2022 Arkle

[Silverbirch]

I fully expect ferny and appreciate it to line up against each other in the Arkle.(unless one of them is beaten). The easiest route for Willie is to race them against each other before the fez but I don't see that happening. The Fascinating thing will be the jockey choice come March.

[Rooster Booster]

I don't think they'll split Appreciate It or Ferny Hollow, when I emailed the yard enquiring about Jungle Boogie I was told he'd be going novice chasing, he then got a hurdle entry and I assumed I'd been span a line but he didn't run and has since had a further entry in a chase. There's lots to happen and for us to learn from yet but I do feel like he could be the Marsh horse for Willie. He's gone largely under the radar but I have drawn comparisons to Energumene in my other post about JB. With Willie having two very strong Arkle candidates, I can see JB being the Marsh horse. I'm prepared to chance at the price and I'll review after seeing his chasing debut.

It would be a hell of a performance for an 8 year old with only let’s say 5 lifetime starts under his belt. GL

[Can't Catch Me]

Id be absolutely staggered if Mullins ran Appreciate It and Ferny Hollow against each other in the Arkle. To be honest, Im surprised anyone even thinks its possible!

Either looks perfectly capable of stepping up and winning the Marsh so why not split them up? They might be the two most exciting novice chasers he has had for a while. Depending on other options it wouldn't hugely surprise me if they met at Leop in Feb though. And then they can split them accordingly for March.

[Can't Catch Me]

I think Ferny's performance was pretty encouraging for a future at 2m and he deserves the chance to prove he is a 2miler for the rest of the season.

I may be in the minority to believe he would be better than AI over most trips but hopefully we see the big clash later in the season.

Im in the same camp DS. Appreciate It has to prove he can beat Ferny Hollow to me, and not the other way around.

[Can't Catch Me]

Who are you going to tell that their horse doesn't deserve a crack at the Arkle when it's unbeaten in two mile chases easily putting the opposition away? The Masterson's or Cheveley Park? I suspect neither is the answer ABP, and I doubt Willie would either.

What if they meet at the Dublin Racing Festival? Easy to tell the loser they won't beat the winner again, but they could easily win the Marsh....

Even owners as big as there two won't argue with Willie, or tell him what to do. And he will be very keen for both to win at the Festival. As he always is with his best horses.

[FinalFurlong91]

Willie name checking the marsh for ferny in his stable tour suggests he thinks appreciate it is better

Be interesting to see if it plays out like that on the track

Ferny was ok on chase debut nothing more, a solid start but nothing to get carried away by

The main thing I took from it was that he looked much more relaxed, hes clearly maturing mentally and not the headcase he was early on so the possibly of 2m4f now looks much more realistic for him

[Spectre]

There isn't a chance Willie will put Appreciate It and Ferny Hollow up against each other and give them both a hard race at the DRF. One will go and the other won't.

Richard Thompson has already come out and said he expects Ferny Hollow to go to the Arkle, and he has no interest in what Appreciate It does at all. The Masterson's have the current Supreme Novice Champion, which have a remarkably good record in the Arkle. They will also feel their horse of all horses, most deserves a crack at the Arkle. And they have have no interest in Ferny Hollow at all.

Both are unbeaten over two miles coming up to the Festival, and Willie says to one of them 'I'm sending your horse to the Marsh'. Surely it feels unlikely doesn't it?

[Exar Essay]

Willie name checking the marsh for ferny in his stable tour suggests he thinks appreciate it is better

Did he? All I've read is that he did well to beat Bob, will go novice chasing, taken his fences well etc. The Sporting Life video did mention that he has lots of Stamina (this wasn't committed to the written version for whatever reason) but I've not seen anything that commits the Marsh or any race or that might imply a preference for Appreciate It.

