CONTENTS Reflecting on the festival – PAL Racing What is smart casual – Hacked Up Racing Resurgent Mullins – Danny Archer Interview with festival winner Gina Ellis – Chloe Bachelor Spring has sprung – Polly Rodgers The Iron Horse – Joe Smith Speed Over stamina (Feature) – Grant Copson Remembering two Giants – Danny Archer Foxhunters – Chloe Bachelor Irish Flat Season – Karl Hedley Four for the flat – Harry Allwood Red Rum – Kathryn Trudgeon Grand National Preview – Harry Allwood
Reflecting on the Festival By @PALrcaing Carrying on our reflections on Cheltenham, we are concentrating how some top English based trainers struggled at the Festival. The Potts family must have left Cheltenham wondering the wisdom of their concentration on the Tizzard stable this year after seeing the anninhilation of their string with the exception of FOX NORTON. Our feeling going into the meeting was that the stable had lost their way after the fantastic first half of the season, when they were being talked up as challenging Nicholls and Henderson to be leading trainer.
Cue Card (centre) pic by @mjyharris The exploits of THISTLECRACK, CUE CARD and NATIVE RIVER as well as the likes of ALARY etc. led pundits to forecast that they could replicate Michael Dickinson's famous first five in the Gold Cup. They had 20 runners and their finishing positions were 10th PU 8th PU PU 15th 2nd PU 8th 6th PU 15th(last), their heavily touted good thing at preview nights by Joe Tzzard, SIZING CODELCO, beaten over 50 lengths,10th 7th 3rd Fell 14th 19th 13rd 9th.Unfortunately, with the exception of FOX NORTON,
the Potts runners were the ones populating the Pulled Up brigade. It shows how difficult it is to win at the Festival, when you show your hand, especially with handicappers during the season, but, in this case, it is a safer bet that the horses came into the meeting with a cloud over the stable. This is confirmed by how many were pulled up, which mirrors what had been happening to their horses in the fortnight before the Festival. Although their horses had not been running well going into the Festival, at least, of their three big horses, FOX NORTON was second in the Champion Chase and NATIVE RIVER was a very decent third in the Gold Cup, while CUE CARD fell. Alan King, who arrived at the gig with high hopes, had 23 runners. He had no winners, four placed and his best handicapped horse, COEUR DE LION, sacrificed on the altar of the Triumph rather than running in the Fred Winter off a mark of 133, a mere 20 odd pounds below what is normally needed to win the Triumph, which he knows about, having won it twice before.. DEFI DU SEUIL came to the race with a rating of 155 and his own, MASTER BLUEYES off a rating of 150. Understandably, he had a very tetchy interview before the race on television, when he had a go at people criticising the decision to run him in the Triumph rather than the Fred Winter, saying that if they were not prepared to fork out the 20k+ to keep him training, they put up or shut up. He would have done better to have said that the owners insisted on running him in the race chosen, or, more unlikely, that he thought he was better than MASTER BLUEYES. Actually, if he had said the latter, he would have been correct as he did beat him, but in seventh position. Dan Skelton, often touted as a Champion trainer in waiting, has trained 88 winners this season but ran 12 horses and only TWO TAFFS was placed and the rest are still running. Neil Mulholland is another trainer whose reputation is on an upward curve, came with 12 runners and the best he could do was a 4th, despite having trained 95 winners this year. Nigel Twiston Davies, who has an outstanding record at the Festival with sensibly bought horses at a working man's price, came with his first batch of horses that had been more expensively bought, thanks to the Simon Munir connection. He ran 16, many of whom one would have thought held good chances and, inexplicably, only WHOLESTONE got placed, to suggest his horses might not have been in a good place going into the Festival.
So what is smart casual ? By @HackedUpRacing Over the past few weeks and months I’ve seen questions asked on twitter that you don’t often see. I’ve been to various sporting events in my time and I’ve also been to shows and panto. But I’ve never, I repeat never, felt the need to pick up my phone and ask the world of twitter “what am I aloud to wear?” I’m lucky enough to live a stone’s throw from the best Racecourse in the country, ‘the home of horse racing’. I’ve my tickets booked for the Guineas and when chatting to someone who’s never been before, I was asked this very question. Personally I’ve never really thought about the seemingly draconian stance on dress code. But it seems to have ruffled a few hemlines of late and splits opinion. It would appear that many see this dress code as a way of weeding out the ‘riffraff’ and ‘chavs’. Those who believe that a day at the races is for the ‘movers and shakers’ of our society. But I can tell you now, I’ve seen firsthand the carnage that ensues in the Champagne bar during the Darley Cup day and it wouldn’t look out of place on a stag-doo in Margate. Those who entered the gates at the July course all done up like a dog’s dinner, then Slowly and surely reverting to default, as the level of alcohol rises. I’ve also seen guys wearing ill-fitting suits, who’ve clearly no idea how to tie-atie attempt to order Pimms, only moments away from passing out from the heat. Is this what we want? No. Is this what the dress code is hoping to achieve? No. So does it matter what we wear to the races? Maybe… Would the world stop spinning if I rocked up at the entrance in Jeans and a Tshirt? Obviously it wouldn’t, but you can be sure that I’d not get in. I’d have
stumped up me £50 to get in and no doubt paid that again in transport and a copy of the Racing Post, for nothing. “Sorry you can’t come in looking like that..” Now, I’m not stupid, nor am I writing this to get a reaction (well I am a bit). But if we want to see racing carry on and grow, they need to get in the 21st Century. Or it won’t just be Kempton closing.
I’m not saying come racing and wear what you like. I’m not suggesting they start letting people in wearing a onezie (personally I think anyone who owns one should be ejected in to space, but that’s another story). I just don’t understand why everyone has to be so bloody precious about dress codes. Some of the tweets I’ve seen beggars belief. To suggest that “national Hunt racegoers are better behaved than the rest” was a personal highlight. I saw a video of a man (who I assume was pissed) dive in to a wheelie-bin. I saw a ‘lady’ flash her arse and a man so drunk he puked, all at Cheltenham this year. Maybe these were isolated incidents, but I doubt it.
