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My point about Hurricane Fly is that don’t assume because you have run 2nd to him you are automatically going to be faster than a top class chaser where it matters.
Speed from the top of the hill at Cheltenham is essential and if something like Sprinter Sacre has skipped a few lengths clear and he doesn’t stop you need an awful lot of speed to catch him.
There’s a very goo chance if you couldn’t catch or match Hurricane Fly you aren’t going to be fast enough to catch a horse like Sprinter Sacre either. That of course could apply to any horse in the race.
As I said Peddlar’s Cross was beaten at the highest level very easily and he won’t find the Arkle any easier.
Peddler’s Cross was the only horse able to stay with Hurricane Fly coming down the hill and round it. Every other horse in the Champion outside of Peddler’s Cross was beat turning for home because they lacked the kick to stay with the front two.
Peddler’s Cross hasn’t been beaten at the highest level very easily. An absolute garbage remark. He’s been beaten twice, 2nd in a Champion and over the top at Aintree. Before that, he’s won a Neptune, a Fighting Fifth etc. In a normal year Peddler’s would have been a solid Champion Hurdle winner.
Peddler’s Cross has speed, otherwise he wouldn’t have finished a good 2nd in a Champion and won other trials for it. He has stamina, has proven when he won the Neptune. He handles Cheltenham, as proven by the last two festivals. It doesn’t matter what angle you approach it from, Peddler’s Cross is a serious contender for the race.
Also, whilst i think Sprinter Sacre could be a monster, comparing him as a 2 Miler to Hurricane Fly is laughable. Sprinter Sacre has yet to prove he can get up the hill, nevermind the idea that he definitively the best of his class.
In 15 Weeks time we might be saying he was overrated.
Let’s not forget he was beaten in the Champion Hurdle he didn’t win it simply because he couldn’t match Hurricane Fly for toe.
They say to win an Arkle you need to stay further which is of course complete bull$hit.
It certainly helps but it is not a must and much depends on what tactics are deployed on the day.
Lets not forget he finished 2nd in a Champion. Instead of downplaying that achievement, why aren’t we doing the opposite. Not many horses can match Hurricance Fly for toe, and Hurricane Fly isn’t running in the Arkle. I fail to see your point.
Many of the previous Arkle winners have been horses who stay well. Yet, we are talking about a horse who finished 2nd in a Champion Hurdle here ; he has pace.
In Menorah, Peddlar’s Cross, Sprinter Sacre, Cue Card and Alferof you have some very fast horses out of which as my friend suggests Peddlar’s Cross is the one who could go on to better things at a longer trip.
If they all turn up it’s going to be anything but a test of stamina and jumping combined with speed could well win the day.
I have severe doubts about Peddlar’s Cross being the fastest horse in the race if this turns into a sprint and reckon at least one of these will prove way to fast for him by some way.
Peddler’s Cross could well be effective over further in the future, but he has proven to be effective over 2 miles at Hurdles ; moreso than any other horse that projects to run in this race. Menorah was comfortable beaten by Peddler’s Cross in the Champion, which on a form line means Cue Card is also comfortably beaten. Cue Card has been stepped up in trip several times now suggesting over 2 Miles against top flight horses he is vulnerable. Al Ferof’s Owner has been quoted as saying he dreams of him being a Gold cup horse. If you are going to downplay Peddler’s Cross because you think ne needs a trip then you msut also recognise that several other possible opponents appear they may require similar analysis.
Considering Al Ferof won the Supreme coming from behind one could easily assume he could be the one.
The only problem is he was just behind Sprinter Sacre at the top of the hill who was hack cantering while Ruby and the rest were all at it big time. Anyone who backed Spirit Son like I did must have been thinking WRONG ONE! When Cue Card came cruising up to Sprinter without as much as a hard prod from AP he switched into cruise control2 and had Cue Card off his feet in just a few strides. This horse has amazing cruising speed and I’m pretty certain there’s a lot more in the tank.
Al Ferof won the Supreme because of stamina, not speed. Of all the major contenders for this years Arkle, all the evidence suggests he is the horse who has the least true 2 Mile pace.
I’ll agree with Sprinter Sacre in as much as i think he has the best engine in the race. I think he’s a monster, although a championship 2 Mile race round Cheltenham requires more than simply a huge engine.
However last season in the Supreme his big lanky unfilled frame gave way and immaturity, not the hill took over.
I truly believe if they ran that race gain now Sprinter Sacre a year on would win without coming off the bridle.
It’s hard to judge how much he would actually find when asked to now he’s more of a man.
Until he lines up at Cheltenham it will be difficult to know. He’s only ever been asked one question and he wasn’t ready for it yet. Considering the opposition likely in this race, it’s difficult to imagine him being able to simply win it on the bridle. He will need to get up that hill.
I reckon Peddlar’s Cross and the rest better hope he doesn’t stay.
He’ll outjump them, he’s got a much much higher cruising speed than any of them and if it was immaturity that prevented him from winning the Supreme he’ll fly up the hill and I doubt if they will see the way he went.
This is fencing not hurdling and this fellow stands head and shoulders above them all.
Peddlar’s Cross Huh!!? overrated lump of lard
Peddler’s Cross isn’t overated. Bags of pace and stamina, finished 2nd in a Champion and Jumps a fence very well. It may well turn out that one of the Novices from last year turns out to be better (as they’ve yet to have the opportunity to truely prove it) but if one of them does prevail, they’ll have to beat an extremely high class horse in Peddler’s Cross.
Anyway, for me this race is between Sprinter Sacre and Peddler’s Cross.
Aussie Jim is a class act, love the guy’s work. This ‘investigation’ is madness.
