I know there are some small fry jump racing, im talking about the bout the big races, the big festivals races like Long Run vs Weapons Amnesty or Quevega vs Big Bucks; Just a few I would like to see. I cant wait to cheltenham again. Flat racing is good and dont get me wrong I love royal ascot and glorious goodwood but I just dont think it has the same ring as Cheltenhem the greatest festival on turf. No Flat racing festival has the number of high calibre races in such a short number of days. At cheltenham you have the best horses in the world all together in one course. The races you potenitally have as I mentioned Quevega in a world hurdle, master minded in a gold cup, imho you just cant beat. Frankel is a top quality horse, but what horse can come near him, same was with sea the stars, Yes they are wonderful horses sea the stars is one of the greatest and I am sure Frankel will follow, but it just seems the gap between the best G1 horses and the rest are just too great. Cheltenham you had Kauto Star one of the future all time greats and denman the tank race up the hill then suddnely Long Run (who I tipped at the beginnig of the jump season to be the next kauto star and run some big races) showed them that youth was everything that day and stormed to win the gold cup. But hopefully next year weapons amnesty who beat Long Run will run in the GC Then at Aintree you had Nacarat beat Denman. Also binocular (who had a very dissapointing 2010/2011; he will come back better this year guarentee it) won the CH one year then lost at aintree to Oscar Whiskey (who is massivley underatted. These are just some of the reasons that NH racing imho is the best
Not at all,apart from Cheltenham I am not that interested in jumps.Royal Ascot is easily my favourite meeting of the year,group 1 races are normally the easiest ones to win on as well. I also get bored of seeing the same horses year in/out as well,I like the excitement of new 2 year olds coming in.
I like all top quality racing whether flat or NH. Not keen on AW. Flat racing does have one advantage; the weather is generally warmer.
I don't know what the concentration numbers of G1 races are in the UK Ron, but here in Oz, we can have them come thick and fast at times. The Autumn Carnival in Sydney (all flat) sees 21 G1 races in 7 weeks. On Golden Slipper day alone there are 5 G1 events. In the Spring Carnival in Melbourne, there are 18G1 races in about 6 weeks. Again all flat. We don't have a Festival that runs on 3 or 4 straight days like Cheltenham, so you have a good point there. But I'm a flat man through and through Ron. I know that you have a great affinity with Hunt Racing, as many do, so to each their own mate. I'm glad that you really enjoyed the past season. With the way time seems to fly at our age...well mine anyway, the Hunt Season will be on us in no time.
The Problem with the jumps is the time of year, half the meetings are lost because of snow, and there's no night racing! I do love the Jumps but the flat gets the nod for me! As for your contests, Long Run was a 5 year old when he faced WA, he's a much improved horse these days, and will win the Gold Cup again next season, WA or no WA! As for Quevega taking on Big Bucks, Quevega would get tonked by Grands Crus nevermind BB, and Mullins knows this hence the reason Quevega always sticks to the mares hurdle, and she will again this season
If you want a horse to give Long Run something to think about, look no further than Noble Prince, this horse won the Jewson very nicely, from Wishfull Thinking the same Wishfull Thinking who bolted up at Aintree, and bolted up in a Punchestown handicap carrying top weight! Noble Prince was galloping all over Realt Dubh in the Powers Gold Cup before falling, and it was quite obvious he would have won that race with ease had he stayed on his feet, then Realt Dubh gave the Arkle winner Captain Chris a real scare at Punchestown and was only just denied! The form is there in the book for Noble Prince and I can see him winning alot of top level races, even though I don't punt ante post 33/1 for next seasons Gold Cup is a stupid price, are the bookies watching the same racing I am, as his form is easily the strongest of all the Novices from last season
I'm completely missing the jumps! How many times do we actually get to see these top flat 'flash in the pan' horses before they are whipped off to stud... 3 or 4 runs then retirement. Give me the Kautos, Hurricanes and Quevegas any day of the week thanks!
Just watching a superb equine athlete like Canford cliffs winning easily does more for me than the same NH horses plodding around year after year. And the lack of fresh blood does make it very tedious after a while. But dont get me wrong watching the likes BB,Masterminded and The fly cantering over their rivals does make it very watchable.But the flat with the likes of SYT,BC,Goldy,Frankel and CC will always have the edge.
