Leopardstown Christmas Festival

I wish I could share everybody's optimism.

I am not being optimistic - just realistic. I accept there is a chance that the horse is not the horse he was etc but today was not the day to judge it. If you could give an example of how a horse would bounce, today is the day.
 
Why is it you are not so 'realistic' about Long Run, for example?

What how I said Cheltenham was probably not his track (that you now agree with) and that he will be better suited by Kempton (you agree with) but still has alot to prove to be second favourite in the King George and needs to improve his jumping?

Where are the "he clearly cannot jump" comments regarding the much more experienced Long Run!?

Mikael d'Haguenet needs to improve his jumping based on today's performance absolutely. Based on today's performance the engine has also gone - absolutely. But I am not basing it on what I saw today - I saw a different horse at Fairyhouse than you did and I expect (and hope) the real Mikael will appear the next day with the correct preparation.
 
Whatever MDH may or may not become we can forget about today.

I’ve always liked this horse and was quite encouraged by his reappearance where he had to improve to figure and probably would have won but for crumpling at the last.

No one could take any encouragement from today’s race however. If he isn’t good enough that’s one thing, but this performance was too bad to be true – he may have been asked to try again too soon, but if someone told me he was an odds-on shot that had been got at I could believe it.
 
Long Run is not a good jumper, but it may be down to his pilot - I'm not sure. He certainly has shown a great engine when jumping, and has at this time, a lot more potential as a chaser than MdH. I also look forward to seeing him at Kempton (or not Cheltenham) again. I do as well think he has a lot to prove, and his price is wrong.
 
A horse likely to bounce who fell last time out running in a Grade 1 chase and they couldn't get enough of him.
I don't want to be rubbing salt into anyones wounds but he was chronic value today.
 
I have had the strangest week so far.

I have had seven each way bets and six of them have been placed. A good few nicely priced horses, too. No wins on them though.

I have lost really heavily on three big bets. M dH being the worst.

For anybody tempted to write off horses completely, maybe it is a good idea to remember how many trainers are likely to have been inconvenienced by he weather. Some horses cope with missing gallops better than others.
 
No way could I be writing off MdH after that, when I'd taken so much encouragement from Fairyhouse. Perhaps he just needed more time to get over that first run?

I wouldn't mind seeing him in a beginners chase somewhere. Is he likely to go for another Grade 1 next?
 
I just don't see how Golden Silver will turn the form from the last day around, bar the ground. Captain Cee Bee would be the danger in my view but he only just beat Zaarito in a novice chase last season, admittedly first time out, and I'd have BZ well ahead of Zaarito. IMO, any price better than evens is a good price unless he completely fluffs his lines.

belive it or not Cantoris I actually thought BZ was a good bet in the morning..then I convinced myself exactly the opposite..it looked too good etc.

but even you in the above post mention two possible negatives yourself..."bar the ground"...most important factor in racing?...then.."completely fluff lines"..maybe he could fall. So you had two major doubts there yourself.

I think the price was so big because of those two factors..mainly the ground.
 
A horse likely to bounce who fell last time out running in a Grade 1 chase and they couldn't get enough of him.
I don't want to be rubbing salt into anyones wounds but he was chronic value today.

Consider the salt rubbed in!! Did my brainsbon him today but managed to save most of the day by doing Elliotts talking horse in the bumper on Del Boys recommendation - I knew five mins after handing over my dough this morning that I was a complete fool as per your thoughts above - nearly destroyed a good three days.
I know I'm talking through my pocket here but he was too bad up be true. I will be watching him from now on.
By the way C - had KK ever seen a fence before today? Only kidding - hope he's ok - obviously not his true running!
 
but even you in the above post mention two possible negatives yourself..."bar the ground"...most important factor in racing?...then.."completely fluff lines"..maybe he could fall. So you had two major doubts there yourself.

My reference to "bar the ground" was with regard to hopw anyone could think Golden Silver could beat Big Zeb after their Fortria run. If it was absolutely bottomless and unraceable, I could see Golden Silver beating Big Zeb, so bar the ground being like that I couldn't see Golden Silver reversing form. And Zeb is an Oscar who has won on soft ground plenty of times.

As for fluffing his lines.......I was throwing that out as a catch all....an act of god reference. Neither of those were major doubts for me.
 
By the way C - had KK ever seen a fence before today? Only kidding - hope he's ok - obviously not his true running!

Seriously disappointed but something must be amiss. He was going well at home and even with his jumping he stopped like he was shot at the end of the back straight. He is too careful a jumper. He is not a bad jumper.....he has never fallen....he is a bit of a coward. Which makes it quite frustrating. I was blaming the ground not being soft enough (I know it was soft to heavy, but I walked it and thought it was nice bar the start of the back straight). The four times he's won have been on "inspection" ground. For a horse with huge potential as a bumper horse, he has been really disappointing.

On Mullins' horses, i feel his fairyhouse runners were all flat, which goes to show how good Hurricane Fly is!!
 
Inca's glorious return to victory at Leop yest

race_indo_779885t.jpg
 
Before Gearoid asks how much weight was BI getting off yer man and why was Barry Cash not riding him?? Great to see the soldier in such good shape
 
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Superb action and splendid muscle tone... and the horse isn't in too bad a shape, either!
 
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