Forum Horse Connections

[Exar Essay]

Good Luck BOF! Will be cheering him on.

[Istabraq]

Best of luck to BoF and Archie with Freedom to Dream and Kemboy.
Hopefully both perform well and come back safe…

[darlojim]

What are the expectations today archie with Kemboy?

Good luck to you and BoF!

[The Fellow]

Best of luck today fellas with your runners , run well and home safe

[Bayoffreedom]

Freedom to Dream below his best today. He is absolutely fine and, all being well, we'll pop him over a few fences tomorrow morning before he enjoys a long summer break. Suprise Package likely to be back in Beginners chases at the end of the summer. Looking forward to being back on this thread in a few months time.
Had a great season and many thanks for all the support from this forum!

[Eggs]

Third favourite and finished third so it's hard to be disappointed. Paul said the rain had got into the ground so that and the attentions of Eldorado Allen might have affected his jumping early on. He seemed fine afterwards so Punchestown is still on the agenda.

Best of luck to BoF today and, as always, home safe.

….could Aintree Grand National be a target for Kemboy next season? I dare say he wouldn’t get much help from the British handicapper.

[archie]

What are the expectations today archie with Kemboy?

Good luck to you and BoF!

Apologies for not responding to this but I was on my way there when you posted and offline.

We didn't have much pre-information other than what Willie had said publicly. Essentially it was hoping that the cheekpieces would work and he would run to his best.

Understandably, the post race feedback was from Sean rather than Willie. He said that Kemboy seemed to enjoy the race and stay interested without being over keen. Dived at the second last and stumbled after it which probably cost him second. I'd say it's his best run since the Irish Gold Cup win last year. He got an excellent ride, settled nicely and showed he still had the spark. This season he's run in 5 G1s with 2 thirds and a fourth. Winnings in excess of 70k.

There's some talk of a trip to Auteuil but I hope not. Next season is a wait and see what the handicapper does. The G1s will be very competitive but some would like to see him in the King George.

[BigChaang]

Best of Luck Today Spectre , with Jeffery's Cross. .

[Benjy23]

X 2. GL with him today. Look to have found another nice opportunity.

[Spectre]

Thanks guys. I'm overseas at the moment so haven't been looking in.

These 4 runner races can be tricky with pace, etc. Particularly over a trip too short, but I'd like to think he's much better than these and can deal with it.

The reality is it's a race to get more experience into him. He's a big immature baby who we need to grow up and get more professional about things.⁸

[Black Dog]

The missus describes me in similar terms.

[Benjy23]

Bit of a character down at the start yesterday! Is that what you meant about him being an immature baby? Plus the hanging that eventually cost him I guess?

Think he's holding the runner up regardless but I can see why the stewards have reversed them. Unlucky with that one.

Hopefully learnt a lot from it though, which was the objective you set. And he showed a nice enough attitude to stay in front.

[Atlantic Viking]

I don't mind horses losing races for things like that (Well, I mind in this case in solidarity with Spectre!) if it's applied consistently. The problem is we all know it isn't.
As Benjy says though, the good thing to take away is you know now he's definitely got a good attitude to work with going forward.

[Spectre]

Sorry for the delay in responding guys. I've been away, and had the worst internet connection imaginable.

To be honest pretty much everyone I've spoken too thought the Stewards were very harsh reversing it, and 9 times out of 10 he'd have kept the race. The problem with these things is if you appeal them you've got to be represented, and for a 4k race it just doesn't make sense.

Yes his antics at the start were pure immaturity. His head is in the clouds most of the time. He was hanging right in the home straight as you saw, which he also did the previous time at Warwick. Although that time he was also hanging left down the back straight which there was no sign of this time.

Hopefully a couple of months in a field, and a couple of novice chases in October/November will will help him grow up.

Despite the Stewards reversing the result, we were pretty pleased overall. 2m3f against a half decent ex-flat horse that had already won over hurdles, in a four runner race is just about as far from ideal as it gets. And the fact he was ahead at the line over a trip well short of what he needs, on quick enough ground, was a pleasing step in his progress. It also keeps his ability away from the beady eye of the handicapper, who actually dropped his mark which could prove useful at the beginning of next season.

[nortonscoin200]

I think the stewards got that horribly wrong on two counts.

The interference was not intentional and it didn't cost the runner-up a neck.

Surely there needs to be a rule that says the placings are only reversed if it is clear and obvious that the runner-up would have won but for the interference.

That wasn't the case here in my view - the damage caused was both marginal and minimal.

Unlucky Spectre.