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Another reason the race has lost some appeal is that the French so rarely come over . When the Aga Khan,the Wertheimers or old Stavros Niarchos had a strong contender it always added interest . The million pound pot will help, but a bonus payment for a Derby/Arc or Derby/Grand Prix de Paris winner could add incentive. As another poster suggested, an incentive for the JRA is a good idea.
Epsom need a Nick Beaumont-Smith type character who can go out and drum up international business.
As for geezer Frank Warren’s relaunch, the weather rather kyboshed that so we will have to reserve judgement till next year . I’m not sure the ‘I remember eating jellied eels with my dad and taking bets from Prince Monolulu” shtick will cut much ice with the yoof though, so they will need some younger faces to help with the selling. But the Jockey Club are trying hard so let’s not knock them. I still think that on decent ground Maltese Cross would have hosed up- he was tanking 2f out- and had that happened, the spin on the race would have looked much more positive today.A strange Derby- jumps weather, won by a slogger, trained by the genius, owned by the lads , ridden by a jock who most UK punters won’t know (Beggy, McNamara now Whelan), with the incredulous R4 stewards enquiry to follow.
From the point of view of the sport, my personal view is a Haggas/Marquand winner owned by a relative newcomer would have been much better but you can’t fault Ballydoyle. They are brilliant at what they do.
It is interesting how they can keep winning the race with moderate animals – Ruler of The World, Wings of Eagles, Serpentine, Lambourn and now this horse. I would be amazed if he is capable of winning a King George, a Juddmonte or an Arc on decent ground. If the Brits want to reclaim their Derby then buy horses bred to do it, and race them – the Gosdens had 2 potential candidates yet decide to wait till Ascot, whilst Ballydoyle had seven final entries, running four . You don’t buy a ticket , you can’t win the raffle.Delighted with the run of Evolutionist but True Love proved yet again the genius of AOB , as this horse looked like a 6f-7f specialist. However No Nay Never did produce a top mile filly in Alcohol Free and a Guineas runner-up in Wichita so there were pedigree clues.As for the Oaks , Venetian Lace ran a great trial and lets see what Aiden has. Diamond Necklace looks his best candidate but the Cheshire Oaks usually throws up a Ballydoyle contender. Amelia Earhart is his main entry in that but the very impressive I’m The One also lies up for the Gosdens.
First day of the new season and Dan is out of the blocks with a treble and around £30k in prize money .Certainly not resting on his laurels and he’s clearly keen on that Pipe record.
Befair makes a very fair point . We are used to the Mullins conveyor belt producing next year’s champions and we didn’t really see that. Kopek des B is very good but will his jumping make him Majborough mark II ? King Rasko Grey is a dual festival winner but was all out to hold off Lord Byron who couldn’t lay a glove on Bossman Jack at Aintree, so I think the latter will be the chaser to follow.
Precise certainly looks the form pick and AOB has won this plenty of times. However there was that setback and she is by Starspangledbanner who hasn’t produced a Guineas winner yet. At a big price, i am going for Evolutionist (ew). She won her trial in France nicely, comes from an in-form yard and is by Night of Thunder who has won the last 2 consecutive Guineas (Desert Flower-Bow Echo).
No need to apologise – but as she would have told you, she was never wrong :) But I can see you are clearly not a fan of headgear
Personally, I think the general decline of Britain is overwhelmingly due to the failure of gentlemen to wear hats. As mother always said, “if you want to get ahead, get a hat ”
This boy really is the next big thing and his win today on a super talented horse has ignited a Flat Season that was already shaping up nicely with Calandagan and Darysz. He has the media appeal of Dettori (and seems a nicer guy) and rides beautifully. I said to Mrs BHL, who usually has little concern with matters of the Turf, that he just might be the next Lester and even she expressed interest.
As for Bow Echo , he looks unbeatable at a mile, so let’s hope he doesn’t flatter to deceive like Field of Gold . His trainer is another young whizz kid who is going places and this horse will take him to some memorable ones. Brilliant to see connections enthusiasm and joy in a sport that is sometimes too much business and not enough fun. One of the best Guineas since the Frankel demolition job in terms of the sheer pleasure of the occasion.
People seem to quickly forget that Nicholls had to chase down M Pipe and then won 10 trainers titles in 11 years. The man was as dominant from 2005-15 as Skelton will be in the next decade and won 3 consecutive Gold Cups, so talk of his success being due to a very young Skelton is pure nonsense. Where do you think Skelton absorbed all his tradecraft from ?- It was his showjumping legend Dad and one P Nicholls. All that’s happened is that the passage of time and the desertion or passing of some high profile owners has taken its toll.
The guy to watch out for is one Harry Derham (also a Nicholls mentee) – anyone that can take a very inexperienced novice to Punchestown and win a grade 1 against the top Irish boys in their own back yard knows what he’s doing. Munir and Souede haven’t hit the heights in the last few years so if they’ve any sense they’ll give this lad some more dough to buy some quality bloodstock.As for Inowtheway, a very disappointing season with just one decent performance in the Gold Cup. Definitely a Lord Windermere , as i thought early on, so difficult to know what to do with him now.
All the three mile novices both sides of the Irish sea have proved fallible so Jango Baie and The Jukebox Man probably the strongest challengers next March – Old Park Star and Bossman Jack might be the ones in 2028That performance had shades of Kauto Star when he hosed up by 36 lengths in the King George and a rating of 183 seems pretty fair to me.
There’s nothing bar illness or injury or bad luck that should stop him doubling up next year , but he will be 10 if he gets to attempt a triple and that age stat is a big one. But let’s enjoy him next season- he didn’t really fire at Kempton and isn’t at his best round Leopardstown so I won’t be too surprised at an easy mid-season campaign, like the Tramore race as some have suggested.
A double at Warwick for the Skeltons and £52k closer to the £5 million which is almost in the bag. Winner number 239 for Sean Bowen at Perth. There’s guys on Facebook saying the games gone – nonsense- It has changed and the Mullins/JP domination is not ideal but these boys are posting numbers which I thought couldn’t be achieved. Willie has inspired everyone to raise the bar. We need more top horses this side of the Emerald Sea but those will come and trainers like Murphy and Pauling will be trying to up their game and chasing Dan hard so there are good reasons to be positive.
This could be the race that takes Big Dan over the £5 million . Thistle Ask looked like he had the measure of Jonbon at Ascot only to be outstayed over the last furlong. This race is a furlong shorter and on this quick ground, Nico may not be able to peg him back. Add to that Sean Bowen being eight winners away from going to 4th on the all -time winners list and it will be an exciting day.
CAS- Very good points – I can fully accept the welfare driven fence modifications but the conditions need looking at. Between them,JP, Willie and Gordon had more than half the field – That certainly does take away the old romance element . Win and you’re in races or an owner limit of say 3-4 horses (more controversial)would certainly redress the balance. On current season form, horses like Lecky Watson and Perceval Legallois were running well below the handicap cut off point of 144 . No-hopers were a part of the old National and we have moved on from that, but other yards should get a look in , particularly those with in form chasers around the 140 mark.I’d have a balloting out stage around 4 weeks before, for horses who haven’t met a certain standard during the season .
No surprise given Nicky’s aversion to risking his horses on ground he doesn’t like But if he doesn’t like good to firm in April his options will be very limited. Northumberland Plate maybe then wait for some Autumn rain. Unless we have an an unusually wet summer CH’s second career might turn out to be a damp squib .
