I would be interested to hear what people think is the best NH horse in training at the moment given we seem (touch wood) to have a few truly outstanding horses knocking about over hurdles and fences. For me, the best 5 in training at the current time, in order, are: Thistlecrack Douvan Faugheen Vautour Cue Card Funnily enough, my list are with two trainers - the juggernaut in Ireland and a comparatively small time operation in England. Both are obviously doing something right but the Tizzards have blown me away this year. I don't think there's a great novice hurdler although Altior and Yorkhill may very well prove me wrong. Anyone have any thoughts?
Thistlecrack has been unbelievable, never a seen a 3 mile hurdler like that, Big Bucks usually just done enough.
The only thing against Thistlecrack for all he's looked the business is the division is so shallow. Taking on proper Gold Cup level horses next season like Don Cossack and Vautour etc, as they say they will, is going to be a completely different ball game.
Coney gree , -can't knock him -I suppose he'll have to win a king George or another gold cup for most to acknowledge him as a great horse
How is Don Cossack not in the top 5? When he clearly should be number 1! He has won 10 of his last 12 races, and the 2 defeats where from a fall and getting badly hampered going to the 2nd last in the Ryanair. When he completes and gets a clear run he has proven unbeatable the last 2 seasons. He's also racked up wins at all 3 major festivals. He's achieved more than any other national hunt horse in training over the last 2 seasons, that cannot be disputed! He'll deal with Cue Card for the 4th time at Punchestown, and then you might all start giving him the credit he deserves. Best horse in training by along way!
Shergs, Quote from Timeform after Cheltenham: "Don Cossack – who Timeform rated as the winner in the King George – confirmed his status as the best staying chaser in training, though unfortunately the triple-crown seeking Cue Card was denied his crack at the winner as he fell three out when still travelling powerfully. There were niggling stamina doubts about Cue Card (Timeform-rated 181) coming into this race, and in Timeform’s opinion Don Cossack (remains on 183) would have been able to fend him off up the hill, though Cue Card was rated as finishing second, which would of course have been a good performance. Djakadam’s 175-rated performance (matching his best) would have been enough to see him win many other ordinary renewals, and he too emerged with plenty of credit in finishing second in successive Gold Cups."
Timeform on Douvan: "That win by Douvan in Maghull Novices’ Chase was something else, as this massively talented youngster sat behind a strong pace before breezing past going to three out and then seeing off the brief challenge of the smart The Game Changer, who came from further back. Douvan’s 171 timefigure is truly exceptional for a novice, let alone for a novice who has not yet been fully extended. And – here’s a thing – Douvan managed to run from three out around a dozen lengths quicker than any other chaser on the Mildmay Course in the week. His race was run at a shorter distance than the others, but it came on slightly softer ground than most of them, and it came at the end of a race in which a useful horse had tried to pile on the pressure from the outset. It all came so easily to Douvan: has jumps racing found its own Frankel?!"
Timeform on Thistlecrack: "This was not the only performance of high merit on the card. Thistlecrack looks almost as unbeatable among staying hurdlers as Douvan does against novice chasers, though it has to be admitted that the former’s rivals are not a vintage bunch. A truly-run race failed to fluster Thistlecrack in the slightest at Cheltenham, and a steadily-run one here had the same thoroughly one-sided outcome. That 139 timefigure as a result is nowhere near the 172 that Thistlecrack achieved at Cheltenham. But, on the other hand, that closing 44.4s sectional was comfortably the fastest by a hurdler over the three days after allowance is made for a minor adjustment to the positioning of the third-last flight."
Timeform on Annie Power: "On this showing – in which two and a half miles and soft going may have been close to perfect conditions for her – she is one of the best hurdlers the modern era has seen when in receipt of her sex allowance."
And their summary: "Jumps racing this season has sometimes seemed very one-sided, but it has never seemed dull. How could it possibly be with horses like Douvan and Thistlecrack (and Cue Card, Annie Power, Vautour, Don Cossack, Faugheen and Sprinter Sacre) around?! "