I’m no prude and if people want to get hammered at the races, who am I to stand in their way. This snobbery and judgemental view on who should and should not be allowed to go racing is bonkers at best.
If I had a pound for every reply I’ve written on twitter, but then deleted before sending, I’d be a very rich man. I try my level best not to get drawn in to these kinds of twitter ‘debates’ as by and large they involve morons who until twitter was invented, were very easy to ignore. Unfortunately Twitter allows anyone with opposable thumbs to cast their opinion upon the world, whether it’s wanted it or not. Most of what I’ve seen regarding this is from those who think a strict dress code is perfectly reasonable. Which is fine if you’re happy to see the sport we love fade away.
Someone once said “you can put a pig in a suit, but it remains a pig”.
Everyone seems to focus on the big meetings such as Royal Ascot and Cheltenham but it’s the dress code at most meeting are much the same. If racing want to attract a younger audience then it must get with the times, or it’s doomed. Personally, I couldn’t care less what people wear to the races, as long as people go to the races. Would I get upset if I saw someone in the Southwold bar in shorts and flipflops if it was 30c outside? No, I doubt I’d even give it a second thought. If things don’t change we will continue to see a slow and steady decline in attendance at the races and then what will I do on a Saturday? Go shopping with the wife… No one wants that…
Resurgent Mullins shows why he's the best in the business By @dannyarcher96 Prior to last month's Cheltenham Festival, I penned an article for the Weighing Room which examined Willie Mullins' chances of success. I concluded by saying that whilst Mullins would be missing real stable-stars, a new battalion would rise to the occasion and provide the Closutton handler with another stellar Festival at Prestbury Park. After two days of the meeting however, Mullins' Festival seemed in disarray. Well-backed Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite Melon could only muster a second-placed finish to Labaik in the Festival curtain-raiser and for many the banker of the meeting and undeniably the jewel in Mullins' Cheltenham squad, Rich Ricci's Douvan, 2/9 favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, was a bitterly disappointing seventh in the two-mile chasing championship. He was subsequently found to be lame behind having suffered a stress fracture.
Douvan who came up short at this years festival pic by @mjyharris However, it's easy to write off a man while he's down and Mullins and his squad issued a triumphant rebuttal on the final two days of the festival, with Ireland's champion Jump trainer and jockey Ruby Walsh teaming up to record a magnificent four-timer on Stayers' Hurdle day with the highlights in particular being Nichols Canyon's game success in the aforementioned three mile Grade One, Yorkhill's spellbinding JLT victory and Un De Sceaux's indefatigable, awe-inspiring and majestic win in the Ryanair Chase. On the final day of the meeting, it was Mullins and second jockey Paul Townend, who invariably has to live in Walsh's shadow at the big meetings, but he got his big day in the sun with a brace aboard Arctic Fire (County Hurdle) and Penhill (Albert Bartlett), thereby providing Mullins with his sixth winner of the week. Mullins just failed to be crowned leading trainer at this year's Festival based on count back, but the moral of the story is never underestimate one of the finest handlers of his generation.
Yes he was without his big stars and yes there were doubts about his emerging talent living up to their prized billing, but Mullins is not one of the best trainer's around for no reason. He faced off adversity directly and roared back to his triumphant best. The man for the big occasion; that's Willie Mullins alright. I mention the notion of count back with the man that beat Mullins being Gordon Elliott, the new star of Irish racing. He will prove a formidable foe to Mullins particularly with the wealth of resources Gigginstown House Stud have pumped into the County Meath handler's yard. He will become Mullins' toughest competitor to date and it will be intriguing to see who comes out on top as both handlers seek to be trained Ireland's Champion Jumps trainer. Whatever happens, Elliott will know he's been in a battle.
Interview with Cheltenham winning Jockey Gina Ellis By @p2pchloeb Kim Muir Chase How did it feel crossing the finish line to win the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase? Very surreal I couldn't believe I'd actually managed to ride a festival winner!
Biggest Career win before your first Cheltenham winner By far the biggest win of my career I have also won the champion hunter chase at Stratford (h&h cup)
Day in the life of Georgina Ellis my daily routine would be get up 6.30 feed at 7 muck out ect.... breakfast 8.30 ride out 9 usually between 3 and 5 lots depending how busy we are , finish 1 back for evening stables 4 in the afternoons I spend time clipping ect... while the girls have a break . Some days I go racing .
Any advice for budding jockeys out there Just keep your head down and work hard if your capable enough the opportunities will be there Thanks to Stuart Edmunds his team and the owner for having faith in me (specially as I'm a girl) and putting me up!
What an amazing day for the team from Fences Farm, Buckinghamshire when Domesday Book sprung a 40/1 shock in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase, the final race on day three at the Cheltenham Festival. The Stuart Edmunds-trained seven-year-old got up close home to deny topweight Pendra (16/1), who appeared set to give owner JP McManus another winner.
Domesday Book was providing amateur jockey Gina Ellis nee Andrews with easily the biggest win of her riding career to date. Stuart Edmunds said: "It's unbelievable, it hasn't sunk in, I think it's as big a surprise to me as everyone else. He was recommended to me by a late friend who died a couple of weeks ago from Roger Brookhouse's�. Andrews said: "This has literally been my lifetime ambition, just to ride here never mind win.
Spring Has Sprung By @PollyRodgers Spring has sprung, we’re on our way to summer… and the Flat is Back! Who’s excited? I know I am! I will be back for my fourth season at Ponte Races as their Owners and Trainers Liaison Rep, absolutely love my job and have missed all the #RacingFamily. There has been some changes taking place with the all new Parade Ring getting a total re-vamp! If you’ve been following the twitter feed @PonteRaces, you’ll have seen how crazy it’s been over the winter period.. and the final touches have been all put in places ready for the first race meeting! There are 16 race meetings this year and some amazing themed racedays something that definitely you won’t want to miss. We have two meetings this April, Our Season Open is on Tuesday 11th April and the first leg of the 2017 Stayers Championship commences! Last year it was won by the great RIPTIDE, for a second time… (who I did end up getting a bit of a soft spot for!) … can they make it a third?
