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It was a very good performance but let’s not get too carried away. Arkle used to concede weight on a regular basis to Gold Cup class rivals. Denman has done it once and you would think a miracle had occurred. It will be interesting to see what happens but in terms of quality I think this was a pretty average Hennessy – of the others only Bible Lord travelled like a decent horse and he obviously didn’t stay. Having said that I would definitely take Denman over Kauto Star.
I wouldn’t be too disappointed if you fancy Katchit for Cheltenham. He was staying on all the way to line and it is not hard to imagine that he is a few pounds better horse on a stiffer track like Cheltenham and both Harchibald and Al Eile are a few pounds worse. I always felt that King was making a mistake chasing the money rather than going for the Bula.
There is more hype about horses now than there ever was in the past. It is hard to believe that even Arkle got the coverage given to Kauto Star. In terms of versatility Kauto Star had an exceptional season last year but at the Championship distance his form is clearly not of the highest class. Irrespective of how highly you rate Exotic Dancer beating Turpin Green five lengths in a Gold Cup is no great shakes compared to many previous Gold Cup winners. Struggling home against L’Ami was hardly impressive either.
Hardly a day seems to go by these days without ‘Aussie’ Jim earning a few more shekels on ATR. Although the monotonous drone doesn’t do much for me it appears that someone at ATR now thinks he is their leading presenter. Judged on yesterday’s effort I wonder if the workload is already beginning to take it’s toll already. Called Elsie’s Pride a clear leader when she wasn’t even leading and then in the last declared the leader an ‘easy winner’ half the way up the run in only for it to just scrape home.
Nick Dundee looked to be travelling better than Looks Like Trouble when he came down but that isn’t to say he wouldn’t have stopped to nothing in another couple of furlongs. Looks Like Trouble had been under pressure for a long way and kept finding – I suspect Nick Dundee would have capitulated very quickly under pressure. Leaving aside how much ability he retained what distances did they run him over when he returned – connections knew he didn’t stay.
As for Looks Like Trouble’s second Gold Cup he did fantastically well to stay in front for so long effectively running on three legs. It is ludicrous to judge his merit on that performance.
It amazes me that people still believe Nick Dundee would have won. As far as I recall he won one novice chase over 3m when most of the significant opposition failed to finish. He was essentially a very good 2m4f horse, so it was probably not a surprise that he appeared to be travelling well when he departed. I suspect Williamson was trying to nurse him because he knew the tank would empty very quickly. You need a 3m2f horse to win a Sun Alliance and if you don’t get home you win nothing at Cheltenham. I have little doubt Nick Dundee would simply have been outstayed – I doubt whether he would have got within ten lengths of Looks Like Trouble.
Well, not too surprised.
I happen to think the supposed top class form of both Kauto Star and Best Mate over the actual distance being considered is a little thin on the ground. Do we prefer a five length defeat of Florida Pearl or a five length defeat of Turpin Green? Looks Like Trouble is one of the few horses to do the Sun Alliance/Gold Cup double. He backed that up with a runaway win in a Pillar Chase. Cheltenham clearly brought out the best in him. When successful no horse got near him. As for Best Mate his greatest quality was remaining sound for three years in a row because in terms of form struggling home against the likes of Commanche Court and Sir Rembrandt really doesn’t add up to a lot.
There is no doubt Best Mate and Kauto Star can be considered more versatile but over the course and distance that really matters I think Trouble would have sorted them both out.
This thread is so predictable. The same old suspects putting up an opposite view and looking extremely foolish and pompous. The ban speaks for itself.
Another day, another conspiracy theory.
I would concur entirely with Anzum’s summary of the gelding’s behaviour both before and during the earlier fractions of the race. There were many far less difficult animals on display at HQ yesterday.
I’d further suggest that Quaddick Lake may have been remembering his heavy final flight fall on debut, and that it occured at the self same course. As such, any claims that Murphy would go out of his way to let the gelding run into the flights, and with it risk inviting a similar or even worse mishap for both horse and rider this time around, are contemptuously wide of the mark.
gc
Like night follows day what a surprise to see you chipping in again with the opposite view. How is it on your pedestal?
If you entitely agree with Anzum you are not really going to add a lot are you?
Where does the conspiracy come into this? There are two points – the horse jumped well when ‘organised’ so why not do the same at every flight and my other point was about lazy journalism.
My comments are based on fact, not guesswork – you haven’t got a clue about the horses’s mental state.
Pleasantly surprised to see the ban extended – the appeal was probably only made on the basis they thought it was a no lose situation.
It’s a long time ago but I seem to remember laughing at a column he used to do in the Weekender.
Nowadays I just laugh at his wobbly head and manicured hair.
Not at all surprised at some of the stories – strikes me as one of the biggest snobs in racing. Certainly has few peers in the art of looking scruffy.
If it’s non-smoking I am surprised he ever appears on a panel.
If Lydia doesn’t need anyone to defend her then why do it?
It is for the very fact that she often appears outspoken that I raised the doubts. It is not so hard to believe that professional pundits have their own favourites just like anyone else.
You appear an expert at giving half a story. David Johnson paid 90,000 for the horse so either he was poorly advised or he didn’t look quite as much of a ‘dog’ as you have suggested. Timmy Murphy’s record on the horse is 6/13 while the others jockeys you have mentioned were 0/4 (three places and the only one who has ridden the horse recently was Scudamore who finished third on unsuitably heavy ground). Personally I think that proves nothing in terms of the merit of Murphy’s ride.
