Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Siena is a very conservative city, their traditions ultra-important to them. I don’t think the Palio’s changed much, andy.
i’m surprised that the horse that wins stays so calm with that ammount of people around him??
Too traumatised to react? Certainly no room to move. Siennese stall handling – did the horse get punched on the nose, did anyone see?
Seriously, though, it is hugely dangerous to man and beast.
As for Mount Nelson this is the second comparatively weak GR1 he has won and you can’t help feeling he is unlikely to prove up to sterner opposition at this level.
You may be right, brigadier, but last year Mount Nelson (before injury) and Duke of Marmalade were AOB’s main Guineas hopes following the retirement of Holy Roman Emperor. At that time Fallon had said that MN was his Derby horse, which suggests that the stable had considered him at least the equal of DOM.
Hope the firmish ground he’s been racing on hasn’t hurt his previously damaged hoof. Pardon my ignorance, but how do they treat a hoof that has been partially pulled off as AOB reported re MN?
I suggest that Mount Nelson is a very good candidate for the Arlington Million, a race AOB seems to target with his next-best older horses.
Halfway To Heaven is not among the Falmouth entries today. Must be injured. Anyone know?
Like Darjina for the Falmouth btw – think she has the beating of these if the ground is not too bad. Weather forecast dodgy.
Unless it has been discontinued, there already is an International Series, called the Emirates World Series, a series of 12 Global races
Not 100% sure, David, but I think this was discontinued a few years ago after either Grandera or Fantastic Light won it. Perhaps someone remembers this better than I.
Regarding David’s earlier post re his suggested additions, I think including the 1000G, Oaks, Coronation Cup and Leger would significantly improve the proposed series, give the Leger a much needed boost to its profile (both with the public and with trainers), and give that extra dimension of filly/mare interest (very popular with the public this last point – just think Ouija Board). Therefore – a 14 race series, good idea, David!
The Lockinge should probably stay because it too seems to need a boost. The QA will remain popular because of its being part of Royal Ascot, and its inclusion would unbalance things in favour of older milers. Including the Coronation Cup, however, would seem to even things out nicely.
I don’t think that 3 year old fillies would be unduly advantaged by their two races – they can’t run in both Guineas (ie, 1000 and 2000 – no, not even JB would do that) nor in Oaks+Derby.
I do wonder if the Irish Champion – a race I love – would be at all threatened by this series. Hope not.
Don’t at all like the idea of moving all the races to the weekends, with the necessitated fixture changes that would involve. This ain’t broke – don’t fix it!
It seems to me that Luca Cumani could very reasonably question the stewards’ decision, in that Curtain Call should imo have been placed fourth ahead of Alessandro Volta.
Cumani, of course, has some past experience to go on – the 2003 Irish Champion, where he did unsuccessfully appeal the stewards’ decision re High Chaparral and Falbrav.
I sincerely hope that Ballydoyle will run no more than two in the Eclipse!
After all that, I forgot to write that I’ve always liked Frozen Fire and backed him e/w today.
I don’t think for a moment that Murtagh could have predicted Alessandro Volta’s wild overreaction to the right-handed whip. However, did he have to go at him right-handed, and was there nothing he could do to stop the horse’s drift?
Since Curtain Call’s run was aborted as well as Tartan Bearer’s, I don’t see why Alessandro wasn’t placed fifth behind both TB and CC.
Re team tactics: Ballydoyle is always open to this criticism when anything goes amiss (and it certainly did today!) in a race with so many of their runners. Why did they choose to run two pacemakers today? Surely, if Bashkirov wasn’t there for the pace, they didn’t expect him to beat their other horses, did they? Admittedly, he finished sixth (I think) which was pretty good after initially being up with the pace.
Pretty sure that at least up to this point AOB hasn’t known which of his not quite top class middle distance 3 year olds was the best – or even the best two, ergo the huge number of runners in both Derbies. But the fact remains that no other stable has the equine and/or financial resources to do this, so it leaves a bad taste. (And I’m a fan of AOB and have great respect for Coolmore.)
I too really love High Chaparral, but he never received as high a rating as Galileo did for both his King George and the Irish Champion he lost to Fantastic Light.
HC was a thoroughly admirable, consistent and brave absolutely top-class horse, but perhaps he wasn’t as brilliant or visually exciting as Falbrav or Dalakhani both of whom achieved higher ratings than HC in 2003.
I think he was possibly underrated by some in 2002 because Rock of Gibraltar’s 7 consecutive G1 wins and dominance of his 8f division was impossible to outshine.
HC was a wonderful horse but perhaps didn’t have as much charisma as some of the other stars of those years.
He really deserves more time to shine as a stallion, but they don’t seem to get much time these days. Here’s hoping….
Definitely a very interesting maiden. AOB always runs something he regards highly.
Last year’s winner Lisvale has only had a Listed win since, but both Alessandro Volta and Curtain Call made their debuts in this race.
Another 3 good High Chaparrals I’ve noticed are
1. Senlis – Italian trained, has won a G3 there, he’s rated 111.
2. Magadan – French trained, had an early season win over the well-regarded Montmartre – Magadan’s highest rating 104, but I think he can do better.
3. Ancient Lights – winner of his only start, a 10f maiden, got a rating of 89+ – Henry Cecil thinks very highly of this one. Watch with interest.
Not a great start like Montjeu and Galileo, but I’m really hoping there’s more to come from his progeny before he’s relegated to the sidelines.