Pontefract Races is known for its ‘Ponte Hill’ that starts three furlongs out, so is always a good track to test the horses and find those superstars for the season. The course was originally 1 and half miles but in 1983 it was converted to a full circuit and is now the longest continuous racing circuit in Europe being at 2m 125yards all round. It’s on our first Monday fixture, the 24th April (Back to School Raceday) that will then feature the Pontefract Marathon, the longest flat race handicap held in Britain!
No matter what raceday you come too, whether it be one in April, May, June, July, August, September or October - you know you will have one great time ! Can’t wait to see you all there! Don’t forget you can checkout all our fixtures on the website > http://www.pontefract-races.co.uk/index.php/2017-race-season/fixturestheme-days See you all soon….. PR-x @PollyRodgers @PonteRaces
The Iron Horse By @Smithyjoe16 After yet another success this past March to add to his growing roll of honour, it is only now that Un De Sceaux is getting the recognition he so rightfully deserves. This enigmatic bay gelding has always had his doubters. I for one was very much in that camp at one point. A lot of that was down to my love and admiration for Sprinter Sacre. I was somewhat blinded you might say and Im sure I wasn’t the only one. So when the Black aeroplane retired, I somewhat stripped the form down from a neutral perspective and thought to myself “ yeah, this Un De Sceaux is a pretty decent animal. After all, coming runner up to possibly the greatest two mile chaser ever isnt a bad thing. In his early days he always seemed to play second fiddle to the so called marquee horses from the Mullins yard. Would he of ran and won a champion hurdle if was at another yard? Most probably yes! Would he of won this years champion chase? Most probably yes! All the talk from Closutton in recent times has always been about Faugheen,Annie Power, Hurricane Fly, Douvan, Min and Yorkhill.
Un De Sceaux pic by @mjyharris While others have had injuries and been wrapped in cotton wool, Un De Sceaux has been the complete opposite. He’s performed and delivered whenever asked time and time again. If Willie Mullins needs a confidence boost or if Ruby needs a smile putting back on his face then UDS has been the go to horse. Arriving at this years Tingle Creek chase, Willie had sent his Iron Horse into battle. How would he react after being beaten comprehensively in his last two big races on UK courses. Again there were doubters. How dare they send the lesser horse Un Des Sceaux instead of Douvan for this lucrative race were the thoughts. Well on this day I was blown away by his toughness and desire to win. Ruby was magnificent in the saddle but the way he dug in to regain the lead from Sire De Grugy was war horse like. Next up was the Clarence House Chase. Ascots loss due to weather was Cheltenham's gain as this Grade 1 chase was rescheduled for a week after on
Festival trials day. So poor UDS travelled over to Ascot only to be returned to Ireland the same day. Back on the ferry a week later to Cheltenham to run. Many horses would of wilted under such strain. Not this lad though as he jumped around Cheltenham with aplomb and came away with ease. He can win dirty but he can also win with class. Momentum was gathering behind UDS and attention turned towards the Cheltenham festival. Douvan was the yards Champion chase horse so it was off to the Ryanair for UDS. 2 and a half mile? Will he stay? Will he handle the predicted quicker ground? You bet he will!!!!! Many will argue but for me this was the performance of the week. If you had to choose a race to showcase national hunt racing and all that it involves then this would be it! From UDS pinging every fence bowling along in front. To the smile on Ruby's face post race. When he took the lead after two fences, the question was asked if he would burn out up the hill. There was no burning out and the jump at the last showed he had plenty left in the tank. “ He’s a cracking little horse”Ruby's says after passing the winning line. This win over 2 and half miles only enhanced his reputation. Un de Sceaux has many strings to his bow. The call for 3 miles wont be far away and I wouldn't put it past him. Two falls, two losses to Sprinter, travel dramas in January and his no prisoner way of running and jumping. Un De Sceaux really is an Iron Horse! He must be a dream to own and train. The team at Willie Mullins have had and still do have some amazing horses who have wrote their name into national hunt folklore. For me though, Un De Sceaux deserves to be right up there and he hasn’t finished yet!
Speed over stamina? By @thefinalflight1 It’s far from a factual statement that speed is superior to stamina and as we all know, every horse must be judged as an individual. However, it may not be purely coincidence that the three winners of the Championship races at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, outside of those contested over two miles (Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase), were won by horses who had previously displayed high-class form over the minimum distance. So, let’s go with the hard evidence from the 2017 festival and start with the Willie Mullins-trained Un De Sceaux, who was mightily impressive under a master class ride by Ruby Walsh in the Ryanair (2m5f). Only beaten once over hurdles where all of his starts over the smaller obstacles in Ireland have been over two miles (he has contested four races in his native France ranging between 2m3f and 3m1f), Un De Sceaux fell on his chasing debut at Thurles when careering away with the almost ever-present Walsh. Victory in the Grade 1 Irish Arkle in February was followed up with impressive displays in the Grade 1 Arkle at Cheltenham and the Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown in what was a novice chase campaign right out of the top drawer. He fell on his first start in open company over fences at Leopardstown but was quickly back on track with a win in the Grade 1 Clarence House at Ascot, before meeting a certain Sprinter Sacre in the Champion Chase and the Celebration Chase (all three over a maximum of 2m1f). This season saw Un De Sceaux victorious in the Tingle Creek before successfully defending his crown in the aforementioned Clarence House. His first start over a trip further than 2m1f over fences came in the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase where after being sent off the 7/4 favourite, he jumped tremendously and put his rivals to the sword. The table below shows the last ten winners of the Ryanair and I have assessed whether I felt the victor had natural speed and whether they had Grade 1 form over two miles prior to winning the race.
