Racing today

Clodagh said:
Did they show Jeremy Scott’s interview on itv? It just came up on fb from their fb page but I didn’t see it on tv.
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Not sure, I was using Sky, as they had all the ITV races, plus another card or 2, I may also have been distracted by the F1 sprint starting, which was on the main TV (racing was on my phone)

I think they may have gone straight to him after the finish, pretty sure he said he hoped CH and TNL were ok
 
I’m going to have to go and watch again. Especially as I was rude on their fb about Lorcan’s terrible interview and the fact there was nothing about the winner.
 
splashgirl45 said:
I watched the racing today just to see CH, what a horrible fall, let’s hope they call it a day before he dies on the track
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£881,700 earnings, time to respect the horse and provide for him for the rest of his life before he loses his life in public, there is obviously something wrong with either his confidence or ability to concentrate. Both he and the New Lion had falls that could have ended either or both them, thankfully they both got up.
 
Let's not forget he nearly came a cropper in his prep race before last year's Cheltenham as well, at the last hurdle

NH always comes across as someone who cares about his horses e.g. not running them if he doesn't feel the ground is suitable, despite the criticism he receives, however I guess its not his final decision as to whether he retires its the owner. Would be interesting to know who is saying what

I know WM won a breeders cup race with Ethical Diamond but how often do you see something like that happening?

Reading comments on the racing pages and theres generally a lot of people saying to retire him, which i completely agree with. I dont agree with putting blinkers or headgear on him. That may ruin his confidence even more.

Glad chasing isnt an option, as if he did that at a chase fence I cant see it ending well. All 3 hurdles falls have been crashing ones where he could easily have not walked away from them

Several comments saying it could be the new hurdles - again most of the big tracks now have those ones

Yes something at some point MAY work but is it worth the risk?

I cant see him laying up with the top flat horses so presumably youre looking at the top handicaps, surely thats a step down from what hes been doing so it feels like theyd be flogging him for the sake of it

He'd make someone a lovely ROR
 
Crazy_cat_lady said:
Let's not forget he nearly came a cropper in his prep race before last year's Cheltenham as well, at the last hurdle

NH always comes across as someone who cares about his horses e.g. not running them if he doesn't feel the ground is suitable, despite the criticism he receives, however I guess its not his final decision as to whether he retires its the owner. Would be interesting to know who is saying what

I know WM won a breeders cup race with Ethical Diamond but how often do you see something like that happening?

Reading comments on the racing pages and theres generally a lot of people saying to retire him, which i completely agree with. I dont agree with putting blinkers or headgear on him. That may ruin his confidence even more.

Glad chasing isnt an option, as if he did that at a chase fence I cant see it ending well. All 3 hurdles falls have been crashing ones where he could easily have not walked away from them

Several comments saying it could be the new hurdles - again most of the big tracks now have those ones

Yes something at some point MAY work but is it worth the risk?

I cant see him laying up with the top flat horses so presumably youre looking at the top handicaps, surely thats a step down from what hes been doing so it feels like theyd be flogging him for the sake of it

He'd make someone a lovely ROR
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Wonder if it is something to do with the hurdles, I know it’s the same for all of them but both horses seemed to do virtually the same thing in that race which seems a bit odd .. they were both lucky to get up as well
 
I did wonder sort of the same. Didn't CH only start falling when the colour on the hurdles was changed from orange to white last year? Maybe he finds it harder to measure the location of the top of the hurdle at racing pace with the top rail being white.
 
reynold said:
I did wonder sort of the same. Didn't CH only start falling when the colour on the hurdles was changed from orange to white last year? Maybe he finds it harder to measure the location of the top of the hurdle at racing pace with the top rail being white.
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The colour was changed to make it easier for horses to see.
The new hurdles have cut down dramatically on race day injuries. They do flick back quicker than the old birch ones I think.
 
Pretty sure i read somewhere NH had borrowed some of the new hurdles to practice with at home, so they cant even truly say its them. And even if it is them, they are at almost all courses now so hes at risk each time

Just retire him, hope the owner doesnt insist on keeping him going
 
reynold said:
I did wonder sort of the same. Didn't CH only start falling when the colour on the hurdles was changed from orange to white last year? Maybe he finds it harder to measure the location of the top of the hurdle at racing pace with the top rail being white.
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The whole thing about the change of colour was this: horses can’t see orange. So he wouldn’t have seen the top when it was orange. They can see white hence the change. Do I can’t believe it’s the hurdles

Out there thought I had earlier (don’t pile on!! It was a stray random ‘could it be’?)

