2022 Championship Division

[Lobos]

Just found this post Cheltenham quote from Nolan.....


"There's not much for her - she's probably at the stage now where she's coming out of handicap company, up near the 140s

In Ireland it's very, very difficult to win off top-weight in a handicap - so she'll probably have to take on horses at graded level now, which is not simple.
"At least if she moves out of the fillies' races she has a 7lb allowance - and as we've seen from Cheltenham, it's been a year for the fillies.

"She's only a young mare, and if she continues to improve, maybe she can throw a bit of a blow at the highest level."

[Spectre]

Whilst I take the counter-points on board, I think this is a good shout at the price Lobos.

Nolan will know that her chances of winning another big handicap plot are limited, and will he really run her down the field all season just to get maybe 5lbs off? I doubt it. Mares races or championship races you'd think. She looks all over a staying mare though, and the 7lb allowance in the Stayers will be firmly on Nolan's mind.

[Istabraq]

Worth remembering that Mrs Milner slammed The Bosses Oscar who had Jordan Gainford aboard claiming 7lb.
It’s not often an ultra competitive handicap hurdle sees that much daylight between 1st and 2nd and just to emphasise the point there was a real bunch from positions 2 to about 10, it could easily be she is still ahead of her mark and won’t need much manipulating over the Winter to follow up in the same race…

[Atlantic Viking]

Mares taking part in the Stayers in recent-ish times with finishing position in the first bracket, prior Cheltenham festival run, if any, in the next bracket:

2021: 0
2020: Apples Jade (8th) (6th - 2019 Champion Hurdle, 3rd - 2018 Mares Hurdle, 1st - 2017 Mares Hurdle, 2nd - 2016 Triumph Hurdle)
2019: 0
2018: Colins Sister (4th), Augusta Kate (9th) (6th - 2017 Albert Bartlett, 7th - 2016 Champion Bumper), Lets Dance (F) (1st - 2017 Mares Novice Hurdle, 4th - 2016 Triumph Hurdle)
2017: 0
2016: 0
2015: 0
2014: Annie Power (2nd)
2013: 0
2012: Voler La Vedette (2nd) (3rd - 2010 Mares Hurdle)
2011: 0
2010: 0

[Spectre]

Very few have tried really, it does show that a good one can go close though.

Apples Jade was gone by that stage, and was just having her swansong.

The four mares in 2018 were all big prices.

Annie would have won if Ruby hadn't been over-confident and gone earlier.

Voler La Vedette ran a mighty race, and there was no shame in being beaten by Big Bucks.

[Saxon Warrior]

Worth remembering that Mrs Milner slammed The Bosses Oscar who had Jordan Gainford aboard claiming 7lb.
It’s not often an ultra competitive handicap hurdle sees that much daylight between 1st and 2nd and just to emphasise the point there was a real bunch from positions 2 to about 10, it could easily be she is still ahead of her mark and won’t need much manipulating over the Winter to follow up in the same race…

The BHA Performance Rating put her up 10lb for that win, from 134 to 144.

The Pertemps Final was run 7.22 secs slower that the Stayers Hurdle on the same day over the same trip, around 150 yards slower.

No wonder there was a bunched finish, it was run at a crawl.

The Pertemps Winner carried 15lb less that the Stayers Winner (that would reduce to 7lb if they met in the Stayers 2022).


The previous year Sire Du Berlais won the Pertemps Final, carrying 2lb more than the Stayers Hurdle winner, in a time 2.98 secs faster.

It was easy to elevate him, and the Storyteller, having a chance in the Stayers the following year, based on their races in 2020 - as they ran much faster than the Stayers on similar weights.

[ComplyOrDie]

I can't have Mrs Milner, despite her price.

She's got to improve a fair 10-15lbs for me, and that's without the likes of Flooring Porter, Thyme Hill & Klassical Dream all improving further too. I'm not convinced the Pertemps was that good a race, and TBO had to carry a fair whack for it, and indeed would be 3lbs better off (plus a more experienced jockey) with Mrs Milner if they met in the Stayers, and he isn't one I'm taking seriously for the race either.

She clearly likes the track, but did fail to beat On The Blind Side over 3m at Cheltenham earlier in the season, and he wouldn't get anywhere near winning a Stayers, IMO.

