Fighting Fifth

In the county hurdle he took it up far to far out.....your better than that SL. Clearly the horse was ridden wrongly that day and has been ridden completely differently since.

Hardy Eustuce either worried him out of it or he ran out of gas late on. Regardless its a good 10lbs+ better than Katchit has done at Cheltenham. And the other time he won he gave 8lbs plus and stayed up the hill well.
 
Ran in the county hurdle as a 5yo (because 5yo's dont win Champion Hurdles !)

I couldn't remember this race so looked it up, report says

The well fancied Harchibald survived a mistake at the fourth last, which he caught with his hind legs, to look a big threat running down the hill to two out. When Carberry looked round and then eased him to the front straightening for home he looked the likeliest winner, but it's a long run to the last and he had already just been headed when he flattened the last.

Only beaten 21/2 lengths and two necks into fifth.
 
Originally posted by Garney@Dec 2 2007, 09:09 PM
Harchibald doesnt find much off the bridle. Wouldnt need to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out. However, he would beat the type of Katchit on all courses under all conditions hard on the snaff. Just too much ability.
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That has yet to be proved.

That still could also be proved to be " Akin to the Ollie Magern better than old plodder Beef or Salmon remarks".

Never overestimated a horse yourself then?!
 
I'm sure I've overestimated horses ability, but I dont think I've been so wrong and remain as bullish about it. Remind me though please as I cant think of one off the top of my head.

It would be proved if they ran on all different courses under all different conditions. Nothing on the formbook suggested that Katchit could get closer than he did at the wekeend. It was a question of Harchibald recovering his form. Katchit ran his best race to date. But of course his 4/4 at cheltenham means he will probably beat the 1/3 Harchibald at that course. it doesnt matter if they were four juvenile hurdles or champion hurdles.
 
Katchit is being aimed at the Boylesports next it seems, Harchibald may go for the Christmas Hurdle.
 
The reason Harchi doesn't find much off the bridle - because he gives so much on it .

He was dazzling in the Bula and he wasn't outbattled by HE just beaten by a better horse on the day . He was just fab yesterday and I speak as a big Katchit fan.

The CH is looking somewhat less competitive than usual this year - Harchibald put himself right back in the equation yesterday .
 
Can we think of many bridle horses (and Harchibald is that) who have regularly delivered at cheltenham? Its the worst possible contest for H as far as im concerned, but it was great to see him back yesterday

Why is it seemingly assumed that Katchit will not continue to improve? Small horses do, dont they? How did the likes of cavvies clown and docklands express progress through their careers (cant be bothered to look)
 
Garney, how on earth can you say at this stage, not only that I am "so wrong" in my opinion that Katchit is a good horse and still a serious CH candidate, but to then staggeringly chide me for being bullish after such a bullish and possibly arrogant statement?!

Apart from anything else, if you don't have the cojones to be bullish about your opinions (not least when you have been paid precisely to provide said "bullish opinions"!!!! :P ) then maybe this is the wrong game to be in?!
 
Can I also add that, similar to what Clivex is saying, Cheltenham is the last place you want to be backing a bridle horse/horse with possible stamina limitations? Which is where I am with regards to Harchibald!
 
That's what some people on here tried to tell me a couple of years back before I ignored them and backed him heavily for the Bula anyway.
 
Originally posted by Shadow Leader@Dec 2 2007, 08:46 PM
Apart from anything else, if you don't have the cojones to be bullish about your opinions (not least when you have been paid precisely to provide said "bullish opinions"!!!! :P ) then maybe this is the wrong game to be in?!
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But equally, you should be big enough to stand up and admit you were wrong rather than trying to make excuses about the ground or whatever else..

Only way I could possibly see Katchit beat Harchibald would be on testing ground.. the faster the ground, the more a test of speed the contest becomes..

Would tend to agree with Clive in that the only reason Cheltenham doesn't "suit" Harchibald is because of the gruelling hill, which will always threaten to find out a horse who only barely stays the trip (and Harchibald fits that bill IMO)..
 
That is a completely different statement to saying that Harchibald cannot be trusted, and its what I said.

Katchit was joint favourite in some books before Newcastle. Plenty said he wouldnt be good enough. That his juvenile form wasnt as good as Detroit City's for instance, and felt before making him favourite he would need to do more. He is now double his previous odds for the champion hurdle. There arent many english horses with champion hurdle aspirations - even with the apparent decline of some of the old favourites (Hardy, Brave Inca, Macs Joy, Asian Maze) - and Katchit will be fancied for several races by his fan. I think he will struggle to win an open aged grade 1.
 
Originally posted by Gareth Flynn@Dec 2 2007, 08:58 PM
That's what some people on here tried to tell me a couple of years back before I ignored them and backed him heavily for the Bula anyway.
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The difference is Gareth that, because of his vast superiority over his opponents in the Bula, he never had to come off the snaff to beat them.. thus his stamina was not stretched to it's limits.. smae situation I believe would occur were he to take on Katchit..

However, when faceing a horse of similar ability level (Hardy Eustace on top form) who clearly relishes a stiff two miles, there was always a risk that he would found out up the hill..
 
Ok Trackside, please explain to me where precisely I am being forced to admit I am wrong. Yes I was wrong in thinking Katchit would win the Fighting Fifth but I'd love it if you could show me categorical proof that I am wrong in saying that Katchit is a good horse and is a serious CH contender.

Oh, hang on, I've got it now - he's trained in Wiltshire, not Ireland - so he must be crap!!!! :P
 
Originally posted by trackside528+Dec 2 2007, 09:03 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (trackside528 @ Dec 2 2007, 09:03 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Gareth Flynn@Dec 2 2007, 08:58 PM
That's what some people on here tried to tell me a couple of years back before I ignored them and backed him heavily for the Bula anyway.
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The difference is Gareth that, because of his vast superiority over his opponents in the Bula, he never had to come off the snaff to beat them.. thus his stamina was not stretched to it's limits.. smae situation I believe would occur were he to take on Katchit..

However, when faceing a horse of similar ability level (Hardy Eustace on top form) who clearly relishes a stiff two miles, there was always a risk that he would found out up the hill.. [/b][/quote]
Absolutely - it's the requirement of "another horse of similar abiility" that some seem to ignore, as if Harchibald is going to come to a dead stop half a length before the line regardless of who he's racing against.
 
That's a ridiculous question trackside - same as it would be with regards to any novice in their first season in open company. Katchit may well prove to be as good but to state that any horse in their second run out of novice company should be capable already of being as good as such horses at their peak is patent nonsense.
 
Wasnt this juvenile supposed to be different to the rest of the 4yo who failed when meeting their elders - a freak apparently?
 
Well, f*ck me pink!!! We are privileged to have a number of Irish forumites on here who have the prophetic capabilities of Nostradamus!

So that's it - Katchit is crap, he cannot improve and he can never, ever be mentioned in the same breath as such legends as Harchibald, Hardy Eustace or Brave Inca.

How very, very wrong I am.
 
Yes, this juvenile who is so unutterably useless he can only get to within just over 3 lengths of the great Harchibald...
 
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