Peterborough Chase

A

Ardross

Senior Jockey
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Messages
5,468
An odd race - why was Somersby held up ? Doesn't make any sense to me - still think she needs to get AP back on him.
 
Horrible performances on it's last 2runs.Is it going to come alive at Kempton or is it plain useless with a bad attitude?.
 
On The Bridle said:
Over-hyped, over-faced and under-performed! Somersby's epitaph.
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We can add his Peterborough comments to the list of ever increasing average ability - Maybe go and pick up some cash behind Big Bucks in World Hurdle.

- Not fluent, pushed along, no immediate response, never threatening.
- Not fluent
- Hung left, one paced
- Blundered, weakend next
- Unseated rider leaving the paddock, blundered, hit the next
- Not fluent, one paced
- Hung, weakend the next
- Pushed along, stayed on one paced
 
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LUKE said:
Is it going to come alive at Kempton or is it plain useless with a bad attitude?.
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The truth of course, is somewhere in the middle. Too many people want to see stuff as black or white, often depending on what bet they've had. (Not that those comments are aimed at you Luke, or anyone in particular on this board actually)
 
#Huntingdon: Somersby trainer Henrietta Knight: I don't think he ran a bad race. He's now more of a 3-mile[r]; we'll look at the King George ... plot? lost?
 
She lost the plot with this horse some while ago, imo.
He showed way back in the Supreme that 2m wasn't far enough, yet she has persisted in running him over the trip, and the horse has rewarded her by running some absolute blinders, often finishing strongly but all too late.
9 chases over an inadequate trip or track, before she appears to come her senses this season and gives the horse a chance.
Ridden more prominently over a more suitable trip, he responds by winning one and a good 2nd in the other, so what does she do then................... have the horse held out the back around the sharp 2.5 at Huntingdon.
You just couldn't make it up.
The horse is far from finished, imo - though his trainer should be.:mad:
 
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trefflich said:
She wouldn't train frogs to hop.
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What unutterable crap ! You don't train a triple Gold Cup winner ( and then have every top trainer start to ape your programme) and multiple Grade 1 winners in such circumstances .

There is clearly something amiss in that horses are not developing as once hoped in that yard but the idea that Hen Knight cannot train is plainly contemptible.

It was also pretty clear that Somersby was running against her wishes but Elsworth did not shine.
 
Can you be sure it was the jockey's decision though Ardross, as he certainly hadn't ridden the horse so negatively on his previous 2 starts, and it had all the appearances of a prep run, with an eye on the bigger prize.
 
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10 years ago the Hen was one of the better yards in the country, but for whatever reason now, it's simply not the case. You only have to look at what the horses are doing when they join other yards. There aren't many that don't go on to better their form elsewhere.
 
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