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Stoneville was another from that yard that was the next big thing. Ironically enough he was beaten by Merdeka over hurdles at Naas! Killed in his first chase at Thurles IIRC.
Any amount of Willie Mullins’ bumper horses could be lumped in here – Equus Maximus, Mad Fish, Apt Approach, Lilywhite Dancer etc.
Think that’s a shade unfair on Stoneville. I had him down as a potentially very useful novice chaser.
When it comes to bumper horses, it’s hard to look past Martinstown and Sporting Limerick really.
Maybe Gungadu is one for this thread as well, for all that he turned out to be a useful chaser in his own right.
Merdeka – better than Kicking King apparently!
Feckin hound fell while running loose at Clonmel one day.
Good shout. Ballytrim another son of Luso that turned out to be a boat having been talked up by plenty in his bumper days.
Mhic Mocroi of Eric McNamara’s was another horse that was talked up as a world-beater (presumably on his point victories) but never came anywhere near showing it on the track.
Raydan of John Oxx’s yet another that was talked up as a potential Classic prospect but never came within an arse’s roar of pattern class.
I could go on all day really!
Today he won like a proper hurdler, running on well in a race that seemed to be truly run race and certainly din’t look a fluke to me.
Wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. My reading of the race was that he effectively did the others for pace under a finely-judged ride by Slippers Madden in a steadily run affair round a track that probably plays to his strengths.
I would certainly still have serious question marks over his stamina if he were to try his hand over hurdles during the Winter. I don’t think you’d be retiring to The Hamptons backing this horse on Winter ground anyway.
The original NO vote was more of a public show of unhappiness at the current government who have been shown up to be no more than a shower of lying barstewards since the last general election, not least the outgoing Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
I would argue that it was a public show of mass ignorance tbh. Most people admitted they hadn’t a notion what they were voting – it’s hard to blame them from voting no in the circumstances. However, a lot of people made absolutely no effort to understand the treaty (which was never intended to be put to public referendum and is clearly worded as such!) before complaining how the YES campaign (poorly managed though it was) made no effort to explain it.
Just my view fwiw.
What’s the forecast like for the rest of the week?
Were the ground to come up soft, Chomba Womba looks a fair enough price to me at 8’s.
Noland is probably still on the upgrade but he looks a bit soft and he’s got very little pace.
The horse won a Supreme and he’s got "very little pace?"
Not seen the oncourse market but Hurricane Fly was put up by pricewise. That will have been responsible for any move on the early prices (well most of any move).
Cousin Vinny drifted like a barge, Martin. Hurricane Fly was solid in the ring, but I would imagine Donna’s Palm was the best-backed horse in the race.
Cousin Vinny looked like the run would bring him on a lot, but Hurricane Fly looked as if there is improvement to come as well, to my eye at least.
Commentary of the year:
http://www.attheraces.com/VideoConsole/ … 24_02_1440[I forgot what a mistake it is getting involved with a juvenile name caller.
Hilarious.
Perhaps worth noting that they were racing on fresh ground in the Morgiana (and indeed the Morgiana was the first race of the day on the fresh ground). While it was certainly soft ground, it wasn’t a bog by any matter of means.
What I won’t do, is attribute his Cheltenham performance to an ailment which has still not been satisfactorily explained away (imo), or put the last furlong of the Morgiana down to him simply needing the run.
First of all, calm the feck down a bit Fists! No need to get personal!
I must admit I was rather concerned by how quickly he appeared to run out of puff before the last, Grassy, but he runs on again (perhaps keeps on would be a more accurate phrase, in fairness) on the run-in, in the manner of a horse that blew up due to lack of fitness.
I would be a hell of a lot more confident if the stable was wrong at the time, and we could merely put his performance down to the stables form. It may be, of course, but he just didn’t seem to run that sort of race for me.
beats the hell out of me where you get your ideas from
Evidently you just crawled in a hole the first day of last year’s Festival, only to re-emerge with no knowledge of that day’s events….
He was visually impressive alright, GWILSON77, but I’m not sure the form stands up tbh. Big Fella Thanks isn’t a horse I’ve ever particularly liked- just doesn’t convince me with his attitude at all. On the other hand it may simply be that 3 miles around Cheltenham in fairly testing ground is further than he wants. West End Rocker was never jumping with the same fluency as on his debut at Chepstow, and the fact that they were both out on their legs on the run-in simply adds to the belief that both were a ways below the Chepstow form, despite the almost identical collateral form.
It’s a very unsatisfactory event all round, imo, and I won’t be forming too many firm opinions on the back of it.
Agreed.
Sizing Europe still has a lot to prove of course, but I was encouraged by what I saw on Sunday. Bit harsh to say Sizing Europe "folded" off the bridle IMO, Grassy. He actually picked up well after the second last to go clear and turning in, it looked a re-run of last years AIG. I also take significant encouragement from the fact that he was running on again up the run-in, which he certainly didn’t do at Cheltenham.
That said, it’s hard to dispell the nagging doubt that he’s burdened with a long-term problem and, until he comprehensively proves otherwise, that doubt will remain.
If he’s back to his best, he’s an 3/1 shot IMO.
Seems a strange race to take in in the context of a Champion Hurdle campaign.
Very promising horse, though I cannot believe he is favourite for the Champion (or was when I checked on Betfair last night). What piece of form entitles him to win even an average Champion.
If Sizing Europe is back to his best (big if I know), he is a 170 horse IMO and will demolish them. If not, he probably will win if putting up a 155 performance.
Agree with TDK on this one. He’s been a shade keen in his races over hurdles as well, and the (presumably) stronger pace of the Ballymore should help in that regard.
I was really taken by how he picked up again on the run-in when given a flick having just looked to idle a bit after the last (which he didn’t take particularly well anyway). Exciting prospect.
