Racing today

Thanks bonny. I suppose that's for the flat race at Southwell(?) that they are aiming at.

Why can't they just leave him to live happily at Seven Barrows as a lead horse for morning work and maybe over hurdles schooling as they say he jumps fine at home when there is no pressure on?

Lots of lovely older horses in yards lead the youngsters, act as trainer's hacks and provide safe conveyances for new stable work riders who are just out of the racing schools. NH always says what a gentle and quiet horse he is.
 
reynold said:
Thanks bonny. I suppose that's for the flat race at Southwell(?) that they are aiming at.

Why can't they just leave him to live happily at Seven Barrows as a lead horse for morning work and maybe over hurdles schooling as they say he jumps fine at home when there is no pressure on?

Lots of lovely older horses in yards lead the youngsters, act as trainer's hacks and provide safe conveyances for new stable work riders who are just out of the racing schools. NH always says what a gentle and quiet horse he is.
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I would guess they want to find out if he still wants to be a racehorse.
 
reynold said:
Thanks bonny. I suppose that's for the flat race at Southwell(?) that they are aiming at.

Why can't they just leave him to live happily at Seven Barrows as a lead horse for morning work and maybe over hurdles schooling as they say he jumps fine at home when there is no pressure on?

Lots of lovely older horses in yards lead the youngsters, act as trainer's hacks and provide safe conveyances for new stable work riders who are just out of the racing schools. NH always says what a gentle and quiet horse he is.
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Because he's a top class horse who has an exceptional level of ability? He's not owned as a pet, or as a horse to just work at home, he has a job. When he retires from that job maybe that’s what he will do, but I don’t begrudge them racing a horse who clearly still has the ability
 
Yeah, just race him on until he gets killed.

His sickening falls are all there for people to see, but the racing types haven’t had their fill of this talented but flawed horse yet.

If he races again and gets killed there will be the usual token sad face posts on here followed after as brief an interval as they think decent by the excited chatter about the next races to come.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Yeah, just race him on until he gets killed.

His sickening falls are all there for people to see, but the racing types haven’t had their fill of this talented but flawed horse yet.

If he races again and gets killed there will be the usual token sad face posts on here followed after as brief an interval as they think decent by the excited chatter about the next races to come.
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They’re training him for the flat- he has a very, very low risk of getting killed in flat racing
 
Tiddlypom said:
Yeah, just race him on until he gets killed.

His sickening falls are all there for people to see, but the racing types haven’t had their fill of this talented but flawed horse yet.

If he races again and gets killed there will be the usual token sad face posts on here followed after as brief an interval as they think decent by the excited chatter about the next races to come.
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He is learning to use the stalls for a flat race. Not saying he has no risk at all but it’s as safe as can be, especially on an artificial surface.
 
TheMule said:
Because he's a top class horse who has an exceptional level of ability? He's not owned as a pet, or as a horse to just work at home, he has a job. When he retires from that job maybe that’s what he will do, but I don’t begrudge them racing a horse who clearly still has the ability
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Time will tell if he has the ability, the same with Sir Gino.

Being a top class horse and having an exceptionnal level of ability doesn't mean he doesn't feel the strain of it all.....
 
TheMule said:
Time will tell? He has already won 8 Grade 1s and nearly a million pounds in prize money…. I'd say he has the ability!
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No doubt he has, but when a horse of said ability has now fallen in three of his last four races, and placed fifth out of six in the fourth, you can see why people are questioning the current plan. It'll be a PR disaster if the worst happens at Cheltenham.
 
teapot said:
No doubt he has, but when a horse of said ability has now fallen in three of his last four races, and placed fifth out of six in the fourth, you can see why people are questioning the current plan. It'll be a PR disaster if something happens at Cheltenham.
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I don’t think he should jump again, but I don’t feel a flat race is the end of the world people on here seem to think.
 
I’m very belatedly watching the Graham Lee documentary. It’s very sad, what a lovely couple.
But what has really got me, is the appalling visual when Amberleigh House won the National. Clan Royal on his knees, Hedgehunter falling exhausted and the whip use.
I am not keen on Irish racing now, with their far more lenient whip rules but this was just hideous viewing.
Thank goodness things have changed and improved so very much.
 
I tend to agree with the 'call it a day' with CH to be honest. If those falls had been either clumsy stumbles on landing, or tired slithery falls, that would be different in my mind (I know they can still get seriously injured or worse doing that too of course) but his have been real crunchers. I never saw Dawn Run but I know all about her story because of how shocking it was- I'd hate for CH to be another version of that.

That said I don't see the harm in giving him a spin on the flat but I'd be surprised if it was a viable career change option for him.
 
teapot said:
No doubt he has, but when a horse of said ability has now fallen in three of his last four races, and placed fifth out of six in the fourth, you can see why people are questioning the current plan. It'll be a PR disaster if the worst happens at Cheltenham.
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Lack of performance anyone?

If it was someone's hacking pony folk would be suggesting a workup
 
Heyhay1984 said:
I tend to agree with the 'call it a day' with CH to be honest. If those falls had been either clumsy stumbles on landing, or tired slithery falls, that would be different in my mind (I know they can still get seriously injured or worse doing that too of course) but his have been real crunchers. I never saw Dawn Run but I know all about her story because of how shocking it was- I'd hate for CH to be another version of that.

That said I don't see the harm in giving him a spin on the flat but I'd be surprised if it was a viable career change option for him.
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I thought she died on the gallops training?
 
Clodagh said:
I’m very belatedly watching the Graham Lee documentary. It’s very sad, what a lovely couple.
But what has really got me, is the appalling visual when Amberleigh House won the National. Clan Royal on his knees, Hedgehunter falling exhausted and the whip use.
I am not keen on Irish racing now, with their far more lenient whip rules but this was just hideous viewing.
Thank goodness things have changed and improved so very much.
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Reminded and I’ve just watched the Graham Lee documentary. Very emotional. I agree with you re the GN that year. As you say rules have changed. Amazingly Hedgehunter won the following year.
 
bonny said:
She died racing in France, a long time ago, I don’t see the connection.
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Probably i wanted not to remember

Watching her win the gold cup, on a misty snowy day if i remember was awsome, never to be forgotten

Hearing she had died was the start of the end of watching racing for me

She was only young i believe

I was responding to heyhay 1984 s post
 
This article reinforces to me my feeling that this insistence on CH racing again and entering him in the Champion Hurdle despite his terrible falls is completely down to his owner.

www.racingpost.com

Oisin Murphy in contention to ride Constitution Hill in Flat debut at Southwell

Nicky Henderson says the champion jockey on the Flat has been in discussions with owner Michael Buckley
www.racingpost.com www.racingpost.com

The negotiations in regard to his jockey for the Southwell race is 'between Buckley and Murphy' - to me that says it all.
 
Perhaps if he takes to flat racing, they could aim him at the Ascot Gold Cup? I don’t think he will go hurdling again or maybe Laura Collett will work her magic with him as she has done with a lot of racehorses that are dodgy jumpers.
 
reynold said:
This article reinforces to me my feeling that this insistence on CH racing again and entering him in the Champion Hurdle despite his terrible falls is completely down to his owner.

www.racingpost.com

Oisin Murphy in contention to ride Constitution Hill in Flat debut at Southwell

Nicky Henderson says the champion jockey on the Flat has been in discussions with owner Michael Buckley
www.racingpost.com www.racingpost.com

The negotiations in regard to his jockey for the Southwell race is 'between Buckley and Murphy' - to me that says it all.
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Yep thats the impression I get too
 
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