Is there a place for a NH programme for entire horses?

[Bachelors Hall]

I'm very much opposed to the overproduction of racehorses and would welcome anything that makes the practice more efficient. While the mares' programme raised some eyebrows during its inception, mine included, the benefits are emerging with the likes of Altior, Ballyoptic, Brain Power, Empire of Dirt, Jezki et al, Many Clouds, Outlander, Sizing John, Thistlecrack, and Unowhatimeanharry (along with essentially every French bred) all coming out of mares who contested gender specific jumps contests in the UK and Ireland. It's probably too early to make any real judgments on the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham although the early participants are already producing prospects such as Spirit of Kayf (Over Sixty), Happy Diva (Megans Joy), West Coast Time (Refinement), Chocca Wokka (Chomba Womba), Petticoat Tails (Theatre Girl) and Secret Investor (Silver Charmer)

While in France, a horse tackling obstacles with his tackle before using said tackle in a shed isn't a hugely unique thing (Saint des Saints, Kapgarde, Great Pretender, Blue Bresil, Balko, Discover d'Auteuil, Bonbon Rose, Laveron, Vic Toto, Indian River, Maresca Sorrento) although it's an extremely rare sight in the UK/IRE despite highly respectable results with Celtic Cone (Go Ballistic), Go Nomadic (Buckby Lane), Alderbrook (Ollie Magern), Midnight Legend (Midnight Chase) and Nickname (Le Mercurey) holding their own against the more fashionable stayers from the flat.

There are patent issues such as the difficulty for jumps handlers in training entires and the fact that there is a both a longer wait for their retirement along with the wait for the progeny to be tested. Plus, it might be difficult to ascertain which store horses to keep entire. Nevertheless, I imagine it would be healthier for the NH breed in the long run to have proven stamina and sturdiness in the blood rather than summer ground speed. It may even make the jumps game more competitive with Derby and Leger also rans (and cup race regulars) keeping the jumps horses honest. Besides, the aforementioned types invariably wind up as NH stallions in any case so it wouldn't do their stud fees any harm to have a Graded hurdle win to their name.

Thoughts?

 

[edgt]

Tough to imagine it happening BH.
Money talks so difficult to get breeders to support an NH performer as opposed to a Soldier Of Fortune/ Fame And Glory.
Deep Run became an NH legend almost by accident. In training with Tommy Stack over hurdles he was retired to stud when Wreckin Rambler died suddenly in 1970.
.Roselier another sire who once ran in the Colonial Cup years ago.
They all have their place but NH performing stallions have to do it the hard way at stud with little money for breeders for a long time methinks.
Good NH sires come from a myriad of sources; sons of Saddlers Wells and Dubai Millennium have been a great source of jumping stock and that was hardly the intention.
Such a scheme would need you or me to win the Euromillions and sponsor a series of such races for a twenty year period to test your hypothesis.
I would be quite willing to do so should I win as your argument has merit.
Anybody got Zucherberg's phone number handy ?

 

[granger]

Interesting and thought provoking post BH.

money will rule all movements like this.