RYANAIR CHASE (2m5f) Year
Winner
2016 2015 2014 2013
Vautour Uxizandre Dynaste Cue Card Riverside Theatre Albertas Run Albertas Run Imperial Commander Our Vic Taranis
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Natural speed? Yes Yes No Yes
Grade 1 form over 2 miles? Yes No No Yes
Yes
Yes
No No
No No
No
No
No No
No No
Although the above results are inconclusive due to the winners of the renewals between 2007 and 2011, it is felt that classier horses have been more regularly campaigned for the Ryanair in recent years and that has led to three of the last five winners having Grade 1 form over two miles, with four out of the five possessing natural speed. Both the ill-fated Vautour (2016) and Cue Card (2013) may have been top-class two mile chasers in different eras. The former was a winner of the Supreme Novices Hurdle (2m1f) and if his stable wasn’t represented by Un De Sceaux in the following season’s Arkle, then Vautour may well have lined up in that prestigious two mile event himself. Cue Card, the winner of the 2010 Champion Bumper, did in fact take his chance in the Arkle (2012) but he bumped into a certain Sprinter Sacre at the peak of his powers and he was simply unbeatable when at his imperious best. Moving swiftly on and ex-flat racer Nichols Canyon, another battalion who resides at Mullins’ Closutton base, was a taking winner of the Stayers Hurdle in 2017 where the hot favourite Unowhatimeanharry (5/6) failed to win his ninth consecutive race since joining the Harry Fry stable. Rated 111 on the level, the Graham Wylie-owned seven-year-old made a smooth transition to obstacles by comfortably scoring in a maiden hurdle before winning a Grade 1 on his next start, of course over the minimum distance. He unseated his rider
in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novices’ Hurdle before getting back on track with victory in the Deloitte (2m2f). He contested the Neptune at the 2015 festival where after racing too freely, he could only finish third behind Windsor Park. Two more Grade 1 wins at Aintree and Punchestown (2m4f) completed a superb first season over timber where Nichols Canyon notched up four top level successes. His second season over hurdles started with a bang as he floored the reigning Champion Hurdler, Faugheen, in the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle. He followed up in the Ryanair Hurdle over the festive period, showing real tenacity to get back up to beat another high-class performer in the shape of Identity Thief. He kept very good company in his four runs between that win at Leopardstown and his next victory (including a good third in the 2016 Champion Hurdle) where he beat Jer’s Girl to retain his Morgiana Hurdle crown. Two more starts over two miles when behind the rapidly improving Petit Mouchoir (2nd and fell) probably didn’t strike many as the ideal preparation for a tilt at the Stayers Hurdle, but Mullins had stated that the gelding hadn’t been pleasing at home and he was only confirmed for the race late on. Held up in the rear in the hands of Walsh, Nichols Canyon travelled within himself throughout the race on only his second start over three miles (he raced over this trip in USA) and although he still had plenty of rivals to pass turning into the straight, he appeared to be full of running. Once Walsh asked his mount a serious question, he stayed on powerfully to get the better of Lil Rockerfeller on the drive to the line. The table below shows the last ten winners of the Stayers Hurdle and I have again assessed whether I felt the victor had natural speed and whether they had Grade 1 form over two miles prior to winning the race.
STAYERS HURDLE (3m) Year
Winner
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Thistlecrack Cole Harden More Of That Solwhit Big Buck’s Big Buck’s Big Buck’s Big Buck’s Inglis Drever Inglis Drever
Natural speed? Yes Yes No Yes No No No No Yes Yes
Grade 1 form over 2 miles? No No No Yes No No No No Yes Yes
When assessing the last ten winners of the Stayers Hurdle, one has to be careful at getting too hung up on trends as six of the last ten renewals were won by two horses (Inglis Drever and Big Buck’s). One thing that is most notable is that I feel that all of the winners of this race barring Big Buck’s and More Of That did possess natural speed. Inglis Drever was second in the Fighting Fifth before winning a Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock (G2) and the Kingwell (G2) en route to winning his first Stayers in 2007. Big Buck’s was a close call as to whether he possessed natural speed, but given that he often hit a flat spot in the middle of his races when the pace increased tells me that he was certainly more of a stayer than a speedster. Solwhit was very similar to Nichols Canyon in that he was a high-class two miler and if it wasn’t for the brilliant Hurricane Fly then he would have been the superstar hurdler of his generation. The switch to the Stayers Hurdle in 2013 was a stroke of genius by his trainer Charles Byrnes and it is a great shame that he died during a gallops accident because he had more to give as a stayer in the UK and Ireland. More Of That, Cole Harden and Thistlecrack didn’t reach the heights of the likes of Inglis Drever and Solwhit before scoring in this race, but in their defence, they were much more lightly raced. Given that Cole Harden is able to blaze off in front in his races and put a lot of his ‘slower’ rivals under pressure from a long way out, tells me that he possesses plenty of speed and had he have taken to the larger obstacles, he wouldn’t have been out of place in an Arkle (My Way
De Solzen won the Stayers Hurdle before winning the Arkle). Although Thistlecrack was beaten in a handicap off a mark of 135 over two miles, there is no doubt that he has improved drastically and it is hard to quantify whether or not that is solely due to the step up in trip or whether he has benefitted from the time that he has been given to progress physically. The way that he raced during his first season as a chaser tells me that he has a lot of natural speed and if he was to drop back in trip then I believe he would be just as effective. It isn’t entirely conclusive, but I think he possesses a real blend of speed and stamina. More Of That is completely unproven at trips shorter than 2m4f (he won a low grade maiden hurdle over 2m1f) and he has always struck me as much more of a stayer than a speedy type. Similarly to Solwhit, it was a touch of class by Jonjo O’Neill to train him perfectly for this race in 2014 and in defeating a subsequent Champion Hurdle winner in the form of Annie Power, I’d have to conclude that he simply outstayed the mare. Sizing John had been the proverbial bridesmaid at the previous two festivals when chasing home Douvan in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2015) and Arkle Novices’ Chase (2016) but he had his moment in the sun when landing the most prestigious race of all, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Stepping up to three miles for the first time when winning the Irish Gold Cup a month earlier, there were still many people who questioned his ability to stay the 3m2f of Cheltenham’s showpiece after reports that the aforementioned Leopardstown contest was run at a false pace. However, the Jessica Harrington-trained gelding travelled sweetly for Robbie Power, jumping superbly throughout. One of the most notable traits that Sizing John possesses is the speed that he is able to jump at. He leapt out of Power’s hands on numerous occasions during the race and the manner in which he landed galloping took lengths out of his rivals time after time. His ability to move through the contest so well was Kauto Star-esque and in scoring in this race on only his second try at such a trip was mind boggling. It may have looked to the untrained eye that it was Sizing John’s stamina that won him the day, but I believe he saved so much energy due to his high cruising speed that at the point where many of his rivals were running on empty, he simply had a tank full of petrol and was subsequently able to burn his rivals away up the hill with a devastating turn of foot.
