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I’ve said before and I still believe it, that the top 2 mile hurdlers are all actually 2m4f horses…..Lossiemouth included. She’s good, but that’s as far as it is…..As usual, people getting carried away…..end of season form isn’t to be trusted.
There isn’t one decent 2m specialist around. (well there is, but he’s finished jumping)
Whilst he may only have run a few times, he’s been in training since September – I think it’s not unreasonable to have a break, freshen him up ready for the autumn. Some comments I’ve seen have little understanding of athletic training, routine and performance, whether human, or equine.
“We don’t need to know” – Why? Now try that in any other sport…and you’d be grilled endlessly…..
Team manager/coach: Player X is out for a year at least with an injury…….
Press: What injury is it??
Team manager/ coach: You don’t need to know…..
Press: Really? It doesn’t work like that – what are you trying to hide…???? Right, we’ll make stuff up, insinuating there’s more going on……Your call…..
Team manager/ coach: No comment – and walks out…..However, horse racing just accepts it…….You get the sport you deserve. For too long the racing media have not asked questions……Probably the worst bunch of press in sport.
It was a decent run, but she’s better at 2m4f – but thankfully for her, her rivals are all better at that trip as well; I don’t think there is one decent pure 2 miler around at the moment (apart from you know who, and his injured stable mate).
The New Lion ran as I expected; he’s a staying 2 miler, who lacks real 2m speed. Might be better at Aintree over 2m4f……
One quote I’ve seen a few times “he’s a Jumps horse, that’s what he was bred for, he should go for the Champion Hurdle….”.
All too predictable from die hard National Hunt fans…….who don’t seem (or refuse) to realise there is a bigger more lucrative discipline available for him. The horse has basically told us that he could have decent future running on the Flat….Too often, a horse’s best interests are not served by their connections biases; whether that is trying a Jump horse on the Flat, or a Flat horse not being tried over jumps, when it appears they’re suited to it.
CH has possibly wasted his best years running over hurdles, when he could have been tried on the Flat and earning just as much, if not more money…..
I agree with GM23 – and I said after both the Supreme & Champion hurdle wins, he should have been tried on the Flat. It’s the pinnacle, more prestige, more money, international, etc
Any jumps horse that show so much speed & ability should always be tried on the Flat…..but we know there is insularity in jumps racing – and some have a chip on their shoulder about it.
Should have just entered him in a bog standard A/W race, and not said anything……
Instead a huge song & dance for a novice stakes race, with added prize money; it’s hardly a surprise others want a piece of the pie.
They don’t help themselves a lot of the time……..
It was always my favourite race of the season, now it’s pretty average. 2M hurdling is in a terrible state…….
Top novices going straight to fences, decent flat horses not bothering/ being sold elsewhere……NH racing has a technical element; fast & efficient jumping along with a decent engine……It’s not Flat racing…..the fastest horse doesn’t always win, especially if they can’t jump adequately. How many decent Flat horses have been tried, but failed because they can’t jump efficiently?
It reminds me of off-road cycle racing, where the riders with the Road racing fitness, can’t always beat the off-road specialists, as they don’t have the technical skills……
The current Champion deserves more credit, as she has completed the course in the fastest time, winning two Gd1 races…….it’s not luck – it’s jump racing.
I said years ago they should have tried him on the Flat; it’s the pinnacle, and only NH stubborness stopping him from trying then. I’m sure Willie would have tried years ago…..too many of the NH world are insular towards the Flat…….
As for Lossiemouth – and admirable mare, but if she’s the main contender, then 2m hurdling isn’t in a great place……..I even think State Man is the best of an average bunch…..the least slowest of them. Why hasn’t Willie tried him on the Flat? I think we know why…….
Thinking back to another era, but I recall the Mackeson as was, and what is now the Greatwood were run on the same day, and earlier on the card – particularly when on the BBC. From memory, approx 1.20 & 1.50….so low sun never affected either race….
There are far too many absolute whoppers involved in the sport – and seem to want to justify their positions.
I don’t know how many times I’m going to say it, but they seem determined to put their stamp on the sport – but are completely clueless about the realities.
If it isn’t broken, then don’t try to fix it…..but they keep doing this, again and again. When will they stop messing about????
A Saturday card for the Festival is just dumb – and shows a real lack of understanding of the sporting life of the UK. That Saturday, is usually the Six Nations climax, plus Premier League football…….
Too many midweek meetings have moved to finish on a Saturday…..and I’m not convinced they’ve all been successful.
And don’t get me started on Josh Apiafi…….He’s got less brains than a service station pasty.
Used to be my favourite race of the year – now, like a lot of jumping it’s pretty average.
The ‘will he, won’t he’ about CH is getting boring…..and we’re going to get another season of it.Prize money isn’t great, is it? $250,000 for the American Grand National……..risible money.
The whole of this period has been ‘messed up’ thanks to Ascot’s Champions Day……..races moved/ swapped, meetings moved and I still find it slightly confusing.
We used to have a settled calendar from late September at Ascot with QE2, Fillies Mile, Royal Lodge et al then a week later at Newmarket with the Middle/ Cheveley Park, the Sun Chariot and Cambridgeshire…..and the same weekend Chepstow’s opening NH on BBC (another meeting changed in the name of progress), plus the Arc weekend.
Then another week back at Ascot for the Autumn Stakes, Cornwallis & Princess Royal Stakes – and York’s final meeting of the year.
Another week later, the 3 day Newmarket meeting; the Challenge Stks, the Dewhurst, Rockfel, Champion Stks, Caesarewitch, Jockey Club Cup……(and Kempton had a decent 2m Hdle, and the Charisma Gold Cup on the same day).
Progress, eh? If it’s not broken, then don’t fix it – but horse racing continually does it…….when will they learn?
The Racing League, Shergar Cup, Super Sunday Series…….all initiatives focusing on Flat racing…..We do have another discipline in this country that could do with looking at, and money going towards it.
