Diamond Harry

I love Big Bucks, he is gorgeous looking. Seems to get a little bored in the middle of his races like he wants to nip out and have a fag. Mind you, he could, and still win.
 
By Racing Post Staff 3:14PM 30 DEC 2009
NICK WILLIAMS on Wednesday described Diamond Harry as a "50-50 chance" to go chasing this season, while also referring to the better opportunities for staying chasers over staying hurdlers.
Diamond Harry had initially been given the Ladbrokes World Hurdle as his aim for this term, but after finishing six lengths behind Big Buck's in Tuesday's Racing UK on Virgin 536 Long Walk Hurdle, Williams is assessing his options.

Speaking on At The Races, he said: "It appears the official handicapper would have us spot-on at 165. I'd have preferred to put it to [Big Buck's] a bit more up the home straight instead of going wide but I dare say the race result would have been the same.
"He's a 50-50 chance [to go chasing]. If he goes to the Cleeve Hurdle, he gets a four pound pull but on yesterday's run that's not enough."
Prizes such as the Hennessy Gold Cup were also put forward by Williams as reasons for potentially switching to fences.
Nick Williams: looking ahead
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker
"He's schooled fine and there are drawbacks to staying over hurdles and it makes a lot of difference next season," he said.
"There's only place for one or two [dominant] horses in staying hurdles and it's not alot of fun coming second, third, second. It's better running in races like the Hennessy and there's better chances for three mile chasers than three mile hurdlers."
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Glad we found out now rather than at the Festival that he can't live with Big Bucks. A couple of years down the line Diamond Harry probably wont have Kauto Star or Denman to contend with. Can't wait to see him tackle a fence.
 
You'd imagine for a horse who by all accounts takes little racing, it's a little too late to go chasing unless they go 1 run then Cheltenham.
 
Plenty of other pots to be won after Cheltenham. It would be madness to stay hurdling with him. Get a couple of soft novice chases into him before the summer, or they could keep his novice status and still run in the Hennessey like Strong Flow did a few years back.
 
Still wavering as to what to do with Diamond Harry:

Timmy Murphy is looking forward to the day Diamond Harry finally tackles fences.
The seven-year-old was a brilliant winner of a competitive handicap hurdle at Haydock on his seasonal reappearance but proved no match for Big Buck's when only third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury.
Trainer Nick Williams said afterwards he may now tackle the larger obstacles for the remainder of the campaign, but Murphy is unsure what the best plan of attack is.
"I'd like another go on better ground but Big Buck's is better on better ground as well, so it's all irrelevant really," Murphy told At The Races.
"Personally I'd love a full season chasing with him and the RSA Chase is a very competitive race.
"To throw him in without a whole lot of experience, I don't know if it would be unfair on the horse, but I'd love a proper season chasing with him."
 
Gearoid said:
Plenty of other pots to be won after Cheltenham. It would be madness to stay hurdling with him. Get a couple of soft novice chases into him before the summer, or they could keep his novice status and still run in the Hennessey like Strong Flow did a few years back.
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Normally i'd agree with you, but apparently the horse doesn't stand too many runs close together, meaning a novice campaign wouldn't have the same appeal now as it would for other horses.
 
I wouldn't be at all interested in Timmy's opinion of where they should go with him (not so sure connections would be either!!) after the crappy rides he's been giving the horse.
 
Gearoid said:
Some would argue he was never any good.
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He's certainly had his moments but I'm convinced that his nerve has gone. I've already campaigned the Nick Williams camp to jock him off in favour of the much maligned Daryl Jacob, who has improved out of all recognition since this time last year.
 
Shadow Leader said:
I wouldn't be at all interested in Timmy's opinion of where they should go with him (not so sure connections would be either!!) after the crappy rides he's been giving the horse.
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I haven't seen enough everyday racing to give an opinion on Murphy in general, but there is nothing wrong with the rides he has given Diamond Harry.

The horse is at the level he is, and nothing any jockey would have done would have improved his performance behind Big Bucks.
 
