Get Mr Mullins to put Annie Power into the Champion Hurdle, where she rightly belongs, so that I can get you back on the greatest staying hurdler in history. Unfortunately the young lad we brought in to replace you made a right cock up of epic proportions today and managed to get him beaten for the first time in 19 runs. The annoying thing is I brought this young chap in over the head of our stable jockey, (note he is most certainly not the retained jockey, he's the stable jockey, there IS a difference) and he's now walking about with a right smug look on his face. He just told me to get over it, move on, end of story. Ah well, we should have knew bringing in this young lad, as truth be told, the kids got form for this sort of ride as he's done it a couple of times on some Champion Hurdle hope his daddy trains. They call him Mr Hit the Front Too Soon. End of story. I know I'm a pigheaded, stubborn and belligerent man and I'm not known for treating my jockeys with much loyalty but you know you were the one for me. I'll always be faithful to you Ruby. Love & Kisses, pretty, pretty please Ditcheat's Finest xx
Not in a million years would Ruby desert the Fly. Adds to my assertion that ANNIE POWER will end up in the WORLD HURDLE. STD is a very good young jockey but nowhere near the finished article yet, he will get there. Two high profile defeats in a few weeks is not going to help his confidence much.
Sam rode Big Buck's today exactly the same as Ruby did in the World Hurdle 2012. In that race Big Buck's outjumped Mourad at the 3rd last and went on coming down the hill, stretching the stamina of Oscar Whiskey and the other doubtful stayers in the field. He very nearly got collared by Voler La Vedette that day but he was 100% race ready and managed to pull out enough up the hill to hold off the mare. Tiredness and lack of race fitness lost him the race today, not the ride by STD.
I'm flabbergasted that you feel that the jockey is completely free of blame in getting the greatest staying hurdler of all time beat by Knockara Beau Oddy.
Just my opinion Beefy. Big Buck's looked all over the winner coming down the hill to 2 out but he didn't produce his customary strong finish up the hill. I think lack of condition started to show from the foot of the hill and he really didn't get home at all. An interesting comparison is to look at the time of the race today versus the time of the race when he won it in 2009. In that year he won by 4 lengths from 10/11 fav Punchestowns in a time of 6m 39.18 secs (slow by 58.18 secs) carrying 11 00 (receiving 8 lbs from Puchestowns). The going that day was heavy and it was over exactly the same C&D. Fast forward to today, and the winning time of Knockara Beau was 6m 25.81 secs (slow by 44.81 secs) i.e. 14 seconds quicker than in 2009. Looking at the 2013 renewal of the Cleeve, won by Reve De Sivola also on heavy, the time was 6m 32 secs (ie 6 seconds slower than today) but they didn't go the strong early pace and Reve De Sivola was able to outbattle Oscar Whiskey up the hill, with Knockara Beau a well beaten 4th. At the end of the day, I think what happened today was that a suicidal early pace effectively knocked the finish out of Big Buck's who was badly in need of the run. Knockara Beau and At Fishers Cross stayed on past him after the last when he had no more to give. The first 3 home have probably run to somewhere in the mid 150s, meaning a return to his absolute best for Knockara Beau (he won a Pertemps Qualifier at Carlisle in Feb 2011 on heavy ground off 148 and was subsequently raised to 156 for the Final at Cheltenham) and a decent effort from At Fishers Cross, given the current stable form and his tendency to jump a couple of flights quite big. Big Buck's has therefore run about 15-20lbs below his official mark and I think this is entirely possible given his long lay-off, the strong early pace and the testing conditions. He will clearly come on a good deal for the run, but I don't believe defeat today can be put down to the ride given to him by STD.
Excellent analysis Odddy. The only things that beat BB today was age and condition or a mixture of both. It was always going to be a tough ask. I am really encouraged by AT FISHERS CROSS. He looked over his problems and raced with enthusiasm. If he can translate his wellbeing into taking a cut at his hurdles again then I still think we have a potential star there. He has obviously been a horse in pain and looked much better today. He will be in the World Hurdle shake up without doubt.
I suspect the plan was to take it up some way out and to try to ease his way ahead to an easy win without having to exert himself too much. Had Ruby been on him I'm sure the plan would have been the same but maybe he would have stretched them a bit more. (ie knowing the horse so well he would have probably got home a few seconds sooner, which would have made it look like a stroll in the park). I think the jockey rode the right race but his inexperience with BB caused the defeat. Knowing the horse is BIG plus. Given he didn't get away from the field it was too much to ask to hold them off up the hill. He looked very well and comfortable in running, he jumped well. The only way he was going to win today was to take the finish out of the others. I wouldn't blame the jockey but I think Ruby would have been able to judge the pace better.
I don't think STD did much wrong either. Easy to blame the jockey and exactly why Jacob wasn't in a rush to volunteer for the job.
I cannot believe people think STD was to blame for yesterdays defeat The horse would have been beaten under Ruby as well BB's has been out of competitive action for a long time, it would've been even more damaging had the got to the bottom of BB for yesterdays run when ultimately the World hurdle is the big target. As for STD - he is one of, if not thee, most promising up & coming jockeys on the circuit. I hope he keeps him on board for the WH - i would be confident he will return to winning ways!
I'll be very surprised if Big Bucks doesn't win at the festival, especially now that he has a run under his belt, the jockey will have learnt a lot and also my belief that Annie Power will run on the Tuesday.
I think sending him for home so early after such a lay off and in such heavy ground had little chance of paying off. I would have said that would be the tactics to employ were you riding a very race fit horse who loved heavy. I also feel it would have bottomed him more than were he ridden with more restraint. If BB had sat behind with the other market leaders and challenged whoever was leading at the last he may have got beaten for speed due to his lay off but quite possibly not, but it would have been a sensible ride and we would have said just lacked a bit of match fitness. I just don't know what tactics you would be following to think about racing him so handy on the pace and kicking on so far out and cannot believe for one moment Ruby would have done that. Ultimately I cannot recall ever seeing BB asked to take the lead so far out and I have never seen him beaten and I am afraid to my mind the two things are not unrelated. On a positive note however I thought his hurdling was superb and nothing in that race hurdles with anywhere near the fluency BB does and come Cheltenham that will see him right.
It may seem a strange thing to say but I think that had he not gone on it would have been an incredibly slowly run race and the final sprint up the hill with all in contention would have taken more out of him than allowing him to bowl along at a more even pace within himself.
Possibly Ron, I just think that I cannot disconnect the two things that I have never seen him sent for home so far out and I have never seen him beaten.
I hear what you are saying Blue but remember he's always been fit and therefore able to repel the challengers.
Have you managed to see Ruby on the last couple of races at Leopeardstown today Ron, superb timing, head in front final few yards, I think he would have cringed to se STD send him for home with so far out.
Having watched Ruby's ride on Sure Reef today I've absolutely no doubt he wouldn't have lost on Big Buck's yesterday. He was committed far too soon. Sam's special party piece unfortunately getting the great horse chinned like that
Amazing how we can watch the same race a come to totally opposite conclusions BOS. Ruby rode Sure Reef up with the pace lost his position completely and was struggling on the final bend then outstayed them all up the finish straight. That win has to be credited to the constitution of the horse rather than any urging from the jockey IMO. His ride in the next race was ballsy though getting the fav up in the final strides.
