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Possibly not a banc type as impressive as he was? Worn down late in the bartlett, jumped very exhuberantly there and got them all at it before again tying up a bit late on over 2 and a half, albeit possibly lacking a bit of fitness on seasonal debut.
I'd say if anything the stayers came to the fore. Doubts about Captain Teague & Johnnywho being real stayers, IMO.
Masaccio got an RPR of 141 on chase debut, and The Jukebox Man has fairly put him away. The former having race fitness on his side too.
That was a high 140's if not 150 performance, IMO.
Firefox declared for Drinmore. Do we see that as a negative re his Arkle aspirations? None of Gordon's previous winners of the race have gone to the Arkle have they ?
With mid distance now a handicap i wouldn't think too much into it tbh. Think it's a good race for a prep still for whats available and I'd say Arkle still the plan. I know plenty went DR, Drinmore then Turners/JLT, but as above now a handicap I'm hopeful he's too good for a handicap and Gordy keeps to Arkle plan.
What is Gordon doing with Stellar Story. He's out again very quickly over a trip which is probably inadequate as what appears to be fourth string. Might he be the NHC plot? It's not inconceivable that he doesn't get more than 145. His hurdle OR was 148 and that was off the back of the AB which was head and shoulders above anything else he did that year.
Forpadydeplasterer finished 2nd in the Drinmore and won the Arkle! However, the race is only 1/13 for Arkle winners.
I stole this bit of information off of Twitter (it will never be X)
Found A Fifty got beat in it last year didn't he and still went to the Arkle with a decent chance. He got beat by a not really novice as well. The experience for Heart Wood can count a lot, as well as the trip maybe not suiting Firefox.
The winning rider told ITV Racing: "That was unbelievable. He's been so, so good at home, a little too brave and he took a chance at the water and one down the back and I'd say that's done him the world of good.
"He managed his fences really well after that. He's the best horse I've ever sat on without a shadow of doubt and I felt like I cantered round and quickened up the home straight.
Winning trainer Ben Pauling said: “I always thought I hadn’t had one as good as Barters Hill as he was an exceptional talent and I think this one might be the same. There is loads to work on. He was a bit close to the first few. He was almost in hurdling mode, then he became stupidly big and bold and Ben did well to rein him in and just get him to pop them down the back, but that just got a blow into him as well.
“He is a big horse and this is his first run of the season. He will improve a ton as all mine do. It could be quite exciting from here on hopefully. We are not always right, but I had in my head that he wasn’t just a dour stayer. We ran him in the Albert Bartlett and he got collared late home.
“At home he is as slow as a hearse, but on the track he finds another gear. I thought he had a touch of class and dropping him back to two and a half miles was always my plan. I was unsure on this ground whether we would have the gears, but it looks like we did so it opens up a lot of other options.
“He is by Ask and they are a bit quirky and he does that (hang a bit left) for no apparent reason. One thing I said to Ben (Jones) is that if you get into a battle, don’t try and pull him right handed as he will lug into it.
“I still think if we had ducked in behind Captain Teague in the Challow Hurdle he would have gone by, but we kept trying to pull him around and interrupt his stride. You were supposed to have seen him once already, then here and then somewhere around Christmas. He is the sort of horse I could go to Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown with as he is as hard as nails.
“We are not going to fall into the trap of not running a good horse because he enjoys his racing more than his work at home, but at the same time we will be campaigning him properly. We’ve lost the Dipper and that would be the obvious route. It leaves Kempton on the cards, but there are other options."
On the evidence of today, JP McManus now has no representative in the BANC. I am sticking to my guns (and first AP bet of the 25 festival) Majborough comes here. Bookies can keep their Arkle prices.
On the evidence of today, JP McManus now has no representative in the BANC. I am sticking to my guns (and first AP bet of the 25 festival) Majborough comes here. Bookies can keep their Arkle prices.
I had to cover him off the back of Willie's comments but in one interview he said he'd be a 2 miler who could stay 3 miles and in another he said he was open minded as to his best trip. I actually think majborough should go for the fairyhouse grade 1 this year but agree with you that banc is most likely.
I think willies playing games with the media to try and put pressure on JP - not sure why it works in this case, but suggesting fact to file should go to the king George is clearly so he doesn't have to race Galopin in the savilles and for willies benefit
On the evidence of today, JP McManus now has no representative in the BANC. I am sticking to my guns (and first AP bet of the 25 festival) Majborough comes here. Bookies can keep their Arkle prices.
JP’s Waterford Whispers may put his name forward if he puts IEP to the sword in the first at Fairyhouse tomorrow
Willie was pretty clear that Majborough is likely to be lightly raced this year and 2 miles is his trip but further when he gets older.
Your only hope for the RSA is JP insisting.
Very unlikely given the horses age IMO.
If he hasn't got a runner for the RSA then he'll buy one if he wants.
Waterford Whispers is out late enough so potentially could be trying tomorrow, and not just looking for a mark.
Its a bad race for that kind of thing anyhow due to IEP hurdle rating being so high.
Henry would not want to over race his prospects either.
He has targeted the novice handicap in the past with good horses like A Plus Tard though so he has the time to get at least 3 runs in before March. And have reasonable gaps in between.
Depends if they see him as a genuine stayer I suppose as he'll (JP) have plenty of failed arkle contenders to go for the handicap with.
I'd argue age should be irrelevant in this case.
You can't on the one hand say that the horse is as developed as a Gold Cup contender when he comes into the yard at 3 going on 4, then say at 4 going on 5 he's too young to go (almost) the Gold Cup distance which is essentially the argument for Majborough going Arkle. For all we know, he'll hit his peak at age 6/7 like Long Run and be past it by the time he's 8.
I stand by my previous comment that the 2.5 miler at Fairyhouse is his best option this year though...
Possibly not a banc type as impressive as he was? Worn down late in the bartlett, jumped very exhuberantly there and got them all at it before again tying up a bit late on over 2 and a half, albeit possibly lacking a bit of fitness on seasonal debut.
i had a similar thought given his exuberance and keenness. If repeated at Chelt I don’t think he would get around. But it was first run of season and Tom Scudamore pointed out that he was learning as he went around. It will be interesting next time out to see if he has learned. I’m certainly not throwing away dockets at the moment!
He only just got pipped over 3m on a heavy ground new course which is deemed far more of a stamina test than the old course. He then ran a great race at Aintree to finish second only 4 weeks later.
I reckon 3m round the old course will be perfect for him. Plenty time to sort the exuberance in the jumping department and that will just come with experience. He’s one to be excited about imo.
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