Leopardstown

Just watching a replay of the Hennessy and a few thoughts...

Definitely rode more like a 2m4/6f race the way Ruby slowed it up from the front and the fact Schindlers Hunt was at the last with every chance confirms that in my eyes. Notre Pere had no chance in that sort of race and disappointing that his jockey could not see that and press on with the horse. Cooldine jumped well and ran a similar race to that of the Moriarty last year - looked beat at the last only to battle back but on this occasion Joncol was just too good for him. Granted a stronger pace, a lead and decent ground I think he will prove to be much much the best horse in the race. Should be good enough to grab a place in the Gold Cup and pick up any of the pieces if the top two disappoint.
 
I have very mixed feelings about the race today.

I was gutted that Cooldine didn't win but having now seen the replay I wouldn't back anything in that field to beat Cooldine again in a race that matters. While Cooldine may well have been less than 100% fit, there's no doubt Ruby tried to steal it, giving the horse as easy a time of it as possible. It looked more like a training gallop, with them really only racing for the last half mile. I think it's just been a case of the speed horse winning.

What the race hammers home to me, though, is the real dearth of proper G1 chsers in Ireland.
 
I never understand why Jocks let the likes of Ruby dictate a pace. Joncol looks a Grand National type to me . He dwarfed Cooldine when he went up beside him. Money trix went out like a light, a non stayer ?
 
Money Trix made a bad mistake just as the leaders were quickening up, costing it any chance. Its race ended at that point.

I wouldn't be convinced that Joncol is a stayer. I'd want to see it in a true-run 3-miler or 3¼-miler first.
 
Sheikh said:
I never understand why Jocks let the likes of Ruby dictate a pace. Joncol looks a Grand National type to me . He dwarfed Cooldine when he went up beside him. Money trix went out like a light, a non stayer ?
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money trix was out paced at the top of the straight. Race was not run to suit.
 
Gearoid said:
money trix was out paced at the top of the straight. Race was not run to suit.
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Trainer and jockey concerned that ground was not testing enough for him.

Davy Russell said afterwards that he should have made more use of him and that when he made the mistake 5out it finished him for stamina.

Interesting to note that Russell said "... when I made the mistake ..."
 
Will said:
I've noticed a couple of horses now from Murphy's yard that dosent jump well, Zaarito, Big Zeb and Kimberlite King. Is it a coincidence or something more to it?? For instance we always seem to associate certain Meade's runners to be bridle horses and the opposite to Mark Johnston horses who always seem to find. Anyway food for thought?

By the way, Im a big fan of Murphy and Im not criticising him, Im more in the coincidence camp.
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Kimberlite is just clueless. Was over hurdles and is over fences. Zaarito is not built to be a chaser and if he gets one wrong, there's not a lot of him to get back. If you take Big Zeb's two first fence falls, and his fall in Punchestown last year (soft fall IMO), his jumping is not that bad. He just loses concentration every now and again. I think it's two fold. The horses are not big chasing types (take Allez Petit Luis who fell a few times.....he's tiny) other than Kimberlite whose got an IQ of 10!! Second piece is that Colm is not a natural chasing man. He gets and keeps his horses fit but he's not from a hunting background and Big Zeb is really the first chaser he's had. Jumped fences the same time as Clew Bay Cove and Clew Bay Lodge and not a lot wrong with their jumping, even though Cove fell once. If you look at Jessie, Roberto Goldback and Chasing Cars have fallen this year, Gemini Lucy fell, Moscow fell etc etc but no-one questions her as she has more that complete but they tend to be real chasing types from day one. Colm has hurdlers mostly that end up going over fences.
 
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My views, for what they're worth (might do the Moriarty later on):

Hennessy Gold Cup (Grade 1): A thoroughly unsatisfactory renewal, owing in large part to the lack of pace for much of the race, saw the markets leaders fight out a desperate finish, with Joncol prevailing narrowly over Cooldine. The bare form surely needs treating with a degree of caution, the time only less than a second quicker than the subsequent hunters’ chase. The nature of the race is further put into perspective considering the runners in the hunter chase covered the first fourteen fences virtually five seconds quicker than those in the Hennessy.

That is not to take anything away from the performance of Joncol. Jumping well throughout (though he did run down the final fence), Paul Nolan’s charge travelled sweetly throughout under a more patient ride than he received in the Lexus. He did look to get a shade outpaced swinging into the straight but picked up strongly from the back of the last, to land a deserved success. The winner would almost certainly have preferred a stronger-run race given he stays three miles thoroughly. Indeed, he did very well to peg back two runners far more suited to the way the race was run than he was. Connections will surely be tempted to go to Cheltenham now, with the Ryanair mooted as a potential target. Whether he has the pace to win a Ryanair over 2m4f on good ground must be a serious question and it is hard to see him being good enough over the trip. He looks the type to progress further and should stay further than three miles in time.

