Kempton Park.

Long Run is proving to be much more than a one hit wonder! Very well done to all connected with him!

Hard lines to Captain Chris - ran a cracking race but his day will come!
 
Big hearted, brave, fit horses - fantastic race. Long Run is now a legend; gosh he fought for that win. Great horse in second too.
 
I was at the meeting and can never remember in all the years I've been going on Boxing Day the ground to be so bad. I wondered if it hadn't been such an important meeting whether racing would have even been given the go ahead.Amazing performance by Darlan. Wise decisions to keep him for this rather than flog him around on heavy ground previously.Great performances too by the 1st 3 in the big race. For Long Run to dig so deep was a credit to the horse and he's only 7. Sam WC did well to stay aboard after LR clouted 1 down the far end. Didn't see it in running but saw the replay.
 
Great race, brave and honest horses. Sam Waley-Cohen does a great job too - wasn't even blowing when interviewed on the walk back!
Silu did you see Kauto Star in the flesh? He looked rather subdued on the telly. Almost as if he'd been doped, dare I say. Can those numpty eventers not even lead a fit racehorse round the paddock - its not like she had to ride him !
 
I agree Silu about the ground and it was raining again later so gawd knows what the track will be like tomorrow, although there is fresh ground available then.
Darlan oozed class in the hurdle race and Henderson has done very well to keep a two-mile hurdler fit and ready for this race considering he had other options which he had declined recently due to the weather.
I think the trainer has his best chance ever of snatching the champion trainer's title this season especially as Nicholls is without the retired Kauto Star and also Big Bucks and Al Ferof out through injury.
Henderson certainly has a very nice stable to go to war with for the remainder of the season and the big National Hunt festivals.
I thought Punjabi would come on for the run as he looked a bit burly after his layoff.
Long Run deserved that win though and I thought Sam gave him a lovely ride as he did aboard his father's other horse earlier in the day.
Several in the race did not run to form though, the likes of The Giant Bolster and Riverside Theatre.
TGB seemed to be not enjoying himself, and RT was too keen, even in the parade in front of the stand Geraghty could not get him to walk and he ended up trotting out of line.
Cue Card did well considering he too was keen and made some dreadful blunders early on in the race.
Not sure if it was the ground as he may want it better than today, the class of the race or even the trip as I do have a sneaky feeling he will get further than this in time.
Captain Chris ran an amazing race for second and this is the first year out of the last 3 I have left him out of my TTF entries, damn. Considering he wants better ground he ran a cracker and he should win some nice races going right handed but may have to go to Ire as I cannot think of that many decent three mile chases on right handed tracks in the UK.
Grand Crus ran well for third and it seems the wind op has done the trick. He never looked like winning though as this was a slog today but he sure ran better than at Cheltenham last time and hopefully now he can pick up where he left off from last season.
Champion Court belied his odds too running a game race for 4th and he looks sure to win a decent pot this season as his trainer has held him in high regard for some time.
I was also impressed with Cape Tribulation's win up at Wetherby and had a good bet on him today. He ran over hurdles last time behind Tiday Bay and he looked that day as though he is much better over fences now as he jumped those flights so cleanly.
He was fancied for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury last month but his trainer reported he had suffered a cut above his coronet band and would not be ready.
He is going for the Skybet ( former Great Yorkshire) chase next time and if we get a bit of cut I wonder if we might see him taking one of the handicap chases at the festival this season as he won the Pertemps final this year over hurdles. Or will Jefferson have another tilt at the World hurdle seeing we will be missing Big Bucks?
He looks high in the handicap off 158 over hurdles so would be in graded event and he won today over fences from 142 and I can see him having a rise of at least 8lbs by the handicapper judging by how easy he won today. If he wins the Skybet too I reckon Jefferson will go the World Hurdle route as he would have a similar rating over fences as he does over hurdles, and unless he has a claimer on board it could be tough in handicaps.
 
Fairy Gold said:
Great race, brave and honest horses. Sam Waley-Cohen does a great job too - wasn't even blowing when interviewed on the walk back!
Silu did you see Kauto Star in the flesh? He looked rather subdued on the telly. Almost as if he'd been doped, dare I say. Can those numpty eventers not even lead a fit racehorse round the paddock - its not like she had to ride him !
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I would not be so cruel as to call them numpties but Kauto was not himself.
He did not look right behind in walk and even Smith looked over at him from behind.
Either he was in pain, is ill or was doped.
It was not a joy to see him like this and to be honest it did not look like a grand champion being led in a parade.
He should have been led by someone in National Hunt racing in my opinion.
Shame Ruby could not have led him if no one else would have done, even though he was riding his half brother in the race.
I used to light up and have a smile on my face seeing the likes of Dessie doing the Kempton parades, but not today.
He looked like some dressage/eventer being led around especially with those silly white boots/bandages on. Why the hell did he need them on?
He was a racehorse not some horse that gets bandaged up to do piaffes etc in the sand!
I felt ashamed for him to see him like that.
He looked more like a 30 year old today rather than a rising 13 year old.
Not nice at all :(
 
Yes in replying to Fairy Gold, I did get to see KS . I made a comment regarding this on the other thread about KS going off to do dressage. Before I get sued I had better not make any more comments other than he had lovely white bandages on....not quite sure why, as he was so quiet there was zero chance of him striking into himself!
I was at Kempton that fateful Boxing Day when Arkle broke his pedal bone altho I was only a kid at the time and didn't know that was the end of his racing days I felt there was a great air of sadness around the course that day, I felt something similar today!
 
Fairy Gold said:
Great race, brave and honest horses. Sam Waley-Cohen does a great job too - wasn't even blowing when interviewed on the walk back!
Silu did you see Kauto Star in the flesh? He looked rather subdued on the telly. Almost as if he'd been doped, dare I say. Can those numpty eventers not even lead a fit racehorse round the paddock - its not like she had to ride him !
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The only numpty would appear to be you with your snidey comment.
It would appear you have no clue as to how fit an eventer needs to be with such an idiotic stupid comment
 
Marychristmas, I have every clue as to how fit an eventer needs to be. Not as fit as a racehorse. But I dont see that has any bearing on my original observation.
 
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