The table below shows the last ten winners of the Gold Cup and I have followed the same analysis technique to judge whether I felt the victor had natural speed and whether they had Grade 1 form over two miles prior to winning the race. GOLD CUP (3m2f) Year
Winner
2016 2015
Don Cossack Coneygree Lord Windermere Bobs Worth Syncronised Long Run Imperial Commander Kauto Star Denman Kauto Star
2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Natural speed? No No
Grade 1 form over 2 miles? No No
No
No
No No No
No No No
No
No
Yes No Yes
Yes No Yes
The evidence in the above table is conclusive that Sizing John actually bucked a trend in 2017 and following speedy horses in the Cheltenham Gold Cup would arguably be a mistake moving forward. The only other horse who I feel possessed natural speed and had Grade 1 form over the minimum trip in the last ten years was Kauto Star, but I would always be cautious in following trends when a superstar is the only horse to meet certain stats and Kauto Star was certainly that. The only argument against the fact that the majority of the winners of the Gold Cup in recent years haven’t be blessed with natural speed is that trainers rarely give horses like Sizing John the opportunity to step up in trip and without Douvan, Harrington may have never tested her gelding over staying distances either. In addition, Cue Card who certainly has natural speed in abundance was travelling well when coming to grief in the 2016 renewal and Thistlecrack, who was a hot favourite for this season’s race before being ruled out with injury, has an awful lot of natural speed for a stayer too. Cue Card’s opportunity to win this race has probably passed now, but
Thistlecrack may be the biggest threat to Sizing John in 2018. Can he be another to enhance the speedsters stats in the Gold Cup? It is almost certain that natural speed was a key element to the three performances in question at the festival in 2017. However, a very good counter argument would be One Man. The 1996 King George winner was unsuccessful in two Cheltenham Gold Cups (1996 and 1997) before landing the Champion Chase over two miles in 1998. He is the perfect example of a horse who was blessed with natural speed but who connections perhaps forced to run over staying trips in search of National Hunt racing’s Blue Riband. Although the 2017 renewal of the Gold Cup proves otherwise, there is no doubt that it is a very specialised test of a horses ability to stay and with that in mind, along with the stats for the Gold Cup listed above, speed is certainly not guaranteed to come to the fore in this particular race. Based on my speed over stamina theory, there are a few horses that may be worth siding with moving forward. Yanworth was extremely disappointing in the Champion Hurdle after winning recognised trials on the lead up to the festival. Having always been a believer that he was blessed with a lot of speed, I don’t think that he ran his race in the day one feature. I am under no illusions that he would have won the race had he showed up in the same form as when winning the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, but on all known form he was most definitely below par. He will be an exciting recruit to fences next season and although the Arkle may be the first thought on a lot of people’s minds, he could be perfectly suited to the JLT where he can use his natural speed to his advantage against his opposition that will likely include staying types. I agreed with the majority of people that Altior wasn’t as impressive as we expected him to be on first viewing but having watched it back, I believe that he had Charbel well and truly covered at the time of that rival coming down and he appears to have a perfect blend of speed and stamina to me. He will more than likely stick to two miles in the short term, but he would be one to side with if his connections do decide to step him up in trip. His wins in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2016) and Arkle Novices’ Chase (2017) mean that he already boasts extremely high-class form over the minimum trip. The King George would seem an ideal race for Nicky Henderson’s charge.
