Didn't see how many legs the Stoke cloggers broke today...was going to go high..anybody know? ****ing affront to football.
I thought Matt Chapman expressed a reasonable opinion regarding Oscar Whisky on ATR. He suggested that he is actually a Champion Hurdle horse and should be ridden like Make a Stand was in leading and kicking very early and opening up all the way to the line. He did not suggest he would definitely win but was stating the case to make the point that he felt were this horse trained by anyone other than Henderson that this would be given a shot, but due to his riches he will not encourage it. I am of the view he probably would not succeed but would have a great chance of a place and should one or two others hit a fence he could nick it. I think worse horses than Oscar Whiskey have won the champion. What was also good to see was how he really let an e mailer have it for suggesting if he knew what he was talking about he would be training as many horses as Nicky Henderson. He rightly argued it is possible to have a reasonable opinion without being a trainer of horses. It used to drive me mad when ever someone would criticise a jockey for what he percieved as a poor ride someone would say, How many winners have you ridden as if no opinion could have merit unless you had ridden as a jockey. I know Matt Chapman polorises opinion but I am a supporter of his for sure, I would rather have someone like him expressing opinions they genuinly hold rather than some of the presenters who are terrified to ever put their real thoughts out there even when witnessing obvious opinion warrenting events on and off the track. Mick Fitzgerald is driving me to distraction lately as I cannot work out what he is bringing.
Blue fair comment. He stated the running of a certain horse today at Lingfield did nothing for the integrity of racing.I agree, The problem with the insipid and impotent Fitzgerald et al is that they never challenge anything..."..it was disappointing,unfortunate,unlucky etc.." C4's new saccharin remit is not to investigate,interrogate,invigilate,inquire or examine...merely to slurp,gush and patronise. Balding and her less rotund lackies are perfect specimens for such a nauseating PR exercise. I really don't have an opinion on this tbh.
To be fair Dex, horse racing journalism (especially on the "front line" of TV coverage) has traditionally tended to ignore the unpleasant underbelly of the sport ............... be it non-triers, passing of information, general nobbling or any one of the multitude of semi-legal practices which go on in the sport. At the end of the day, their livelihood depends on a thriving sport and their main remit is to increase popularity. Somewhat flies in the face of what Channel4 purport to stand for, but I guess we should be grateful for mainstream racing coverage at the end of the day. Lack of competition from other channels reduces the need for Channel 4s coverage to be anything more than just coverage.
Good point Oddy. I'm being a bit harsh...I'm sure behind closed doors they opine like us and the rest of people who care about the sport.
Dex - it's a difficult balance. If they criticise and point out possible skullduggery they will end up with wirts galore and a host of trainers and connections refusing to co-operate. And let's face it - we all love it when a trainer comes on and tells us the toal opposite to what they're really intending as it gives us soemthing to rant about on here!
Oscar Whisky is not a 3m horse. He lost by a neck but only his class got him that close. If he is a 2 and a half mile Aintree specialist, then he is a 2m Champion Hurdle prospect at Cheltenham. How many times do we have to prove that horses who stay 2 and half tend to be exceptional over the stiff, unique 2m of Prestbury Park? Cannot believe for the life of me that they have Binocular entered up in Champion Hurdles and not Oscar Whisky. And that nutty as a sack owner who seems intent on winning a Welsh Champion hurdle and Aintree hurdle- the equivent of winning Tomato and Basil Soup and Vanilla Ice Cream while everyone else takes off with your Roast Beef dinner- the one that matters. And this cobblers about him running in a Champion if it came up soft- why isnt he at Leopardstown tomorrow then?
Toppy I was thinking this evening about who pulls the strings at Seven Barrows and who decides what goes where. The way I see it, Henderson is the King of the Castle but there are 2 owners (JP McManus and Michael Buckley) who have a fair say in what runs where. Regarding the CH prospects, Henderson has made it very clear that he wants them kept apart in their prep races. Looking at the main races on offer, you have the Kingwell, Irish Champion and that Sandown race for Grandouet, Darlan and Binocular to fill. With JP being Ireland based I think he would have readily agreed to have Binocular go over to face Hurricane Fly - he wouldn't want Darlan given a rough race on probably heavy going. Darlan ANd Grandout will go to the other 2 races and I suspect all 3 will line up on the day. I also suspect that's why Dai Williams has been told in no uncertain terms that Oscar Whiskey won't run in the Champion Hurdle. He has a few runners with Henderson, but also with several other trainers, and I get the feeling he hasn't got much say at Seven Barrows. Conversely I think Michael Buckley has a fair bit of clout, you have to say he puts alot of very good animals in Henderson's yard and it was his horse Rolling Star who got the nod for the Triumph Hurdle trial today, ahead of 3 other Henderson inmates. Might be something or nothing but could well explain why they aren't doing the obvious with Oscar Whiskey.
I think you have a point Oddy and I do wonder If Matt Chapman would be so combative if on channel four as he does have the luxury of presenting on a channel only viewed by the enthusiast where as Balding and her co-hosts do have to take into account the added exposure they receive. I do feel there is certainly a balance though and that to not express an opinion or question anything is too safe to be of any use at all to any semi-intelligent viewer. The thing I do not understand is that Racing does indeed throw up good colourful characters and so what made someone think Fitzgerald was the one who should be signed up. What I want from a presenter is an opinion backed up with sensible reasoning expressed in an articulate manner. This is in fact the reason I follow this forum as I want to see what horses people fancy and why and when a debate opens up to look at the spectrum of views put forward. We could indeed put forward a quality morning line team I think, although I am not sure who would play the Emma spencer role.
Oddy ... True Dan...they have a script and defined parameters to work within...Ted Walsh on RTE doesn't though!..he is tremendous..."big arse".."not a ride for a woman".."..get a couple tears in behind the saddle.."..love him! Toppy...I don't think there is any doubt that Oscar Whiskey is better over a lesser trip than 3m but given he was beaten just a neck today by a confirmed stayer in a bog,I see no reason why he can't be competitive in the up for grabs 2013 Stayers Hurdle. Apart from Hendo's winner in the opener,nothing impressed today tbh.
I would like to see C4 racing fronted by people from the sport who understand the sport and can articulate matters relating to the sport I nominate Dandy Nicholls and Mick Easterby.. Answers on a swear box!
I do find it slightly annoying that Henderson has a lot of the too horses as it is depriving the public of some mouth watering clashes ..case in point sprinter sacre v finians rainbow in the champion ! If henderson keeps these 2 apart its scandalous . .the reigning champ should have the chance to defend his crown!
What's the point in that? NH isnt running his horses to give the public a spectacle. He's running them to win as many top races as he can. Has FR got a better chance in the Ryanair or the Champion chase?Well i think he knows and we all know that answer. So running them against each other would be a lesson in futility. Yes we all want great match-ups, but i can certainly understand a trainer not wanting this from 2 of his top horses, especially at the "Festival" when there are other options and easier opportunities.
So grandouet vs binocular and long run vs Bobs Worth isnlt enough? Jeezo there's no pleasing some people. More to the point you've got me defending Nicky henderson - get off the boards and don't come back Only joking by the way - welcome to the forum
BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. 2nd biggest price I've ever had come in on course, 28s. Won by a ****ing furlong too. Channin I hope a few checked this guy out, impossible to look at this one and not think it was worth a cheeky each way. Write up of yesterday to come in a bit, what a fantastic day.
I'll do a write up in 2 hours 12 minutes and 11 seconds time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBP1pzB0Tak
Good man George, sounds like you had a cracking day. Well done on Vine Griego, I've had a look at him every time he runs at Cheltenham but forgot all about him yesterday
