Epsom Derby

Shocked about Horatio Nelson, I'm probably jumping to serious conclusions but why didn't they pull him out? It looked clear to me that they had doubts about his wellbeing at the start.

Gutted for Michael Jarvis too, looked like Hala Bek would have won had he kept straight.
 
Crap race, good guineas though. Already two classic winners. Olympian Odessy (or is it Olympic?) tomorrow?

Dylan Thomas might be useful over ten, nothing wins a proper open G1 though I reckon.
 
HN should have been pulled out, trotting him before the start is pointless considering the contours of the course he`d shortly be racing on.

Sir Percy is pure class and won despite the track, and it wouldn`t surprise me if Visindar rebounded like Alamshar.
 
I really enjoyed the race. It may not have been the highest class Derby ever but it was a good, competitive race and Hala Bek could still be anything. What a shame about Horatio Nelson.
 
My new sofa was looking a distinct possibilty coming round Tattenham Corner.

Keeping everything crossed for Horatio.
 
I'm all crossed up too Griffin.

What is it with Coolmore and the lesser-lights - The Great Gatsby, Walk In The Park, Dylan Thomas all have two things in common, lesser fancied and placed and also that I backed them :)
 
I thought it was a great race except for Horatio Nelson.

How much ground did Sir Percy make up? he was awesome.
 
Hell of a race and wide open. Sir Percy wanted it most. Hala Bek was unlucky though. Spooked at a crucial point and might well have otherwise won.
 
Hmmm.... I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but Kieran never looked happy and I think Aiden O'Brien is going to be one very, very unhappy man today because it loks like his judgement was very flawed.. When you consider how much a jockey wants to win a race like the Derby, you have to believe that Kieran was seriously worried about poor Horatio.

God I wish someone would take a pair of shears to Magnier's hair.....
 
It looked to me that Fallon was suggesting he shouldn't go. He alerted the trainer when he felt something amiss going down.

A tough call for O'Brien to make though he trotted him backwards and forwards at the start and decided he was okay.

Fallon never looked happy about it though.
 
The stalls camera was placed on Horatio and when they switched to it for just a few seconds, Kieren was definately shaking his head about something.
 
Originally posted by Warbler@Jun 3 2006, 05:06 PM
The stalls camera was placed on Horatio and when they switched to it for just a few seconds, Kieren was definately shaking his head about something.
Click to expand...
Yeah, i came close to laying it for a place but couldn`t do it. Good as the trainer is i think a horseman as skilled as Fallon should have been asked yay or nay as to the horse running.
 
I have very mixed feelings about the race. It was a heroic performance from Sir Percy and if we could take Dragon Dancer out of the finish we'd be saying it was at least a good Derby. I really thought Hala Bek had it won but for spooking. Philip Robinson did remarkably well to remain so philosophcally calm afterwards and seemed adamant if he'd spooked 100 yards earlier he'd have recovered in time to go on and win, and I tend to agree. My worry now is whether Hala Bek will be able to recover from such a hard race on only his second outing. Michael Hills expressed earlier in the day his concerns in this respect, saying Shaamit was never the same after the Derby, and he feared the same could happen to Hala Bek. Reading between the lines, I got the impression he'd heard the horse was something special.

Steve was right yet again. Visindar didn't fully stay but he was never going like a winner anyway and it's possible he didn't handle the track. I'd be interested to hear experts' views on how each horse handled the hill.

Horatio Nelson probably should have been withdrawn and AOB will have to live with the fact he made the decision to run him. I thought Magnier was very dignified in the face of difficult circumstances.

I can console myself with having lost very little on a very exciting and eventful race.
 
I certainly thought HALA BEK should have won and was beaten by inexperience. I suspect he will come in and could be the one for The Curragh.

Terrible about HORATIO NELSON - hope he is saved.
 
Didn't think the winner came down the hill very well.

Martin Dwyer reported that it was a rough race and Frankie was trying to ride Sir Percy as well as Linda's Lad.

Race ruined by the tragic injury to Horatio.
 
Before we go too hard on AOB - there is no evidence (a) that the horse broke down for the same reason KF had his concerns and (B) that he was lame before the race. Remember - AOB knows more and cares more about horses than all us combined.

At worst he made a bad call, and he will feel more than any if that is the case. We all make a lot more bad calls in our careers than he does.
 
Of course the vet at the start, if he had serious concerns about the horses well being would not have let him run. It was not just O'Brien's call.
 
The one positive out of the race for me is a good riddance to irrelevent stats. The Guineas ended up being a seriously good trial for the Derby this year.
 
Back
Top