Novice Chasers 2009/10

SteveM said:
The Arkle is very hot this year. Whoever the winner is will be an extraordinarily good horse. Sizing Europe is very decent, but jumps a bit erratically to be sure of success at Cheltenham.
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Jumping erratically? I must be looking at a different horse....his jumping has been superb.
 
Galileo said:
Jumping erratically? I must be looking at a different horse....his jumping has been superb.
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He's all over the place. Big at some, finding a leg at others. Very good prospect, but likely to look much better anywhere else than Cheltenham. He has obvious chances, but so do a handful of others. The Arkle is far from cut and dried.
 
Disagree totally about Sizing Europe. I still have my doubts about him, but jumping certainly isn't one of them. I also disagree with this notion that you seem to have that Cheltenham is the supreme test of any horse's jumping. It does indeed present a challenging test of both hurdling and fencing, but I could name a hatful of tracks that present an equally challenging test.
 
trackside528 said:
Disagree totally about Sizing Europe. I still have my doubts about him, but jumping certainly isn't one of them. I also disagree with this notion that you seem to have that Cheltenham is the supreme test of any horse's jumping. It does indeed present a challenging test of both hurdling and fencing, but I could name a hatful of tracks that present an equally challenging test.
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...oh well, you can't please everybody... I know what I think, but if you think that Cheltenham doesn't take some jumping promise me you'll never send a horse there.
 
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trackside528 said:
Steve, if you had read my post you would see that's not at all what I said.
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Cheltenham's a tougher test than anywhere (including Aintree). Horses must be accurate and safe. I'd be less happy with SE round Cheltenham than some of the other Arkle principals. It will expose his rather flashy jumping to an extent not yet experienced and I don't think he'll cope as well as some of these others.
 
Must admit, it wasn't until I attended one day of the Paddy Power last year, that I realised how much I'd underestimated how lonnnnnnnngg that uphill finish at Chelts really is. It just goes on and on and ONNNNnnn, until every muscle must be screaming with lactic acid - and that's just the jockeys! Not only stiffly built, solid fences that don't allow you to just tip through the top, but the possibility of becoming quite unbalanced on the downhill runs, then gasping for oxygen on the uphills - but that last one really is a lung-buster!
 
SteveM said:
Cheltenham's a tougher test than anywhere (including Aintree). Horses must be accurate and safe.
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I think the toughness of the course makes the occasional "dodgy" jumper wake up and concentrate (Tidal Bay)

I'm happier with SE around Cheltenham than I would be on a speed track.
 
Galileo said:
Exactly what I want from a novice chaser (or indeed every chaser!)....like I said before, in terms of jumping he is one of the most exciting jumpers of a fence I have seen in some time.
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I'd rather have one that is fluent and fast, rather than one that finds a leg when he needs to. By the time that leg has been found in this Arkle, the race will already have been lost.
 
Grasshopper said:
I'd rather have one that is fluent and fast, rather than one that finds a leg when he needs to. By the time that leg has been found in this Arkle, the race will already have been lost.
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He is fluent and fast - but you are not going to be fluent and fast at every single fence. How many novices look impressive in their trials but when they do make a mistake they are unable to react or cope with it. He has shown himself to be a superb jumper, who when needs to be can be very clever at his fences.
 
It wasn't a knock at Sizing Europe particularly, Gal.......more a bump for Somersby who I felt was fast and fluent at every fence at Sandown.

Somersby, Osana and Sports Line are the novices that have impressed me most with their jumping up to this point (notwithstanding the error close home from the last-named when he won).
 
From what I saw of Somersby at Sandown in the paddock I thought he'd improve for the run, he looked pretty fat for a horse who'd already had a run this season - given the marked drift I presume others felt the same way.

Also realised just how big Crack Away Jack really is - lhe must be at least 17 hands.
 
Grasshopper said:
It wasn't a knock at Sizing Europe particularly, Gal.......more a bump for Somersby who I felt was fast and fluent at every fence at Sandown.

Somersby, Osana and Sports Line are the novices that have impressed me most with their jumping up to this point (notwithstanding the error close home from the last-named when he won).
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I am not saying Sizing Europe will win the Arkle, he might not even win his next race, but talk of his jumping being erratic or a negative based on what we have seen is simply not true imo.
 
I don't believe I intimated there was a problem with Sizing Europe's jumping, Gal. I merely suggested that, in the Arkle, those horses that need to "find a leg" at any stage, are likely to be quickly out of the equation.

It's more a reflection of the strength-in-depth of the race, than a dig at any particular horse's jumping.
 
Irish Stamp said:
From what I saw of Somersby at Sandown in the paddock I thought he'd improve for the run, he looked pretty fat for a horse who'd already had a run this season - given the marked drift I presume others felt the same way.

Also realised just how big Crack Away Jack really is - lhe must be at least 17 hands.
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I thought the exact same on both counts. Knight clearly left a lot to work on with Somersby.
 
Galileo said:
Exactly what I want from a novice chaser (or indeed every chaser!)....like I said before, in terms of jumping he is one of the most exciting jumpers of a fence I have seen in some time.
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Exciting certainly... On reflection perhaps extravagant would be more accurate than erratic.
 
Euronymous said:
I think the toughness of the course makes the occasional "dodgy" jumper wake up and concentrate (Tidal Bay)

I'm happier with SE around Cheltenham than I would be on a speed track.
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This is indeed an excellent point the severity of the fences actually helps some horses to concentrate (Tidal Bay is a prime example), those that are clever enough to look after themselves. Not all though.
 
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Grasshopper said:
Somersby, Osana and Sports Line are the novices that have impressed me most with their jumping up to this point (notwithstanding the error close home from the last-named when he won).
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Add Tataniano to that list surely, Grassy ~ didn't touch a twig on his way to recording a decent enough time at the Paddy Power meeting.
 
Tataniano has alot to prove in my opinion. He has had easy leads in small runner fields, much like Tatenen last year who got found out big time jumping and ability wise when taking on some decent opposition.
 
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