That's what I was thinking, he did seem ill at ease very early on, I didn't put much pass on it in real time as he can hit the odd flat spot but I was thinking there could be more to it than the ground when i watched the replay - hence why i asked was he injured. I hope he is OK and does get to come back and prove his well being. Nicky has often sent them over to Punchy so maybe they can all go at it again there.
Did the clerk ruin the course by watering? Couldn't believe the state of it when I tuned in today. That rain had passed over us here in Ireland during last night like but it wouldn't have caused the ground to get that bad. I know he has to make the decision, but it back fired. Likely cost Tiger Roll in the end too.
I just don’t get this business about “the ground” at Cheltenham. A few years ago, pundits were saying that the Irish are winning more races because they’re more used to running their horses on heavier ground than English trainers. I can’t remember- going back to the fifties, sixties, and seventies- top trainers even concerned about running their stars on testing going, let alone pulling them out. For instance, Tom Dreaper never moaned about Arkle, Flyingbolt, etc, having to give up to 42 lbs in top handicaps run on fetlock deep going. Nowadays, trainers don’t even want to run them in handicaps, and very often don’t want to run them at level weights on very soft ground. It’s just another excuse for keeping horses in deeper cotton wool! Much as I admire Nicky Henderson, his excuse for Shiskin’s showing resting on the going- before he’d jumped a fence- is risible. Yes, there maybe another reason but never the ground so early in a race for a top horse! What stands out about this year’s Festival is the lack of both quantity AND quality. Yesterday’s Supreme and National Hunt Cup; today’s Ballymore ; tomorrow’s Turners and Ryanair. All deplorable in overall quality and quantity. The authorities really need to take a closer look at where National Hunt Racing is going. Personally I don’t like what I see.
That’s the big question. I would be surprised if it was any better than heavy winter ground at the start of the day. The different course should help and hopefully they didn’t overwater the course. I’m predicting it’ll be classed as soft ground by Friday
You're going to love when it goes to a 5 day event. We will have 4 runner graded races. Actually we already have one of them up first tomorrow. It's sad, but money talks.
STH, in that case I’ll have to enter the race and pick up some prize money. Sadly, though, my form figures do not inspire much confidence…. PPPPPR….P-ssed Off, P-ssed Off, P-ssed Off, P-ssed Off, P-ssed Off, Refused to race.
It isn't a new thing with the watering and ground though is it? I remember backing Harchibald ante post for the Champion Hurdle the year after he found nothing against Hardy Eustace in the last 50 yards. With a week to go the ground was good-soft and drying further and I was really optimistic until Claisse dumped about 15mm of water on the track and the going was closer to soft by the off.
Watering day to day seems a newer thing. Doing it so close to racing is dangerous if you get 20mm of rain like we did yesterday
Oddy I was was staying in town. The rain was forecast for the hole day and I rained overnight on Tuesday. It seems everyone except the clerk of the course saw the forecast.
Claisse used to get his forecasts from John Ketley ( he’s a weatherman and so is Michael Fish). Has the new guy dumped the Ketleymeister? We should be told.
