Thanks again Beefy, I love threads like this and it is definitely time to start getting excited for the jumps!! Off the top of my head there are a couple that I'm looking forward to seeing this season... GOD'S OWN - I will never forget the feeling he gave me when he eyeballed Un De Sceaux between the last two fences in the Champion Chase earlier this year. Having told anyone who would listen that he was never a 40/1 shot, I actually believed he was going to bring home the bacon - just turned out that he bumped into a monster!! Ended the season by again finishing 2nd at Aintree and then taking a 2nd flight fall at Sandown - I couldn't have backed him in either race as his record suggests he needs a break between his races. I hope he gets campaigned in a similar fashion this season so I'm expecting he will run well on his comeback, then throw in a couple of stinkers, have a nice break and be primed for March. CALL THE COPS - I would have liked to have seen this one stay over hurdles as I think he would have held a live chance in the World Hurdle. Apparently the plan is to go chasing though so who am I to argue with 'The Needle'?! Obviously chasing is a different kettle of fish but I'm of the belief that this one will feature prominently in the staying novice chase division this season. I'm also really looking forward to pretty much backing anything Venetia Williams puts out (she's a guilty pleasure of mine!!), seeing if CONEYGREE can swat away the challengers, the monster that is FAUGHEEN break the heart of every beast it competes with and whether Mr Henderson has used his 'Magic hands' to good effect on MY TENT OR YOURS - perhaps SBC can shed some light?! I can't wait until the season really kicks into gear!!
Beefy what are your thoughts on Henry de Bromhead's Sizing John and his prospects this season? Obviously found Douvan too good last season but with that one supposedly Arkle-bound and Sizing John looking more of a stayer, is he perhaps one for the intermediate novice chase races at 2m4f / 2m5f? Also be interested to hear your views on Shaneshill and likely targets this season
Both JLT horses I'd guess Oddy, especially in respect to Shaneshill, who unlike SJ hasnt been confirmed to go novice chasing. I suspect he has to though, as he won't win a Champion and he couldn't stay 3m at Punchestown. Dont see Wylie having any other potential top novice chaser as Nichols Canyon staying hurdling. Id say Sizing John has more scope for fencing, and its very typical for de Bromheads to be 'old fashioned chasing types' as the cliches go! Sizing John could go right to the top, take Douvan out of last year and i think we'd be looking at a 3 or 4 time G1 winner. He beat everything else.
Pretty sound assumptions Beefy, I'm sure both are going chasing and Sizing John most definitely will be I'd imagine, seen him up close last year and he has the size and scope to be a good lepper as we like to say
Sizing John (Henry De Bromhead) - for the reasons mentioned above by Beefy and STH. Found only Douvan too good last season and just lacking the acceleration of that one over 2 miles. If sent novice chasing I expect him to be a force to be reckoned with over an intermediate trip. Handled Cheltenham really well in the Supreme so the JLT or Arkle could be his main target. Saphir Du Rheu (Paul Nicholls) - won the Cleeve when reverting back to hurdles after falling in the Feltham, but surely his future lies over fences after winning the Mildmay in stunning style at AIntree. Mr Nicholls may well have one eye on the Hennessy with this one and the top staying chases will be on his agenda. Apache Stronghold (Noel Meade) - got nearest of all to Vautour at the festival before falling at Fairyhouse and then looking like a summer break would do him good with a laboured 3rd at the Punchestown festival. Hopefully will make up into a smart second season chaser to be aimed at the top races in Ireland this winter. Parlour Games (John Ferguson) - won the Challow before finishing second in the Neptune and again second to Nicholls Canyon at Aintree. Now I'm not saying he will win the Champion Hurdle, but he could well mop up some decent hurdle races in the UK (in a similar fashion to The New One) this season and is one to keep on the right side of. Ardamir (Alan King) - complete stab in the dark but might be Alan King's Triumph Hurdle horse, runs in the colours made famous by Zaynar and comes to Barbury Castle after one run over hurdles in France. Could be a complete dog also
Henry De Bromhead best man in the business getting a horse to ping a fence, no need for 'yogi' with this lad
Cheers mate. Have we got anything in Ireland that might make a bid for some Grade 1, 2 mile glory? It could be a pretty boring division if Faugheen is 1/10 every week before the Champion Hurdle. What are they up to with Annie Power this season? I'd like to see her try novice chasing.
