Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Thoughts on this horse please. Where should he go for the rest of the campaign??? You either look at him, right now, and think (i) he really has got nowhere to go and is going to be incredibly hard to place, or (ii) he’s got an absolute plethora of possible options and is therefore mega exciting. You, as they say, pays your money and takes your pick.
A 151 rated hurdler he has now been given a perch over the big ‘uns of 148. Has to date won a bumper, 2 novice hurdles (including at Grade 2 level) and a novice chase. Claimantakinforgan has also ran at the last 2 Cheltenham Festivals finishing 3rd in the Champion Bumper and then 5th in Supreme Novices – beaten 2.75 and 5.25 lengths respectively. And that ultimately is where you would imagine he will run again in 2019 all being well.
Where he goes though is anyone’s guess. It could be (will be qualified for the handicap chase route, incidentally, after 1 more run) –
(i) The Arkle. Currently 33/1 although was readily brushed aside by both Lalor and Dynamite Dollars over 2 miles at Cheltenham 9 days ago,
(ii) The JLT. Currently 25/1 and has to be an option after not having the pace to cope with the above 2 horses last time over the minimum trip. A step up in distance could bring about further improvement,
(iii) The Grand Annual Handicap Chase. Quoted at 20/1 and would obviously benefit from a step away from the very top league, or
(iv) The Festival Plate. Could be a double plus as Claimantakinforgan may enjoy the drop in grade and step up in trip.
They would be the obvious targets but my own pick would be to give him 1 (or maybe 2 would be needed) ‘nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more…’ runs and as a result lower his perch to the 145, or lower, mark and then he is qualified for the novice handicap chase at the meet (now a 0-145 event and as a result has been made a total ‘cheaters charter’ of a race. Now even more so than the ‘Pertemps Final’ in my opinion) . Off that sort of figure I couldn’t see much getting near Claimantakinforgan.
Now, at this stage, I can hear my regular readers hollering (either that or the voices in head are back), ‘That will never happen his trainer has the straightest bat in our sport’. And they are unquestionably correct so I’m sure it will be up to the owner and designated saddle monkey to conspire in secret without the great man’s knowledge – hey, just like that rogue of a vet did a few years ago. What, what, what, what, what, what, what?!?
Another alternative would be to go down the ‘Buveur d'Air route’ and return the gelding to hurdles after 2 runs in novice chases. Given some of his form 151 does not look particularly harsh at all (this would open up the County Hurdle and Coral Cup as options) or maybe they would tilt at the old windmills and go for the Champion Hurdle itself! Bold, with a capital ‘B’, plan and all that.
So by my count that’s 8, I say 8, possible Cheltenham Festival targets for Claimantakinforgan! I’d opt for the novice handicap chase (after a bit of nudge, nudging, etc…) route but what would you do???
A 151 rated hurdler he has now been given a perch over the big ‘uns of 148. Has to date won a bumper, 2 novice hurdles (including at Grade 2 level) and a novice chase. Claimantakinforgan has also ran at the last 2 Cheltenham Festivals finishing 3rd in the Champion Bumper and then 5th in Supreme Novices – beaten 2.75 and 5.25 lengths respectively. And that ultimately is where you would imagine he will run again in 2019 all being well.
Where he goes though is anyone’s guess. It could be (will be qualified for the handicap chase route, incidentally, after 1 more run) –
(i) The Arkle. Currently 33/1 although was readily brushed aside by both Lalor and Dynamite Dollars over 2 miles at Cheltenham 9 days ago,
(ii) The JLT. Currently 25/1 and has to be an option after not having the pace to cope with the above 2 horses last time over the minimum trip. A step up in distance could bring about further improvement,
(iii) The Grand Annual Handicap Chase. Quoted at 20/1 and would obviously benefit from a step away from the very top league, or
(iv) The Festival Plate. Could be a double plus as Claimantakinforgan may enjoy the drop in grade and step up in trip.
They would be the obvious targets but my own pick would be to give him 1 (or maybe 2 would be needed) ‘nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more…’ runs and as a result lower his perch to the 145, or lower, mark and then he is qualified for the novice handicap chase at the meet (now a 0-145 event and as a result has been made a total ‘cheaters charter’ of a race. Now even more so than the ‘Pertemps Final’ in my opinion) . Off that sort of figure I couldn’t see much getting near Claimantakinforgan.
Now, at this stage, I can hear my regular readers hollering (either that or the voices in head are back), ‘That will never happen his trainer has the straightest bat in our sport’. And they are unquestionably correct so I’m sure it will be up to the owner and designated saddle monkey to conspire in secret without the great man’s knowledge – hey, just like that rogue of a vet did a few years ago. What, what, what, what, what, what, what?!?
Another alternative would be to go down the ‘Buveur d'Air route’ and return the gelding to hurdles after 2 runs in novice chases. Given some of his form 151 does not look particularly harsh at all (this would open up the County Hurdle and Coral Cup as options) or maybe they would tilt at the old windmills and go for the Champion Hurdle itself! Bold, with a capital ‘B’, plan and all that.
So by my count that’s 8, I say 8, possible Cheltenham Festival targets for Claimantakinforgan! I’d opt for the novice handicap chase (after a bit of nudge, nudging, etc…) route but what would you do???
)
