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John Durkan - 3pm Sun 23 November

I never like that from Mark Walsh, always waits until after the last to go win his race. He could have put the race to bed.
 
Slim said:
I never like that from Mark Walsh, always waits until after the last to go win his race. He could have put the race to bed.
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Did he know the horse was emptying and trying to hold onto something for run in?

I agree though, my biggest jockey ick is one coming swinging with the jockeys arse in the air and still losing. Cobdens the worst for it
 
Indeed.

There are races every day when two horses are ding-dong all the way from the last or second last.

Does it only qualify as a race for the ages when it involves Grade 1ers?
 
It seemed to me Mark Walsh overdid the waiting tactics and allowed Townend to get a breather into GW which meant he had a bit left once headed
 
I watched the race on my phone as I stood in a field in Devon at a point to point. I thought it was an incredible performance to run like that and still hold on especially as he was headed over the last. He just pulverised them (from what I could see on a 4 inch screen) and kept galloping. Whether by intention or not, it was damn impressive.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Indeed.

There are races every day when two horses are ding-dong all the way from the last or second last.

Does it only qualify as a race for the ages when it involves Grade 1ers?
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You won't see many better races this season -the fact that a Gold Cup winner,Grand National winner and a dual Punchestown Gold Cup winner couldn't get competitive is relevant.
 
LUKE said:
You won't see many better races this season -the fact that a Gold Cup winner,Grand National winner and a dual Punchestown Gold Cup winner couldn't get competitive is relevant.
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Sorry Luke but can't agree with that.i didn't expect them to get competitive over 2m4f.
 
Fastorslow won the race race 2 years ago and is a 3 time Grade 1 winner over fences at Punchestown. Heart Wood was race fit -beaten 9 lengths by FTF in the Ryanair he was beaten over 30 lengths day.I'd say the form will work out at the highest level.
 
Maybe the winner and runner up were the only ones that ran to form - OR 170 narrowly beats OR 173, not much to see here.

Maybe OR 168 Fastorslow needed the run and, rising ten, might not be what he was anyway.

But what of the racefit OR 160 beast, who I fortunately was able to organise betting 16/1 four places, but who was beaten 31¾ lengths into fourth?

If Heart Wood has run within a stone of his mark the form is exceptional.

However, I think the race may have bottomed Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, as outstanding efforts often do, and I wouldn't actually be surprised to see either of them disappoint next time out.
 
LUKE said:
Fastorslow won the race race 2 years ago and is a 3 time Grade 1 winner over fences at Punchestown. Heart Wood was race fit -beaten 9 lengths by FTF in the Ryanair he was beaten over 30 lengths day.I'd say the form will work out at the highest level.
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Yes the form is top class,I agree.but the first 2 were the only 2 that could win that.
 
I've watched the whole race again and this is my take:

For all that it was a large enough field of G1 horses with high ratings only the first two were trying. The others were preparing for other targets.

Fastorslow - best form over three miles.
Heart Wood - four of his five best runs are over 2m7f and more and is 'only' rated 160, maybe found out by the pace at the trip.
INTWYT - Gold Cup horse, being brought along for that, well beaten in this last year too.
JDB - never asked to be competitive here.
Leckie Watson - ditto
GW - reportedly targeting the National, this was about getting his mark down.
IAM - ditto
Senecia - 150/1 shot, outclassed from early.

All that said, it was clearly a fast run race fought out by the two best horses at the trip and the form will be very strong but I wouldn't be taking any notice of the distances back from the runner-up. The other runners will have their own target races in due course.
 
Outsider said:
Yes the form is top class,I agree.but the first 2 were the only 2 that could win that.
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Many a wise word gets spoken after the event. For the record I was on the wrong end of the result yesterday as I had my 2nd heavy bet on a short priced horse (rare for me) in as many days on Fact to File. It wasn't a race I was going to get involved with until early money for Gaelic turned the market imo upside down and at 2/1 I thought Fact to file was cracking value. Yes Gaelic warrior had shown some decent form over further towards the end of last season but recalling the first half of last season where he was turned over at 1/3 on seasonal debut followed by 2 more defeats at short odds how anyone could have bet him with any confidence yesterday at the price he was is beyond me. Nobody I think would have thought that the race would unfold the way it did yesterday and most with any sense of the Mullins normal M.O wouldn't of expected either horse to have been fully tuned up and raring to go and would surely of expected Willie to have left any of his runners with a bit to work on with a view to the King George and future targets. With that in mind before the race I'd have certainly thought Fast or slow wouldn't have been the biggest shock in the world or that Heartwood with race fitness onside wouldn't make a race of it and I actually thought it more likely that one of that pair would be my undoing rather than GW. However Gaelic did what he did and pace kills, it's only when races are run like this that the winning distances really equate to what they should be and they've shown themselves to be a class apart at this trip. It is worth remembering though when Fact to File comfortably despatched Gallopin here last year that was the last time he wouldn't be looking at his back end that season. For some reason yesterdays loss hurt more than it should of done I'm not sure whether that's because it put a dent in some momentum I've been building of late or it may well just be that knowing it was one of the races of the season I dare say I'll have to re-live the moment plenty of times on the highlight reels.

I'm hoping they both go the King George route it sets up a hell of a race if the first 4 in the market + last years winner all line up.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Racing Post headline:

John Durkan: Gallant Gaelic Warrior holds off fast-finishing stablemate Fact To File to edge a race for the ages​


Did whoever wrote actually watch the race?

Sure, FTF came from some way behind GW but it got level (at least) and wasn't going any faster than GW from the last.
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Yup. Going to the last, even though FTF came to challenge, it seemed clear that GW had not been asked to fully commit at that stage. Sure enough, he had enough in reserve.

I do think that when a horse is asked to make up so much ground just to be able to challenge, it has an effect on any final scrap to the line.
 
I am always wary of the KG simply because many horses do not enjoy Kempton. It is a funny course over 3m - the fences seem to come quickly and some very good horses have failed to perform in the past in the race. Those that do enjoy the relentless gallop, jump, keep enjoying it - Kauto and Dessie for a start. But it's not a given. Of course I'd love GW to win it but I think he is maybe more suited to a track that takes others out of a speed test (I'm not explaining that very well!!) but a stayers track where he also dominates...does that make sense or am I talking a load of bull? 😂 (wouldn't be the first time!)
 
jinnyj said:
I am always wary of the KG simply because many horses do not enjoy Kempton. It is a funny course over 3m - the fences seem to come quickly and some very good horses have failed to perform in the past in the race. Those that do enjoy the relentless gallop, jump, keep enjoying it - Kauto and Dessie for a start. But it's not a given. Of course I'd love GW to win it but I think he is maybe more suited to a track that takes others out of a speed test (I'm not explaining that very well!!) but a stayers track where he also dominates...does that make sense or am I talking a load of bull? 😂 (wouldn't be the first time!)
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If he hits one at Kempton like he did yesterday he wont win a KG.
 

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