Well done on the winners today fellas, Drever you seemed to have a nice day! Glad I had Barney's no punting flag flying as I'd a been hammered
That old age excuse being trotted out again huh! Track doesn't suit TNO or he would have won the race last year! People that crab the horse are just ignorant, but then again I am biased!
I'm not ignorant old boy. My take on today, and I'm right by the way, is: The New One had a tough race LTO. Just because he had a tough race LTO and was obviously trained all year for that race does not mean he isn't capable of running at Aintree. He picked up £40k or whatever for winning. He probably wasn't 100% today or didn't perform as well as he can. He'll be put away and brought out to race at Cheltenham next March so he'll be at his best when it matters. Irrespective of all this he still struggled to win so calling people ignorant is daft because his profile this season isn't that of a special horse, excuses or otherwise. And most importantly, he was outpaced in the Champion hurdle. He doesn't stay 2 miles 4f. It wasn't the right track (twice). He's not a great jumper. That's a lot of reasons to take him on moving forward and that is undeniable.
You take him on whenever you like. That's at your peril. Horse owes me nothing and I personally think he is the best around at this time despite not having the best jockey to ride him!
And the jockey? Best around at what trip? At what course? Just because you've won money on him in the past (over a trip he may never run over again and against horses he'll never run against again) doesn't mean he's worth backing indiscriminately in the future.
And one last point. He's run 5 times this season. Won three times. Lost twice. If you backed him at level stakes this season you'll have almost lost money.
Nass, STD is crap......he is all over the place on the horse. Unbalances him, hell he even lost an iron at Kempton FFS! Leg Ruby Walsh up on him and you wouldn't be having this debate! Two miles Cheltenham Any ground but preferably soft! I never follow horses indiscriminately. Only fools do that and I could point out plenty of examples of those! The horse won today and still gets no credit!
Come on Stick, he beat nothing at all today. What credit should a 4/9 shot get that wins in that manner?
Bobster, the trip is a little too far for him today, look at him travelling between the last two! No he beat nowt. Whats ROCK ON RUBY ever won?
This season, last season, the season before! He beat a Champion Hurdler today! A Champion hurdler that spanked the great Hurricane Fly back in the day when he wasn't past it!
He probably will win the Champion next year. Unless Jezki and MTOY stay hurdling there's nothing left in that division. Annie might go chasing. Un De Sceaux is unproven. Vautour and Faugheen go chasing. Like I've said a hundred times. Good horse. Not great. Easy to find reasons to take him on. If he doesn't win it next season then I hope we can all agree on that.
Using that analysis Bob even if he does win it next year it will only be because it was a poor renewal!
Don't forget Zarkandar. He's also beaten him this year. What else has he beaten though? Many think the Fly broke ROR last season on softer ground than the year before and this.
Look, show me an instance where he's beaten a horse that's not had question marks over him? I can think of the Neptune at a stretch although we all know that's proven to be a fairly weak renewal. I don't get it though. Why do his fans need him to be a great horse? If he wins and it's a weak renewal and he wins because it's a weak renewal isn't that enough?
With his share of luck Bob (Kempton & Cheltenham) he could easily have been unbeaten this season taking on nothing but the best! That's a fact that nobody can deny!
Yep. He could of won every race he ran in. I agree. But he didn't. Whenever he ran against top notch 2 milers he lost.
