Firstly I think I echo the sentiments of every single poster on here when I say it was a terrible, terrible tragedy to lose Darlan yesterday. Losing any horse is awful, but to lose such a young and obviously gifted horse is gut-wrenching and it must be truly terrible for everyone associated with the horse. My sincerest condolences.
What I would like to discuss on this thread is where we think Darlan stood in the pecking order of aspiring Champion Hurdlers and what his prospects would have been on the big day. Some may say this is a pointless exercise due to the horse's sad demise, but I think it important to put his performances in context as I can already hear the discussion starting on the evening after the Champion Hurdle along the lines of "Horse xyz only won because Darlan wasn't there" - much as some tried to devalue Hurricane Fly's Champion Hurdle win due to the absence of Binocular (who he has roundly thrashed twice but that's another story). The fact that the horse is no longer with us should not stop us debating his merits in an objective manner.
My view is that, although he was a horse of great potential, he still had it all to prove and I had him down as something of a bridle horse. He had looked imperious bordering on cheeky in taking lower grade races from horses of questionable talent. He won his bumper by 27 lengths from Highrate, who is now rated 109 over fences. He then won a novice hurdle in facile fashion by 6 lengths from Vic Dartnall's Sleeping City who is now rated 118 over hurdles, with the remaineder of the vanquished going on to even more mediocre levels. The first time McCoy got on his back was at Cheltenham in a class 3 novice hurdle and this was the race where I first started thinking of him as a bridle horse. He cruised up to Rebecca Curtis' horse High Storm (who is struggling today in handicaps off 122) but struggled all the way up the hill and just got the verdict by a nose. He then went to Taunton and cantered all over Paul Nicholls Jump City (who Fingal Bay had slammed 30 lengths and is now handicap chasing off 132) before famously falling in the Betfair Hurdle off 146 when looking well in contention. He had not been asked for his effort but would he have outbattled Zarkandar?
Moving on to Cheltenham and his 2nd place in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. A valiant effort and he once again came full of running but could not quite go the pace of Cinders & Ashes, despite McCoy's driving. The form of the race has, however, been badly let down by almost every horse that has subsequently run and does not look anywhere near as good as the Triumph Hurdle form. Darlan then won impressively at Aintree from Captain Conan and Prospect Wells but the only way you could really rate the form would be through Oscara Dara, beaten 16 lengths in 4th. I am loathe to do that however, as that one looks to have improved significantly on softer ground, so we are left with Captain Conan and Prospect Wells as the yardsticks. Not top class form.
And so to his ill-fated 2nd season. He won the Christmas hurdle in visually impressive fashion, accelerating smartly from the entrance to the home straight off a snail's pace on heavy ground. In valuing the form one simply must discount the runs of Countrywide Flame and Cinders & Ashes, both of whom were beaten far too easily, and Dodging Bullets & Raya Star are the horses I would take to assess the merit of the form. Even if those 2 ran to their best, you would put Darlan around 160ish, but I don't think we can be that literal on such heavy ground and I do think the 166 he was allocated was a little fanciful.
During the race at Doncaster yesterday he clearly looked much happier and slicker on the faster ground. We must remember though, that this was the first genuine Champion Hurdle trial run on decent ground this season so we are maybe a little tainted in our views? He travelled strongly in the slipstream of the front two (which is a great benefit - if you don't believe me, try riding a bicycle at speed into a head wind, then repeat the exercise whilst tailgating a friend - it makes a huge difference) and was moving into contention about half a length down coming to the last hurdle. McCoy had pulled him out of Rock On Ruby's slipstream - to give him a good view of the hurdle? Or as risk mitigation in case RoR fell? - and I wonder whether, suddenly confronted with a strong headwind, the horse was unbalanced or surprised? Whatever happened he got the final obstacle all wrong. Some have said he would have gone on and won 5 or 6 lengths but I would take issue with that - coming upsides a horse is one thing, going past him quite another, and I am not so sure Darlan would have had the resolve to slug it out with RoR up the finish. Ultimately we will, of course, never know, but I think it a valid discussion point to ask whether we are maybe putting Darlan up on a pedestal because of his strong travelling style without looking at his true form? Think back to that classic Champion Hurdle where a motionless Paul Carberry delivered Harchibald to the last still on the bridle. What would we have said if the same fate had befallen Noel Meade's star as struck Darlan down yesterday? Food for thought.
I'm not wanting to detract from the horse, nor talk bad of him, and I am truly gutted that he is no longer with us. I just think talk of him being the 2013 Champion Hurdler would be a leap of faith and I will certainly not be diminishing the efforts of whoever does lift the crown in March just because Darlan wasn't there to give him a race.
