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Cheltenham Trials Day- Saturday

jinnyj said:
What is his theory behind modern feeding? I was of the opinion that the old fashioned "bran mash" on a Saturday after work in preparation for a non-active Sunday actually was detrimental due to the bran altering the calcium phosphorus ratio and therefore leading to weaker bone density?
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The calcium -phosphorous ratio is the key along with the acidity caused by concentrate feeds. In a nutshell extra acidity in the bowel inhibits calcium absorption which may cause calcium depletion from bone.( The incidence of ulcers in racehorses could easily become the welfare issue to get racing banned)
On the other hand adding calcium to the diet ,and it has been increased quite a bit in the last forty years , leads to osteopetrosis which causes bone to fracture /shatter due to being too dense.
Bone has to flexible to a degree: not too much and not too little.
Apparently a correct foal diet gives the foal healthy gut microbes that last through it's life and leads to more success than one that hasn't the proper microbes.
As Granger says, my buddy has a patented oat balancer which gives mares,
foals and youngsters the best start bowel health wise.
Results in USA racehorses , primarily claimers has given those old stagers a "bowel boost " and feel good to outrun their previous form.
Professor Lennart Krook , who performed the post mortem on Ruffian years ago was convinced her fracture was diet related.
 
edgt said:
The calcium -phosphorous ratio is the key along with the acidity caused by concentrate feeds. In a nutshell extra acidity in the bowel inhibits calcium absorption which may cause calcium depletion from bone.( The incidence of ulcers in racehorses could easily become the welfare issue to get racing banned)
On the other hand adding calcium to the diet ,and it has been increased quite a bit in the last forty years , leads to osteopetrosis which causes bone to fracture /shatter due to being too dense.
Bone has to flexible to a degree: not too much and not too little.
Apparently a correct foal diet gives the foal healthy gut microbes that last through it's life and leads to more success than one that hasn't the proper microbes.
As Granger says, my buddy has a patented oat balancer which gives mares,
foals and youngsters the best start bowel health wise.
Results in USA racehorses , primarily claimers has given those old stagers a "bowel boost " and feel good to outrun their previous form.
Professor Lennart Krook , who performed the post mortem on Ruffian years ago was convinced her fracture was diet related.
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That makes sense. I think more and more gut health is becoming apparent as to being so important in many areas of health. I read that healthy faecal implants for those with Bipolar can have an incredible benefit.

So to start with the right feed as a foal must be the way to go. You'd presume that all these feed companies are constantly researching stuff like this.
 
Ian_Davies said:
I have never thought Grey Dawning would stay an extended 3m2f round Cheltenham.

He'd have more chance in the Ryanair.
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I think the Skeltons clearly believe he will stay and Dan immediately ruled out the Ryanair in the paddock. I was there yesterday and overheard Harry saying on the walkway as they were coming in that he hit the line hard and that’s what mattered today. It was the bad mistake at the second last that finally did for Grey Dawning although he may not have got to the first two anyway. As for the winner a narrow defeat of an 11yo LHP receiving 6lb doesn’t strike me as Gold Cup form whatever the ITV lot may think.

So sad to see Sir Gino pull up and it was clear that something wasn’t right from the 2nd as others have said.

It was ridiculous that they ran the last - the spotlights were on in the paddock when Mrs Viking and I left about 10 minutes after the scheduled off time when many around us were saying it would have to be off in the next 5 minutes or too dangerous to run. I think I read the finish was 5 minutes after sunset so they must have started at sunset which seems unsafe to me
 
Not being remotely able to judge horses' condition live, let alone on TV, I was just wondering if the good watchers out there felt that some of the horses were not quite 100% fit yesterday, especially in the bigger races?

Watching the handicap unfold I formed the opinion around halfway that only Donnacha was there to be competitive. I reckoned word had got out about how strongly Jagwar was fancied and the rest, bar D's connections, decided better to wait for another day and go down a pound or three instead of run J close and go up for not winning.

Flooring Porter was schooling in public and I reckoned if they were being serious with GD he would have been ridden much closer to the very sedate pace. LHP got to try and steal it from the front but ST was there to win.