Douvan unfortunately sustained a pelvis injury during the Champion Chase and it was clear as day from an early stage that he wasn’t jumping with his usual fluency. Mullins was waxing lyrical about this gelding even before he won the 2015 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and assuming that he makes a full recovery from his injury, he will be back competing at the highest level next season. Based on what he has already achieved, he will take the world of beating in the two mile division but the prospect of him stepping up in trip is fascinating. He has a high-class level of form in the book (including beating subsequent Gold Cup winner Sizing John on numerous occasions), and given that he settles and jumps particularly well, I would have no concern about him staying intermediate trips at least. The fourth and final horse to follow using my speed over stamina theory, if and when he steps up in trip, is Yorkhill. His jumping had flattered to deceive prior to contesting the JLT Novices’ Chase at the 2017 festival but he was simply dynamite on what turned out to be Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh Thursday. There is something about this flashy chestnut that makes you keep your eyes on him the whole way around and his exuberance is there for everyone to see. I would be concerned that he races too freely to contest a Gold Cup at this stage, but I do expect him to calm down as he gets more experience and he arguably has more ability than any other horse in training at present. He jumped with aplomb in the JLT and that’s one huge positive when he steps up in trip. I have no doubt that this gelding has the natural speed to contest a Champion Chase or even a Champion Hurdle if connections decide to go back over timber but that speed is predicted to be the thorn in his opponents side when he races over longer distances. In conclusion, it would appear that natural speed is very important and given that there is so much emphasis on stamina in all of the three races in question, the horses that possess the all important natural speed will often be overlooked in the market. Class is obviously an important factor too. Horse racing can often be over complicated when in simple terms, all things being equal; the fastest horse will win the race. When asking yourself the question “will he/she stay”, it is also worth asking yourself whether you think that the horse in question is much better than the level of race that they are contesting. In my opinion,
class will rise to the top more times than not and therefore if a high-class horse is stepping up in trip for the first time, they may be worth siding with. Clearly the ground is an important factor when a race is being assessed and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see horses like Un De Sceaux, Nichols Canyon and Sizing John beaten over the same trips that they won over at Cheltenham when facing softer ground conditions. Although Un De Sceaux relishes plenty of give in the ground and the other two horses will handle it too, there would be much more emphasis on stamina if the ground was soft or heavy. Not only would their speed be stunted, they will also be facing horses who will improve significantly for what can often be an attritional test of stamina. The speed over stamina theory may be worth forgetting when races are run on bad ground. Perhaps 2017 was an oddball year in that the Ryanair, Stayers Hurdle and Gold Cup were all won by horses who boasted high-class form over two miles earlier on in their careers. Though, there is no doubt that the theory will continue to be put to the test at future festivals and given that so many National Hunt fans and punters alike are drawn to horses with staying traits over those with natural speed, you may be rewarded by following the classy speedsters that are re-routed to staying races.
Reve De Sivola and Knockara Beau - Remembering two staying hurdle giants By @dannyarcher96 The Edinburgh Gin Handicap Hurdle looked on paper just another Saturday staying hurdle contest. Run over three miles and two furlongs at picturesque Kelso, the Class Two event boasted a hybrid of progressive younger stayers including the winner Big River and also one of the stars of Northern racing, Sandy Thomson's Seeyouatmidnight. This was coupled with two legends and I don't use the term lightly in Nick Williams' 12-year-old Reve De Sivola and George Charlton's 14-year-old Knockara Beau who were also partaking in the contest. However, horse racing and National Hunt racing in particular can be the greatest thrill in the world, but also one of the toughest games around. Sadly on Saturday, that image was shown to be all too true when Reve De Sivola sadly collapsed after being pulled up before the final flight by James Reveley and subsequently died. I have to admit, I loved Reve De Sivola. He boosted my bank balance on many occasions but more importantly, I was constantly transfixed by his attitude towards a three-mile staying hurdle. He was the horse everyone would love to own - a front-runner who never gave in, who attacked every hurdle as if his life depended on it and then when asked to go and win his race by a succession of jockeys including Reveley, Richard Johnson and Daryl Jacob, would find more and more and then a bit more for his partner. Trained by Nick Williams and owned by the Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership, the son of Assessor was six-time Grade One winner, earning over ÂŁ600,000 in prize-money and will always be remembered for his fondness of Ascot's Long Walk Hurdle. Successful in the Grade One event three times, the combination of soft ground and an expansive, open track like Ascot brought out the best qualities.
What also appealed to me about the gelding was his dislike of fences. Williams' charge ran 11 times over the larger obstacles and won just once. He looked the type of horse who would love fences particularly given the way he jumped over hurdles but it was timber that was his first love and it would be over hurdles where his career would sadly come to a premature end. No horse deserves to go like he did but we can take solace that he sadly died doing what he loved. Soft ground, three miles, front-running, Reve De Sivola; what a horse. In an amazing twist of fate, Knockara Beau, the apple of his trainer George Charlton's eye was retired after being pulled up in the same race under regular rider Jan Faltejsek, who rode the gelding on all but 10 of his career starts. A winner of 11 of his 58 starts and earning over ÂŁ240,000 in prize-money, the son of Leading Counsel's finest hour came in the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January 2014, in which he stayed on stoutly up the Cheltenham hill to get the better of Rebecca Curtis' At Fishers Cross, ridden by a certain Sir Anthony McCoy by a short-head, with four-time Stayers' Hurdle winner Big Buck's back in third. Bought by the Charlton's for ÂŁ9,000, the gelding also finished fourth in the 2010 RSA Chase, sixth in the 2012 and seventh in the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup's. Pulled up in the 2016 Stayers' Hurdle, Knockara Beau ran a phenomenal 22 times at Cheltenham. Ironically, the gelding won on his rules debut at Kelso in a bumper event back in 2008. It was therefore quite fitting that is career finished at the Scottish track on Saturday. Old heroes like Reve De Sivola and Knockara Beau are what makes National Hunt racing so special. Whilst in flat racing, superstars may only be witnessed for two years, jump horses come back year after year procuring an evergrowing fan base which makes these established veterans of the game horses that we become attached to. Whilst Knockara Beau can now hopefully look forward to a long and happy
retirement, it's just a shame that Reve De Sivola will not be able to enjoy the same thing. Racing's a great yet cruel game at times and Nick Williams, his team and the legion of fans that loved 'Reve' will all miss him dearly. Reve De Sivola; thanks for the memories. I'll miss you old pal.
Foxhunters Chase By @p2pchloeb What an amazing day for Bryony Frost and Pacha Du Polder.. Last years Foxhunter Chase winner On the Fringe has been beaten in the Foxhunters Chase by 16/1 shot Pacha Du Polder, ridden by Bryony Frost. The Paul Nicholls 10-year-old beat second favorite Wonderful Charm (7/2) on the line to land the prize. Trainer Nicholls said: “Everyone always expects plenty this week; it’s been an amazing week. “Saphir Du Rheu in the Gold Cup (fifth) gave me an amazing buzz and for young Bryony to ride him like that is great. “She’s Jimmy’ Frosts daughter and to give these young girls chances is great.” Bryony Frost said: “It’s hard to describe, it’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ve watched people ride winners here, but to actually be here in this enclosure is amazing. “To jump the last and know you’re still travelling – and he tried all the way. “I saw the head of Wonderful Charm and all I could think was ‘don’t deny me today’. “I couldn’t have asked for a better run, maybe a bit more forward but I’ve only been here once before and got a bit left at the start. “This horse travelled, he jumped and he stayed on. He tried his heart out. Well done to both girls and everyone who had runners at Cheltenham 2017, what an amazing week of highs and lows..Cant wait till next year..
