Supreme/Ballymore/Albert Bartlett - Novice Hurdles 2021

[Lobos]

A thought occurs to me with Malone Road given the discussion we've been having on the Arkle thread.

A bit of a longshot perhaps, but I wonder whether they are going to get a couple of soft summer hurdle races in with him for experience, let him down for four weeks, and then bring him back in again for a novice chase campaign. He'll be 7 in March and given he was bought as a chaser, so they may not want to wait another year with the conveyor belt of talent they have coming through.

Now you are messing with my head ! Anythings possible!

[Spectre]

Which makes it curious why they would want to risk some poor summer novice hurdles too CoD. It'll be part of some kind of plan you'd think, and they need to make up for lost time.

I pointed out somewhere that Elliott is heavily in to Cheltenham stats and trends, and he'll be fully aware of the 7 year old stat in novice hurdles. And as I said Cheveley have a conveyor belt following up behind him so there's merit in the idea.

The knee issue as I understand it is just as likely to be exacerbated by a whack on a hurdle upright than going through birch, so I'm not sure it'll be a consideration. i think they'll just want to be getting on with his career, particularly if he's going to be susceptible to a long term problem.

[ComplyOrDie]

Which makes it curious why they would want to risk some poor summer novice hurdles too CoD. It'll be part of some kind of plan you'd think, and they need to make up for lost time.

I pointed out somewhere that Elliott is heavily in to Cheltenham stats and trends, and he'll be fully aware of the 7 year old stat in novice hurdles. And as I said Cheveley have a conveyor belt following up behind him so there's merit in the idea.

The knee issue as I understand it is just as likely to be exacerbated by a whack on a hurdle upright than going through birch, so I'm not sure it'll be a consideration. i think they'll just want to be getting on with his career, particularly if he's going to be susceptible to a long term problem.

Soft enough ground at this time of year, otherwise I suspect they wouldn't have been risking him at all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the idea at all, and it could well be part of the plan, he certainly jumped a few hurdles big, so maybe they have been schooling him over fences, who knows, but I just have this issue of him landing from the height of a fence, which is a fair difference than a hurdle, with a known knee issue.

[Craigy14]

Soft enough ground at this time of year, otherwise I suspect they wouldn't have been risking him at all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the idea at all, and it could well be part of the plan, he certainly jumped a few hurdles big, so maybe they have been schooling him over fences, who knows, but I just have this issue of him landing from the height of a fence, which is a fair difference than a hurdle, with a known knee issue.

Yeah he was pulled from the first entry as the ground was good, was yielding to soft at Kilbreggan on Friday.

He may just have been ready after recovering from his injuries and getting a run into him seemed a good idea to me. Possibly another run if he’s been sound since his run just to make sure everything is in good order.

Then I suppose it depends whether he plans to keep him going or give him a break. The break EA had between his last run and Cheltenham didn’t do any harm, I know Malone Roads break would be more like a little break prior to the jumps being back into full swing but I wouldn’t be against it.

Has there been anything from Elliott post race on his well being?

[Spectre]

It's 8 weeks to get him fit enough to race, and possibly a shade longer after a spell on the sidelines, so he would have been back in training from Apr/May. That therefore suggests a summer campaign of some sort was on the agenda. It raises the question why, if he was going to have a campaign aimed at the Supreme or Ballymore.

I really do think that the idea of a switch to fences for a novice chase campaign has been on their mind at least, and it's their way of having the option. Three quick runs in easy novice hurdles for a handicap mark so all options are open perhaps? Although if they got a mark around 140 you know which way Gordon would be thinking then?

How's your head now Lobos?!

[Lobos]

It's 8 weeks to get him fit enough to race, and possibly a shade longer after a spell on the sidelines, so he would have been back in training from Apr/May. That therefore suggests a summer campaign of some sort was on the agenda. It raises the question why, if he was going to have a campaign aimed at the Supreme or Ballymore.

I really do think that the idea of a switch to fences for a novice chase campaign has been on their mind at least, and it's their way of having the option. Three quick runs in easy novice hurdles for a handicap mark so all options are open perhaps? Although if they got a mark around 140 you know which way Gordon would be thinking then?

How's your head now Lobos?!

Sweet! The first point you make is exactly where I'm coming from re my Champion Hurdle theory. Brought back early, get plenty of experience in during summer, up him in class, take in the big Irish 2 mile races and hey presto we suddenly have a champion Hurdle horse who does not have to compete against the likes of Ferney and Ballyadam. It makes complete sense to me.

