Punchestown

Dobiegirl said:
I totally agree and I would go further and say if it was my horse he would have been retired after the GN just like John Hales did with Neptune Collenge
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Hes not your horse so why criticise the owner for running him. Please explain what the difference is between him running and Cue card. A healed broken pelvis has nothing to do with it as it is just that, healed .
I seem to remember Mr Frisk( course record) winning the National and running at Sandown and winning the Whitbread within a few days with not a raised eyebrow. Please the trainer knows the horse and its their choice. sometimes with horses that have been a bit awkward its very tempting to make hay why the sun shines and lets face it he doesnt have many miles on the clock. I have never in any interview heard the owner or trainer suggest the horse would retire it didnt start in the Daily mail by any chance?
 
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popsdosh said:
Hes not your horse so why criticise the owner for running him. Please explain what the difference is between him running and Cue card. A healed broken pelvis has nothing to do with it as it is just that, healed .
I seem to remember Mr Frisk( course record) winning the National and running at Sandown and winning the Whitbread within a few days with not a raised eyebrow. Please the trainer knows the horse and its their choice. sometimes with horses that have been a bit awkward its very tempting to make hay why the sun shines and lets face it he doesnt have many miles on the clock. I have never in any interview heard the owner or trainer suggest the horse would retire it didnt start in the Daily mail by any chance

Why such an angry tone and an insulting one too, the owner was interviewed on Channel 4 after the GN and he said about retiring him so I didnt read it in The Daily Mail, the fact you didnt hear him saying doesnt make it not true as others on here Im sure will verify, what Ive quoted the owner as saying is true.
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There was TALK of retirement but nothing official. Just because it is spoken about as a possible outcome in the heat of the moment doesn't mean to say its going to happen.
 
popsdosh said:
I have never in any interview heard the owner or trainer suggest the horse would retire it didnt start in the Daily mail by any chance?
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It was everywhere! Google 'Rule the World Grand National retire', there's pages of it. Quotes from The Telegraph, Racing Post, BBC ....

“He’s nine now and after that we could retire him ..." Michael O'Leary.

“I would be conscious now having had a Grand National winner not to do anything that would endanger him or threaten him or run the risk of pelvic injury,” said O’Leary.

And from the Morris “He’ll have a rest now and we’ll discuss it with Michael and Eddie [Michael’s brother] and we’ll see where we go - he doesn’t have to go anywhere really after this,” the trainer said on At The Races.

So I think it's pretty easy to see why people thought he was heading to retirement.
 
EKW said:
There was TALK of retirement but nothing official. Just because it is spoken about as a possible outcome in the heat of the moment doesn't mean to say its going to happen.
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You hit it on the head!

Dobiegirl I am sorry if you feel my comments were as you describe. However I feel the connections are being unfairly criticised for running him when clearly he was fighting fit and OK . Just remember next season he will likely be carrying a huge lump of weight as well. That was his last chance to run without that penalty. Other horses at Punchestown and indeed years gone by have competed with similar time spans without even raising an eyebrow.

What is everybodies gripe is it the fact they assumed he would retire or because of who the owner is. Just to be clear the comment about retirement was actually placed in a question to the owner which I believe was met with a maybe.
Hes not the first and certainly wont be the last sports hero to announce their retirement in the heat of the elation after a victory only to change their minds.

As for the comment about the £700 well when you are spending what they put into the job every month every little bit helps and they are not the only beneficiaries.

By the way saying what I have does not mean to say I would have run him but at the end of the day its not my decision to make. However I will defend their decision as its theirs to make and in a round about way they are being accused of abusing him and thats not fair.
There have been other nasty comments about one owner in particular earlier on please people you base your assumptions on how they come over on TV and forget what they put into the irish racing industry.
 
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Pete opted not to ride and to stay retired. Bad Pedro! But the wee horse has just ran into 5th place! 3 Festivals each 3 weeks apart with 3 lots of prize money! They do say things come in 3's!
 
EKW said:
Pete opted not to ride and to stay retired. Bad Pedro! But the wee horse has just ran into 5th place! 3 Festivals each 3 weeks apart with 3 lots of prize money! They do say things come in 3's!
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Well done Sky Khan (or Sly Khan according to the commentator!)
I had a tenner each way on him so my winnings are going towards having our fellow's melanomas chopped off his willy. Maybe don't tell him that though - might put him off his supper.
 
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