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…in your opinion…
Was thinking while watching today’s Welsh National that it is every season without fail, a “real test” so to speak. But then again, it has nothing on the Eider Chase which is just a freak show. Although the Grand National has softened over the years, it’s still a race to be treated with respect.
While sometimes it is ground dependent, my three would be;-
1. Eider Chase
2. Welsh National
3. Grand NationalIn certain years, the Midlands National, Southern National and Haydock National Trial can also be rather daunting to watch.
You’ve probably nailed it with those three
A lot depends on early pace too
The Cheltenham Gold Cup can leave it’s mark on many and that’s ran on better going, imagine the the Gold Cup on heavy and they’d need a long rest after. The race that Many Clouds RIP won against Thistlecrack seems a little brutal in recent years, don’t think many run that well in the showpiece after taking in that race although that could just be coincidenceGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Nah, wouldn’t have any of them. The 4 mile handicap chase at Hexham on testing ground and similar races at Towcester. The Grand National these days is a doddle.
That’s actually a cracking shout, Nathan. They finish absolutely legless in the old ‘Pillar’ most years. The Behrajan, Jair Du Cochet, Rince Ri, Many Clouds and See More Business years particularly testing.
Pace certainly a factor – they went silly at Chepstow today, all sparked by the early dash for position. A bit silly to start so close to the bend.
If a 4 miler like the Hexham race is run on heavy ground and at a fast pace it would be extremely gruelling, particularly if it’s almost unracable “heavy”/bottomless, because Hexham is an undulating stiff track. However, it’s usually less competitive – less likely to get an overly strong pace – and run at a time less likely to give bottomless ground. Although flatter, the Newcastle Eider is earlier and therefore usually run in softer more stamina testing ground and has an uphill home straight. Haydock doesn’t drain well, can be bottomless and its Grand National trial is usually a severe test despite being flat.
The Grand National is on a flat, now well-drained track 4m3f110yrds in April, usually run on good-soft or good ground – being run at a faster average speed than an average Welsh Grand National, run on soft/heavy over “just” 3m5f110yrds on an undulating stiff course. Usually the Aintree Grand National is not won by an out and out stayer; the Welsh Grand National is.
However, if Aintree is run in bottomless ground its distance can still make it the most gruelling – think Red Marauder.
Value Is EverythingThere is the 3m5f race at Warwick (Tote something…) at the end of January and in the 90s the RSA chase used to be quite gruelling, if you consider what the horses achieved afterwards.
The Eider is pretty bad, especially if the ground is sticky and also the National if you think of Bindaree against Suny Bay (1998) or in the Red Marauder year.There is the 3m5f race at Warwick (Tote something…) at the end of January and in the 90s the RSA chase used to be quite gruelling, if you consider what the horses achieved afterwards.
The Eider is pretty bad, especially if the ground is sticky and also the National if you think of Bindaree against Suny Bay (1998) or in the Red Marauder year.Wasn’t it Earth Summit against Suny Bay?
Value Is EverythingThere is the 3m5f race at Warwick (Tote something…) at the end of January and in the 90s the RSA chase used to be quite gruelling, if you consider what the horses achieved afterwards.
The Eider is pretty bad, especially if the ground is sticky and also the National if you think of Bindaree against Suny Bay (1998) or in the Red Marauder year.Wasn’t it Earth Summit against Suny Bay?
I always get the two wrong. Bindaree was a few years later in 2002 and was the Henry Rix nap which helped him win the Scoop 6 that week.
Cotswold chase in the mud springs to mind. Would also say the Albert Bartlett has left a mark on many a novice over the years.
The most gruelling race I can recall seeing was the West Wales National a couple of years back when Bob Ford was the only horse to finish. Ground doesn’t appear to get any heavier than at Ffos Las.
However soft ground or even worse at Cork is virtually unbeatable. Just thinking of the allowance record Mike mentioned a few meetings ago.