[Saxon Warrior]

Darver Star ran in the summer/early season on:

11th August
21st August
11th September
13th October

Then went into the winter running on:-
1st December (Grade 1 3rd)
1st February (Grade 1 2nd)

Maybe they are following his plan

[Saxon Warrior]

Put The Kettle On was even more prolific running through last summer/autumn, racing on:

2nd May
17th May
16th June
21st July
7th September
6th October (Grade 3 - 2nd)
11th November (Grade 2 - Win)

Then a long break before her Novice Grade 1 Win at the Festival.

Any plan to get to the Festival is possible, depending how it suits the horse, ground conditions etc.

I think if you are trying to miss deep winter ground, like PTKO, as a Novice then you need to get going earlier, before a mid-season break.

Malone Road needs some cut, that seems obvious from his entries/withdrawal in recent weeks, but it doesn't mean they want deep ground for him.

[Lobos]

Darver Star ran in the summer/early season on:

11th August
21st August
11th September
13th October

Then went into the winter running on:-
1st December (Grade 1 3rd)
1st February (Grade 1 2nd)

Maybe they are following his plan

Yes Saxon. Get on the Malone Churdle bus ........ there's plenty of room !

[Saxon Warrior]

I think the Malone Road hurdles run on safe ground as early as possible was completely the right thing to do with a horse that has just had 20 months off.

I don't think it tells us anything about where he is headed, just that he was in dire need of a run as soon as possible to help bridge the 2019/20 racing experience gap with horses that he will be competing with this coming season.

Hopefully no news from Gordon is good news, post-race.

[Spectre]

I think the Malone Road hurdles run on safe ground as early as possible was completely the right thing to do with a horse that has just had 20 months off.

I don't think it tells us anything about where he is headed, just that he was in dire need of a run as soon as possible to help bridge the 2019/20 racing experience gap with horses that he will be competing with this coming season.

Hopefully no news from Gordon is good news, post-race.

The interesting thing is where they were with his training SW. He could easily have been out in a field until July followed by a regular campaign, but they had him in full work at some point in May and were clearly happy that he was going to run at some point over the summer. For a horse who wouldn't obviously want summer ground and has issues, it reeks of a plan of some sort.

[Lobos]

I think the Malone Road hurdles run on safe ground as early as possible was completely the right thing to do with a horse that has just had 20 months off.

I don't think it tells us anything about where he is headed, just that he was in dire need of a run as soon as possible to help bridge the 2019/20 racing experience gap with horses that he will be competing with this coming season.

Hopefully no news from Gordon is good news, post-race.

Don't Jinx it !

[Saxon Warrior]

The interesting thing is where they were with his training SW. He could easily have been out in a field until July followed by a regular campaign, but they had him in full work at some point in May and were clearly happy that he was going to run at some point over the summer. For a horse who wouldn't obviously want summer ground and has issues, it reeks of a plan of some sort.

They definitely seem to want him ready for a test of some sort early season.

[Kevloaf]

Why is there such a rush to elovate Malone Road above his station?

Given the absence, why is a Novice Hurdle race at the festival not good enough as an actual, achievable target/goal?!




If he's good enough to win a Champion Hurdle, then he'll have more chance winning the Supreme or Ballymore and logically ends up there. The line of thinking that the owners will have Ferny Hollow and Ballyadam as the standout Supreme and Ballymore favourites looking head and shoulders above anything else is absolute fairytale stuff.

Backing a novice hurdler, to not run in the novice hurdle event because of those two horses is odd (to put it kindly)

Chevely Park have absolutely no issue running their horses against each other as we've seen on the flat, so this narrative that they'll be splitting them up is wide of the mark too, totally fabricated I'd suggest.



You're both looking outside the box, so many people end up thinking outside the box, they forget what the box is there for



The odds that "all 3" turn up, so that they have to consider splitting them is so long already that I'd want 66/1 just to get a run!

[Hardy Eustace]

NEVER forget the Box.

If Gordon didn't think of EA as a Champion Hurdler I can't see him viewing Malone Road as one.

Whilst it is odd that he is campaigning MR so early I imagine they just think he lacks match practise rather than preparing him for a novice chase campaign.

Just my opinion, before any tells me to get back in my box!