Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Somewhat ironic that I doubt Declan Queally’s public allegations will make him a pariah within the sport like Bryony Frost, even though her allegations were found to be true.
Thanks Gladiateur.
Not a surprise the result was heavily in favour of her running in the Champion Hurdle. If anything, I’d have thought it might be even further in that direction.
ERL, Edredon Bleu won the King George just shy of his twelfth birthday when having an even greater step up in trip than he was used to. Perhaps Envoi Allen’s connections thought the longer distance may be more suitable as some pace may have been lost with age.
Envoi Allen was a Grade 1 chase winner this season, and I don’t think connections were being reckless by running him yesterday.
I’m always in favour of looking at what safety improvements can be made, but risks are always going to exist sadly. We are never going to be able to find a set of rules that stop all deaths from happening.
Let’s hope not Astralcharmer, though I share your lack of faith in the BHA’s wise judgement.
I think the most recent 12 year-old to place in the Gold Cup was See More Business. He was third to Best Mate in a competitive field of 18 in 2002.
Aucunrisque, whose biggest win came in the 2023 Betfair Hurdle, is on the BHA non-racing agreements list. Wishing him a long and happy retirement.
I hope there are no new rules. The only rule that would prevent fatalities in racing would be the “no racing at all” rule.
The risk involved in racing cannot ever be removed entirely, and continuously adding reactive rules after each sad event will eventually destroy the sport, which will in no way benefit the horses either.
Desperately sad news, Envoi Allen was a star.
I’m always uneasy that when connections signpost a race is a horse’s last, or they say something like “we just hope he comes safe”, that fate may add a cruel twist like this.
RIP Envoi Allen
ERL, Victoria Road is a “he”.
I don’t know if any attempts were made to breed from him, but he’s a gelding now.
GAG said: “If the programme works as it should to keep good mares in training, then the best mares should beat the best geldings 50% of the time which is pretty much what is happening now.”
This makes complete sense to me, and I think possibly some people are seeing mares winning as a problem that needs fixing, when it is nothing of the sort. However, mares winning the Champion Hurdle 50% of the time does start to feel unfair when they also have their own championship hurdle race that their male counterparts cannot contest.
I’d be very much in favour of moving the mares’ hurdle to elsewhere in the calendar, or downgrading it so that the best mares have to run in open company.
Impaire Et Passe also went out at the same time as the other six vf has mentioned above.
While it is far from a vintage field, imagine what a dismal race it would be without the three mares.
A nice tribute to Sam Brown on Anthony Honeyball’s website. What a wonderful racehorse he has been; he is exactly the type of horse that made me fall in love with Jumps racing.
Disappointing that the Racing Post has still not reported on his retirement at the time of writing.
I’ve not been impressed by the recent carry on about whether Constitution Hill should run in the Champion Hurdle, but am inclined to interpret his parading at Cheltenham more positively.
The horse is a star who attracts great interest from the racing public. I can well understand why Cheltenham would want to extend an invite. And for all his foibles, Henderson usually seems quite gracious to me, and I don’t think there is some underhand desire to steal the limelight.
It is indeed sad that Constitution Hill’s Jumps career has ended (hopefully for good, though who knows with Henderson). However, seeing him land on his head three times in the past year was much sadder, and a fourth time could have easily become a tragedy.
I don’t have any particular expectations for his Flat career, but am glad this star racehorse remains in training, and am looking forward to seeing how he gets on.
