2024 Champion Bumper (A FLAT RACE)

[Many Clouds]

…..not exactly sure what this means from the W Mullins Stable Tour;

Maughreen
Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 8-1

Faugheen [Maughreen's half-brother] won his bumper at Punchestown by 22 lengths and I know Maughreen only won by 11, but I think Patrick [Mullins] took a pull after I gave out to him for winning so far on Faugheen. She'll improve the whole way to the festival.

I'm glad someone else has noticed that as it looks on first glance asif she is going to Cheltenham, but I expected a bit of a market move for her but seems to be much the same as before the tour came out. Maybe he means the Punchestown Festival, but would be weird to be stating that in the run up to Cheltenham you would think.

[Benjy23]

It sounds like she's an intended runner to me. Which surprised me slightly. I've backed half the field in this for some reason but not her.

I did prefer his comment on You Oughta Know though. But that could be a bit of confirmation bias.

[Eggs]

I'm glad someone else has noticed that as it looks on first glance asif she is going to Cheltenham, but I expected a bit of a market move for her but seems to be much the same as before the tour came out. Maybe he means the Punchestown Festival, but would be weird to be stating that in the run up to Cheltenham you would think.

….365 have cut her to 5-1 and Betfair are now 7-1 antepost, but as you say, not significant movement. I’m keeping an eye on whether PP slash their 40-1 CB/MNH offer.

[Benjy23]

Be right disappointing if the Champion Bumper winner ended up running in the Mares Novice hurdle the following season wouldn't it?

[TigerRolllllll]

Be right disappointing if the Champion Bumper winner ended up running in the Mares Novice hurdle the following season wouldn't it?

Why?

im just not with the negative stuff to Mares programme? I think its added loads in recent years….Honeysuckle being prime example

Bumper winners don’t have a great record in Supreme anyway

Stronger Mares programme gets the better for me

[Kevloaf]

Why?

im just not with the negative stuff to Mares programme? I think its added loads in recent years….Honeysuckle being prime example

Bumper winners don’t have a great record in Supreme anyway

Stronger Mares programme gets the better for me

Because Honeysuckle would have added to the other races more

I don't understand why that point gets missed over and over and over again


The best horses should be clashing, not avoiding each other


Stronger Mares programme is fine, if it creates more mares to fill races, but the exceptional Mares should be taking on the boys. They should be encouraged to do so. The way it is at the moment, they're not.



The 3 in the Mares Novice Hurdle at the moment would make the Supreme and Baring Bingham WAY more exciting... We've got Ballyburn who looks like he'll be odds on, would Brighterdaysahead in the BB not make that more of an exciting clash?




I don't understand how you can be anything but negative about making races worse.

[Quevega]

Because Honeysuckle would have added to the other races more

I don't understand why that point gets missed over and over and over again


The best horses should be clashing, not avoiding each other


Stronger Mares programme is fine, if it creates more mares to fill races, but the exceptional Mares should be taking on the boys. They should be encouraged to do so. The way it is at the moment, they're not.



The 3 in the Mares Novice Hurdle at the moment would make the Supreme and Baring Bingham WAY more exciting... We've got Ballyburn who looks like he'll be odds on, would Brighterdaysahead in the BB not make that more of an exciting clash?




I don't understand how you can be anything but negative about making races worse.

I've said it before but they don't have to lose their own races, they should just run them on trials day instead.
Then the best would likely move on to take the boys on at Cheltenham.
Mares Hurdle and Mares Chase specifically, the novice might be trickier to move to earlier in the season, and I'm not totally against novices keeping to their own, although this year I think we have 2 exceptional mares novices and possibly a third in Dysart but have doubts about her, as she looks a bit skippy.

Anyway, Miniskirts are back in fashion so I hope the suns out for the festival

[Birds Nest]

Because Honeysuckle would have added to the other races more

I don't understand why that point gets missed over and over and over again


The best horses should be clashing, not avoiding each other


Stronger Mares programme is fine, if it creates more mares to fill races, but the exceptional Mares should be taking on the boys. They should be encouraged to do so. The way it is at the moment, they're not.



The 3 in the Mares Novice Hurdle at the moment would make the Supreme and Baring Bingham WAY more exciting... We've got Ballyburn who looks like he'll be odds on, would Brighterdaysahead in the BB not make that more of an exciting clash?




