Hoof It

Dream Ahead disappoints but a new star can emerge in Deacon Blues after impressing in Ireland,

Moonlight also impresses in the Deaville gr1
 
Hi guys
I see the OH has raised Hoof It 8lbs for his Steward's Cup win - just where does he imagine the horse found such improvement from in just 7 days; growth? fitness? technique? another leg, maybe? Truth is, his performance was probably little different than York.
He's a big, strong horse who's best at 5.5f (connections were still contemplating the Portland after Goodwood, even in the face of a significant rise) and would hardly have noticed the 4lb extra impost on the sharper track and faster ground - albeit against a better field. Can't buy into this "would have won half the gp1 sprints for the past 5/6 years" either, as none of them were run on downhill tracks.
Don't get me wrong, he's a seriously good horse, but has his limitations, as showed in his only defeat of the season, when the stiff track and soft ground at Ascot left him adrift of some relatively mediocre horses.
No laydown for the Nunthorpe either, given he was ridden from some way out to prevail over 5f, last backend at Donny. Fwiw, his best chance may be the Sprint Cup at Haydock (not entered yet), though even then, I'd watch the ground before betting him.
 
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reet hard said:
Hi guys
I see the OH has raised Hoof It 8lbs for his Steward's Cup win - just where does he imagine the horse found such improvement from in just 7 days; growth? fitness? technique? another leg, maybe? Truth is, his performance was probably little different than York.
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But his performance at Goodwood merited the 119 mark (or close to it).

Are you saying that the performance at York was similar (119?), or that 119 is too high for a horse that won a top handicap off 111 by 2.5L?
 
BtB
What I'm suggesting is that it's wrong to rate a horse without taking proper account of the circumstances. If ever a horse was going to carry 10st to victory in a big sprint handicap (very few are asked to - none in the Steward's cup, IIRC), then the ideal would be a strapping big horse, on a downhill track and over fastish ground.
Hoof It had almost his perfect circumstances and is unlikely to meet them again anytime soon - the alternative theory (and the one the raters would have us believe) being that he did find 8lbs improvement out of the blue, and he's likely to run to it (or even improve again) in the very near future.
You pays your money, and you takes your choice.
 
Hey Reet Hard,

Good to have a new member engaging in this debate.

I don't think it was "out of the blue". I just don't think the handicapper has ever gotten a hold of how good he actually is.

I don't think the handicapper had much option, to be honest.
 
This thread title has put me in a musical mind since it was first posted.

Initially I was in "Hoof it ..... Hoof it real good" mode. Now I find myself with Michael Jackson's "Hoof it, na nana na naaa, just hoof it"
 
Bar the Bull said:
Hey Reet Hard,

Good to have a new member engaging in this debate.

I don't think it was "out of the blue". I just don't think the handicapper has ever gotten a hold of how good he actually is.

I don't think the handicapper had much option, to be honest.
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Reet loves a good debate.... :D

Have enough of TRF Reet? Good to see you here anyway.

I agree with Bull that he perhaps hadn't produced a peak performance yet against animals who would justify a bigger rating.

I don't like backing handicappers moving up to group 1 company though, especially for the first time.
 
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TRF is good people, but it takes so long to load that I can't be bothered most of the time. Nice to see Reet Hard posting here.
 
Think those big handicaps are harder won than the conditions and group races - more runners - stronger pace - this is a very general presumption but I'm firmly in the Hoof It camp.
 
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