Dull...

G

Guest_

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
14,178
Location
Ireland
Is it just me or is anyone else finding it hard to get right into the jumps season this time around? I love the flat, but usually by now I am stuck right into the jumps and wishing it wouldn't end. There is no obvious reason not to be excited with Denman, Kauto Star amongst others already looking as good as ever....but just not bursting to see some of the races (Cheltenham this weekend for instance) or rearranging things so I will get to see the races live etc. Is it just me?
 
I should add it's a question to the usual NH heads on here...not thebumperistheonlyjumpsraceworthwatching brigade!
 
Gal, you would dislike the flat as much if O'Brien were having as bad a season as Willie Mullins is having at the moment.

The way I look at it is this. Intriguing Champion Hurdle market. All the main contenders have run and are still on course. The pre-season favourites have been beaten, and the next rank have won, leaving five or six as good as joint favourites.

The prospect of Denman vs Kauto Star III, with both the main protagonists having reappeared and won fascinating but different races.

Young pretenders from Ireland in Joncol, Solwhit and Tranquil Sea.

Brilliantly competitive Arkle market.

Okay the Stayers' and Champion Chase markets are stale, but there looks to be as many good novices over fences and a couple of real belting novice hurdlers.

Yer talking shi, basically.
 
Jasus lads:

Denman Hennessey
Kauto V Imperial commander
Build up to Fighting Fifth
Hurricane V Solwhit
Drinmore
An Irish win in the Paddy Power
Every beginners chase in Ireland
etc etc etc
 
Bar the Bull said:
Gal, you would dislike the flat as much if O'Brien were having as bad a season as Willie Mullins is having at the moment.
Click to expand...

:D

Like I said, there is not reason based on the performances (that Cantoris has listed) not to be exciting but just not there yet. Hopefully Christmas will help...Perhaps its just the doom and gloom of everything dragging it down for me right now!
 
The novice divisions, much like the 2yo's on the Flat, are what really get me going as much as anything else.

Thoroughly savour Denman/Kauto Star etc. of course, but the prospect of potential stars galore in the novice chase division really has me exicted. Take Leopardstown Christmas this year ~ the two novice chases (Lenabane, Pandorama, Alpha Ridge, Weapon's Amnesty etc in the three miler) - along with the Festival hurdle - will make it for me this year.
 
I'm enjoying the NH scene this year more than ever.

The best crop of novice chasers we have had in years, a brilliant rematch of Kauto and Denman and a pretty wide open champion Hurdle

Even the clash of Punjabi and Celestial Halo this weekend is something to look forward too
 
Another on-going clash to savour through the winter will of course be Steve Miller and anyone who doesn't think Denman is the biggest certainty this side of Shamardal...
 
To be fair, im struggling to get overly excited about it all myself. More so from a punting point of view, the flat was so successful i cant get my head around the jumps at all.
 
I must admit, I'm pretty anti jumps and love my flat racing whole heartedly but I've enjoyed this season as a fair few of my favourites have been running and some winning, although I didn't enjoy the Peterborough as I have a soft spot for Racing Demon and Tidal Bay so seeing them crash through fence after fence wasn't my idea of enjoyment.
 
I never fail to get excited about the jumps season! I would much rather watch a £2,000 Beginners Chase at Sedgefield rather than anything on the all weather (not having a dig at AW racing just my preference).

I suppose I have an even bigger interest this season with the release of my book but even without that I would still be gearing my week around the big weekend action.

If you think of the strength in depth in races such as the Arkle and the Champion Hurdle + the Kauto Denman re-match, how can you fail to get excited!!
 
Galileo - I think its just the last week. I thought the forum was down the last few days because everytime I came on there were no new posts or just replies to threads with nothing to do with races.
 
Today's card at Cheltenham isn't hugely inspiring, I have to say........but the last three races tomorrow would be good enough to grace the Festival.

Saturday's card is a topper - Doncaster's isn't too shabby either - and Navan on Sunday promises to be a cracking meeting too.

In summary, wtf are you talking about Gal? :D
 
Exactly. The Open meeting contained the best weekend's racing of the whole calendar year for me.

My only issue with the jumps is the lack of decent racing in Jan and Feb.
 
For me it comes down to the weakness in the Irish contenders for the 4 big races.The Gold Cup, Stayers and Champion Chase are already write-offs. Hurricane Fly has big questions to answer and I could only see Solwhit winning a curiously substandard event. The novices will only start sorting themselves out in the next couple of weeks. I, personally, have yet to commit emotionally to Dunguib. Sizing Europe looks the most exciting horse in Ireland at the moment to me, but he's hardly a new kid on the block and has flattered to deceive before.While I can admire and even enjoy the top English horses putting in monster performances, it does grate a bit that we don't have anything that can really compete in an "honest" race.
 
You'd have to be clinically dead not to have enjoyed the racing so far this season.

Denman, Kauto, Twist Magic, Fix the Rib, Tranquil Sea, Celestial Halo, Big Buck's, all the superb novice chasers.... Some imperious performances, some close finishes, a comeback to bring a tear to the eye. What more do you want?!?

You must be a very hard person to please, Gal!
 
Question for the oldies - has the jumps season always felt like little more than 6 months of trials for the Festival, or has it just gone that way in recent years?
 
I think it used to be the case that post New Year was Cheltenham trial time, pre New Year you proved you were up to it (generalization alert). Since maybe Best Mate time I think trainers are planning out their campaign more meticulously on the assumption the horses will be good enough (generalization alert II). .
 
I have to say I'm finding this jumps season brimming with excitement with the prospect of a lot more to come. Typically this time of year can feel a bit dead though. Denman's Hennessy alone has revived feelings not felt for forty-odd years.;)
 
Gareth Flynn said:
Question for the oldies - has the jumps season always felt like little more than 6 months of trials for the Festival, or has it just gone that way in recent years?
Click to expand...

I think that might have a lot to do with it for me anyway - March seems a long time away.
 
Something like six weeks of grey skies and endless downpours, with horses slogging desperately through Somme-like sludge hasn't helped to make it look too exciting (for me). I've felt sorry for them more than anything, and hoped that they aren't being exhausted early on. And I do think that the tenor of NH is too much pitched towards 'waiting' - for the King Geo. and then Cheltenham. Even Aintree seems somehow to be a side show to that, which it shouldn't be. It's as if all the other meetings are mere attendant lords to the great emperor of Cleeve Hill, especially when Cheltenham review nights will start up any minute - a nice little earner for the usual suspects but crikey, it doesn't half take your eye off the everyday action and promote the idea that Cheltenham is the only worthwhile goal.
 
Back
Top