My Tent or Yours looks handicapped to the hilt off 149. Not saying he’s not going to be able to handle such a figure but its quite a rating for a horse who has won less than £12k in prizemoney, over hurdles, and been victorious in just a couple of novice events over timber. His stable mate Punjabi by comparison gets in off just 145 (21 pounds below his best ever mark). OK, so he’s not the horse he was but it doesn’t look a harsh perch for an animal who held his own in the Grade 1 ‘Christmas Hurdle’ until tiredness and a lack of fitness caught up with him in the home straight at Kempton Park on his comeback run after almost 3 years off. With that run under his belt and treatment from Mr Henderson’s ‘magic hands’ in the interim expect a decent effort from the old boy at the weekend. Plus, Mr Henderson has previous re getting an old timer to win this heat – Geos was a 9YO when victorious for the forum’s favourite trainer back in ’04. Meanwhile, in yesterday’s ‘Weekender’ Alan King stated that Grumeti was an unlikely runner in Saturday’s race.
Just to show you what comes out of the runners from the Betfair Hurdle... Took from the Sporting Life website... 2012 A race notable for the performance of ZARKANDAR, who recovered from a mistake three from home to get the better of Get Me Out Of Here. The latter would go on to defy a 4lb rise to finish runner-up to Son Of Flicka in the Coral Cup, while Zarkandar finished fifth in the Champion Hurdle. Third and fifth home Raya Star and Olofi were each sent along the County Hurdle route but never figured in that contest, however the seventh horse Sailors Warn did, finishing third behind Alderwood. Only two horses went from the Betfair Hurdle on to the Martin Pipe race and each was well held in both. One, the ill-fated Darlan, went from falling at Newbury to running in the opening race of the Festival, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. He finished an arguably unfortunate second to Cinders And Ashes. Subsequent Festival runners: Coral Cup (4), County Hurdle (6), Champion Hurdle (2), Martin Pipe (2), Neptune (1), Supreme (1) Subsequent Festival winners: 0 Subsequent Festival places: 3 2011 A race dominated by five-year-olds and one which saw RECESSION PROOF get the better of Bothy by the narrowest of margins. The winner was the only one of the field sent to the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and he ran a fine race, finishing on the heels of the leaders in fifth. Bothy was joined by Solix (7th) and Walkon (11th) in the Coral Cup and although no match for winner Carlito Brigante, he finished second off just a 2lb higher mark. The 2011 renewal proved a most accurate pointer towards the County Hurdle, where three of the first five home had run behind Recession Proof at Newbury. They were eighth home Get Me Out Of Here (2nd), Newbury tenth Nearby (3rd at 66/1) and Salden Licht, who finished fifth at Cheltenham having been brought down when closing on the leaders at the second last in the Betfair Hurdle. Soldatino, Zanir and Notus De La Tour also ran in the County, leaving well-beaten Palomar as the sole representative in the Martin Pipe. He was also beaten a distance at Cheltenham. Subsequent Festival runners: Coral Cup (3), County Hurdle (6), Martin Pipe (1), Supreme (1) Subsequent Festival winners: 0 Subsequent Festival places: 3 2010 GET ME OUT OF HERE took his unbeaten record to five with an impressive victory over Ronaldo Des Mottes, before going down by just a head in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the only runner from this renewal to go down that route. Similarly, third home Manyriverstocross was the sole horse to go from this race to the Neptune and he ran a fair race to finish seventh. European Dream, Songe, Eradicate, Mutual Friend, Fushe Jo and Any Given Day were non-factors in the Betfair Hurdle before failing to show in the County Hurdle behind Thousand Stars. That left Spirit River to provide the strongest tie as, having finished way down the field at Newbury, he went on to win the Coral Cup in decisive fashion at 14/1. Ring The Boss finished 13th in both races, and Takeroc also failed to figure in either, while Betfair Hurdle favourite and fourth home Mamlook also ran behind Spirit River without troubling the judge. Just two, Simarian and Fairyland, went to the Martin Pipe, with the latter mid-division when falling. Stravinsky Dance was last of 20 finishers at Newbury before being pulled up in the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle. Subsequent Festival runners: Coral Cup (4), County Hurdle (6), Martin Pipe (2), Supreme (1), Neptune (1), David Nicholson (1) Subsequent Festival winners: 1 Subsequent Festival places: 1 2008 WINGMAN made the most of a feather weight to provide Gary Moore with back-to-back winners in the race, before disappointing when sent off 10/1 for the County Hurdle. Missis Potts went down the same route and bettered her Newbury sixth by a place, while Mohayer, fourth behind Wingman, could do no better than 14th. Caracciola, Victram, King's Revenge and Roman Villa finished down the field in both races meaning seven ran in both the Betfair Hurdle and the County. Instead, it