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You guys missed a cracking days racing. 7 races, smallest field 9 up to a large of 17. Good competitive races, and I believe, a good betting market for those so inclined, I’m not.
As Jeremy already knows King Harrald finished fifth under a 16 year old jockey so he is schoolmastering for the young lad and as such will be gainfully employed throughout the season. Might easily pick up his member’s race and something else besides as the rider (who was tidy enough) gets more experienced.
Snakebite didn’t run and another ex-rules horse to run was Bannister Lane.
Watch out for my next pointing outing which will be at Horseheath next Saturday.
I have to put my hand up here and say that I enjoy the Morning Line and think it is good programme especially for the likes of me who likes the game but does not take it too seriously. I happen to like John McCririck and Derek Thompson and rate Alice Plunkett, Mike Cattermole and Alistair Down highly. I am not Matt Dawson’s biggest fan but he is a former England rugby player and as a matter of principled, bloody minded Scottishness I don’t like them, however if it is something different the so what.
I liked the bit with Kim Bailey and the Guest Test it is just the thing for a Saturday morning. A nice gentle, but not too serious wander through the great sport, then down to the shop for the papers (of off to catch the train to the point to point as next Saturday) and then back for Saturday Kitchen, lunch and the C$ racing followed by Flog it and a good book. Lovely.
Jeremy, you know fine well that 21/4 mile maidens have not been introduced and that it was a typing error. Mind you the row on the JFF site if they were even muted, would be worth following would it. If one member of that site had his way there would 4 mile maidens.
Do give my best wishes to Arthur and Dom at Sherrif Hutton won’t you.
Adrian, enjoy Higham, looks like a decent card. I will be at Horseheath next week so see you there and say hello to Gordon and Ray for me.
The rest of you just talk amongst yourselves.
For those in London and the South East who want their racing fix on turf and over jumps this weekend, then don’t despair, help is at hand, weather permitting.
CHARING is holding its first point to point meeting on Sunday. First race is 12.30. On A20 between Maidstone and Ashford, easily accessible by train from Victoria.
Time is 9.45 (anything later and you will miss the first) gets in just after 11.10. Bear left down the hill out of the station to the main road. Cross at the lights and turn left along the main road to the roundabout. There is the track in front of you. Go right and cross the road. The entrance is in the hedge a short walk away or at the gate further up.
A lovely venue for your first point to point, the best view is on the bank above the parade ring alongside the number board.
Admission £10 plus £2.00 for the racecard.
It is forecast to get cold at the weekend so a visit to pointing SE website might be an idea before setting off.
If I hear anything then I will let you all know.
I meant to add that the train back to London leaves at 5 to the hour 55 past the hour to put in another way. I am assured by a friend on the JFF site that this fits in nicely with the last race and there is a decent entry.
Any takers for the day?
What still no takers. Well can I tempt you further. There will be 135 entries on good ground – Charing rarely gets beyond good to soft- with six races first at 12.30 and the last scheduled at 3.25 if we don’t get a split. Every race is over three miles except the first which is a 21/4 mile maiden.
So come on, yield unto temptation and join me on your first pointing experience, you might never go under rules again.
It’s Rhona Mitra, Fist.
As for your latest self-righteous vitriol, Pinza, comment on what was written and not what suits your unyielding opinion of those you apparently deem inferior.
Whilst happy to be corrected regarding the loss of an iron, it is the
order of events
that lays the blame squarely at Thornton’s feet. In looking down to regain his footing he becomes unbalanced and it is that that causes Invictus to jink to his right; the horse reacted to the jockey, not the other way around.
It was accidental, but careless nonetheless.
No it was just accidental. That’s what happens when horses go at speed, they are animals of flight and fear and can react extremely quickly, and frankly, violently to the most seemingly mundane and inconsequential situation. You can gallop them down the fast lane of the M6 in the rush hour and they will not bat an eyelid, but see a tiger in a bush that they pass every day. It just happens.
Haydock chairman Dickon White (Kirkland, Dickon – what is it with Haydock?) is quoted in the Guardian to the effect that an overnight frost of 3.5 degrees in the middle of January is ‘a freak of nature’.
He might note that sister track Warwick plan to cover the track tomorrow to protect Thursday’s fixture, despite the fact that no frost is forecast there either.
AP
Overnight frost in that part of the world in January of 3.5 degrees is a freak of nature. Where on earth does he think Haydock is situated, the channel islands where -3.5 might well be considered such a freak. Those guys need to get a grip on reality.
The great Von Csadek and his 16yo amateur rider Patrick Worrall won the 1988 Virginia Gold Cup by 110 lengths, 25 seconds ahead of the second place finisher.
That horse came over to this country and I saw him win the Staffordshire Yeomanry Cup at Uttoxeter on my first visit to that particular track.
I’ve often wondered about the difference in weight carried by horses when show jumping or eventing, given that you have small ladies and [sometimes] rather portly gentlemen competing in the same discipline. I understand that our friend Moorlands Totilas is causing a lot of controversy at the moment, having being sold and gone to stud, but with a possibility that he will still compete at the Olympics….
