Hello, So what was your performance of the last week (12th to 18th Nov)? It can be equine, trainer, jockey or even tipster. Personally I was very impressed by Al Ferof in the big handicap chase at Cheltenham, carrying plenty of weight and giving weight away to good horses, but my nomination this week goes elsewhere. On Friday we saw the return of Dynaste, and what a return it was, beating Fingal Bay at the first time of asking over the big obstacles, and doing so with brilliant ease. Dynaste settled at the rear and jumped with vigour, carrying Tom Scu into the race, and when he was switched at the last he picked up and took off up the hill to deny the impressive Fingal Bay in convincing style. He won in the way of a really classy horse and if he can continue that form, he is going to take a lot of beating this season. On a side note, a doth of the cap to ROTO for Swing Bill, a horse I managed to back on his write up and one that won in good style. The tipping on here is quality and deserves the dothing of ones cap.
Nass I was so impressed by Captain Conan he has so much scope,a stack of improvement to come, he will be formidable. Incidentally when I type Conan in to my HTC it comes up with option 'Financial' I wonder if that's losses or gains?
Nice one Nass. Really liked OUR FATHER on Saturday. Great performance. CLONDAW COURT looked very good in his bumper as well but that looked an ordinary contest so my vote goes to Our Father.
Our Father was super impressive but Al Ferof has got to be the performance of the week for me. Carried a **** load of weight against what will invariably turn out to be a bunch of well handicapped horses in behind. Top class performance by the team all round. Glad you were on Swing Bill Nass.
It would have to be Al Ferof for me - I just couldn't have him staying the trip on that ground. VERY close second for me was Uncle Junior, not everyone gets the XC races but I'm a huge fan and the way he sprinted away from the field was proof he retained his ability. Failed at the festival (ground too quick) but he then won the La Touch Cup at Punchestown and I think he can dominate in this sphere for a while....
I’d like to present the ‘Performance of the week’ trophy to a human hero and that human hero being Mr Henderson, the forum’s favourite trainer. The ground at Cheltenham during the second half the of the old ‘Open’ meeting really was Dire with a capital ‘D’ and if you had a horse either unproven in such conditions and with bigger fish to fry later in the term it really would have been madness to run them as I’m sure it will be proved that they would leave either their seasons, or indeed their careers, behind them in the Cheltenham mud. I’m sure come April many of the horses who ran well in the latter half of the meeting will have disappointed time and time again in subsequent runs as the weekend will have 'bottomed' them. To use a golfing analogy ‘you can’t win the US Masters on Day 1 but you can sure as heck lose it on Day 1’. In pulling out both Sprinter Sacre and Darlan Mr Henderson benefitted the long term future of both horse as to ask 2 horses with no form in such conditions to run after lengthy absences would have been highly detrimental to them and long term done them no good whatsoever. Other handlers would have looked to short term financial gains but not Mr Henderson who with an eye on the future sensibly and correctly opted to keep both at home. This was in my opinion the astute decision and undoubtedly will benefit both and lead to them securing many high profile successes both this term and in the future. Both Sprinter Sacre and Darlan sure are lucky to have as their trainer a man who appreciates horses and always does everything he can in the interests of their welfare and their future careers.
For me the human and equine awards would have to go to Mr Patrick Mullins for his ride on Uncle Junior. The horse had all but fallen and he did a fantastic job in staying on, letting him work his work back into the race and then powering up the hill. Brilliant commitment from both horse and rider. Also may be biased as I backed Uncle Junior.
Personal performance of the week was Aland Islands who I rate highly and have been excited about his chasing season since I heard about him before his first bumper run. Al Ferof though is a standout performance winning the weeks biggest race with a big weight on poor ground although I do think the ground facilitated the victory as a lot didn't handle it.