[DeeBee]

Willie name checking the marsh for ferny in his stable tour suggests he thinks appreciate it is better

Be interesting to see if it plays out like that on the track

Ferny was ok on chase debut nothing more, a solid start but nothing to get carried away by

The main thing I took from it was that he looked much more relaxed, hes clearly maturing mentally and not the headcase he was early on so the possibly of 2m4f now looks much more realistic for him

He’s not name checked the marsh as far as I know? Just said he has plenty of stamina

[Carnage at Taunton]

What if they meet at the Dublin Racing Festival? Easy to tell the loser they won't beat the winner again, but they could easily win the Marsh....

Even owners as big as there two won't argue with Willie, or tell him what to do. And he will be very keen for both to win at the Festival. As he always is with his best horses.

Yep. Someone mentioned earlier UDS and Vautour.
History tells us they like to split them and when as many races as they can.
I expect them to carry that on with these two.

[Winging The Last]

Other than Vautour does anyone who how any horses have won the Supreme and gone for the Marsh?

Obviously its a big positive that the only one I can think of off the top of my head was trained by Willie and he won the Marsh

[Kautostar]

There isn't a chance Willie will put Appreciate It and Ferny Hollow up against each other and give them both a hard race at the DRF. One will go and the other won't.

Richard Thompson has already come out and said he expects Ferny Hollow to go to the Arkle, and he has no interest in what Appreciate It does at all. The Masterson's have the current Supreme Novice Champion, which have a remarkably good record in the Arkle. They will also feel their horse of all horses, most deserves a crack at the Arkle. And they have have no interest in Ferny Hollow at all.

Both are unbeaten over two miles coming up to the Festival, and Willie says to one of them 'I'm sending your horse to the Marsh'. Surely it feels unlikely doesn't it?

We all know Willie decides where his horses run and less so the owners, he will decide which one has the best chance in the Arkle and the other he will say your best chance is stepping up in trip to the marsh at which point the owners won’t argue.

Last season CPS mentioned in a stable tour envoi allen would be targeting the rsa which Gordon quickly then stated it would be the marsh chase and nothing else was said, CPS didn’t dig their heels in and envoi ran where Gordon said he would run (even after switching to hdb). I don’t think they will dictate to Willie where Ferny hollow runs even if they got carried away name checking the Arkle. He may of course be willie’s number 1 for the Arkle and AI steps up in trip to the marsh.

I think Willie will split his three alphas up and at the moment they are
- Appreciate it
- Ferny Hollow
- Galopin des champs

After that the rest will slot in with gailard du mesnil being #4 as super sub for the marsh or brown advisory.

[Carnage at Taunton]

We all know Willie decides where his horses run and less so the owners, he will decide which one has the best chance in the Arkle and the other he will say your best chance is stepping up in trip to the marsh at which point the owners won’t argue.

Last season CPS mentioned in a stable tour envoi allen would be targeting the rsa which Gordon quickly then stated it would be the marsh chase and nothing else was said, CPS didn’t dig their heels in and envoi ran where Gordon said he would run (even after switching to hdb). I don’t think they will dictate to Willie where Ferny hollow runs even if they got carried away name checking the Arkle. He may of course be willie’s number 1 for the Arkle and AI steps up in trip to the marsh.

I think Willie will split his three alphas up and at the moment they are
- Appreciate it
- Ferny Hollow
- Galopin des champs

After that the rest will slot in with gailard du mesnil being #4 as super sub for the marsh or brown advisory.

I can see that happening.
AI looks to me like a horse that is made for longer trips, not so sure re FH.

[ComplyOrDie]

Both are unbeaten over two miles coming up to the Festival, and Willie says to one of them 'I'm sending your horse to the Marsh'. Surely it feels unlikely doesn't it?

Do you think every owner will have an opinion of where their horses should go, or just leave it up to the trainer to decide the best route for them?

I'd imagine CPS like to have some sort of power over it, but I'm not so sure about the Mastersons myself.

[DenmanSacre]

I think it's a bit early to be calling GDC an alpha when GDM, to me, has the better novice resume - 2 G1s and second in a Ballymore compared to 1 G1 and a Cheltenham handicap victory