Betfair Chase not pretty this year unless you were a BdM fan. If it wasn’t for the million pound bonus I bet it’d end up a grade 2.
Cotswold Chase (the old Pillar) when ground is soft or heavy (as it has been the past 5 years).
Did it play a part in the death of Many Clouds? In the bottoming of Thistlecrack? Many Clouds won it in 2015 in fine fashion and ran badly in the Gold Cup, as did Smad Place although The Giant Bolster ran well in the Gold Cup after winning in January 2014 as did Exotic Dancer in 2007. But, overall, were I a trainer with a live Gold Cup hope, I’d give it a wide berth: it’s produce one winner since 1997 – Looks Like Trouble.
Ground plays a big part in it but the Welsh National, Eider and Midlands National are good calls, the last two in particular have had some very unedifying finishes with horses so completely out on their feet they are barely able to get over the final fence(s).
Haydock’s recent meetings have been on desperate ground and a race that was very hard to watch was the Bet At racinguk.com Novice Chase on 30th December that the mare the Lastbutnotleast (in the Red Rum colours) won.
The 3 runner race was only 2m3f but when you hear comments like ‘a slow motion finish’ and ‘they are virtually walking down to the last’ it doesn’t do full justice to this race, she barely had enough momentum to get over the second last and the commentator Stuart Machin remarked of her as she clambered in stages over the last ‘she needed a step ladder to get over it’- the second horse was just over a length behind at the last but was so tired it was trotted the last 75yds and ended up being beaten 36L with the third horse in the race refusing at the last because it couldn’t go fast enough to get over it.
Not sure how long the run in was from the last that day but it took the winner almost 25s to cover it. The race winning time was 55.20s slower than standard…not pretty and I could well imagine anyone viewing racing for the first time and seeing that race would probably not be in a hurry to tune in again.
1) Eider
2) Welsh National
3) RSA
Depsite not being the furthest race at the festival, the RSA is a proper test. If heavy ground, that hill can be a few hundred metres too far for many.
Haydock’s recent meetings have been on desperate ground and a race that was very hard to watch was the Bet At racinguk.com Novice Chase on 30th December that the mare the Lastbutnotleast (in the Red Rum colours) won.
The 3 runner race was only 2m3f but when you hear comments like ‘a slow motion finish’ and ‘they are virtually walking down to the last’ it doesn’t do full justice to this race, she barely had enough momentum to get over the second last and the commentator Stuart Machin remarked of her as she clambered in stages over the last ‘she needed a step ladder to get over it’- the second horse was just over a length behind at the last but was so tired it was trotted the last 75yds and ended up being beaten 36L with the third horse in the race refusing at the last because it couldn’t go fast enough to get over it.
Not sure how long the run in was from the last that day but it took the winner almost 25s to cover it. The race winning time was 55.20s slower than standard…not pretty and I could well imagine anyone viewing racing for the first time and seeing that race would probably not be in a hurry to tune in again.
That was more to do with two jockeys massively overdoing things, LD. Going an incredibly overly strong pace in the first half of the race. In mitigation: You had two horses who both stay further than the distance of the race and both run their best races either front running or at least being up there with the pace. So both jockeys were probably told by their trainers “go out and make sure it’s a strong pace”. The only other horse ran a stinker and out of it from an early stage – essentially a two horse race. May be the two jockeys in front thought it was in each of their individual horses interests (best chance of winning) to have a stamina test. In a two horse race when they get in to a battle there’s no hold up horse to pick them up. ie If this were a 13 or even 5 runner race the hold up horses would’ve come past and the front two would’ve been out the back and pulled up.
Gruelling race more because of jockey error and circumstances than course and going being to blame.
Value Is EverythingIt might just be worth saying that sometimes races can seem more ‘gruelling’ (still not 100% sure on the definition of that word but I get what we’re talking about) as horses of less quality are contesting them. For instance many Eider winners wouldn’t get into the Grand National. Just something I think could be taken into account.
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