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The kempton race was restricted only to horses balloted out of a Cheltenham race. Only 1 horse met those conditions because Cheltenham entries were down on previous years.
Ty ‘wexfordman’ for taking the time to explain.
Can’t say whoever thought up the idea is looking too clever right now.
good luck to allUnquestionably the human hero was de Bromhead winning the Champion Hurdle , Champion Chase and Gold Cup, in my opinion. It will be a long , long time before that is repeated. Blackmore rode very well , but it certainly will not be a long , long time before another jockey rides 6 winners at the meeting.
The equine stars for me were Appreciate It and Shishkin.I didn’t really enjoy it either. Pleased for Henry, who I’ve always admired, and pleased for Jack Kennedy who I have a soft spot for. But it’s left me feeling that the great racing I’ve been watching on the telly every weekend is, in fact, just second rate stuff compared to what I could be watching in Ireland. I hate total domination of any sport. No, I lie. I did enjoy it, but not in the way that I used to and I did wonder if I would now take the week off work for Cheltenham week the way that I always used to.
Three things:
1. Brian Non-champion Hughes deciding to bypass Cheltenham in order to ride at Sedgefield, Huntingdon and Hexham.2. Not one single british trained Gold Cup contender around. Frodon and Native River are likeable sorts, but they were hammered by the three top Irish horses and they’re future is rather retirement than another GC run. Santini and Champ are just too inconsistent to be called ever again Gold Cup horses. They aren’t any good and the fact that Bristol de Mai will win another Betfair Chase in November is becoming extremely boring.
3. How good are the Graded races at Ascot (Long Walk, Reynoldstown, Betfair, Clarence House, Noel and so on) for future Festival winners? Cyrname, First Flow, Roksana, Paisley Park, Song For Someone, Defi Du Seuil, Copperhead, The Worlds End and many more from the past 2-3 years are excellent horses, but I I can’t see any of them being proper candidates for Chelten ham 2022 or 2023….
I think Hughes made the right decision. Why go to Cheltenham just to ride outsiders when he could ride winners elsewhere?
I doubt Champ will be running over fences much more. Is he really going to beat the likes of Minella Indo, Envoi Allen and Monkfish? The Stayers Hurdle division is not strong now and it must be worth a go.
If you compare the Irish and British Grade 1 winners this season, almost all the Irish horses either won or ran well at Cheltenham. The exceptions are Kemboy (not suited by the track) and Energumene (injured).
Look at some of the Britsh Grade 1 winners. Silver Streak, Shan Blue, Metier, First Flow, Sporting John and Dashel Drasher. Are these really Grade 1 horses? They would never win one in Ireland and were beaten out of sight at Cheltenham. Dashel Drasher’s win in the Ascot Chase might be the worst Grade 1 I have ever seen.
Bristol De Mai only wins at Haydock in deep ground. Paisley Park is past his peak. Frodon has been admirable but he won a poor King George and his limitations were exposed in the GC. I suppose the jury is out on Politologue but his run at Ascot was not great.
Taken altogether there is no getting away from the fact that the Irish horses are better. The only top class British NH horse is Shishkin – and he might have to face Allaho next year.
@Ruby- don’t be so sure about Bristol winning another Betfair Chase this year. I read somewhere that A Plus Tard will be aimed at that race this autumn.
@Cork- if Allaho is dropped to the minimum distance, does that mean Energumene will be stepping up in trip? Whichever runs over two miles will only be giving Shishkin a lead to two out, anyway.
“Look at some of the British Grade 1 winners. Silver Streak, Shan Blue, Metier, First Flow, Sporting John and Dashel Drasher.”
All of those won their Grade 1 on a right handed track – could be just a coincidence, but worth noting that almost every Grade 1 race in Ireland run before Cheltenham, is staged at Leopardstown.
Cork…
You asked the question is Champ really going to beat Minella Indo over fences…well he’s done it before in last seasons RSA…how good does that form look beating arguably the two most impressive winners of this years festival! Much too early to give up IMO…he put in a decent round of jumping at Newbury on his return but in terms of a gold cup prep one run since the RSA in a two mile chase not long before the festival is awful. If he can get a proper season in next time round I wouldn’t write him off so soon…
Had a night off the other day so managed to watch all 4 days on the itv catch up…agree about the crowd making a difference, that was evident on day one when Appreciate It took it up…you just know the roar would have been huge.
Really enjoyed Shiskin on day one and Honeysuckle who I got very wrong.
Agree with many on here about Rachael Blackmore, she’s a terrific jockey with a real racing brain and will to win…she’s without doubt the female version of Ruby Walsh who was praising her so much for her tactical brain…she’s certainly got the edge on Townsend who didn’t have the best of festivals for me and might just be looking over his shoulder…
The other big thing was obviously the dominance of the Irish…one thing I have noticed on that score is in the interviews with jockeys, trainers etc after winning the Irish mentality seems to be that Cheltenham and having a winner there is absolutely everything while lately there seems to be an attitude amongst many English trainers/jockeys that Cheltenham isn’t the be all and end all and it’s a subject that has been spoken about plenty.
For me it is the be all and end all…it’s the olympics, the World Cup…just after the festival has finished I’m not thinking about Aintree or Punchestown, or anything else, I’m already thinking of next years festival…if we want to challenge the Irish next year then maybe some need to change their thought process…
When small Irish trainers like Hennessy, Nolan, Emmett Mullins, Cromwell etc can come away with a winner and powerful English yards like Nicholls, Skelton, Twiston-Davies, Hobbs, Pipe, O’Brien, McCain, Fry, etc…who all train plenty of winners season after season don’t then questions need to be asked in my view…
Zamorston – Champ did beat Minella Indo. I backed him and the sight of him rallying and getting up will live long in my memory. However, I think it is fair to say that Minella Indo and Allaho went off too fast and cut their own throats. Champ just plugged on past horses who were out on their feet. I do not believe he can beat either of them in a sensibly run race and his jumping is clearly an issue.
If Ascot is the wrong track for Festival trials, we could also look at the Haydock Park Graded races only to find out that none of the winners is even Cheltenham bound.
And can someone tell me please why Hendo is phenomenal with his 2 milers, but his staying chasers are only good for just one decent season, maybe two?
I absolutely loved seeing Flooring Porter lead them a merry dance in the Stayers. Had a few quid on him antepost which also made it sweeter.
Rachael stole the show though.
Haydock is the last place to stage Cheltenham trials,described as a greyhound track by Tom Scudamore it shouldn’t even have the Betfair Chase in my book with its trolly fences
Long thought that Warwick deserves more higher class Chases. The Kingmaker is well established but there’s not much else, as far as I’m aware, which isn’t very aware nowadays
A good jumping test over well constructed fences, and that run of five down the side invariably produces a good spectacle
Significantly tighter than Cheltenham of course but it is at least left-handed
Those 3m5f and 3m2f chases contested by slow sluggards are fine races which could be made finer by the introduction of occasional ones open to faster sluggards
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