Hamm said:
I haven't seen enough everyday racing to give an opinion on Murphy in general, but there is nothing wrong with the rides he has given Diamond Harry.

The horse is at the level he is, and nothing any jockey would have done would have improved his performance behind Big Bucks.
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I agree - he is just not as good as some thought. People said he ran below form at Cheltenham last year but Karabak confirmed himself the better horse again last time out at Newbury.
 
The ride he gave Diamond Harry at Newbury was actually a shocker. In saying that, DH simply isn't as good as Big Buck's and it's not any misplaced support for the horse which colours my view of Murphy's riding. He rides almost every animal he sits on as if it's a fruitcake and undoubtedly costs perfectly straightforward horses winning opportunities by doing so. He has also apparently lost the ability to see a stride, and I've lost count of the number of times he has to allow horses to run down their obstacles in order to jump.
 
Galileo said:
I agree - he is just not as good as some thought. People said he ran below form at Cheltenham last year but Karabak confirmed himself the better horse again last time out at Newbury.
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Diamond Harry is probably every bit as good as most people thought, but he's a chaser waiting to happen.
 
Not contradicting you Rory, but what was shocking about it? I backed him there and had no complaints whatsoever.

Your general point I would much more agree with.
 
Isinglass said:
I love Big Bucks, he is gorgeous looking. Seems to get a little bored in the middle of his races like he wants to nip out and have a fag. Mind you, he could, and still win.
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Yes he is a bit special isn’t he. However, despite being on at 7/4 against for the World Hurdle I wasn’t as impressed as everyone with his last performance. He does seem to run into a bit of a flat spot and had to dig in for a spell. I could see a case for Karabek (and perhaps one or two others) running a big race in the World Hurdle. I would still expect Big Bucks to win but his price offers no value now. He's the only horse that can work with Denman and Kauto, so he must be half decent.
 
Hamm said:
Not contradicting you Rory, but what was shocking about it? I backed him there and had no complaints whatsoever.

Your general point I would much more agree with.
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I think the path Murphy steered in the home straight was unnecessary. Most people will blame Diamond Harry's "wayward tendencies" for him running around, but I'll bet the horse looks altogether more straightforward under different handling. Just my opinion, I admit.
 
He didn't run around at Haydock and Murphy steered a wide path all the way.

Horse drifts under pressure, surely that's obvious?
 
The horse doesn't drift under pressure - it's all Murphy! I agree absolutely with Rory - last year Murphy was running the horse down the flights of hurdles, then at Haydock he rode him wide all the way which didn't make any difference but it was Murphy's choice to do so not the horse's. Then at Newbury he made the most absurd move in steering the horse violently right towards the stands after the last - he wouldn't have beaten Big Buck's but it was still an utterly ridiculous move. Put Daryl on the horse.
 
He looks an awkward ride to me, and the fact Murphy brought him over to the rail suggested he did not want to have to ask the horse a serious question out in the middle of the track.
 
Galileo said:
He looks an awkward ride to me, and the fact Murphy brought him over to the rail suggested he did not want to have to ask the horse a serious question out in the middle of the track.
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That would be the general reading of it at first glance, but the fact is that Timmy Murphy rides plenty of others in the same unorthodox way, particularly the apparently perfectly straighforward Starluck. I don't deny that Diamond Harry has the ability to hang, but his jockey should be a help, not a hindrance in that regard.
 
Absolutely Rory - Timmy rides him as though he's a total headcase and as though he needs to do stupid things on him like swerve dramatically across the track. Diamond Harry doesn't even hang especially badly in my opinion; it is just that from early on last season Murphy decided that he would encourage him to run down every flight without giving him a ride or even attempting to get him straight, so much so that the horse was made to think that was the way to do things. Who knows how straightforward a ride he would be if he didn't have some daft pygmy on top trying to make him a bad ride??

I really wish Nick would put Daryl on the horse before Timmy buggers him up completely. That latest ride at Newbury was horrendous and had anyone ridden like that for me I'd have given them a right kick up the backside for it and told them they wouldn't ride for me again.
 
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