He’s one of the worst commentators going. His choice of words and phrases are poor to say the least whilst his ability to call a race isn’t exactly stunning. Countless times he forgets to mention a horse who has been in the finishing frame for the duration of the end of the race only to then suddenly say "and from the clouds".
His voice is subjective, and personally i don’t really like it, but i struggle to understand how anybody could objectively suggest he’s a competent commentator at this point. Especially incomparison to Hoiles, Holt, Machin etc.
What’s hindsight go to do with it ? I’m just pointing out that the race has been won by a horse with a ‘ quiet ‘ prep. Well Chief is another example. Strange race was 2004.
Voy Por Ustedes won what is one of the most recognised trial races for the Arkle. Hardly quiet. Rather there were others perhaps fancied more, but as i said already, there were so many considered contenders that year so he got lost in the shuffle a little bit.
for me the horses with the best hurdles form, peddlers cross and al ferof, make the market for sprinter sacre.
of the three of them he really looks like a chaser, and can jump like one. It seems to me that mccain isn’t that confident of peddlers cross ability to jump around grade one tracks in competitive races over fences, otherwise why does he keep putting him in tin-pot races?
for example this weekend he’s running him at haydock, in a very uncompetitive race. just to build his confidence. why not run him in the ascot novice chase tomorrow, which actually looks like a decent contest? no doubt he’ll go off at 1-5 at haydock and learn about as much as he would do in a schooling round.
I don’t like the way he jumps so low, so little daylight at his fences. I feel he’ll clout one or two at cheltenham, as sprinter sacre is bound to put pressure on his jumping.
as for al ferof, he was desperately unimpressive last time and I couldn’t have him with stolen money.
time and time again people fall into the trap of thinking its all about hurdles form, when it comes to novice chasing, when history tells us its quite a different game altogether.
Voy Por Ustedes had a prep like this before he won, but that wasn’t as good a renewal and he received weight.
Some of the Sprinter Sacre’s jumps at Doncaster – well they’ll be worth a couple of lengths at Cheltenham.
Hindsight. At the time, Voy Por Ustedes won what was considered to be one of the hottest arkles in a long time. Racing Demon, Missed That, Monets Garden, Foreman amongs others at the time were all very highly thought of. Turns out it wasn’t that strong, but at the time it was probably considered as strong as this years renewal.
Pedderls Cross has impressed me so far, was the best hurdler and looks like fences should suit. However, i wouldn’t say the others don’t have a chance of improving past him. The other 2 market principles have no direct form linking to Peddlers Cross, nor did they ever run outside Novice company as Hurdlers. Im sure if they had stayed over hurdles this year, they would have won some of the easy pre-christmas champion hurdle trials in a canter.
I have no doubt in my mind Sprinter Sacre is a better horse than Al Ferof. He travelled like the best horse in the Supreme despite still pulling, and simply got tired and didn’t last. He was the least experienced of those in the Supreme and has the most scope for fences. Now he still needs to prove he can get up the hill, but i think he has a far better engine than Al Ferof and an extra year surely will help his chances of staying the 2M up the hill.
He’s a horse with an annoying quirk Medermit.
He always seems to be the first horse to come off the bridle but keeps finding and has you jumping up and down if you’ve backed him.
Most of the time something does him but you can never rule him out.
One day he’ll run on better than them all and some class horse will have an off day and he’ll come out on top when least expected.
He could just about win any race if things went his way. That could easily be the Ryanair but never in ta month of Sundays could you back him in any race with confidence.
This is hardly fair. Im struggling to see any qurik that he has? What’s been proven time and time again with him that at 2 miles, he isn’t quick enough to beat the very best. He got outpaced and stayed on in the supreme, wasn’t good enough in the Champion and didn’t have the pace for an arkle. He’s run exceptionally well in Cheltenham both times over 2 1/2 whilst running very well in the Haldon.
His jumping can be iffy at some, but usually its pretty sound. He should be a major player over 2 1/2 + for the rest of the year.
Yes, im so glad you take it upon yourself to embark on a crusade for the Queen’s english. How kind and noble of you. Without you, im sure we’d all be a rabble of people discussing horse racing in a fashion where we cannot understanding each other, because our primitive english is so bad. What does liking ideas even mean? Do you even understand what it means? If you think it means being able to quote something which you feel the other poster does not understand, then yes, by god, you like ideas. Pretty pathetic that seem to think you like "ideas" more than other people, whatever your likely dilusional concept of ideas might be.
I also find it humerous that you suddenly wish to direct the thread back to its original purpose ; from the catechise of somebody (yourself), when you were so content to deviate from the thread topic to catechise another poster in the first place. Interesting.
The reply given really sums up what i meant. "(though analysis of your grammatical solecisms suggest someone rather more familiar)" ; really not sure what this has to do with anything, or what you attempting to imply.
I have no issue with someone if they wish to convey there thoughts in an articulate and well reasoned fashion. What i object to, are phrases like "I’m sorry if you don’t like words or ideas". What is this supposed to mean? Implying that i, or others, are inferior to yourself? You happen to like ideas. How fantastic, how intellectual and how blessed we are to have encountered somebody who likes ideas. Attempting to converse in what you conceptualise as being articulate and your apparent love of "fanciful and clever" phrases doesn’t mean you "like ideas" (a pompeous remark in itself) or have greater intelligence than other poster in this thread.
Make me feel? Im sitting on a chair infront of my laptop, so if you wish, yes im small.
Pinza, as a casual reader of this forum from time to time, and having read various posts of yours on a variety of issues, one cannot help but arrive at the conclusion that you come accross as incredibly pompous. Every reply conveys this air of superiority ; like one has such knowledge that it entitles him to rather belittle opinions of others. The consistent arrogance shown in your posts really really doesn’t do you any favours. You may or may not have excellent racing knowledge, but you don’t need to convey knowledge through such tedious and self-proclaimed brilliance.
