• REGISTER NOW!! Why? Because you can't do much without having been registered!

    At the moment you have limited access to view all discussions - and most importantly, you haven't joined our community. What are you waiting for? Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join Join Talking Horses here!

Point Blank: Did JP McManus Stop a Gold Cup Winner?

No vets’ report at Haydock, everyone just took the word of ‘Team Henderson’. The ground was soft enough that day, as I recall. No excuses for things happening too quickly.
Remember it well;it wasn't even a 3m race (they moved the start back,the following year),and Nicky said afterwards,it was an insufficient test..
No subterfuge - just another Tellwright balls up.
 
I posted yesterday pre race and referred to him as the G1 plot horse, and that was with no awareness of the market and no interest in the race. Seemed pretty obvious that JP would have said "dont change anything" with a horse whos been successfully laid out to win at the last 2 festivals. Why would you? So that means tailed off public gallops until the big day, thats his programme.

The problem is in the mentality that creates profiles like this in the first place, where a top class horse is being campaigned as a handicap job. We saw the same with Fastorslow and Martin Brassil, two seasons effectively written off to turn up in handicaps in March with a horse who can win John Durkans and Punchestown Gold Cups. I loved that he got nailed on the line twice btw.

These guys love pulling a fast one more than any prestige, and theyll operate the same way with a top class horse as they will with a claimer, i.e. hiding their true ability for some long term target and punt. As per the OPs article, this is just accepted as part and parcel of the game, and punters regularly cheer them on when they turn up out of the blue and render form study pointless.
 
That's probably true, archipenko, and well-meaning punters who, despite a healthy cynicism of what can be happening behind the scenes, can still find themselves conned by events like this.

If Geraghty did put the word out that the horse wasn't ready then maybe 'conned' is the wrong word to use but I for one don't half feel very silly. It arguably serves me right for even betting on the race.
 
That's probably true, archipenko, and well-meaning punters who, despite a healthy cynicism of what can be happening behind the scenes, can still find themselves conned by events like this.

If Geraghty did put the word out that the horse wasn't ready then maybe 'conned' is the wrong word to use but I for one don't half feel very silly. It arguably serves me right for even betting on the race.

But Geraghty is on 'the team'. Him saying that gives them cover. I'm told The Great Man wasn't even there on the day. Telling in its own way.
 
I remember a time when Dan Moore trained Gold Cup horses L'Escargot and Tied Cottage and Jim Dreaper Brown Lad.
These horses were spring horses that would run down the field throughout the winter; their only option was huge weights in handicaps on heavy ground or race at Kempton where they could not perform to their true merit.
All horses ran into old age, all ran their Festival races as if trained to the minute to the extent that you would fear a delay at the start to reshoe one in case they went off the boil.
Racing people knew the score and there were no complaints.
Tony Martin got a fine and David's Lad a 40 day suspension when ante post favourite for the Gran National 22 or 23 years ago after finishing last in a 2 mile chase at Naas early to mid March .
That was a step too far in my books, remembering the "Moore Method."
A client of mine had a few horses with Arthur Moore; he had a target in mind and went for it; great when successful but frustrating when not.
He sent a filly to Joe Crowley and won as many races in 15 days there as he did in 3 years with Moore.
Your target is Friday 13 March; do you work back from there or work forward from here to achieve your target ?
The Gold Cup winner had a similar preparation last year, the only crime to mine eyes then was pulling him out of the Gold Cup before supplementing him after his eye catching Irish Gold Cup run, keeping tabs with Galopin the length of the straight from a position 12 lengths behind him while Galopin ran away from his other opponents.
Al Boum Photo went to Tramore 3 times for a public gallop before the Festival, did that serve punters better ?
 

Recent Blog Posts

Back
Top