Fighting Fifth/Hennessey Weekend

[Elf On A Shelf]

It's a good days racing tomorrow! Newcastle by far and away has the better card for the day. The French Furze is a real favourite Novices hurdle of mine. You see next seasons staying Chasers in that. Usually ones that turn into good handicappers rather than top class horses but it's always a nice race to take it.

The Fighting Figth - Epitante's usual starting point. She has won it twice and as much as I would love her to get 3 I think Constitution Hill will spoil her party.

The Rehearsal chase looks to be the chase of the weekend. L'Homme Press kicks off his season as does Aye Right.

The Hennessey is now called the Coral Gold Cup. We will always still call it the Hennessey regardless. Corach runs in it and he is a horse I love. The question is though is if he can peg them back with his strong staying gallop at the end on the quicker ground.

 

[bonny]

Looking forward to seeing them all but especially Constitution Hill

 

[humblepie]

Super card at Newcastle. Normally go to the Newbury meeting but not this year.

 

[Velcrobum]

Going to be glued to TV tomorrow!!

It's a good days racing tomorrow! Newcastle by far and away has the better card for the day. The French Furze is a real favourite Novices hurdle of mine. You see next seasons staying Chasers in that. Usually ones that turn into good handicappers rather than top class horses but it's always a nice race to take it.

The Fighting Figth - Epitante's usual starting point. She has won it twice and as much as I would love her to get 3 I think Constitution Hill will spoil her party.

The Rehearsal chase looks to be the chase of the weekend. L'Homme Press kicks off his season as does Aye Right.

The Hennessey is now called the Coral Gold Cup. We will always still call it the Hennessey regardless. Corach runs in it and he is a horse I love. The question is though is if he can peg them back with his strong staying gallop at the end on the quicker ground.

Do you ever get to sit on him or does Scu always ride him??

 

[McGrools]

Love a saturday afternoon watching the racing. Cant wait to settle in and see some good racing. Best of luck with Corach Elf xx

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Going to be glued to TV tomorrow!!


Do you ever get to sit on him or does Scu always ride him??

I've sat on him a few times. Scu isn't always around to ride him. He isn't actually the nicest of rides ? mostly because Scu let's him get away with absolute blue murder and we don't ? But saying that there are far worse rides in the yard than Corach, he is just a mickey taker.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Well Constitution Hill did that in a canter. Epatante ran Honeysuckle to within a length in the Champion Hurdle last year. I think Honeysuckle's crown is well and truly on the line this year.

 

[humblepie]

Look scary at Doncaster with three ground staff by hurdle as horses approaching. Moved pretty quickly once they noticed.

 

[bonny]

I think the most exciting thing about Constitution Hill is the way Nicky Henderson talks about him. He’s very emotional and he’s seen a lot of good ones in his time.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Corach has ran a great race in 4th! Clever pony!

 

[Maddie Moo]

I had Remastered, great race! Loose horse caused some chaos ?

 

[fankino04]

Le Milos looked tiny compared to the others.

 

[humblepie]

Harry Skelton 7 day ban and £2900 fine for use of the whip. Was very noticeable when they showed the replay from the inside camera.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Harry Skelton 7 day ban and £2900 fine for use of the whip. Was very noticeable when they showed the replay from the inside camera.

When it gets to that stage I think the Jockey should lose the win from their cv and forfeit all prize money with it going to the Injured Jockeys fund.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Harry skeleton often looks one of the more whip happy jockeys, rarely seems to ease up when a race is already won

 

[Gamebird]

Well Constitution Hill did that in a canter. Epatante ran Honeysuckle to within a length in the Champion Hurdle last year. I think Honeysuckle's crown is well and truly on the line this year.

I think there will have been more than one household in Ireland watching that performance and scratching their chins!

I did laugh when Nicky said they could almost put him in the Arkle. It's actually true!

 

[Gamebird]

I think there will have been more than one household in Ireland watching that performance and scratching their chins!

Funnily enough I got a memory up on my timeline yesterday from when Faugheen won the Morgiana 5 years ago and absolutely destroyed the opposition. It was a quote from Nicky Henderson which said (I paraphrase a little as I've forgotten the exact words) "I watched it with JP and we just looked at each other. He [Faugheen] was frighteningly impressive. I think we will have to sharpen our pencil". I suspect that five years on it is the Irish pencils that will be being frantically sharpened.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Funnily enough I got a memory up on my timeline yesterday from when Faugheen won the Morgiana 5 years ago and absolutely destroyed the opposition. It was a quote from Nicky Henderson which said (I paraphrase a little as I've forgotten the exact words) "I watched it with JP and we just looked at each other. He [Faugheen] was frighteningly impressive. I think we will have to sharpen our pencil". I suspect that five years on it is the Irish pencils that will be being frantically sharpened.

It just swings about though. 10 years ago Paul Nichols had all the fire power - Kauto, Denman, Big Bucks, Neptune, Twist Magic, the other really good 2 Miler that I can't remember the name off of the top of my head, Tidal Bay etc.

Then it swung to Willie Mullins and Gigginstown, the last couple of years it's been Henry De Bromhead (with Willie still cleaning up in everything that wasn't the big championship races at Cheltenham). I'm not sure Britain has enough fire power yet to repel the Irish but we are starting to turn the tables.

It just depends on who gets the horses first. Willie buys them as foals/yearlings. Gordon gets the pick of the Irish ptp horses before they even hit the track. Some always slip through their nets but not as many as we would like.

