The week that was - 15th to 21st March

Hi

The week that all jumps fans have been waiting for arrived and departed with a sea of victories for Irish trained horses. A surreal week for me, being fortunate to live close to the racecourse and being a member for a good few years, it meant a festival from home when I wanted to be at the course. I must say I hated the week as much as I enjoyed it, racing isn't a sit at home and bet hobby, the pre-parade ring, the parade ring, the grandstands, the crowd and even the beverages are all part of the love for the sport and all were missing this week.

Rather than me reviewing all of the racing here, please can folk put up their highlights to the thread?

We saw a total domination from Ireland, with their horses winning and placing in most races, leaving the home team with very little to cheer about. A long look at itself is needed by UK racing and the owners, trainers, breeders and authority all need to be involved in this. I think its multi-faceted and difficult to resolve in the short term.

We then saw a walkover at Kempton, due to the reduced numbers of entries in the handicaps at Cheltenham and only a single runner was balloted out of the Grand Annual, leaving them to mop up a nice prize with a walkover. Another poor outcome for UK racing!!

My highlights of the week were Shishkin, Put The Kettle On and Minella Indo. Shishkin oozed class and is a much needed flagbearer for UK racing, I would hope they are ambitious with him in the future and go over to the Dublin Racing Festival!!

Put The Kettle On is tenacious and Cheltenham plays to her strengths. She was given a brilliant ride and she outfought Chacun Pour Soi and Nube Negra up the hill. She isn't a great by any means, but she has the fight that allows her to turn away better horses at Cheltenham.

Minella Indo was superb, staying and jumping well to fend off what looked a good Gold Cup field. The pace was too much for many of the field, but he tracked it nicely and quickened off the final bend to take a decisive lead that he held onto all the way to the finish.

Eyecatcher

Most eyecatchers would be at the festival, and I thought we saw very taking performances by many horses, but it was a horse that was well beaten that took my eye in Third Time Lucki. Travelled into the race well and went for home very early. Faded up the run in but showed that he is a good horse and with a flatter speed test he would be one to side with.

And finally

The week was all about one jockey, the brilliant performance by Rachael Blackmore, who had a few falls but got back up to win the top jockey trophy and rode some brilliant winners. As jockeys go, Rachael is sublime at reading the pace of a race and giving her horse the best possible chance. This alone allows her and her horses to perform regularly and probably outperform their ability.

Sublime riding from a brilliant jockey

 

Mount Ida's race was absolutely incredible. I've seen it already four or five times and every time I think it's more amazing.

 

Tactically Rachael Blackmore was different gravy, closing in horses to keep those behind from moving up, keeping horses in the right position, and never making a move too soon, she stole the show and is the best rider in Ireland now, without doubt, she probably has been the past 2 or 3 years either way.

Flooring Porter, Vanillier and Allaho were my personal highlights, Allaho was exceptional and I'd be surprised if he's not given a shot down the road of the champion chase next season.

Slightly disappointing Henry DeBromhead didn't land the top trainer award as I felt they did enough to deserve it, but they will be thrilled with the week overall.

I was often quietly critical of the standard of jockeys riding in Britain, but to be fair, the standard of horse is often needed as well and it just doesn't seem to be there, apart from the obvious few. The British riders (Irish incl.) seemed to go for home far too soon all the time coming down the hill, without the realisation they must go back up it to win, a little more patience may have made the difference in another 2 or 3 wins i think but that's racing, it can be hard to not get excited when you start rolling down that hill I'd say.

 

My highlights
Although I had picked the second, I loved seeing old Vintage Clouds romp home

Rachael collecting her well deserved award for champion jockey with 6 winners. Such a shame though it wasn't in front of a rapturous crowd

Biggest highlight was Honeysuckle. Doesn't get much better than that

 

I must be the opposite of you odddy, I cannot be arsed to watch any sporting event unless I really care about the outcome whether that be personal or financial.

 

Sky Pirate one of my highlights purely because around three months ago the author of this thread told me what a dog it was

 

A shrewd judge. Still can’t believe how improved that horse is.

 

Weird week and most of the highlights/sentiments already posted I’d concur with. However another one I’d like to highlight is Sky Pirate’s win in the Grand Annual. The missus’ dad told me it was his banker of the meeting. I was delighted when it won but also bemused. SP debuted in October 2017 over 2.5 miles and won. He ran 15 more times over the next 3 years over 2.5 miles plus - even ran creditably in the 2019 running of the Kim Muir over 26 furlongs. In December last year the trainer decided to try him over the minimum trip. He won easily and progressed from 134 to 152 which he won off last week. SP’s career is in complete contrast to most NH horses that start off over the minimum trip and go up in distance with experience. I can’t make my mind up on the trainer with this one. Genius or crap. Whatever he got one more winner than the reigning champion trainer.