Irish Flat Season – Opening Day Review By @KarlHedley1 The sun may have been splitting the trees at Naas on what was the opening day of the Irish flat season but it wasn’t enough to stop the ground from being officially described as soft to heavy. After its winter hiatus, there was an air of anticipation as the first juveniles of the season lined up for the opener. Kevin Prendergast, Adrian Keatley and Jim Bolger are well renowned for their abilities to produce first time out winners, so it was no surprise when their three runners occupied three of the first five places. Moonlight Bay was easy to back in the market due to the money coming for the favourite in Royal Diplomat and being by Pivotal he was always going to relish these testing conditions. Held up just off the pace which was set by My Silver Nails and Royal Diplomat, he struck for home inside the final furlong and won going away. It was a solid performance and connections will be hoping that there is more to come on similar ground in the weeks to come. Michael O’ Callaghan was responsible for the favourite in the following maiden. Ma Fee Heela was another that was well punted newcomer and in fairness ran well for a long way and stayed on to be runner up. Aiden O’Brien is not known for sending out early season winners making their reappearance but that is exactly what happened here. Alphabet had tried on four previous occasions last season to get his head in front without success. With a winter over him and plenty of experience to call upon he was given a peach of a ride by Ana O’Brien and made all of the running winning by almost half a dozen lengths in the end. His confidence will have been boosted by that and he will be ready for a step up in class in the near future. There was plenty of British interest in the opening handicap of the new season with Keith Dalgleish and Richard Fahey sending runners across the Irish Sea. Both were squarely out of luck though as the talented Ger Lyons made a fantastic start to his season taking not just this race but also the main event in the Irish Lincolnshire. His representative here was Gymkhana who was a smart colt in his native France winning a race at Saint-Cloud and finishing runner up in races at Chantilly and Fontainebleau. In the Irish
Lincolnshire, Brendan Brackan was allowed to go off at a double figure price even given the exploits of the yard earlier. This is ground that he relished and he streaked clear of a large field in the closing stages. He enjoyed a profitable season back in 2013 and he looked to be back to somewhere near that level here. The same trainer and owner also managed to fill third place (Sea Wolf) in this wide open handicap showing how forward their runners are at this time of the year. In what was reminiscent of years gone by, it wouldn’t be an opening day if the Stack family hadn’t of managed to get on the scoresheet at some stage. Fozzy took over from dad Tommy at the Tipperary yard and he got his training career off to a fine start following the success of Gino Sevirini. The three year old was only going to improve with age and having run with credit as a juvenile last season, he was clearly suited by this wet and sticky ground. It looked as though he was under pressure at the half way point, but he responded well to the urgings of Chris Hayes. Hailstone has had a busy season on the all-weather at Dundalk so had a fitness edge on quite a few of these and finished second. Zelaniya who finished third hadn’t been seen since last October and she looks a nice prospect for Dermot Weld and the Aga Khan as the season progresses. The card was rounded off by a decent looking maiden and most top yards were represented. It was one-way traffic though as the Aiden O’Brien trained Orderofthegarter led from the start. It was soon clear that Ana O’ Brien has established too big of a lead in order to be caught and with ground running out the son of Galileo never broke a sweat. He shed his maiden tag at the third time of asking giving the yard and the jockey healthy doubles on the day. If the rest of the season is as good as the action delivered at Naas on the opening day, Irish racing fans are in for a treat. Karl Hedley
Four to Follow for the Flat Season By @H_Allwood1 Swiss Storm – David Elsworth Far too green for his own good at Haydock on his racecourse debut where he went off a well backed favourite. Quickly made amends for that at Newbury next time out though where he still ran green and pulled hard during the race (and on the way to post) but ran out a comfortable winner in the end. Didn’t post the best time in the world that day nor has the form really been franked but still looked in need of the experience. Holds an entry in the 2000 Guineas and there should be plenty more to come from this son of Frankel this season.
Harry Angel – Clive Cox Already a winner of a Group 2, Harry Angel created a big impression in two starts last season. Looked unlucky not to win on his debut at Ascot, running on well late on after pulling hard early. Bolted up in a Group 2 on his next start (again pulled hard) and the form of that race has worked out well. Clearly held in high regard, the 2000 Guineas could well be the target for him but he looks to have plenty of speed so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was kept over sprint distances throughout the season.
To Be Wild – Hugo Palmer Ran a promising race in a hot Newmarket maiden and clearly picked up a problem or two as he wasn’t seen for over 300 days after. Readily won a maiden on his comeback run and then bolted up afterwards in a handicap at Doncaster off a mark of 93. He’s clearly had his problems as he’s a four-yearold who’s only run three times in his career but looks to be going places and can continue the progression this season providing he stays injury free.
New Caledonia – Mark Johnston Has gradually improved throughout his career and the step up in trip to 1m4f
clearly helped last season. Finished a good second to Scarlet Dragon (who improved dramatically last season) in a competitive handicap on his last start. There should more improvement left in New Caledonia over 1m4f or further this season and is likely to remain competitive in similar handicaps.