Eta - Master Minded!

 

[bonny]

It just swings about though. 10 years ago Paul Nichols had all the fire power - Kauto, Denman, Big Bucks, Neptune, Twist Magic, the other really good 2 Miler that I can't remember the name off of the top of my head, Tidal Bay etc.

Then it swung to Willie Mullins and Gigginstown, the last couple of years it's been Henry De Bromhead (with Willie still cleaning up in everything that wasn't the big championship races at Cheltenham). I'm not sure Britain has enough fire power yet to repel the Irish but we are starting to turn the tables.

It just depends on who gets the horses first. Willie buys them as foals/yearlings. Gordon gets the pick of the Irish ptp horses before they even hit the track. Some always slip through their nets but not as many as we would like.

Eta - Master Minded!

I’m not sure us having one potentially very good hurdler is going to do much to swing things in our favour ? the Irish will still win everything else at the festival and there isn’t even anything yet to say Constitution Hill will win the champion hurdle. He’s a lot yet to prove.

 

[Gamebird]

Then it swung to Willie Mullins and Gigginstown, the last couple of years it's been Henry De Bromhead (with Willie still cleaning up in everything that wasn't the big championship races at Cheltenham). I'm not sure Britain has enough fire power yet to repel the Irish but we are starting to turn the tables.

It just depends on who gets the horses first. Willie buys them as foals/yearlings. Gordon gets the pick of the Irish ptp horses before they even hit the track. Some always slip through their nets but not as many as we would like.

It definitely does. Mind you I've been doing Cheltenham for 7 or 8 years now and we almost always have a similar number of winners - some years it's the headline races, other times it's more handicaps. But it's always roughly the same number.

Willie gets a lot of 3yos from France too. He had 7 runners at Navan yesterday - 2 were Irish and 5 were French . But then I've seen your lot at the sales in Auteuil and Deauville too. Gordon is definitely one for picking up the top pointers. And then you just know one of them will turn up with something no-one has ever heard of and win something.

Paul Nicholls is having a really decent season, and that's without the superstars of 10 years ago.

Either which way I'm looking forward to this weekend, even without Ferny Hollow in the Tingle Creek. I just love this time of year when all the big guns come out and flex their muscles.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I’m not sure us having one potentially very good hurdler is going to do much to swing things in our favour ? the Irish will still win everything else at the festival and there isn’t even anything yet to say Constitution Hill will win the champion hurdle. He’s a lot yet to prove.

L'homme Presse - put up a good performance in the Rehearsal chase and is on target for the Gold Cup. Ahoy Senor will go for the Gold Cup too. I think he is plenty good enough but his jumping needs to hold it together for that.

Edwardstone and Nube Negra for the Queen Mother.

If they put Epatante in the mares hurdle she will win.

Constitution Hill won the Supreme Novices in 3mins 44 seconds - 4.66 seconds faster than average. Over the same C&D Honeysuckle won the Champion Hurdle in 3min 50 seconds. 6 whole seconds slower than CH. She will have to fight hard for it this year.

The National is coming back to Scotland though ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

It definitely does. Mind you I've been doing Cheltenham for 7 or 8 years now and we almost always have a similar number of winners - some years it's the headline races, other times it's more handicaps. But it's always roughly the same number.

Willie gets a lot of 3yos from France too. He had 7 runners at Navan yesterday - 2 were Irish and 5 were French . But then I've seen your lot at the sales in Auteuil and Deauville too. Gordon is definitely one for picking up the top pointers. And then you just know one of them will turn up with something no-one has ever heard of and win something.

Paul Nicholls is having a really decent season, and that's without the superstars of 10 years ago.

Either which way I'm looking forward to this weekend, even without Ferny Hollow in the Tingle Creek. I just love this time of year when all the big guns come out and flex their muscles.

Yes the boss has taken a shine to buying 2yos from France. So far all of them have won their races but they are no superstars.

The season finally feels like it is getting going now we have had some rain!

Did you see the wee bit in RP from Gordon Elliott? I agree with him, we have too much racing over here which means we dont run our good horses against each other. And by doing that they don't get the match practice of galloping and jumping at a consistently high speed until the festival which is where most of the British horses fall to pieces. Its the same in the north. If you want to run well in the south you need to take your northern horse down for a race or two first to get a run into them at a pace a lot faster from start to finish than they would be used to in the north.

 

[Gamebird]

Did you see the wee bit in RP from Gordon Elliott? I agree with him, we have too much racing over here which means we dont run our good horses against each other. And by doing that they don't get the match practice of galloping and jumping at a consistently high speed until the festival which is where most of the British horses fall to pieces. Its the same in the north. If you want to run well in the south you need to take your northern horse down for a race or two first to get a run into them at a pace a lot faster from start to finish than they would be used to in the north.

I actually agree with him. Take Thurles on Thursday as a random example. A whole load of well known horses rated over 150 taking each other on (obviously decs not out yet, but entries as they stand anyway). OK, they're not Shiskin, but they're what would in this country be decent Saturday horses and probably kept apart until the big races. And that is repeated week in, week out. I love their beginner's chases too. At this time of year you could pick a random weekday meeting anywhere in Ireland and watch horses you've heard of. You don't get that on a Tuesday at Sedgefield.

 

[humblepie]

Hurdles - Istrabrag still the king.