Toppy think fanny power is being aimed at the world hurdle, doubt she will go chasing. I'm looking forward to seeing where Artic Fire goes, ran a stormer in the champion hurdle to come second to Faugheen and should prgress this season.
I heard the same ste regarding Annie Power. I would love to see her chasing though, she was bought with the intention of being a gold cup mare but I don't think they forseen the talent they now have at their disposal for that type of race back then with the likes of Djakadam, Don Poli and co and I think Annies main plans have been put on the back burner and they will now send her to mop up some hurdle races. She has the physique to be a monster over the fences but who am I to second guess Willie Mullins and co
I don't have 5 to follow but will be studying the novice ranks with interest over the next few months. One I'm particularly interested in though is Irish Cavalier for the very lovely Rebecca Curtis. Already a festival winner so he's hardly off the radar and ran 2 fine races in defeat at the Punchestown festival. The first one in the 3 mile novice where he was well wrong on ratings but finished around 4 lengths off the winner. Curtis has said he needs more time and good ground to be seen to best effect so I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't got scope to progress further. Most of the big uns look to be at the mercy of Willie Mullins provided he can keep them all sound. One word of warning though if he points Vautour at the Ryanair I might buy a gun and shoot the fooker. Has to be aimed at the Gold Cup after that scintillating win in the Jewson last term surely, regardless of what else he may want to line up in that race.
I seriously hope Annie doesnt go down the World Hurdle route. What a complete waste of talent. I've said it before and will say again, there are owners and trainers who would give up everything for a horse like her so she should be campaigned to her potential and not forced out to get more eggs into more baskets. I'd love to see her go 2m novice chasing.
Oh FFS that would be even worse. What is the point when she could potentially win an Arkle, be placed in a Champ Hurdle, and so on so forth?
So Big Bucks was a huge waste of talent too then winning all those World Hurdles, he could easily have been sent back or kept chasing... All well and good having these idealistic views, but you don't pay the bills mate, the owner has every right and does what he wants. Especially when that owner already has the red hot Arkle favourite, the Gold Cup favourite and 4th favourite, not to mention a mare for the Ryanair Chase. You mention the Champion Hurdle, oh yeah he has one with a squeak there too! The easy route would be the Mares Hurdle.
Big Bucks, brilliant he was, and a punters best friend he was, but as for what he achieved comparatively- the World Hurdles were not great affairs were they. Remember, the very reason that he became the World Hurdle king was because they tried him at chasing to give himself the chance but it turned out he couldnt jump them quite so well, so they realised that the potential would never quite be reached unfortunately. What I'd like is Annie to be given the chance and then a reasonable decision made based on how she performs. Correct, I dont pay the bills but I have a sporting view rather than anything else and it just pains me to see a wonderfully talented horse like that not achieving full potential. I think that can be the problem when you are spoilt with the incredible talent that Ricci and Mullins have. Wouldnt you like to see how good she could be, just to find out, rather than cruise to a Mares Hurdle? I just want to see good racing.
First things first, theres no chance she goes novice chasing now after 3 seasons hurdling. It's a given she won't be at this stage. This debate happened 12 months when it was decided she'd stay hurdling as after her World Hurdle defeat to MOT, they (rightfully I'd suggest) felt she wouldn't be good enough to win a Gold Cup. Therefore they scrapped the chasing career there and then, and I can see why. You say she should be given the chance, how do we know she wasn't tried at home, we don't. She wasn't the best of hurdlers. Probably worth considering we've seen a few good hurdlers ruined by going chasing so thats something worth bearing in mind too. I dont think the World Hurdle is a 'complete waste of talent'. I'm not sure how many mares have won it. I'd accept the Mares Hurdle as being so, but again I aint paying the bills, so frankly what right have I to say where she runs?! You say send her to the Arkle. If I'm Rich Ricci why would I, when I can win that easily with Douvan. Same for the Champion. Theres little logic to going them routes. Two horses wont win the one race, why not win a different one if you can? Plenty said Vautour HAD to go Arkle last year. Thank god he didn't, or we'd not have had that sublime JLT performance. Ricci puts a huge investment into the game. You want 'good racing'. Dont you get that from Vautour, Faugheen etc? The least he should be given is the respect to choose where he runs his horses. Perhaps people should get their chequebooks out and buy these horses, then you'd have earned the right to run them as you like!
