Fighting Fifth

When was the last time a horse won a Grade1 hurdle in Open company and then went novice chasing. It's just not the way you play the game.
 
LUKE said:
When was the last time a horse won a Grade1 hurdle in Open company and then went novice chasing. It's just not the way you play the game.
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A point well made, but I’m quoting Henderson. Ruby was waxing lyrical about how well SG jumps a fence too.

It could happen, if Constitution Hill makes a full recovery. It’s an indication of highly the stable rates SG, surely.
 
I was also on Kihavah -my take on his previous run at Kempton was that they want to try and make him into a conditions hurdle horse -maybe they are happy to go to the Champion Hurdle as 100/1 shots.
 
He jumps his hurdles too big to be a proper Champion Hurdler.
He is a chaser for sure.
Fine horse otherwise, his gallop form was as good as it looked; that's for sure.
As an aside, my friend Richard went to see Steve Norton's American barn stables in Yorkshire 1980 /1981, as he was building something similar on his farm.
Morgan Sheehy, an Irish auctioneer who had a string of USA bred 2yo s in training there, was the contact there.
Included in the lot was an Irish bred by Levanter named Folk Hero who caught Richard's eye.
After a maiden win the horse got sore shins and was transferred to D K Weld.
After the first flat meeting the following year, DKW galloped his classic prospect after racing; Folk Hero was lead horse.
Like Sir Gino's gallop the fancy never caught the pacemaker, DKW turned away in disgust.
After an in and out season Folk Hero was sold at horses in training sale, Richard bought him.
With care, attention and a little luck the horse easily won the Irish Lincoln at The Curragh .
Richard delights in describing DKW's face after the race.
 
"It takes a 'superstar' to beat OR 143 Lump Sum by eight lengths."

Said no one ever.

That was a dire renewal of the once great Fighting Fifth and though Sir Gino could do no more than easily beat the opposition, he hasn't done anything today to surpass what he did last season and yet his Champion Hurdle odds have collapsed.
 
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Sir Gino has as much right to be one of the favs as any. Lossiemmouths for is rubbish by Champion Hurdle standard. Tellmesomethinggirl is a professional loser and the likes of Sir Gino wouldn't see her in his way. State Man is a very good horse he's proved that bur he doesn't appear to have as good a turn of foot as Sir Gino. My main worry and forgive me if I am wrong but as far as I know this would have been an ideal time to give an update on how Constitution Hill is coping but Nicky hasn't done that
 
He did mention it in passing, tan, when he was interviewed after the race, said something like “he’s alright, by the way”. I hope your money is safe - if he gets there, he wins.
 
Re Sir Gino, it shouldn't be forgotten that Katchit (2008) was the first 5yo to win the Champion Hurdle since See You Then and only 16/1 Espoir D'Allen (2019) has done it since.

It really isn't a race for second-season juveniles.

Sir Gino didn't have to have improved 10lbs to win yesterday but he'll have to find that and then some to win the Champion Hurdle this season.

Plus, my lasting impression from the Hendo interview after the race was that SG will be going chasing.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Re Sir Gino, it shouldn't be forgotten that Katchit (2008) was the first 5yo to win the Champion Hurdle since See You Then and only 16/1 Espoir D'Allen (2019) has done it since.

It really isn't a race for second-season juveniles.

Sir Gino didn't have to have improved 10lbs to win yesterday but he'll have to find that and then some to win the Champion Hurdle this season.

Plus, my lasting impression from the Hendo interview after the race was that SG will be going chasing.
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It will depend on CH surely

More money at stake and I guess prestige in winning a champion versus an Arkle

Also, it's December now.. what's a reasonable novice campaign for him now over fences?
 
Martin Pipe won a couple of Arkles with horses after one or two chases, Western Warhorse won a conditional Jockeys Hurdle at November meeting and Well Chief had only one chase run pre Arkle if memory serves.
A lot depends on Constitution Hill methinks ; NJH would not like this fellow finishing ahead of him; the gallop was bad enough viewing for connections.
 
Henderson is constantly moaning that the programme is short of novice chases for his decent horse and the more he holds Sir Gino back in reserve the more difficult it will be if he has designs on the Arkle. Sir Gino certainly looked good yesterday, but Mystical Power didn’t fire so he was left with very little to beat. One way or another Henderson will have to move soon.
 
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