So should they just downgrade them to Grade 2 because the field is sub-standard? How many sub-standard Guineas or Derbies have you seen? The pattern is what it is, them's the rules. I just find it a bit pointless talking down the value of a race an hour after it has been run. What if BDM comes out and wins the million quid bonus? We just don't know do we? Ground, trip and opposition made him a shoo-in today and whatever the value of the form he has hacked up at a very nice price. Not all Grade 1s are worthy of the name, too true (nor Group 1s on the flat). But a lot of effort goes into arranging these races (racecourse, owners, trainers, jockeys, TV coverage, BHA, god knows who else) and to just say "well that was ****" smacks to me of the typical "oh I want everything on a ****ing plate" attitude so prevalent today. You could just watch the all weather racing from Lingfield instead. I remember people crabbing Kauto Star for winning a King George by 36 lengths from Madison du Berlais by saying "ah he only beat Madison du Berlais". In that world, everything becomes **** eventually. Just watching Dortmund v Schalke, a big Derby match in Germany, just gone 4-3 Dortmund, what a match and full of passion! What I am trying to say is: remain positive and curious
Might as well just scrap all these grade 1's eh? They are all crap and just glorified class 7 hadicaps. Shall we call them banded grade 1's? Or maybe just have 1 meeting a week at Southwell. 6 class 7 races. Might make a few of the experts happy on here!
Maybe your right. Maybe I'm overestimating the calibre of staying chasers out there. But the best horse's will show up in the Guineas and the Derby regardless. Can't say the same about the marquee races of the National Hunt season outside of Cheltenham.
Don't know about Southwell but i got more excitement out of Dundalk yesterday than from that crap today.
Well that was pretty rubbish, however Luke Morris saved my day over at Lingfield and I think he could well have the next 2 or 3 winners at Wolvers. In fact don't think he will be to far away in the remaining 6 races.
Just a heads up on yesterdays racing at Haydock and the day as a whole, which was bloomin good in my eyes. With the ground given as heavy after the first race it didn't seem to be slowing them down much with the opening runners showing good speed if truth be told, though I have not checked the times to prove that, by the naked eye it didn't seem to be slower them at all. My selection, Whatmore ridden by tricky Dicky Johnson, for some reason decided to take the last place option for the opening furlongs and never got closer than that. This theme continued with Russe Blanc before he un-seated. Big River in the 3rd again decided that last place early doors was a good idea, to which he found it too much to do and saw the field pull away only to be pulled up. A change of tactic or change of selections might have been the call but when James Bowen took Limited Reserve to the front from the off I knew that we might just have a chance. Low and behold, a very comfortable winner was to be seen. Maybe my selections might have seen the light. The next saw one of my all time favs in Zarkandar, and I'm not going to have a go at anyone here but dropped out to last place 1f in wasn't going to see the ole warrior sign off here at Haydock with anything tother than disappointment I'm afraid, and duly pulled up with quiet a bit to go i'm afraid. But my initial selection of Le Rocher I thought might show willing and show me that you had to be up near the front to make any impact in the race., but that was a fleeting thought once again... So to the Betfair Chase, or The Lancashire Chase in case you didn't know where Haydock was and Bristol De Mai looked very good in the parade ring, but so did Cue Card to be fair as well. But the theme of getting off near or on the front paid dividend again, though this front run was far superior to any of the previous ones run on the day. BDM just ran them into the ground as if it was a training exercise, and didn't seem out of breath come the finish line. The whole field looked like they had done twice the distance by the time the finish line saved them from anymore of the heavy hell to which a few of the punters around me said what a horse, what a run...!! Couldn't agree more. It was then, and only then that the going struck home to me. Yes I thought that in the opening race they had gone off a bit quicker than the heavy going suggested but when you saw some good horses running in treacle all the way round., you realised what a slog it was. Just an impressive run/win regardless of my thoughts that Cue Card my be on the way down, Sizing John wasn't there, and Outlandr didn't show in the race. Also my thoughts arnt exactly flowing over that BDM may go on to win at Kempton or at Cheltenham next time out either. Incidently my thoughts before yesterdays run was that BDM may only like heavy, flat or flatish tracks and that Cheltenham may not suit him anyway. But the fact he is only 6, and has room for improvment means he has a bright future and could well take all the beating soon, something we should all be looking forward to. The last race saw Baywing fall at the 1st, which was a shame, but both jockey and horse got up and the quirckley named Chase The Spud romped home to much glee at the course, they must have known, to end another great days racing.
