Harchibald

Nevermind what can they expect to achieve, Grassy, think about the horse! Plenty of horses cannot take retirement and thrive in a training regime and racing. Maybe connections think that this is a way of keeping the horse happy for another season and running him in far easier and less competitive races than he is likely to encounter running in the top hurdle races.

Amazing really how people can be so judgemental when they don't know any of the circumstances involving the horse, nor know the horse himself!
 
Presumably, if I'm being judgemental, you are too? :p

I don't claim to know the circumstances. As I said in my first post, this might be a throw of the dice to rekindle the horse's interest in racing.

If it is designed to have him run in less competitive races, I ask again - what will it achieve, other than to perhaps keep the horse happy and in training? In fact, if that is their intention, why not give him a season in hunter chases, which are even less competitive than novice events?

Any way I look at it, a novice chasing campaign at 11yo is completely pointless.
 
I'm hardly being judgemental, I'm offering up a defence for the amount of criticism that is being offered up on this thread.

So far as I'm concerned, once everyone who feels so strongly on the matter is paying Harchibald's training fees, knows the full story and has his wellbeing to consider, then they can have some say into what the horse does next!!
 
Ha ha!

At least you haven't been as damning as some, Grassy! It's strange though that there are some of the views there are from people who know nothing whatsoever about the circumstances, or the horse.

At the end of the day, connections aren't going to run him in novice chases if they think he's going to get himself wrecked, despite what some people seem to think, and they must have the horses best interests at heart since it serves them no purpose not to.
 
Is this the same Shadow Leader who dared judge Mouse Morris and his vet for treatment of War Of Attritons come back? Without the full scan details, vet reports etc but you seemed more than happy to give a pretty clear and negative opinion of the actions then? Pray tell what exactly is the difference here?
 
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Was that the same Mouse Morris who also told the press that the horse was supposed to have been given a certain amount of time off but he started cantering him much earlier? Which was what I was on about.

Still it doesn't give you lot the right to shout and scream about how terrible it is that the poor horse is being made to jump fences and trying to make out that it is tantamount to a death sentence.
 
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First of all I did not shout and scream about Harchibald running over fences. I just said I thought there was little point in it and I hoped he did not get hurt. Either way, me giving my opinion on this case without knowing the full details is no different to you giving your opinion on Mouse Morris's treatment of War Of Attrition (who has returned to stand up to his racing very well). Either way it is a forum so it's meant to be about opinions!!
 
I didn't specifically say you did shout and scream, Galileo. There are others who have come out with all sorts of outbursts which are plain daft.

As I keep saying - yet you all ignore! - Morris admitted at the time that he had cantered War of Attrition months earlier than he should have! Which I still consider to be madness.
 
Can't see what the fuss is about: he's by the miler PERUGINO but made up into a very good distance Flat horse for ten races between February and September 2002, when he was shipped to Ireland and started hurdling soon after, in December. He's been consistently on the go over hurdles since then to May 2009, without a single vowel or consonant in his form. That's a bloody good record.

It was a different programme for KAUTO STAR, as an alternative example, who after the obligatory one introductory bumper, went directly into hurdling, and then nothing but chasing since arriving in England. Harchi's proved himself very successful at the dual codes, and amassed a half-million in prize money. Yes, he's getting on to start chasing and I certainly wish him well if he has a go at it, but he's already proved to be a versatile horse, and may well have disliked being out of the buzz of raceday action. The more deliberate approach of chasing could suit him rather than return to hurdling at his age, so why not let him see the rabbit?
 
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Its a waste of time. They'll gain nothing going down this route.....and if they really want the horse to enjoy himself why dont they take him hunting?
 
Both declared to run,should be most interesting with Andrew Lynch getting the call up on Sizing Europe.
 
Bob's Pride there to keep them honest.

It sort of blow's the theory that he's going chasing for an easy life. I think Harchibald is nimble enough to look after himself over fences, the problem from a race winning perspective may be that he looks after himself too much. But that's just guesswork.
 
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5-6 Sizing Europe 4-1 Harchibald 9-2 Bobs Pride. surely Harchibald goes off shorter?
 
I'm expecting an "After you, Claude" finish between the three principles. Whoever wins, will probably do so on sufference.
 
I hope Bobs Pride is ok.

Can't grumble at Harchi's effort but Sizing Europe looks the real deal over fences.
 
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