I have never hated a horse - that would be absurd. But I have at times got a bit sick of the hype surrounding a horse. Desert Orchid is a prime example. I was in the Malt Shovel in Upper Lambourn the other week and you could not even avoid huge photos of the horse in there, although the horse had no connection with the village at all and there have been many great horses trained within a couple of hundred yards of the pub. I can also be turned off a horse by the connections. Nicholls is the best trainer of his generation (obviously!) but his oafish behaviour is a real turn off and when you combine that with the ultra-smug Clive Smith there is every reason to want to see Kauto Star get beat. But that is not hating the horse himself - he is magnificent.
this is the thing, similar to what fulkes posted. i never don't like the horse, but i can resent a horse for reasons i know are not to do with it. i never really liked imperial commander (but i do hope he's ok after his injury) and i can't warm to long run. but it's not the horse's fault. it can be anything, connections, not liking a jockey, the horse always bothering your favourite. but despite the jockey and his antics to denman i still always loved madison du berlais because of his efforts in other races. i didn't excuse the incident but still liked the horse. so it seems more about flies in the ointment surrounding a horse, and not the horse itself. i previously never warmed to denman, even though he had momentous weight bearing wins, but i grew to accept his presence, his character and his nature, and like him. i'm a massive kauto fan but denman has my respect, for showing his a** to the cameras but also to most of the field. so hearts and minds can be changed, but it depends a lot on being able to ignore the people who surround or speak about the horse, and also, i'm probably not alone in having an emotional investment. without that we wouldn't love the sport so much, hate this and that, or love this and that. great thread i reckon
I agree petito, it's more about the connections or the hype that will put you off a horse. I will always want a Sir Henry horse to go well but can never cheer a Jim Bolger horse home, also never got on with Barry Hills for some reason. It's going back a bit now but someone who the commentators used to claim we all loved but i could not for the life of me was Jenny Pitman, but i used to love Henrietta Knight, which always used to leave me cheering on Best mate. I have never got used to seeing a horse lose it's life on course even after all this time but I must say I found Best Mates loss especially upsetting.
I have to say Ron, that I'm amazed at the respect Crisp has on this forum. He is well known in Oz, but I didn't think too many people in the UK would have even known the name Crisp. It came as a real surprise when I joined the original 606, to find the regard in which the horse is held.
I still think Red Rum in his prime would have beaten Crisp off level weights. Red Rum improved alot after his first Grand National victory
He was incredible Cycs. A cracking 2 miler, giving 2 stone (give or take) in the Grand National to an out and out National legend. I still pray for the finish line whenever I watch the race. [video=youtube;oiGaX0d_Pjk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oiGaX0d_Pjk[/video] Heart breaking
