GCT Final

[SJFAN]

For those who've not had a chance to check the standings on theGlobal Champions Tour site, the good news is that though none of the Brits qualified for the 2nd round yesterday, Ben Maherm John and Robert Whitaker have all qualified for the Final in Dohar in November.

Poor John took a bone-crunching fall from Sultano in the last class this afternoon, but must be very pleased with the continuing good form of Keeley Durham's very promising 7-year-old stallion Argento.

 

[3BayGeldings]

My goodness he's had a few falls recently hasn't he

Great to hear all 3 have qualified!

 

[SJFAN]

Yes he has, and falls tend to hurt more the older we get. Sultano certainly has scope but also a tendency to apply the brakes suddenly. A friend of mine saw him do the same thing at Shrewsbury last week.

 

[lucretia]

seemsto me all the falls areb off the little blighter, which has one dirty stop. john had bno chance yesterday. as for the final, also in is jessica kurten who retired quibelll yesterday and denis lynch and some canadian bloke called lamaze.....

 

[lucretia]

crappy spelling above! that should read that john had no chance (of staying on ) and details of who exactly is in for the Final should be on the web site by now, www.globalchampionstour.com

 

[SJFAN]

I wonder (as I guess does John) whether Sultano is being naughty or if there is a physical problem giving him intermittent pain.

 

[BBH]

Did he do this with his previous rider, could it be he prefers to be ridden by a woman ? But yes a physical problem could be the issue.

 

[SJFAN]

I don't know I only saw him with Laura a couple of times, and with Joel as a youngster. Hope someone else can tell us more. Often wish horses could talk - it could be something as simple as a tweaked neck muscle which just needs rest to put right. That happened to Pennwood Forge Mill years ago - his connections realised something had to be wrong as he was an absolutely genuine horse.

 

[lucretia]

to be honest it jumped pretty good the day before and though i would give the horse the benifit of the doubt that stop was nasty, like the one in estoril, so perhaps it just has uts moments.