What I would like to discuss on this thread is where we think Darlan stood in the pecking order of aspiring Champion Hurdlers and what his prospects would have been on the big day. Some may say this is a pointless exercise due to the horse's sad demise, but I think it important to put his performances in context as I can already hear the discussion starting on the evening after the Champion Hurdle along the lines of "Horse xyz only won because Darlan wasn't there" - much as some tried to devalue Hurricane Fly's Champion Hurdle win due to the absence of Binocular (who he has roundly thrashed twice but that's another story). The fact that the horse is no longer with us should not stop us debating his merits in an objective manner.
My view is that, although he was a horse of great potential, he still had it all to prove and I had him down as something of a bridle horse. He had looked imperious bordering on cheeky in taking lower grade races from horses of questionable talent. He won his bumper by 27 lengths from Highrate, who is now rated 109 over fences. He then won a novice hurdle in facile fashion by 6 lengths from Vic Dartnall's Sleeping City who is now rated 118 over hurdles, with the remaineder of the vanquished going on to even more mediocre levels. The first time McCoy got on his back was at Cheltenham in a class 3 novice hurdle and this was the race where I first started thinking of him as a bridle horse. He cruised up to Rebecca Curtis' horse High Storm (who is struggling today in handicaps off 122) but struggled all the way up the hill and just got the verdict by a nose. He then went to Taunton and cantered all over Paul Nicholls Jump City (who Fingal Bay had slammed 30 lengths and is now handicap chasing off 132) before famously falling in the Betfair Hurdle off 146 when looking well in contention. He had not been asked for his effort but would he have outbattled Zarkandar?
Moving on to Cheltenham and his 2nd place in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. A valiant effort and he once again came full of running but could not quite go the pace of Cinders & Ashes, despite McCoy's driving. The form of the race has, however, been badly let down by almost every horse that has subsequently run and does not look anywhere near as good as the Triumph Hurdle form. Darlan then won impressively at Aintree from Captain Conan and Prospect Wells but the only way you could really rate the form would be through Oscara Dara, beaten 16 lengths in 4th. I am loathe to do that however, as that one looks to have improved significantly on softer ground, so we are left with Captain Conan and Prospect Wells as the yardsticks. Not top class form.
And so to his ill-fated 2nd season. He won the Christmas hurdle in visually impressive fashion, accelerating smartly from the entrance to the home straight off a snail's pace on heavy ground. In valuing the form one simply must discount the runs of Countrywide Flame and Cinders & Ashes, both of whom were beaten far too easily, and Dodging Bullets & Raya Star are the horses I would take to assess the merit of the form. Even if those 2 ran to their best, you would put Darlan around 160ish, but I don't think we can be that literal on such heavy ground and I do think the 166 he was allocated was a little fanciful.
During the race at Doncaster yesterday he clearly looked much happier and slicker on the faster ground. We must remember though, that this was the first genuine Champion Hurdle trial run on decent ground this season so we are maybe a little tainted in our views? He travelled strongly in the slipstream of the front two (which is a great benefit - if you don't believe me, try riding a bicycle at speed into a head wind, then repeat the exercise whilst tailgating a friend - it makes a huge difference) and was moving into contention about half a length down coming to the last hurdle. McCoy had pulled him out of Rock On Ruby's slipstream - to give him a good view of the hurdle? Or as risk mitigation in case RoR fell? - and I wonder whether, suddenly confronted with a strong headwind, the horse was unbalanced or surprised? Whatever happened he got the final obstacle all wrong. Some have said he would have gone on and won 5 or 6 lengths but I would take issue with that - coming upsides a horse is one thing, going past him quite another, and I am not so sure Darlan would have had the resolve to slug it out with RoR up the finish. Ultimately we will, of course, never know, but I think it a valid discussion point to ask whether we are maybe putting Darlan up on a pedestal because of his strong travelling style without looking at his true form? Think back to that classic Champion Hurdle where a motionless Paul Carberry delivered Harchibald to the last still on the bridle. What would we have said if the same fate had befallen Noel Meade's star as struck Darlan down yesterday? Food for thought.
I'm not wanting to detract from the horse, nor talk bad of him, and I am truly gutted that he is no longer with us. I just think talk of him being the 2013 Champion Hurdler would be a leap of faith and I will certainly not be diminishing the efforts of whoever does lift the crown in March just because Darlan wasn't there to give him a race.
