Lads, i'm about to bid you all adieu for a few months while this flat racing nonsense kicks in. Before i shoot off i'd be keen to know what you think is the most impressive performance of this seasons NH campaign? It's been a bad season for NH racing with all of the big guns out for one reason or the other. It's left sub par Champion Hurdles, God Cup's, World Hurdle's and a reasonably questionable QMCC. The Supreme and Neptune o not look to be particularly strong renewals but the saving grace is probably (although not certainly) the Novice Chasers who look exceptionally good. Nevertheless, there will be diamonds in the rough and i'd be keen to read what you boys think match up as the most impressive performance this season from any NH horse. For me, and i'm surprised as i had no investment in the race and didn't really think much of it before the off, but Finian's Oscar in the Aintree Novices Hurdle, was by some distance, the most impressive novice hurdle performance this season. He was off the bridle throughout but kept coming back on when Robbie told him to sharpen up his act. Then found loads as the race reached its climax. Highly impressive. He must go JLT next season imho. 2 miles is too short and 3 maybe too far at this point in time. There's no race for him over hurdles at Cheltenham based on that and he's from the point to point scene which leads us all to believe he'll be stepped up asap. Anyone got any differing opinions?
I've missed a lot of racing, including some today but, of the races I have seen, the single most impressive for me was Neon Wolf at Haydock
Has to be Labaik in the Supreme. Might have been a weak renewal(who knows yet) but he cantered all over them. Visually it looked as good as Altiors win in it last year.
Nonsense? Bad? Sub par? The usual negativity. Buck up fella. Fox Norton for me. Always was a good one, the step up in trip suits. Onwards and upwards.
Only a handicap but Native River's weight carrying performance in the Welsh National was very impressive. Normally a right ol slog but NR had this won a long way out. To be fair today's grand national winner was an impressive performance too. Having ballsed it up at the same track in December to play the waiting game again with all the carnage that will inevitably happen in front of you takes courage from both horse and jockey.
Probably the novice Thistlecrack winning the King George. Sizing John in the Irish and Cheltenham Gold Cups right up there too. Agree with Chan that Native River's demolition job in the Welsh National was pretty special.
best performances have clearly been from Altior and Buveur Dair form in jump racing is irrelevant as I always say, all week horses have been running completely different levels to Cheltenham, some above, some below, because Cheltenham is the only week that matters in jump racing, the only big guns at Aintree this week were Hendersons because hes going for the title, they can upgrade the races all they want but they will forever be an afterthought for the best horses, Mullins and Elliot didnt even turn up which says it all, handicappers who would have been beat half the track at Cheltenham had chances in the novice Grade 1s this week, 137 rated Debece would have won the 3 mile race with any sort of competent jockey on, would have been beat 15+ at Cheltenham Finians Oscar run today tells us absolutely nothing about what he would have done at Cheltenham
Aintree is nothing more than the English comfort blanket after Cheltenham, doubt many of the "Grade 1" winners will be heading to Punchestown and the only race that actually matters at the meeting went to Scotland
FAYONAGH by a country mile for me in the Champion Bumper. Hampered at the start and was a distant last turning down the hill but weaved a path and somehow passed them all to win going away. Factor in that it is so rare to see a girl beat the boys and factor in again that the runner up has already franked the form. She is a machine and I am so looking forward to seeing her jump a hurdle. Hopefully she will go to Punchestown for the listed bumper and the wheelbarrow will be out!
Interesting thread Bob, albeit don't have an opinion on the best performance maybe Arthur winning the national, don't agree with the 'flat nonsense' comment though, each to there own obviously but now the racing really starts
Un de Sceaux smashing up the Ryanair was breathtaking, nothing else came close this jumps season but it hasn't been a great year, let's be honest. Aintree has been so underwhelming with little of the Irish horses over, the Grade Ones there have been that in name only. Hopefully Punchestown should yield some better racing.
Agreed. Now that the slow farm animals are about to be turned out in a field for the summer, proper horse racing can begin. Highlight of the jumps season? Probably a novice winning the King George.
It's a strange one for me to put up but the performance of the season ended badly for the horse I'm putting forward. Might Bite in the Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day. Might Bite had been beaten on chase debut when he fluffed his chance behind Binge Drinker at Ffos Las and I was thinking that this is another Scorpion gelding who was a fragile minded nutter. He then won at Doncaster when showing a high cruising speed and some resolve. He then headed to Kempton, on a day that was supposed to be all about the King George. He completely dominated the race, showing great speed and jumped brilliantly in the main. He was pulling further clear when he was asked for another big one at the last and he took a crashing fall. Leaving the race for Royal Vacation. It was like watching Kauto Star's demolition of Barbershop et al in the King George but with the one startling difference and that was the fall. He took the field apart from a long way out and showed no signs of fading. The time was likely to be impressive in comparison to Thistlecrack's King George and I think the wins at the festivals now set up a great early season narrative for next year. For me, jumps racing is about these narratives and Might Bite, Thistlecrack, Native River and hopefully Coneygree can be a really strong one for next season.
