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I see hardly any mid week racing either Zoz (hope the photography going well btw, be sure to stick with it, you never know when the breaks will come in life!)
I do know from watching McEvoy on the TV at weekends that he seems a very thoughtful & accomplished jockey.
The Dewhurst & the Rockfel both look really good races.
I think Barry Hills always runs his best 2yo filly in the Rockfel, & most of his Rockfel runners take the same route, May Hill &/or the Fillies Mile & then here. He has won the race a couple of times with Maids Causway & Hula Angel. Last year he ran Spinning Queen in this race, her form before the Rockfel wasn’t brilliant but she has become a very good 3yo. So when the RP say "English Ballet, whose limitations are apparent now" it could possibly come back to haunt them next year.
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This is one of my favourite races, & for what it’s worth this Tastahil has confused me as well, for different reasons.
I know it’s obvious, but when the entries came out I kept looking at the Tregoning horse Aqaleem. His horses do well in this race. I though it ran really well on its debut, it avoided winning & picking up a 4lb penalty. I had visions of Richard Hills riding it today, but now he’s riding Tastahil & Martin Dywer is riding Aqaleem. I can understand why, Hills riding for his dad & Dywer rides alot for Tregoning, but as R.Hills is No 1 jockey to the owner, so you have to assume he thinks he’s on the best one?
I was thinking/hoping Aqaleem was the best one.<br>
I can’t help but think the race at Leopardstown on Monday would have been a much better option for Rooster Booster. A small field round Kempton was never going suit him, & having a pacemaker in the race is one thing, but having a strong pace throughout is another. The Leopardstown race is a tougher one, but the track would have suited him better, & you have to think that Solerina would have had the speed & class to set the race up ideally for the Rooster.
Not sure it’s a good idea to run him off top weight in a handicap as a prep. If they did go for it & wished him to win, he would invariably have a hard race, which would not be ideal for his CH preparations.
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In the Bula, Rooster Booster has by far the best ratings, but I didn’t really want to back or lay him at the prices. I had intended to have a bit on Davenport Millenium to run into a place, but the non-runner, leaving just 2 places has changed my mind.
My theory was that many people may not remember just what a good horse he was as a 5 & 6yo. He ran some very decent races against championship class horses at level weights. He has only raced twice in the last 18 months, but both times he has ran fair races in grade 1 company when supposedly needing the run. If they get a good run at training him this year, he could surprise a few people later on in the season.
He’s another one who wouldn’t want a slowly run 2 miles though.
I’m not sure Ardross, 11 lengths sounds alot, but in NH racing, maybe sometimes it just equals a dodgy jump & a loss of momentum.
If you turn it around, in last years CH, you had a professional performance from the experienced RB, who was right at the top of his game…..& then an inexperienced novicey performance from RC (particularly during the early part of the race), & yet he still got within 11 lengths of RB. You can take that as a positive for RC, without in any way detracting from RB’s performance. I’ll concede that if RC performs like he did last year he won’t win, but if he they have improved his technique, he will be very dangerous. Then we will have to start debating his resolution!
I take your point about the flat horses not being Group 2 winners, but there are still alot of them this year.
Rooster Booster won the 2003 Champion Hurdle on merit and deserves full credit for that, but at this stage of the season surely he must be opposable. A few suggestions why:
RB is the clear form pick, but next year he will be a 10yo who has raced over hurdles knocking 30 times. Surely he will not be improving again? (I think I’m right in saying that RB’s improvement a year or so back coincided with P.Hobbs installing a polytrack gallop). So the question is if anything can improve to reach his level of form. There are enough lightly raced, second season hurdlers who possibly could. Rhinestone Cowboy has only had 5 races over hurdles, Self Defence has only had 7. That’s without considering the winners of the novice events at Cheltenham 2003.
Another interesting point about this year is the number of classy flat horses (rated 90/100+) who have been sent to jump trainers. I’m sure most will blow out or follow the novice route, but if just one them shows an aptitude for jumping it could blow the CH market wide open. There’s enough to choose from this year, Lingo, Adiemus, Debatable, Chivalry, Vintage Premium etc.
I still think the RC has more class than any of the current contenders, & he’s going to get better with experience. It’s just whether his technique has been improved enough.
Don’t remind me of that one Aidan. That was my least favourite Derby of all time!
I think my favourite was the 2000 Derby won by Sinndar. A lot of good horses in that race.
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It is nice to hear of few "outsiders" who have made it into racing journalism.
Mesh, Did you win an award or competition for writing?<br>If so, how about telling us about it?
It was just a friendly greeting Dung. Although the image I seem to have created of you means I don’t want to get too close for some reason!
Racing Forums like this could be a great place for young writers to develop their talents. I think Daylight ran a competition a while back, where the winner had an article (or maybe it was a letter) published in Raceform Update.
Blunote, if you are whom I think you are; as a complete co-incidence I’ve got your old book (with an even older picture on the front) on my desk at the moment. Your speed from the traps thingy on the ATR is saving me hours of working out where the pace is in races, thanks. I’d strongly recommend that to anyone, it’s a shame I have trouble with the rest of the ATR site. I still can’t get into the research section.
(Edited by Colin Little at 9:41 pm on April 7, 2003)
btw I do agree with you Ian. There must be many budding racing journalists who will never get the breaks they need or deserve. Whether nepotism (in it’s purest form) can be blamed, I’m not sure.
Hi Dung,
I think I understand the point you’re making, but I’m not sure it’s nepotism in all cases. To me, people like Clare & Andrew Balding, Emma Ramsden, Patrick Kinghorn etc. may have family history in the sport, but have proved talented enough to be respected for what they do as individuals.
In a much broader sense, I suppose you could say the whole racing industry as a family is a little nepotistic (or maybe incestuous is a better word). They very rarely break ranks, even when scandals like horse welfare, drug taking, non-triers etc. come to the fore. There does seem to be a lot of dead wood in the industry as well, who always seem to be able to find work. Imo of course!
Hi John, I hope he wins for you ;)
My reasoning is, HLL gets better as the winter goes on, Xmas at Kempton in the mud is not for him. In last years Christmas hurdle he was turned over by Landing Light & Bilboa. Then went on to improve & win at Wincanton on better ground, & then improved a bit more when he won the CH.
If HLL’s campaign has gone the same way this year, he should have been well beatable at Kempton, but more competitive at Wincanton, but he got stuffed.
:laugh: @ RichK
You could be right though! There may not be any superstars (like Istabraq) lining up…..yet. But don’t forget there are four winners from last year’s festival in this race (Hors La Loi, Rooster Booster, Scolardy & Like a Butterfly), & another four that were placed at last year’s festial (Rhinestone Cowboy, Westender, In Contrast & Marble Arch). It has certainly got relative strength in depth.
I feel a bit sorry for Intersky Falcon. He’s a brave horse, but he’s going to have to be some horse to get RB, RC & LAB all off the bridle during the race, & then there’s him getting home? I can’t see him winning.
Flame Creek surely can’t win either. He’s got to improve even to beat horses like Westender & In Contrast.
My feeling is Rhinestone Cowboy is the one. Beating Hors La Loi by any easy 15l at Wincanton (a race in which HLL has a cracking record) looks good enough to win this to me. I wouldn’t have minded backing him at 66/1, but won’t be backing him at 2/1.
