Won nicely enough in the end but the overall strength of this form could be questioned until the Cows come home. The stayers in March doesn't look to have any superstars in there so assuming he comes out of the race well and it doesn't come too soon for him then Blazing Khal must go there with every chance of making the frame. Aintree could be more suitable?
Very impressed after that break and he was clearly carrying plenty of condition. I think he’ll come on a ton for that and has already won at Cheltenham. The one to beat in the Stayers.
I wouldn't be as confident as you Oddy but he certainly would be capable of going well. I don't think that form today is very strong and his past form has holes to be picked at too, in saying that, it is not a vintage looking renewal so that does help his cause. Charles Byrnes said Cheltenham might come too soon for him so hopefully he comes out of it in good condition and is able to make it there to take his chance.
I really hope that Blazing Khal goes onto win the Stayers now. The course certainly won't be a problem judged on how he came up that 'ill in December '21 - cor blimey, as I've said many times I've never seen a staying novice attack and then destroy it in quite the way that Blazing Khal did that day. However, wherever he goes next, this term, the 'bounce' effect has to be considered a potential negative.
Going off on a bit a tangent how high a rank do you think Luccia could take on the Flat in '23??? That's a wonderful conundrum to mull over, people, whilst savouring your mid-morn GnT.
It is a bit of a leap from winning listed bumpers to winning good races on the flat. Pam Sly tried it with Eileendover without much success. Stick to the winter game with her is my advice.
Eileen didn't do that bad (although agreed she wasn't brilliant) as she did win a £26k heat and get black type out of her Flat exploits. Personally, I would have thought black type (from the Flat game) would be the very minimum they would be looking for from a switch in codes. But I'd go as far as saying Luccia has to be a contender for Group honours certainly in races confined to fillies and mares. Obviously only speculating (as what else can you do when Luccia has never actually run on the level) but could she even be competitive in Group 1 races?!? It may be a case of the Steward forgetting to put the T in the above mentioned GnT but what about Paris in early October!!!
The way the weights are framed for the Supreme Novices and the Mares Novices, at the Festival, makes the former most appealing for Luccia in my opinion. If she goes for the Mares Novices she will have to conceed 5 lbs to some potentially decent mares (including WP Mullins' Night and Day who I rate very, very highly). But if she goes for the Supreme then Luccia will, of course, receive the 7lbs mares allowance from the old boy geldings (and any full horses as well). For similar reasons, incidentally, it would appear Middleham Park are seriously considering switching Marie's Rock from the Mares to the Stayers - because she will then receive the 7 lbs mares allowance and won't have to encounter the likes of Honeysuckle and Epatante.
For quite a while, I have thought that Marie’s Rock would be a danger to everything if she went for the Stayers Hurdle. In fact , she’d be a big danger, whichever race she contests.