I don't understand how you can be anything but negative about making races worse.

I think the benefits are further down the line after they go through the breeding sheds, long term we can compare Dam to Dam a lot better and use those lines better rather than comparing Dam to Sire form.

[Kevloaf]

I think the benefits are further down the line after they go through the breeding sheds, long term we can compare Dam to Dam a lot better and use those lines better rather than comparing Dam to Sire form.

With that, as I've said and Q has referred to, they don't need to lose the race.... just there should be a reason for the top notchers to be making the better races better.

Mares programme isn't the issue, the Mares Novice Hurdle and Mares Chase are the problem taking away from other races at the Cheltenham Festival is the gripe I have.

Those two races elsewhere would be satisfactory as an easy fix.



Apologies anyway, derailing the bumper thread .... what could be more thrilling than talking about Mares races. ..... flat races haha

[PresentingPercy]

With that, as I've said and Q has referred to, they don't need to lose the race.... just there should be a reason for the top notchers to be making the better races better.

Mares programme isn't the issue, the Mares Novice Hurdle and Mares Chase are the problem taking away from other races at the Cheltenham Festival is the gripe I have.

Those two races elsewhere would be satisfactory as an easy fix.

Totally agree, would love to see the Mares Hurdle, Mares Chase and Mares Nov Hurdle moved to Cheltenham trials day and those who think they're good enough thereafter have the ability to run in open company against the geldings at The Festival.

[Istabraq]

I'm all for a separate raceday for the Mares series but Trials day is meant to be exactly what it suggests, festival trials.
The Saturday December meeting has been weakened by the Internal move so there's a gap there, that's a two day meeting as well, or shift it to Sandown's Whitbread's meeting, Haydock's Swinton hurdle day, plenty of options, doesn't have to be HQ...

[PresentingPercy]

I'm all for a separate raceday for the Mares series but Trials day is meant to be exactly what it suggests, festival trials.
The Saturday December meeting has been weakened by the Internal move so there's a gap there, that's a two day meeting as well, or shift it to Sandown's Whitbread's meeting, Haydock's Swinton hurdle day, plenty of options, doesn't have to be HQ...

I'd make Trials Day to two day card, include a Mares hcap hurdle, hcap chase and Mares bumper to the card. Then get the BHA and breeders associations to market it as Dam's Day or something corny like that And in turn reduce The festival to a three day affair. (Yes, I spend far too much of my time dreaming up an alternative racing calendar)

[Quevega]

I'd make Trials Day to two day card, include a Mares hcap hurdle, hcap chase and Mares bumper to the card. Then get the BHA and breeders associations to market it as Dam's Day or something corny like that And in turn reduce The festival to a three day affair. (Yes, I spend far too much of my time dreaming up an alternative racing calendar)

Yep definitely a 2 day card and reduce the PP meeting to 2 days, the Friday is a ghost town.
They'd still be trials Ista as the best of the mares would then be looking at the festival.
The mares races would definitely attract the Irish over as well, as they have no mares races in the Dublin festival, aside from a low rated handicap.

[Istabraq]

They'd still be trials Ista as the best of the mares would then be looking at the festival.
.

To a point yeah, but I'm assuming the evolution of the mares programme was intended to have a natural lead to mares finals/championships day(s) with the majority of horses aimed there.
I don't know how much momentum there is in the allowance review, I see/hear different things all the time, but if that were to disappear/reduce a non gelding in a championship race may be a very rare thing...

[nortonscoin200]

Sorry guys but I'm looking forward to all three mares races at the Festival and think it's terrific their showpiece events are at the top meeting.

All three races promise to be absolute belters.

It's too easy to pin the blame on the mares programme for diluting other championship races.

Surely the reason the Champion Hurdle is likely to cut up badly is that trainers just don't want to waste a bullet taking on The Hill.

And if the top mares were all integrated with the boys you then get the usual complaints about the mares allowance giving them too much of an advantage when they start winning.

I'd say no system is perfect but this is the programme/feast that's been put in front of us so let's just enjoy it.

Worst race of the Festival for me would be the X Country but no way would I want to ditch it or restrict it to stop potential Gold Cup horses defecting to an easier target.

Let's face it, if you've got a potential Gold Cup winner in your stables you're hardly going to settle for a tilt at the X Country.

Now can we all get back to finding a 33-1 shot (at least) for the Kim Muir or the Ultima.