Betfair Hurdle

But it's devaluing the Supreme. And my point stands, Sprinter Sacre would have won every renewal of the QM since time began (with the possible exception of 2005) yet he rightfully ran in the Arkle.
 
I'm hardly an advocate of a switch from the Supreme, Euro........but if the rating is right, he is good enough to be running very creditably indeed in a Champion Hurdle.......if the rating is right.
 
168 seems a lttle high imo..ease of victory on that type of ground can be misleading

if any of you Timeformers know..what was Golden Cygnet's best rating?
 
Last edited:
Euronymous said:
But it's devaluing the Supreme. And my point stands, Sprinter Sacre would have won every renewal of the QM since time began (with the possible exception of 2005) yet he rightfully ran in the Arkle.
Click to expand...

But why is it devaluing the Supreme? It's a novice race, after all, and any horse far enough in front to win an open championship, would automatically assume the mantle of champion novice, anyway.
 
Last edited:
Money?

If he wins the Supreme he'll win £60,000 if as is likely he finishes 3rd or 4th in C.H. He only wins £20k to £40k - the £60k looks almost certain and a lot easier to win.
 
EC1 said:
wow

what would his career have been like?..heartbreaking just thinking about it
Click to expand...

Check out his Supreme Novice win in 78.(would put the link up if only I could)
The only Irish Novice to make a race of it with GC fell at the last hurdle in Leop dec 77. Backed into 33/1 in County hurdle 1979,he won by a 1/2 length but was disqualified for interference .
Was to repeat the dose in 80, ran in a Leop Nov Chase early March, backed from 10s to 6/4, got brought down 2 out when cantering, sustained a bad cut and ran no more. Hippolito was one unlucky horse.
 
looked to me almost Sprinter Sacre ish

in the Scottish Champion he was giving weight to Night Nurse and only receiving a 1lb from Sea Pigeon

He is probably the best hurdler of all time..and would have been unbelievable the season after

I only just started watching racing at this time and didn't understand the relevance of him just being a Novice at the time. I remember his last race..the extel commentary was where i heard it
 
Interesting comment under that last you tube

"I remember a conversation with Mr Arthur Stephenson in the 80's and he said the useless ones fall regularly and know how to fall, the good ones don't know how to fall! which made me laugh at the time, but it's a sad and accurate point here!"

Never ever considered that, wonder if there's an element of truth in it.
 
His Supreme win was as easy as you will ever see at Cheltenham.

How good he would have become is anyone's guess but the potential he had was way above what you would expect from any novice.

When he was killed in the Scottish Champion Hurdle it must be said Night Nurse was past his best having won the 1976 and 77 Champion Hurdle.

In the same year as Golden Cygnet won the Supreme Night Nurse finished 3rd to Monksfield who had beaten Sea Pigeon into 2nd.

The first 4 home were "
1. Monksfield
2. Sea Pigeon
3. Night Nurse
4. Beacon Light

In The Scottish Champion Hurdle Golden Cygnet was getting only 1lb from Sea Pigeon.

Going to the last he had quickened past Night Nurse but he had responded and was back on terms with him at the last. However Colden Gygnet looked like he only had to jump it and a shake of the reigns would have taken him a couple of lengths clear.

When they both quickened going to the last Sea Pigeon actually lost ground on them but fought his way back to pass Night Nurse half way up the run in to go on and win.

To a man, sentiment aside, almost everyone said including Jonjo Golden Gygnet would have won probably by a length or two.

As it turned out the first 3 home were:

1. Sea Pigeon
2. Night Nurse
3. Beacon Light.

The three horses had all run to more or less the same mark as they had in the Champion Hurdle behind Monksfield so the from was rock solid.

That race put him right up there with Monksfield.

Whether he would actually have gone on to win a Champion Hurdle is very hard to say.

In 1979 Sea Pigeon had improved and many thought he would beat Monksfield but they made a complete hooch of it hitting the front way before the last and looking like he'd win a minute but Sea Pigeon idled in front and allowed Monksfield to get back up and win.

In 1980 Sea Pigeon seemed to be getting even better and this time Jonjo held onto him until after the last and Monksfield never saw the way he went.

The following year 1981 John Francome took over as Jonjo had been injured and won very cheekily and easily from the big Irish hope Daring Run.

No doubt about it Sea Pigeon was a far better horse in 1980 than he was in 1978.

For any horse to have won any of those Champion Hurdle he would have to have been extraordinary. On the downside when Golden Cygnet ran in that Scottish Champion Hurdle Night Nurse was past his best and we still had the best of Sea Pigeon to come.

If history is anything to go by you would have to think that Golden Gygnet with youth on his side would have improved enough to beat Monksfield and gone on to take Sea Pigeons scalp in the 80/81 races.

All guess work of course but he was by far the best novice hurdler ever seen on a racecourse
 
thats a good post Tanlic

i'll just put this to you though..what if after the last in the Scottish..GC had won by 10 from Sea Pigeon..which is entirely possible when you look at how easy he was going and how much he found on the youtube race where he was actually ridden after the last and just kept going further away

I think if he had stayed fit he could have easily won the CH 3 times..maybe more...he was so superior..never really got asked a proper question
 
Euronymous said:
But it's devaluing the Supreme. And my point stands, Sprinter Sacre would have won every renewal of the QM since time began (with the possible exception of 2005) yet he rightfully ran in the Arkle.
Click to expand...

He might have found Flyingbolt a tough nut to crack !
 
Jonjo o Neill quoted as saying GC had them cold that day at Ayr.
Fred Rimell said he never saw a horse come up Cheltenham hill so fast; he trained the 2nd or 3rd that day .
That day at Ayr ;
Sea Pigeon 12stone
Golden Cygnet 11_13
Night Nurse 11_7
A little trivia: Early in training GC galloped with his head so low that his knees used hit his chin; he often bled after galloping. They got special protective boots made for him and he stopped.
 
Back
Top