Stick is the expert of course but bumpers are introductory races for young horses and are often run at a very sedate pace before quickening (or trying to) in the last half mile or so. If chasers went that slow they wouldn’t get over the fence.
Exactly. Imagine we had a 5 km course to complete, me and Ron decide we will walk the first 3k and then jog the last 2k. The next day me and Oddy decide we will jog the first 3 k and then push on for the last 2k. Same distances will have totally different times. You just can't compare times accurately in NH races anyway. You might have some hope of translating it better on the flat where most horses will be at an optimum speed from start to finish. Bottler'secret race was ran fairly sedately and in the bumper the favourite went forward at a better clip to try sap the stamina out of the others but faded badly. William Munny is a beast though, upset a Mullins hotpot on debut too. He basically got dropped in at the 2 Furlong pole and accelerated for 150 yards to win, easy.
I take exception to the fact that I had to walk most of it . Cheers STH, as Oddy said in the other thread, bumpers are usually "ran" at a daudle. Does make you wonder though if bumper form is of any use over fences