Cooldine ran a fine race, jumping fluently throughout – bar a serious blunder at the sixth – to atone for a below-par effort in the Lexus. Despite having the run of the race from the front, he fought back well when challenged in the straight. With his trainer stating that the run will bring him on significantly, there must be every chance he will improve come Gold Cup day. He’ll have to improve immensely to trouble the principles though. That said, running into a place is certainly not beyond his reach. Schinder’s Hunt is almost certainly significantly flattered by the bare form. Not surprisingly he arguably travelled best of all into the straight before weakening on the run-in following a mistake at the last. He didn’t look to get home, for all that the race did not present a true 3m test (his proximity to the winner testament to that), despite jumping soundly in the main and travelling well throughout. Connections will presumably head for the Ryanair, in which he ran a fine race last year. Despite making considerably more appeal for that race than Joncol at the prices, his best chance of success may come in the Melling Chase at Aintree, where he ran his best race to date last year. The combination of 2m4f, a flat track and good ground suits him to a tee.

The run of the race was totally against both Notre Pere and Money Trix. Why neither Andrew Lynch or Davy Russell decided to grasp the nettle and go on when it was clear there was no pace on is baffling, to say the least. A test of speed was never going to suit either, and so it proved. Notre Pere jumped well in the main, becoming predictably outpaced from the back of the third last to finish a creditable fourth. It must be highly doubtful whether he will ever pick up anything other than well below-par Grade 1 pot around Leopardstown; 3m around the track simply doesn’t provide enough of a test. It would not be at all surprising to see Money Trix become a regular visitor to Leopardstown over the next few years but he, like Notre Pere, is likely to be hampered by the fact that heavy ground around at Leopardstown seems a thing of the past.

Deloitte Novice Hurdle (Grade 1): Despite a sketchy round of jumping, Dunguib cemented his place at the head of the market for the Supreme Novices Hurdle market with a display that simply oozed class. In a race run at a good gallop throughout (only 2.40 seconds above standard), Brian O’Connell was content to look on in last place for much of the race, easing Dunguib into contention between the last two flights before going on to win hard on the bridle. His jumping left a good bit to be desired at times, as he was generally clumsy at most of his hurdles without making any really serious mistakes (despite walking through the second). Under normal circumstances, such a round would justifiably provoke comments that a horse would never get away with jumping like that in the Supreme, but this horse is anything but normal. His jumping is surely enough to put off backing him at prohibitive odds for the Festival curtain-raiser. In backer’s favour, however, is the fact that Philip Fenton’s charge has already proven that he can unleash a withering turn of foot if needed – a turn of foot that has not need to be used thusfar in his hurdling career. Potentially the best novice hurdler in many years.

Fioneggas appreciated the increased emphasis on stamina to his last start to finish a creditable second. He was probably suited by the run of the race, held up towards the rear before improving to lead swinging in. He jumped adequately on the whole (despite fiddling a couple early on) and is clearly going the right way, with a further step up in trip likely to bring about further improvement. Something like the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse’s Easter Festival might well suit (particularly as he may be better going right-handed), whilst there is also the Champion Novice at Punchestown to consider. A sound surface is something of an unknown, though he didn’t seem bothered by yielding ground at Christmas. He has the scope to make an exciting chaser as well.

The front two were well ahead of Some Present, who ran a creditable race, keeping on at once pace having raced prominently throughout. He may well be worth trying over further though, given his trainer’s credentials, further progress is far from guaranteed. Whodoyouthink was another to run a creditable race, racing prominently until weakening in the straight. He is another with the size and scope to go chasing. In the circumstances both, along with Saludos and Mr. Cracker, were set nigh on impossible tasks racing on or close to a strong pace, stalked by Dunguib and Fioneggas. Michael Hourigan’s charge deserves particular note, given how well he travelled for much of the, only to weaken predictably in the straight. He ran better than his finishing position suggests and may do better held up in such a strongly-run race.
 
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Hi Trackside

Don't know if you've seen the Irish Racing Post thread or even if you've got an interest in pursuing it, but have you thought of producing something similar for some of the more run-of-the-mill Irish racing as examples of what you could do and see if they could put something your way.
 
A good read, Trackside, especially your take on the Hennessy, which reads well, is coherent and convincing.

Two drafting suggestions:

First, the following sentence doesn't make much sense:
Despite having the run of the race from the front, he fought back well when challenged in the straight.
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Second, I would use fewer know-all terms like "predictably", "not surprisingly", "and so it proved", etc in favour of more explanatory or neutral phrases like "Because of the slow pace..." or "therefore".
 
Cheers all.

With regards to the Irish RP, I'm generally only able to do the reviews when work allows, so doing it on a regular basis (particularly during the week) would be something of a challenge. Just not feasible at the minute tbh.

Noted, Grey.
 
"He’ll have to improve immensely to trouble the principles though"

...should be principals.

"In backer’s favour"

...should be backers'

The use of 'proven' as the past participle, according to my dictionary, is uncommon, unless used adjectivally, but is standard in Scots and American English. If it's also standard in Irish English it should be fine.

"thusfar" should be two words.

(No charge :))
 
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Desert Orchid said:
"He’ll have to improve immensely to trouble the principles though"

...should be principals.

"In backer’s favour"

...should be backers'

The use of 'proven' as the past participle, according to my dictionary, is uncommon, unless used adjectivally, but is standard in Scots and American English. If it's also standard in Irish English it should be fine.

"thusfar" should be two words.

(No charge :))
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Jasus lads, I'm getting a headache at the thought of being back in school!!
 
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