Doesn't mean anything Oddy. Depends how far the stick (or your heel) goes in. Softening the top layer of turf doesn't make it soft going. It's when it gets right into the ground it gets soft. But it makes you wonder how the going can be changed after a race and made official for the next race. Was it the jockeys claiming it was soft and the stewards going out and confirming it but are not allowed to change the official going retrospectively????. The time of the race would seem to indicate it was softer than good to soft. In fact, I notice the official going for the race is GS. But in the Official going for the meeting it says different
I'd agree Ron, he was just so easily put in his place today, even if she's not been as impressive on quick ground I think the gulf in class we saw today was evident.
Ulysses couldnt quicken today like he did in the Eclipse, rarely a horse who loves it rattling like him will be able to do it on that ground today, it was probably the worst ground in 30 years. If there is any horse in the West who can give Enable a race on fast ground its going to be him, the rest are hopeless. The beast from the East will probably have to show them how its done in October.
Enable beat Ulysses four and a half lengths on ground that undoubtedly suited Enable better, with Ulysses carrying a stone more. Enable's turn of foot will be far more devastating on soft ground because of her action. I actually don't think Ulysses finds that much off the bridle, but on good to firm his cruising speed is such that he can be played far later. Crowley now understands this and even admitted that he played him too early in the Eclipse, a win that will maybe get more respect when Barney Roy hoses up in the Juddmonte. Enable is very good, but I don't think there will prove to be a massive gulf in class when she takes on the very best on good ground
Barney Roy still 10/3 with ladbrokes for the Juddmonte. 10 furlongs with that large straight is made for him, only thing that could scupper it is the weather
More nonsense being written again after this race. Enable is not a mud lover, she is just effective on all types of ground. The only evidence anyone has of Enable apparently not being effective on fast ground is her 5 and a half length victory in the Irish Oaks. Where she was practically crossing the line doing hand stands. Probably her easiest victory from a visual point of view. You lot really need to start watching more racing if you think Enable is a soft ground horse. She will win the Arc regardless of what type of ground it is, and there is no way Ulysses will ever get near her, even on rattling fast ground. Just a reminder of how effective Enable is on fast ground too.
If you understand the mechanics of a racehorse, how certain actions thrive better on different kinds of ground, then it's impossible to dispute that Enable's action is better suited to softer ground. She's an incredibly good racehorse so of course she's effective on all types of ground, but with that action she'll be most effective on softer ground, simple as that
Ron, when interviewed after his first race win Ryan Moore said it was soft. I think he said proper soft.
It's called weight for age and sex allowance David. It's the same every year. Are you going to call into question the form of every 3yo winner of the KG&QE and Arc de Triomphe.? Next year they will be carrying the same weight if they both run. Enable would have actually won without the sex allowance
It is impossible to dispute? Yet you never mentioned anything about the horses action, or the high knee action prior to her bolting up on soft ground today. Sounds to me like you are just coming out with the usual cliches people use to sound smart when a horse wins on soft ground. She doesn't even have that high of a knee action, she has a fairly normal gallop. Horses with very high knee actions gallop completely different to Enable. The action of a horse doesn't always tell the full story either, it may give you a clue to how a horse will act on soft or firm ground but it's far from conclusive. All I know is that in Enables 3 G1 victorys, good ground at Epsom, Good to firm at Curragh and good to soft at Ascot. She won the race at the Curragh on good to firm the easiest, and by the furthest distance. So to say she is a soft ground horse, who will struggle on firm, is just the usual nonsense that I should have come to expect from this thread.
Enable probably would have won off level weights today on that ground so wish I didn't mention the weight. I'm not calling into question anything to do with form, I merely stated that if the ground today was good to firm then there is no way she would have won as impressively as she did. With that action she'll be operating at her peak when there's cut in the ground. Ulysses operates at his peak on firmer ground. That could have made 5 lengths + difference in my opinion but we'll never know. Over the coming months/years I think Enable will be beatable on good to firm ground (albeit only up against the very best) and fairly unbeatable on anything with a bit of cut.
She does have a very aggressive front action and on soft going that does give her an advantage over those that simply can't cope with soft going. However she also uses it well on good to firm going, as can be seen in the Irish Oaks. Horses with a very high knee action (very round action) will find that their pounding action on firm ground will cause jarring and, whilst they might perform very well on firm ground, they might find they have long recovery periods, and their racing career curtailed. The "daisy cutters" just find it very difficult to act on soft ground as they don't get their feet into the ground. Enable is a very well balanced horse with neither an exaggerated round action nor an exaggerated "daisy cutter" action, which makes her very versatile as far as ground is concerned. It remains to be seen whether Enable has suffered any long lasting jarring but so far it would seem not given the time lapses between her races. It wouldn't surprise me if she failed to perform to her best on extremes of going and I suspect she will never be asked to.
If I got my kicks by trying to sound smart on an online racing forum then I'd point out that I predicted the 1-2-3 in the eclipse, and the 1-2 in this race
