Irish Challenge

firstpastthepost

firstpastthepost

At the Start
Joined
Dec 23, 2007
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411
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cheltenham
been looking for a irish chaser to challenge some of the superstars that we have in england and i cant seem to find anything that will get near them in the big race's at the festivals has anyone found any horses that the irish have hidden that will surprise all?
 
I reckon the most likely future Gold Cup winner in training in Ireland is Time Electric. Admittedly he still has a little to prove and we're probably looking at 2010 at the earliest, more likely 2011.
 
The Irish novices over hurdles and fences will be a force at Cheltenham as well the Champion Hurdle horses. Aside from that in the main “older” championships there is little of note.
 
The Irish novices over hurdles and fences will be a force at Cheltenham.
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Whatever about the hurdlers, the novice chasers look a poor enough bunch. Maybe the standard this year will be low enough to allow them to be competitive in this years novice races but of the ones that have run, I really can't see any of them going on to be 170 type chasers. Maybe Nicanor, Travino or Aran Concerto can light up the scene but there are no real grounds for super optimism at the moment.
 
I think the novice chasers are well up to standard and considerably better than last year.

Glencove Marina, Pedrobob, Skys The Limit, Wins Now, Big Zeb are all horses of considerable potential. Throw in the others you mentioned and I am confident of their chances at Cheltenham.
 
Originally posted by Melendez@Jan 2 2008, 01:13 PM
The Irish novices over hurdles and fences will be a force at Cheltenham.
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Whatever about the hurdlers, the novice chasers look a poor enough bunch. Maybe the standard this year will be low enough to allow them to be competitive in this years novice races but of the ones that have run, I really can't see any of them going on to be 170 type chasers. Maybe Nicanor, Travino or Aran Concerto can light up the scene but there are no real grounds for super optimism at the moment.
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There are no superstars on the english novice scene either melendez. Well not so far.

I would hold hopes for some of those mentioned by Galileo also.
 
Originally posted by Galileo@Jan 2 2008, 01:19 PM
I think the novice chasers are well up to standard and considerably better than last year.

Glencove Marina, Pedrobob, Skys The Limit, Wins Now, Big Zeb are all horses of considerable potential. Throw in the others you mentioned and I am confident of their chances at Cheltenham.
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OK, maybe I should change "poor enough bunch" to "standard enough bunch". Glencove Marina didn't really set the world alight last time, although it was satisfactory enough. I think O'Grady has already raised doubts about Sky's The limit travelling over due to there not being a suitable race. In truth the form with Lenres shows he's not winning an Arkle. Pedrobob is getting a bit long in the tooth to start thinking about hitting the championship heights, although it happens, and his last run wouldn't put you off the possibility of it happening again. Wins Now and Big Zeb are the two with the most potential to go on and be competitive outside of novice company in the next year or two, but in honesty we're not talking Nick Dundee, Harcon, Florida Pearl type confidence here.
 
OK, maybe I should change "poor enough bunch" to "standard enough bunch".

Glencove Marina didn't really set the world alight last time, although it was satisfactory enough.
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Plenty were not impressed but he is a Grade 1 winning novice who also showed plenty of ability in bumpers.

Fair enough about Skys The Limit….there are whispers that he might run in the Ryanair chase…he will be given an entry.

Pedrobob is getting a bit long in the tooth to start thinking about hitting the championship heights
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Maybe in terms of the Queen Mother next year but he is pretty lightly raced so I certainly would rule him out of the Arkle. Good jumper with good course form.

Wins Now and Big Zeb are the two with the most potential to go on and be competitive outside of novice company in the next year or two, but in honesty we're not talking Nick Dundee, Harcon, Florida Pearl type confidence here
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While its impossible to say with confidence that either are definitely the next Nick Dundee, Florida Pearl etc they go into their new careers with comparable race record to the pair named and look the types to take to fences well.
 
Yes, Nick Dundee and Harcon of course didnt really get much futher past their novice careers. But there isnt a dominant Irish of any sort (hudler or novice) this year or last year for that matter, yet.
 
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