Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Jack & Tolley Dean
Christian & Nick Williams
James & Sophie Doyle
Jamie & Ashley HamblettNulty
Check out http://www.markjohnstonracing.com/
The enthusiasm for most race goers remains unearthing the unexposed type. The hype horses which have this profile whether unraced or unexposed provide the pre-race talk – much of the talk is "created" by publications owned by bookmakers, studs and all different folk who for no rhyme or reason want nothing more than to give Joe Bloggs a suitable nod and wink.
Gallop reports can often sway arguments to a horse displaying bundles of ability working alongside Group contenders, but ultimately seeing is believing…..
Horses with solid form book appeal always take preference – you know the horse is capable of running to a minimum of x and if that remains best in the race, I would much rather select a horse proven to run, than something which has "potential" but on everything shown to date needs to prove otherwise. They still have four legs, a head and a tail with a monkey strapped to their back capable of doing anything…..
In the last 15 juvenile races with newcomers – 12 have gone to a 2yo with previous experience. The three winners including High Spice had been a maiden exclusive to unraced horses.
Last two champion hurdle winners Punjabi and Katchit have been beaten favourites in all weather maidens.
I had a tip for Snoqualmie Boy in a maiden at Lingfield, he himself went onto Royal Ascot success. If only we’d have known the future 14-lengths Dubai World Cup winner had been in attendence in the shape of Well Armed.
Your 100% right IMO….
Sir Mark Prescott used the all weather surfaces to his advantage, the most paramount point by getting them ‘fixed’ on a good bench marks. How many Sir Mark Prescott horses are risked by catching the eye in Newmarket maidens?….Not many if any!
If horses like Hasten To Add, Forbearing, Danhurst, Foreign Affairs, One Off, No Refuge, Elusive Dream, Comic Strip (Viva Patica) and Spectait had started the education process at Newmarket or Newbury, would these horses have been allowed ratings to enable them much required penalty kicks for progression and connections pocket.
Racehorses are athletes – surely confidence in beating lesser opposition enables further progression. On another tread David Flood is running a 3yo filly in a conditions stakes for a 42-lengths defeat.
If a racehorse has the right ‘education’ surely it gives them a greater chance to progress?
When Prescott trained a few for Godolphin and Saeed Manana in the early 90’s, perhaps they presented him a few yaks which had to be seen at your metropolitan tracks, the manner in which Prescott exploits the system would be very interesting granted Sheikh Mo sent a few backward types to Sir Mark.
I think in recent years; things have changed for Prescott; one or two of his more prominent gambling owners are no longer with him which has left more boxes for owner breeders Cheveley Park, Miss Rausing, Sonia Rodgers plus recently acquired Planatation Stud. I’m sure his objective for some of these lesser fillies are just to notch wins at any level possible and perhaps they just aren’t that good, but reputation proceeds in this industry, which creates false prices on Heath House inmates?Your view would be shared by many however since the addition of every trainer having access to all weather gallops, the training schedule in preparing horses for grass campaigns has altered accordingly. It must be a wonderful experience for a newcomer, sliding down to a poly-track maiden. Once they arrive from the horsebox straight into the racecourse stabling area, none of the tracks have got any road crossings or walking a mile of the ‘Knavesmire’ to reach the parade ring. The ability to run a horse without being jarred up, knocked about on heavy ground and simply even ground conditions throughout should not be underestimated.
All weather racing can only be a way forward – did you notice the Group 3 Winter Derby offered the same prize money as Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket. Once they bring minimum values of the lower grade affairs, it should bring a much brighter outlook for beach supporters.
On a personal note which you may or maybe not interested in but may explain something – I have owned or part owned
Nine national hunt horses – One died due to a heart attack, broken neck, broken shoulder, my favourite fractured a coffin bone. Of the five survivors, three are retired after injuries, one goes to Plumpton next week for a guaranteed prize fund of £2,500, the other awaiting debut.From my flat involvement (12) – one horse got injured at Musselburgh with a tendon.
Yes, it’s a great involvement and spectcle the jumps game BUT you need so much more luck. You can number crunch data all day whether a horse can justify a lower hurdles mark than chase rating, or whether a horse will operate in heavy ground BUT surely continuity of three excellent polytrack surfaces with suitable draw bias emphasis over certain trips gives you more of an edge than anything jumps racing can offer?
Yours
Mr Arena Leisure
In terms of what Tikram has achieved; he was purchased from Henry Cecil for 50,000gns in October 2000. That’s over eight years his been stabled at Gary Moore’s yard, winning on seven occasions including a Mildmay Of Flete at the Cheltenham Festival. When you consider Tikram has taken part in a Gold Cup, Grand National, Imperial Cup, Ladbroke Hurdle, Vincent O’Brien Hdle, Elite Hurdle at Wincanton, Tote Gold Trophy, Cesarewitch, Mildmay Of Flete, Silver Trophy, Paddy Power, Great Yorkshire Chase, Racing Post Chase, William Hill Trophy plus the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot he must have been a joy to be connected with
To have retained a mark in excess of 120 since December 2001 and only hold a ceiling mark of 146 explains how durable Tikram must be.