[Saxon Warrior]

I can't have Mrs Milner, despite her price.

She's got to improve a fair 10-15lbs for me, and that's without the likes of Flooring Porter, Thyme Hill & Klassical Dream all improving further too. I'm not convinced the Pertemps was that good a race, and TBO had to carry a fair whack for it, and indeed would be 3lbs better off (plus a more experienced jockey) with Mrs Milner if they met in the Stayers, and he isn't one I'm taking seriously for the race either.

She clearly likes the track, but did fail to beat On The Blind Side over 3m at Cheltenham earlier in the season, and he wouldn't get anywhere near winning a Stayers, IMO.

She hasnt ran a rating that is faster than her performance in the Pertemps Final slow-paced race.

Penhill and Solwhit won very slow Stayers Hurdle races, slower than Mrs Milner's Pertemps Final.
Most Stayers Hurdles are much faster usually.

[FinalFurlong91]

Wonder how many more poor rounds of jumping champ will put in before they decide to switch back to hurdles

[Istabraq]

The BHA Performance Rating put her up 10lb for that win, from 134 to 144.

The Pertemps Final was run 7.22 secs slower that the Stayers Hurdle on the same day over the same trip, around 150 yards slower.

No wonder there was a bunched finish, it was run at a crawl.

The Pertemps Winner carried 15lb less that the Stayers Winner (that would reduce to 7lb if they met in the Stayers 2022).


The previous year Sire Du Berlais won the Pertemps Final, carrying 2lb more than the Stayers Hurdle winner, in a time 2.98 secs faster.

It was easy to elevate him, and the Storyteller, having a chance in the Stayers the following year, based on their races in 2020 - as they ran much faster than the Stayers on similar weights.

All valid points.
I'm not advocating the horse for the Stayers, I'm simply saying she won the Pertemps well enough that her current mark (assume 144) may well see her competitive in the race again, which suggests my comments have no place on this Championship thread but when the handicap/race threads make a return I could be interested in her following up as Sire de Berlais and Buena Vista have both done (and for those with long memories the legendary Willie Wumpkins won three of these in the 80s)

[Saxon Warrior]

All valid points.
I'm not advocating the horse for the Stayers, I'm simply saying she won the Pertemps well enough that her current mark (assume 144) may well see her competitive in the race again, which suggests my comments have no place on this Championship thread but when the handicap/race threads make a return I could be interested in her following up as Sire de Berlais and Buena Vista have both done (and for those with long memories the legendary Willie Wumpkins won three of these in the 80s)

Thats a much more likely scenario, though the trainer comments I read on here, seemed to confirm she would be tried in Graded races, rather than being a Mare having top weight in Graded handicaps, without the use of her 7lb claim.

She could go to a Qualifier if she doesnt cut the mustard in staying graded races, if her handicap mark hast risen in those.

Generally those Staying Graded 3M Hurdles in Ireland arent the strongest, as most decent novice hurdlers automatically go novice chasing, so if Mrs M goes into slow run 3M Grade 1 and 2 Hurdles, she could wreck her handicap mark pretty quickly -and stay in Graded races.

Given how she won the Pertemps, she is one to watch, and have in a Tracker, and watch here runs and handicap mark pre-Christmas.

[Lobos]

We shouldn't forget that Flooring Porter won a handicap off a rating of 136 in early December and two races later spread-eagled a decent field in the Stayers. Everything is possible.

[Saxon Warrior]

We shouldn't forget that Flooring Porter won a handicap off a rating of 136 in early December and two races later spread-eagled a decent field in the Stayers. Everything is possible.

Yes, on the Flooring Porter improvement then anything currently rated over 130 can win the Stayers.

I think its been a tepid race recently, and needs two or three serious horses to enter the fray to stop it being tepid again this year.

Last year we got one rising star, who took the race apart.

[Lobos]

Talking of Flooring Porter, what a tremendous price he is for a young, improving , reigning champion. 12/1 simply cannot be missed can it ? He was an exceptional winner in March.

[Istabraq]

Talking of Flooring Porter, what a tremendous price he is for a young, improving , reigning champion. 12/1 simply cannot be missed can it ? He was an exceptional winner in March.

Didn’t he blow up at Auteuil afterwards or did I dream that ?