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Time will tell, of course, but in my view, the others – apart from WoW – ran badly because they were beaten and demoralised by a very superior horse who didn’t need to come back to his field, but laughed at them. Actually, I was astonished at how well WoW ran, though I’d noticed the relative confidence behind him in the betting.
I can’t go along with John Randall’s view, either, Aidan. <br>He cited only Turtle Island over a mile, among his wide-margin winners. All the rest were middle-distance and Gold Cup horses. And I don’t believe TI was built as robustly as HW. The shorter the distance, surely, the less likelihood of athletes of any species winning against their peers by a wide margin.
"I agree with you he looks likely to join the pantheon of greats", you opined, Flagship. That’s all you needed to say, old chap. Nobody would foolish enough to discount unforeseeable problems.
Notwithstanding the truth of the axiom that these forums are all about opinions, Ian, I’m puzzled at your placing much significance on Aidan O’Brien’s comment about the niggling little problems HW had had.
After a very punishing Derby against a crack *and* staying stable companion in yielding ground, how he managed to go on from there, and, after winning a smaller race easily, just get pipped a head by that crack older horse, Grandera in his pomp, I think in the Champion Stakes, must surely be the big mystery.  HW’s surely a monster, pure and simple.
As for his brilliance, his breaking the 7F record at the Curragh as a 2 yr old, and then being beaten just a whisker by the Rock on the other, more favourable side of the track in our Guineas, surely spoke volumes. With a horse like that, it’s surely better to rave about him and risk getting egg on your face, than to cavil about the possible weaknesses you might associate with a run-of-the-mill group horse that’s tended to disappoint.  I don’t believe he ever disappointed. He was given too much to do last year, and though he’ll presumably be stronger, I got the impression Aidan is particularly anxious not to repeat it. He said, himself, on the box, that he learnt a lot from last year and the way he planned HW’s campaign.
Incidentally, it takes all types, and you can’t knock his Michael Kinane’s expertise as a jockey, but I was a bit disappointed not to see him make a fuss of the horse straight after the race, as some jocks do. I didn’t see anyone go up to him and hug him as connections sometimes do in in smaller races. Gratitude is something all creatures I think have some notion of. Don’t tell me about the pathetic fallacy. I dont think it’s applicable.
The thing about HLL is his cruising speed and stamina – or so it seems to me, anyway.
The other day I read a comment on the RP website on his running in one race, to the effect that he was pulling hard early on… and yet he still managed to come with a wet sail at the finish and pull away from his field! I hope he does it tomorrow… but without necessarily pulling hard early on.
Can’t wear your dismissal of Flame Creek and Landing Light, Jim lad; the former, on the basis that Chance seems to be a wizard and 2 points shorter than Hors La Loi seems very suspicious; and Landing Light on the speed he’s shown in the past – according to the RP ratings, the highest of all of them. My own 2 against the field are the Outlaw III and Landing Light.
Funny, that, Flagglesbury. I felt sure he played in the French side that won the World Cup. And the name "Celestine" couldn’t sound more French. But, there you are. I’m still probably a little bit better at geography than GWB, if not much better at putting places to faces.
Reason tells me David Flores or Lanfranco Dettori, but I’ve always been impressed by outrageously euphonious names (such as those French footballers, Bixante Lizarazou and Celestine Babayaro) , or just outrageous names. So I’ll add two more on that basis, Raul Baeza, who rode Roberto, who, I seem to remember was specifically chosen by the Wizard of Cashel for his uncanny sense of pace. Wasn’t Lester given the big A on his steed in that race? No, I think it was Willy Carson on Rheingold.
Finally, the thought of some tough little Panamanian having the name "Jacinto" or Hyacinth tickles me. Unfortunately I can’t remember his surname. But he’ll be long retired now, I’m unlikely to own the lowliest  selling plater in a vast partnership, and I wouldn’t have bet my life even on Sectretariat. But, I *am* looking forward to reading of some Mexican jockey bearing the name "kchessooss". Happy memories of Cannery Row. No, alas, only the book.
(Edited by Grimes at 12:57 am on Feb. 25, 2003)<br>
(Edited by Grimes at 12:58 am on Feb. 25, 2003)
Can anyone fault Frankie’s record in Group ones, compared to the other British and Irish jockeys at least?
And after he wins his Arcs you get a whole different form of entertainment that I doubt you’d get from any other jockey anywhere in the world. He’s absoutely hilarious; and Ray Cochrane, as his very dry, straight man put the perfect seal on the occasion.
What about David Flores, Hoss? How would you rate him? He seemed some horseman over here, to me at least.
I’m sure you’re right. But once the press get the bit between their teeth, the bare bones of just a possible story, seems enough to send them completely out of control.
And perhaps fortunately for us, the racing press themselves don’t go out of their way to discourage punters from looking only at the form of a horse’s last race.
Actually, I think that mate must have said he (RP) had a mind like a corkscrew – not "bent", just very devious.
(Edited by Grimes at 4:00 pm on Feb. 8, 2003)
Do you know, phunter, that name doesn’t ring a bell, now – but it obviously was Hill House. But you know, it wouldn’t have been just that one, Hill House was just the last of an *impressive* clutch of Schweppes’ he won, as I recall. (I hope better than my memory of Hill House’s name). Yes, a great guy, and I believe very popular, despite the brouhaha over his *genius* for the Schweppes.
The horse of his I best remember was Bruni. He was a<br>fair sort, alright. I think he won the Leger. He’d broken the track record earlier in the season, for 10 f (I think at Kempton, though probably mistakenly).
A mate of mine in a Ford’s truck factory near Slough met Ryan Price on holiday and they talked a good bit about racing. He said he was as bent as a corkscrew (remember his great Schweppes handicapping skills?), but a fantastic bloke and had since given him one or two tips. Winners of course…
Somehow, I don’t quite see too many of the Captain’s peers fraternizing so freely and easily.  ÂÂÂ
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(Edited by Grimes at 11:11 pm on Feb. 6, 2003)
All the Irish involved in racing, I say!
I read the other day that Noel Chance stated that a certain horse of his hated the bottomless going, absolutely *despised* it!
Some years ago, I was talking to an Irishman in a betting shop about half a mile away. After putting my bets on and probably watching a race or three, I started walking home.
Not far from home, said Irishman (evidently having caught a bus on the same route), stepped out from behind a bush in the front garden of a house I was passing and doffing his cap, (or perhaps an imaginary one), exclaimed, "Good day to you, Sir!" He’d obviously caught a bus.
Then of course there was that classic article about the Irish at the Cheltenham festival in the Sporting Life some years ago.
American film makers may have some romanticised notions about the Irish being great characters. But the truth is, as I’m sure most of us know, those film-makers are actually masters of understatement. ÂÂÂ
(Edited by Grimes at 2:31 pm on Feb. 2, 2003)
I know Bacchanal was a really top-flight chaser, but I still don’t belive he was a natural, but that it was his incredible athleticism that won the day, so to speak.
I remember a trainer called Richard Morley saying how some horses were natural hurdlers and some natural chasers, as there were different respective requirements for them. Obviously, some were able to excel at both, such as Champion Hurdle winners who were able to go on and win the Gold Cup, as I seem to remember there have been. On the other hand, there must be others who show as much aptitude for either, as my wife seems to think I show for coordinating my passage across the road with the flow of the traffic…! (It makes me mad when she says "watch the road"! when I go out).
Incidentally, I hope the old boy’s flattening his ears was enthusiasm, and not nervousness or fear. <br>