 

Interesting, I still enjoy watching the racing but the enjoyment is much lower without the crowd/going racing. However I’m with you in terms of looking forward, the next thing I’m looking forward to is going racing on the 31st (hopefully) the rest of it can wait!

 

I was writing my essay when you posted that.

 

The interesting thing about Sky Pirate is surely what next. That was a great weight carrying effort beating a horse ( Entoucas) who I wouldn’t be surprised to see make a mockery of his mark in the coming weeks. The way the horse has progressed I would be sorely tempted to have a crack at the Melling Chase with him. Don’t laugh Nass.

 

Give over!

 

I have spent my Sunday evening rewatching every race and making a list of horses to add to my tracker, mostly handicappers of course. Nine horses to add and two of them are FOBs!

 

It's very easy to rave about a jockey at the Festival and you have to congratulate Rachel Blackmore on having six winners.
However, to me the mark of a jumps jockey is how they ride over the big fences.
In my opinion, she comes up short in this aspect .
All her winners were first or second favourite and, excepting Allaho or her bumper winner, were over condition hurdles, mainly in relatively small fields.
So how did she do over fences?
Well, she fell on two mounts; she fell off on two others; she never got another into the race (Cabaret Queen) and pulled her up; two others were unplaced; she was second in the Gold Cup and won on Allaho- but watch the last fence.
It's relatively easy to put a top horse in the leading group in a small field over hurdles but not so easy in a big field hurdles handicap- watch Davy Russell win the big handicaps a couple of years ago. He's a master at it.
Even harder over the big fences.
I'm sorry, fellas, because I love women to do well in sport, but I don't share the sensationalism about Rachel at Cheltenham. Not over the big fences, anyway.

 

I’ve read it all now. Rachael has a better strike rate over fences than she does hurdles, and she rode a perfectly judged and aggressive ride on Allaho over the fences.

She also rode a second in the Gold Cup, judging the race perfectly, giving her horse the best chance and her race craft was probably the difference between second and third place.

She had falls, but I don’t think you could say that any horse she rode should have performed better than they did. That for me is a sure fire indicator of how good and consistent a jockey is.

 

I too re-watched the races back over the weekend and the biggest compliment I can give Rachael Blackmore is that she reminded me very much of how Ruby Walsh rode his many winners when coming off that final turn before the hill. If she needed to box you in, she had you, if she needed to push the pace, she did, and if she needed to strike late she covered that as well. Obviously not all races went her way, she fell 4x times in total didnt she, but they all do that from the weakest to strongest of jockeys, so I've no complaints there.

If truth be told she was riding at the top of her game and it showed. Tam might have his point about falling off, but there is no doubt about it she is a very talented jockey...

 

One massive positive regarding this Festival over many we have seen in recent years is the apparent lack of injuries to horses. Am I delusioned or did we really have no fatalities?

 

One in the Cross Country.

 

I really enjoyed the festival but I guess heightened excitement levels were not quite at fever pitch mainly due to being unable to attend. In addition the novice races and some of the handicaps were not as competitive as they usually are, although not sure to what degree that affected my experience. Still overall I rate it 9 out of 10.

Top 4 race highlights for me:

Appreciate It dominating the supreme. He looked a monster of a horse and looked a beast compared to the others before the race and absolutely hosed up. Great performance.

Put the kettle on - most enjoyable race to watch, was a proper race and her tenacity up the hill was just brilliant to see her defeating Nube Negra and Chacun Pour Soi. She looked like she would be passed but she fought back up the hill. Brilliant to watch.

Tiger Roll - great to see the Cross Country course bring out the best in him. He roared back to life and was decisive in victory.

Honeysuckle- what a brilliant race mare she is. Put in a faultless display and she accelerated off the home turn putting the race to bed very quickly and winning very decisively.

I thought Rachel Blackmore thoroughly deserves the credit she is getting. She keeps things simple, boxes riders in when needed and delivers the horse at the right time. One thing you don't see her do is go up the inside when there isn't room. It really frustrates me how some jockeys are obsessed in doing that.

A sad story regarding a horse that could easily have been marked down as one to improve - One for the team. He finished like a train in the Ultima and really powered up the hill but sadly passed away over the weekend in a freak accident at Nick William's stable.

So there we have it..I always feel a bit flat after Cheltenham and this year is no exception. This weekend it will pick up again but thats not cause of the flat action. (boring in comparison I m afraid).