He’s changed hands for an incredible amount of money and changed rider in Paul Schokemohle’s powerful German yard. That is what’s causing the controversy. Edward Gal clicked with him, the German rider might not and his semen is going to be sold via the AI route.
Watch this space on the run up to the Olympics. It will be interesting see what happens to him at the European Championships this year.
You’re right Venusian, I should have phrased the question differently
Of course rob has the correct answer. What a horse, even won a puissance, only 14.2hh and lived till he was 36.Yes and won the Ladies World championship and the Hickstead Derby and an Olympic Medal (bronze I think) over one of the toughest ever Olympic courses at altitude in Mexico City whilst suffering from a diseased molar. Tough as teak. His rider Marion Coakes married David Mould that fine jockey who rode so many winners for the Queen Mother.
I recall (around the time when Haydock installed portable fences) a statement (I think from Berkland) stating that Peter Marsh day was a loss-making meeting, so the meeting is probably worth more in insurance (if courses have that sort of thing) in being called off, then racing actually taking place.
Like others I think the long term plans are to go polytrack and become a "the North West’s premier weekend Racing & Niteclub experience!".
Noticed how Carlise (also JCR course) are investing in a new hurdle track? I think Carlise and Aintree will be sharing out the big Haydock jump meetings before too long.
Whilst I think you are probably right on both these last two statements Katie, I do think the other reason for Carlisle investing in a new hurdles track is that hurdle races are currently run on the flat track and it was wrecking the going on that course. They lost a lot of meetings to waterlogging at one time, but it has always been a well run track and very pro-jumping in a pro-jumping area. Deserves better races to he honest and the current Haydock would be no loss to jumping if its meetings went to Carlisle.
If the meeting is a loss maker then market the thing properly. Do deals with the working men’s clubs like they do for their friday night boozeups. It is a winter meeting so cut the prices (i believe that Haydock is not a cheap day out) combine the enclosures and run shuttle buses from the nearby rail stations and encourage the real jumping enthusiasts to come. They have two really good races that they could make much more of than they do. Haydock could do with a good kick up the backside as it is not as good a flat track as it was either I don’t think.
When Paul Nichols said he was not right at the start of the race, I believe him to mean that he did not start off in his usual manner and could see early on that something was not quite right.
there is proven evidence that a virus usually does not manifest itself until the horse is put under stress and by that I mean the activity of the race itself, the parade, the canter to the start, the procedures at the start and the start itself. this is time of stress and tension for all concerned and that in itself was enough to take the edge off Kauto Star now we know that he had some sort of low level bug.
So there we have it, I thought it was age related and I was wrong, the horse was not quite right. He’ll be back on the track, hopefully for one last glorious hurrah in a great career, he deserves our cheers one more time doesn’t he?
Being shy in private and yet flamboyant in public are not the contradiction. Many shy people go a bit over the top to counteract their shyness and I think Big Mac is one of these people. I have spoken to him once and he was a very nice chap. He might be over the top but he publicises racing in a positive way. Oh and I do agree with him in that Arkle is the greatest racehorse that ever lived.
Definitely not a British or Irish track. I am thinking by the fences in the background that it could be at Pau as those look like eventing fences and Pau is the venue for the final Europeam 4 star event (one of only 6 at that grade in the world) in October. Cannot help with the horse, though agree trainer could easily be Guillaume Macaire as it is style of tack and he trains in that part of France.
He may be in decline but is not a write off yet. Remember What A Myth won the God Cup at 12. Kilmore (1962), Team Spirit(1964), L’Escargot(1975) and, most memorably, Red Rum (1977), won the National at that age . In fact Kilmore was followed home by two more 12 year olds in second and third places, Wyndburgh and former winner Mr What.
they were earplugs i should think
They are ear plugs. I believe that he can wear them during a parade and at the start but they must be pulled out before the race starts.
I think some show jumpers have them in under a fly fringe indoors.
What was going on with the Tactics. When has Kauto Star been ridden to the pace like that. Especially in such testing condition as the Front Runner’s were struggling to get home. He was keen to boot also. Incredible ride to be honest. Where was the idea of settling the horse in the middle of the pack like Ruby has always done. He was struggling going out the back straight on the final circuit with his jumping but that was always going to be the case since he was being pushed out of his comfort zone 3 wide the whole way.
Sam whaley cowen i dont rate but he gave that horse a peach of a ride. Out thought McCoy the whole way round. Why didnt he drop Kauto in? Only he knows tbh. 3 wide the whole way around on that pace up front was always going to be the complete opposite what Kauto wanted. Astonished the ride has been looked into in detail by JF.
You obviously havent seen Sam Whaley-Cohen ride much or you would rate the guy. He has a big job in London and doesn’t get many opportunities as a result, but I have seen the guy ride a lot in points and he can do the job I can assure you.
I don’t blame AP, I just think Kauto has sadly declined. He was workman like at Down Royal. They can go downhill quickly just as Moscow Flyer and, for that matter, Desert Orchid whose decline was quite dramatic really. His run was the run of an 11 year old star whom, sadly, we won’t see in racing action much more. I should think they will go to the Gold Cup and see how he runs there and then probably call it a day after that. though no one should be surprised if this was his last race. The connections are good people and will do what is best for the great horse.