was second home Punjabi who represented the success story, gamely finishing second to Wingman despite conceding over a stone to his rival before finishing third in the Champion Hurdle, a race he'd return to win a year later. County Zen went from finishing third at Newbury to disappointing as favourite for the Coral Cup. Only Whispered Promises joined him down that route, and he sadly died following a fall. Five Dream disappointed favourite backers at Newbury but ran a reasonable race to finish seventh, and as the sole four-year-old he then went on to finish down the field in the Triumph Hurdle. Jayo and Pigeon Island, fifth and eighth respectively at Newbury, were both asked to run in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and neither featured. Subsequent Festival runners: Coral Cup (2), County Hurdle (7), Champion Hurdle (1), Triumph Hurdle (1), Supreme (2) Subsequent Festival winners: 0 Subsequent Festival places: 1 2007 A real boil-over with the first nine home all sent off at double-figure prices, and 50/1 shot HEATHCOTE coming out on top for Gary Moore. He didn't go to Cheltenham but runner-up Overstrand did, finishing down the field in the World Hurdle. However, third home Pedrobob went straight from Newbury to win the County Hurdle for trainer Anthony Mullins. The form worked out particularly strongly, with Newbury fourth Caracciola finishing a close sixth in the County and eighth home Kawagino improving to take fourth at Cheltenham. Betfair Hurdle favourite Tarlac also ran in the County but could do no better than 14th, as did New Field and Papini who didn't feature in either. Mister Hight went to the Coral Cup after finishing fifth in the Betfair Hurdle and filled the same place at Cheltenham as the only horse to run in both. Subsequent Festival runners: Coral Cup (1), County Hurdle (6) Subsequent Festival winners: 1 Subsequent Festival places: 1 *There was no race in 2009 Food for thought...
Interesting read that red The race is top class in its own right but its timing also makes it an ideal stepping stone to the festival.
Pearl Swan for me, Nicholls was oh-so pleased when he got his prep run in the Jumper Bumper. The long run at Newbury will help, Ruby riding and he must go close.
Mr Henderson has put the excellent Jerry McGrath on Punjabi so a further 5 pounds is taken off the old boy’s back. This is a very interesting runner, methinks, and I tell you what success for Punjabi could be the training performance of our age. The roof at Newbury would be quite literally raised if he obliged for the sport’s most popular figure. 20/1 would appear massive given what the old boy has already achieved, how he has slid down the handicap to an attractive perch and to boot the indications are that the flame hasn’t been totally extinguished.
redcgull that was a fantastic post. cheers. I backed pearl swan before his allweather jumpers bumper thinking he would shorten after he won that. It wasn't to be and the price is still basically the same now. So i will just leave it at that. I have heard that alot of stable money has gone on my tent or yours and that it is a machine but won't be backing it myself.
15:35 Newbury - Betfair Hurdle Dark Lover To win any valuable handicap hurdle these days, I think you probably have to have a minimum of 7lb in hand - and probably more so when it comes to the UK's most valuable handicap hurdle. So you would have to think that the handicapper has made life near-on impossible for him in raising him 17lb for his win last time. But on the positive side he is clearly improving, Ryan takes 3lb off - though 10lb would be better - and the form of his Cheltenham win is working out pretty well. Let's hope the handicapper is right - and I also see Timeform have him joint top-rated, too - and I am wrong. Pearl Swan Proved himself a really smart juvenile last season, and I think there is better to come. Had a breathing operation in the summer but had a few niggles at home at the end of last year. It was looking touch-and-go to get him here until he absolutely thrilled me with his second in a jumpers' bumper at Kempton last month - that was literally his first proper gallop this year - and he has done nothing but improve at home since. It is easy to get carried away with a 5f gallop, but his work with Zarkandar, winner of this race last year on his reappearance, on Tuesday was very pleasing. I would like to think that he is better than a 146-rated horse, and he stills holds a tentative Champion Hurdle entry, and hopefully he can show that here. At 10-1+, I think he is a fair price, even though this is clearly the most competitive of races. Caid Du Berlais Is 6lb out of the handicap, but Harry negates most of that with his 5lb claim - a similar scenario to Unioniste's win at Cheltenham, and hopefully the same result. Especially as I own a share in him! He ran a funny race on his debut for us in a Grade 1 at Chepstow last month, getting behind before staying on well to finish second. He needs to improve on that to get competitive today, but he has really progressed at home since and his work this week was probably his best yet. I think a fast-run race will suit him, too.