I wonder if he’s just bored of the hurdles. Doesn’t respect them anymore in which case a fence might actually fix him.

I mean I’d retire him but his owner seems like a bloke who prob won’t…….we’ll see I guess.
 
Both CH and the New Lion had very similar falls at the same fence yesterday. Not sure if there's anything in that?

Laura Collett has a great reputation for getting racehorses jumping properly. I wonder if he's been to her. Henrietta Knight is good at that too. 3 falls in 4 races is terrible. There's a rumour that he fell schooling last week too but I've no idea if thats true. I like to think not!

Anyway, I expect Nicky probably knows what he needs to do for CH. His post race interview was very emotional. CH is so gorgeous, he'd be a stunning ROR
 
He did exactly the same when he fell last season, seemed to "paddle" and not know whether to go long or put in a short stride and lands on the top of the hurdle. I think I would run him again soon, but with a different jockey.
 
Orangehorse said:
He did exactly the same when he fell last season, seemed to "paddle" and not know whether to go long or put in a short stride and lands on the top of the hurdle. I think I would run him again soon, but with a different jockey.
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I think if he ran again soon over hurdles, there's a not unreasonable chance of him breaking his neck. He is stressed by the whole racecourse raceday outing. You just have to look at his expression going to the start to see he wasn't his previous confident, relaxed self. Those falls have seriously knocked his confidence in himself on a raceday. Racecourse gallops and schooling at home are all very well, but the atmosphere on a raceday is different and he can no longer deal with the stress.

The only way to see if he is over it, would be to race him. If he hasn't got his mojo back, he will keep falling and that is unethical, dangerous and grossly unfair on the horse.
 
This morning (our time), Calandagan (IRE) won the Japan Cup (G1) - the first European horse in 20 years and he also broke the track record set by Almond Eye (JPN).


They also had a memorial for fans to pay their respects to Gentildonna who died this week. In Japanese racing, the horses are the stars and memorials are common place - offerings including carrots and flowers are normally left outside their stable as well.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1994997708344758623
 
Jenko109 said:
It is baffling.

I know it isn't hugely comparable, but if you took something show jumping and it kept twatting itself into the ground, you would very quickly look at a new career.

I don't like this 'one last try' mentality.

That one last try could kill him.
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Exactly, it's not worth the risk, I think NH can probably see it, but for all we know the owner is insisting on carrying on so NH's hands are tied. Jockeys also know the risk, but you're also putting whoever rides him at risk

As ive said previously, these falls aren't just unseasts, hes slammed into the ground all 3 times and could have got fatally injured each time. Why would you keep risking him? He could have been at 4 falls now, he was very lucky during that Cheltenham prep race last season
 
Maddie Moo said:
This morning (our time), Calandagan (IRE) won the Japan Cup (G1) - the first European horse in 20 years and he also broke the track record set by Almond Eye (JPN).


They also had a memorial for fans to pay their respects to Gentildonna who died this week. In Japanese racing, the horses are the stars and memorials are common place - offerings including carrots and flowers are normally left outside their stable as well.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1994997708344758623
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The AI translated commentary on the Japan Cup video is bonkers!
 
Yes it was Reynold, it was Nico who pulled him up and it probably did save his life.

About CH, I'm another who hopes that his owner agrees to retire him. He was unbeaten in 10 races with Nico and was unstoppable, then had a long time off with injury and his return has been marred by these tip ups and each time his confidence will be more and more shattered. I can't even think why it started, maybe the hurdles don't bounce back like the old style but it's irrelevant now, the damage has been done. Poor boy will end up breaking his neck and NH probably realises this. Just need Michael Buckley on board to do the right thing.
 
I don't think it's too bad to run CH on the flat. He did seem to like his racing until the first fall, so it's worth trying it to see how he takes to it. He's a very good racehorse and I'm sure everyone is very frustrated over him not being up to doing what he was very good at. Michael Buckley must be spending a hell of a lot of money to keep CH in training and wants to see his horse race, although I do hope they care enough about the horse to not go back to hurdling with him though. I think it's too risky.
 
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I think the thing is, we don’t know the horse. He obviously did a very good racecourse gallop the other week so perhaps he does well in training. He might prefer being a racehorse over long distance flat races to being retrained as a dressage horse or show horse. He of course doesn’t have to have a career and could just be a horse in a field and or go hacking, perhaps. He is very low mileage on the racecourse having only run 14 times. Who remembers Overturn who mixed chasing, hurdling and flat racing with great success.
 
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