequences of unplaced efforts.
I think its a superb idea…
Am i right in guessing that this is the second of these this season? I know ive seen one other (wincanton?)
what are the plans going forward i wonder?
it makes for a nice little series of events
Technically speaking this is the third, the first one being the Grand Veterans’ National at Cartmel last May.
This had been the only vets’ race on the calendar for a good few years, the original handful at Wincanton, Warwick and Haydock having fizzled out due to poor turnouts.
However, the Wincanton and Newbury races, together with one lost to the weather at Doncaster last month and one still to come at Ascot in April, are all brand new.
Further information on veterans’ chases past and present can be found at: http://thatracingblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/sanatogen-and-saga-brigade-descend-upon.html
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
If the seemingly endless quest for even more supporting Festival races continues, Cheltenham could do a lot worse than stage a ‘Veteran’s Final’ –
That’s far from the worst idea ever. Continuity, and the return year after year of our favourite horses is one of the greatest emotional pulls of the wonderful sport of jumps racing, so by that token a Veterans’ Final at Cheltenham – maybe a 0-150 or ceiling-free handicap, so as to signify its greater importance compared to the other vets’ races – would rate an entirely reasonable addition to me.
I think I’d sooner it were held at Cheltenham’s now-expanded April meeting, however; partly because the new vets’ series runs into the start of April as it is, and partly to ensure that the race doesn’t cause any commensurate thinning of the size and strength of some of the other chase fields at the Festival (the Foxhunters, BGC Cross Country Chase and possibly also Kim Muir would be likely sufferers).
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Ossmosses ran encouragingly on his first run for some time, jumping well and bang there before the last. Not knocked about once his chance had gone. Could be a lively outsider for the National but doubt if he will get in.
I’d echo all of that. Incredibly, this was only Don Forster’s third or fourth runner of the entire season, nothing having turned out until Shelomoh ran at Kempton last month. I wonder if his string had something on them.
Either way, Ossmoses ran a screamer after 343 days away before blowing up halfway up the straight. I share the belief that he may struggle to get into the National, though, unless the prospect of a heavy ground renewal scares off the acceptors at the five-day stage in droves. Before that, though, I’m sure he’d make a fair amount of appeal in the Midlands National, assuming once again that the ground rides soft enough.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Ginge, it seems that Sir Rembrandt isn’t a horse for the future!!??!!!, it has been reported that he has been retired.
Timeform may have suggested there were some dodgy jumpers in the field but there was little evidence of it yesterday.
Kandjar D’Allier, who I would agree, has a record of going through fences rather than over them, put in his best round of jumping that I have seen.
Colin
Seabird,
Horses don’t have to fall to be rated poor jumpers if they consistantly make mistakes it takes a lot out of them.
Think there were a few that jumped better yesterday because of goinf up in trip (slower pace).At least Sir Rembrandt will be one "Notebook" horse that won’t lose me money.
Happy retirement SR.
Ginge
Value Is Everythingthis was only Don Forster’s third or fourth runner of the entire season, nothing having turned out until Shelomoh ran at Kempton last month. I wonder if his string had something on them.
I think I read he`s been operating from a temporary base in Monmouthshire
( borough rather than county these days). Suggests his activities
have been quite limited for whatever reason.It should be noted that yesterday’s race was both highly competitive and highly recognizable. A casual Saturday punter will have been easily drawn to a race with so many festival veterans and old favourites and encouraged to bet.
Such races should therefore be promoted. Horses become handicapped to the hilt then get beaten by younger progressive rivals; it’s a positive move to find an outlet for them.I think I read he`s been operating from a temporary base in Monmouthshire
( borough rather than county these days). Suggests his activities
have been quite limited for whatever reason.Hmm, quite an upping of sticks if that is the case, seeing as he has (had?) been based in Durham for yonks beforehand. It might explain why all of his runners this term have been daaan saarf rather than the usual Sedgy, Newcastle and Catterick, though.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
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