The big race was always going to be between the big two but were the Skeltons serious about trying to outsprint Sir G? TNL barely outsprinted a 138 handicapper. I reckon they would have been happy to run second to Sir G on the day.

And then Impose Toi tried to give a start of a merely useful type that was getting a far better tactical ride.

I haven't watched the 4.10 but I see the 6/4f was well beaten.

Hardly a good advert for a 'trials day'. Maybe they should advertise it next year as non-triers' convention day.
 
viking said:
I think the Skeltons clearly believe he will stay and Dan immediately ruled out the Ryanair in the paddock. I was there yesterday and overheard Harry saying on the walkway as they were coming in that he hit the line hard and that’s what mattered today.
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I've been following racing for over 40 years and I have learned that what trainers say shouldn't always be taken at face value.

Dan Skelton would love to train a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, he's nothing else for the race and the owner won't agree to run if Skelton expresses so much as a scintilla of doubt about his stamina.

You have to be in it to win it, if you don't buy a ticket you can't win a prize - I'll seen this philosophy play out so many times.

Skelton has nothing to lose by having a go.

I will be happy to be against the horse on the day.
 
Given the going was January soft as opposed to March soft why would that surprise you ?
Emptying a horse before their main target is in nobody's interest.
The Skeltons admitted to as much before the race to The Sun or some other paper "of record "
 
edgt said:
Given the going was January soft as opposed to March soft why would that surprise you ?
Emptying a horse before their main target is in nobody's interest.
The Skeltons admitted to as much before the race to The Sun or some other paper "of record "
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It's not that it surprises me, edgt, I just found it frustrating watching fairly valuable races play out as training sessions for so many.

I've only myself to blame for getting involved financially.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Not being remotely able to judge horses' condition live, let alone on TV, I was just wondering if the good watchers out there felt that some of the horses were not quite 100% fit yesterday, especially in the bigger races?

Watching the handicap unfold I formed the opinion around halfway that only Donnacha was there to be competitive. I reckoned word had got out about how strongly Jagwar was fancied and the rest, bar D's connections, decided better to wait for another day and go down a pound or three instead of run J close and go up for not winning.

Flooring Porter was schooling in public and I reckoned if they were being serious with GD he would have been ridden much closer to the very sedate pace. LHP got to try and steal it from the front but ST was there to win.

The big race was always going to be between the big two but were the Skeltons serious about trying to outsprint Sir G? TNL barely outsprinted a 138 handicapper. I reckon they would have been happy to run second to Sir G on the day.

And then Impose Toi tried to give a start of a merely useful type that was getting a far better tactical ride.

I haven't watched the 4.10 but I see the 6/4f was well beaten.

Hardly a good advert for a 'trials day'. Maybe they should advertise it next year as non-triers' convention day.
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Yes. I did see how well this travelled for so much of the race with the jockey sitting motionless out the back. Then, at some point I thought "Come on, close up on them now; you've got the horse under you". But no.
Whatever, I suppose they'll be pleased if he's got back unscathed after being off for so long. With that in mind, it was a pleasing performance, don't you think?

I see he's entered for a festival hurdle so maybe they go back to timber, eh?
 
Desert Orchid said:
They said after that yesterday was about getting it qualified for the Grand National.
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Off his current rating he would've got in last year on 11-5, which wouldn't be bad and he might just go down a couple of Lbs after today.

I've a suspicion that he'd handle better ground should it turn up at Aintree.
 
yorick said:
Off his current rating he would've got in last year on 11-5, which wouldn't be bad and he might just go down a couple of Lbs after today.

I've a suspicion that he'd handle better ground should it turn up at Aintree.
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11-7 it would have been. As I said a week or so back, Mullins has worked out that it takes a Gold Cup contender to win a National these days, especially when he can manage his string in such a way as to get one into the race off what will end up looking like a good mark, even if it seems high, eg Nick Rocket winning off 163 (so it's a bare minimum 170 horse). He has 180+ horses in the yard so doesn't need to target the Gold Cup with them.

Cromwell might be plotting something similar with Flooring Porter, a G1 hurdler.
 

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