Red Rum – The Big 40 By @writeforracing Every year since the first running of the Grand National in 1839, the winner’s name is added to the long roll of honour which bears testament to the remarkable athletes, equine and human, victorious in the ultimate test of horse and rider. But there’s only one among them whose name appears three times, and this year marks the fortieth anniversary of that historic achievement. The story of Red Rum is the fairy tale which transcended the boundary of sport, the horse who outshone Black Beauty to become a national treasure and an A-list celebrity, but it was an unpromising set of circumstances which resulted in the happiest of endings. A chance encounter between a second-hand car salesman and an octogenarian lead to the greatest legend in the history of racing. As a young lad in 1906, Noel Le Mare was working as a fitter in Fleetwood when he set himself three ambitions: to become a millionaire, marry a beautiful girl, and win the Grand National. Having successfully achieved his first two ambitions, he was widowed and in his 80s, and had all but given up on the third, when he met a taxi driver who’d set himself up as a racehorse trainer. Ginger McCain’s stables were behind his second-hand car showroom in Birkdale, the sands of Southport Beach offering the only space where he could exercise his horses. Ginger and Noel discovered a mutual love of horse racing, and a shared ambition to win the Grand National. As their friendship developed, Ginger tried to persuade Noel to buy a horse for him to train. Noel initially resisted but, after months of persuasion, he changed his mind and the dream of fulfilling his third ambition was rekindled. Ginger now had to find the ‘one good horse’ he’d always yearned for.
Bred to be a miler, not a staying chaser, Red Rum had already clocked up above-average mileage on the racecourse as a flat racer when Ginger spotted him in the catalogue for the Doncaster sales. He remembered seeing him dead-heat over five furlongs at Aintree as a two-year-old. Ginger worked out that, based on the value of the races he’d won, he was already eligible for the Grand National. Adept around the sales ring after all the motor auctions he’d been to over the years, Ginger successfully bid for Red Rum and unknowingly sealed the best deal of his life. But jubilation in the new purchase was short lived. In his first exercise session on the beach, Red Rum was found to be lame and was diagnosed with pedalostitis, a potentially career-ending foot disease. Remembering how he’d watched sea water cure the shrimpers’ broken-down horses as a boy, Ginger prescribed regular trips into the sea and the old remedy worked. Red Rum was sound and ready to race. He won his first Grand National in 1973, reeling in the front running Crisp who had a twenty-five length lead at one point, only to be caught by ‘Rummy’ on the line. A year later he lined up again, this time carrying top weight, and became the first horse since 1936 to achieve a Grand National double. He was second in his appearance at Aintree in 1975 and 1976 and returned in 1977 for what would be his final tilt at the big one. Now at the age of twelve there were those who doubted whether he should be lining up at all and instead were calling for him to be retired. But they were about to eat their words. Carrying top weight and with a winning margin of twenty-five lengths, Red Rum sprinted from the elbow to the finish line, fulfilling his ninety-year-old owner’s third ambition for the third time. Sir Peter O’Sullevan called him home on that memorable afternoon, his voice rising with excitement as he sensed history in the making, ‘they’re willing him home now, the twelve-year-old Red Rum. He’s coming up to the line to win it like a fresh horse in great style. It’s hats off and a tremendous reception. You’ve never heard one like it at Liverpool. Red Rum wins the National’. Retired on the eve of the 1978 Grand National due to an injury, Red Rum lived a long and happy retirement making frequent public appearances racecourse parades, switching on the Blackpool illuminations, opening supermarkets and betting shops, attending garden parties. He even appeared live on the BBC Sports Review of the Year, taken up to the studio in a lift. As
Ginger always said, he was a true professional. Laid to rest at the winning post at Aintree after his death at the grand old age of 30, he lies peacefully while the thud of hooves and roar of the crowd each year signals another new name to be added to the roll of honour. The list of names may grow, but the race itself will only ever belong to Red Rum.
Randox Health Grand National Preview By @H_Allwood1 Currently heading the betting for this prestigious race is Vieux Lion Rouge who is 2 from 2 this season with the first of those wins coming over these fences in the Becher Chase. He faded into 7th in this race last year but his trainer David Pipe has reported that he’s grown up a lot this season and has had the perfect preparation for this race. Barry Geraghty has chosen to ride More Of That who has plenty of class having won the World Hurdle back in 2014. He’s had plenty of problems during his career but ran respectably in the Gold Cup last time out. A sound jumper, this sort of test may well suit him these days. Geraghty could have ridden three-time festival winner Cause Of Causes, the latest of those victories being the Cross Country Chase. He disappointed in this race a couple of years ago but was only 7 at the time. My worry with him is that he will get too far back like he did on his first attempt and has never run well after winning at the Festival. Arguably the best handicapped horse in this race is Definitely Red who is 10lb well in having bolted up in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster last time out. He can make the odd mistake but he has reportedly schooled well over the national fences recently and should stay the trip on this ground. He should go close if he avoids mishaps.
Second behind Definitely Red in the Grimthorpe was The Last Samuri who went close in this race last year when finishing second off a mark of 149. Runs off 161 this time and, although he’s been in good form again this season, it will be an incredible performance if he was able to win off his career high mark. Nigel Twiston-Davies has a good record in this race and his only runner this year is the previous RSA Chase winner Blaklion. He was runner-up behind the favourite at Haydock on his most recent start. At the weights, there shouldn’t be much between them on that form. He’s improving and has plenty of class but can do too much in the early part of his races which is a worry and he’ll need to settle early on if he is to see out this trip. Flying the flag for Scotland is One For Arthur and he ticks plenty of boxes having run a promising race in the Becher Chase before landing the Betfred Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick. Looks certain to stay this trip, has the all important experience over the national fences and seems versatile with regards to the ground. Paul Nicholls has always held Saphir Du Rheu in high regard and I thought he ran a cracking race in the Gold Cup. 2m4f was on the sharp side for him the time before in a hot handicap at Cheltenham on Trials Day where he was staying on well at the finish. Shapes as though he will stay this trip and is also 6lb well in. One at a bigger price who could go well is Perfect Candidate for the Fergal O’Brien team. A solid jumper, he’s improved again this season and bolted up at Exeter in February carrying top weight. There’s every reason to believe he will stay the trip and is sure to be ridden up with the pace.
1) Definitely Red 2) One For Arthur 3) Saphir Du Rheu 4) Perfect Candidate