Connections retired him after a 7th trip to Cheltenham Festival last year. The owners sponsored a race in his honour at Fontwell, Tikram paraded prior to that race in November.
Subsequently he joined Di & Gardi Grissell for one run winning a PTP at Penshurst on Grand National weekend quite readily compared to his previous convinctions of keeping a good bit back.
Hopefully he gets round safe n sound this week and is allowed a 2nd retirement package if things don’t pan out
1. It’s not worth knowing what everybody knows, find something that nobody knows.
2. Don’t bet in handicaps – British Horseracing Authority employ full time knowledgeable handicappers to ensure every handicap is a dead heat.
3. Don’t bet on bad horses – they are only a herd animal who won’t or can’t go past the leader
The Scottish scene for trainers is blessed with some good eggs at the minute. I can’t see what Donal Nolan is doing wrong, in a salary yard filled with ‘pets’ which has an owner who pays the same entry fees as anybody else. They aren’t exploiting any system which isn’t restricted to purely D.A Nolan. Apperence money under rule J11 ensures much of the Nolan string, misses any cut anyhow. Equine billpayers are far better off with Bradburne’s, Ewart, Forster, Graham’s than some of these licensed trainers in more established fashionable regions.
Quicker they scrap water jumps the better…
How is a horse meant to know what’s it’s jumping?
On take off they’ve cottoned on they need to stretch and then stretch some more to clear water, which they call brings variety on british racecourses.
How many more horses do they want breaking backs from the inability of BHA. They explain it’s a spectacle for the viewing public; a spectacle for the racegoers would be big screens on every racecourse IMOYou’d have thought Richard Johnson was hoping to catch a plane, the pace he selected on Gentle John. Hopefully if he recovers from that fall; they attempt to anchor him one day.
Grossick’s superb at his job. Check out his snaps from yesterday –
http://grossick.thirdlight.com/viewdir. … mid=209932The main influence would be stable confidence. Withstanding facts and figures of the ability the yard to have one ready to perform would be a major contributor to forecast prices. Trainers strike rate with debutante’s etc.
Paddock inspections give the viewing public a chance to predict fitness levels, thirty minutes before the race in the parade ring.
I have a rule in gambling – Do not back a 2 yo debutante during evening racing
It sounds stupid BUT how many horses are prepared to run at 7pm?
A racehorses day is programmed in these yards capable of getting a horse ready. Feed through to exercise has time slots scheduled for 365 days per year. Your "doing well" to start administering amino acids and vitamins the morning of a race, everything is prepared the proceeding morning (24 hours after decs!).
Many of these debutante’s wouldn’t have been in a horsebox more than twice – How would you fancy loading onto a ramp and stationed in the back of a small partition for a two hour journey travelling amongst Britain’s road-users? The parade ring enables you to form an opinion the current well being of the horse and how it’s taken to travelling, saddled, paraded alongside opposite sex, cantered down to post (some debutante’s wouldn’t have any reason to touch a blade of grass before they run) plus loaded into a set of starting stalls.Unfortunately breeding doesn’t cater for everything……
From the other side of the coin; the yard I worked in had had fourty horses.
The boss only rang two or three main owners who had multiple horses. The other owners if they didn’t ring him; they wouldn’t know if the horse was dead or alive week to week.
Anyway, one owner in particular really stands out. He had this really average yak and everytime he called (every two weeks on a Monday) would be 8.30am when all the team congregated in the tack room.
"Has Choco got any entries this week" he would ask
The boss would put the mobile on mute….and then shout
"Oi you, run over to the office and get the programme book pronto"
With the programme book armed – he’d quickly find a race where-ever the horsebox was going….
"It’s funny you should ring today because I was going to ring you, a little race looks suitable at Warwick on Sunday"
The owner would reply "Ah that’s magic, Maggie will be thrilled"
Horse hadn’t left his box in three months….
The owner and his family were so nice, they were always the first to pay a training bill, no hassle whatsoever.
The reason he bought this useless yak – he was the last of the juveniles in the yard to be sold. The owner popped down one morning to watch work and we "staged" this workout for the unsold juvenile to resemble Shergar. He promptly bought him.
My advice take as active role as you possibly can in the horses career. The racingadmin.co.uk webpage enables you to track entries/decs, search for fixtures and races, check for handicap marks. The resources have been produced for a reason, why not use them?
If a yard consists of 50 horses, unless yours is the flagbearer, it’s not always going to be at the forefront of the trainers mind.
Some trainers train for winners – others train per mile (!)
Pravda Street
– Paul Cole – Great work horse plagued with setbacks last term
Chicata Banana
– George Baker – Will get better when the season progresses
Unbelievable Jeff
– Stuart Parr – When the handbrake comes off this; you wait
(!)The Champion Bumper of 2002 looked a good race between those which fought out the money
Pizarro ridden by Jamie Spencer beat Rhinestone Cowboy.
A further 13-lengths away Supreme Novice winner, Back In Front who came home ahead of subsequent Daily Telegraph Trophy winner, Thisthatandtother. A short head further back a future Stayers Hurdle winner in Iris’s Gift.
(!)