I'm not saying that the Abbaye and the July Cup, are not quality races, which are hard as hell to win. Just as hard as the King's Stand and the Golden Jubilee. All that I was doing, was pointing out the in this part of the world, the July Cup and the Abbaye have next to no profile. P.S. Bart has been in fine form Swanny. He let rip at the European way of training horses. As you may know mate, he has the German horse Illo in his care. He said that the first thing they had to do was feed the animal. He says that they race 'em too lean over there. The horse has put on 30 or 40 kgs since he started eating for real. He also stated that So You Think looked to light to be at his best. But as you know, those trainers over there don't seem to know their elbows from their bums.
Does the Aussie racing crowd like Cummings Cyc? Just wondering because he seems like a complete arse from everything i've heard!!!
I do not suppose that it occurred to Mr Cummings that the horse might have lost a little weight travelling halfway around the planet to his new home? We have an obesity epidemic in Britain in the human population caused by eating too many pies. By the sounds of it the average Aussie must be as sylph-like as Kylie Minogue but the horses need gastric bands!
We tend to feed our animals more and work 'em harder, thats why we can turn 'em out every week. We breed a man's horse, not those pampered things you like to refer to as racehorses.
He seems a bit like Ferguson in that he cultivates the 'siege mentality': Bart and Australian racing vs the world!
You know, Cyc, it would be daft to argue Bart Cummings' successes in racing, but he could, just could, have made an error with So You Think? Am repeating myself, I know, but do you think that run in the 1-1/4 mile Mackinnon just three days before his terrific effort in the Melbourne Cup would have been the reason for him flattening-out just a bit? Not deteriorating, Christ no, just flattening-out a bit and maybe making him a bit sour? It is an established fact that Australian horses frequently compete in the MC just a couple of days or so after running in a Group 1 at Flemington. Think the horse that beat Purple Moon ( ) ran shortly before winning the MC, trained by Cummings too, if I'm not mistaken. But my argument with SYT is that he was still a young horse, running over a distance he'd never remotely run over before, and on testing ground? To this day, with the aid of hindsight, I believe this was a gross error on the part of the horse's connections. As for his European campaign, he was sent to one of the very best trainers we have over here, not sure whether any other would have done any better? Also, you know, in the biggest races SYT ran in over here, he did not always have the best of luck, in more ways than one. IMHO So You Think is a bloody good racehorse, for sure.
I think the horse was a bit on the young side to contest the race Swanny, but I'm not sure that the Mackinnon was the cause of his defeat. The winner Americain blew them away. His rider went a bit too early as well. He's admitted that his hand was forced in the straight, but he couldn't have beaten the winner. as for the mackinnon, it has been a major lead up to the Cup for donkey's years. I'll have a look into it and try getting some info for you in a few days.
Amongst stayers in Europe, Americain would be considered ordinary on the balance of his form, even though his trainer thinks he is “a really good horse”. Alain De Royer Dupre took him to Melbourne because he is owned by a couple of Aussies who had been plotting to win the race. According to the race report on The Australian website, he had lifted the Geelong Cup less than a fortnight before. Looking at the result, I will assume that 54.5 means that he carried that many kilos. He has been allotted 58 kilos in this year’s renewal and since he missed the Prix Du Cadran on Arc day, I will assume that he has dusted off his passport.
QMII: I think Americain is a very good horse, and a useful stayer with a closing turn of foot. His win in the 12f Geelong Cup was at a distance short of his best, where he just held on by a head to win it from the fast-finishing second. In both the Melbourne and Geelong Cups he was beautifully ridden by Gerald Mosse (who gets the occasional stick in the UK just because he does not ride Goodwood too well!). Sounds from what you say that Americain is going to have another bash at the MC, if so, I'll have a few bob on him!
QM...You are happy to use the ratings system to back up that the current generation of sprinters are poor. Yet you mocked me for saying Prohibit was the best 5f sprinter. Yet the ratings you posted show Prohibit as the number 1 5f horse
