Queen Mother Champion Chase

Lets leave Moscow Flyer out of this lads; it's a different Well Chief and to compare formlines 4/5 years apart using a horse who has been incredibly unlucky with injuries will not make any arguments stronger.

Great, fantastic from from Well Chief. Jumped really well, perhaps better than before. Absolutely delighted with him, and the icing on the cake is he won the market without MM. I think he was slightly outpaced (need a second wind?) three out or so, but stuck on oh so gamely. Well done to all at the Pipe's especially Jonathan Lower.

MM was ridden to win, not to produce a high rating. Well done to Ruby for employing common sense. Good race to watch, though hope Big Zeb is okay.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Great run from Well Chief but MM had that in the bag all the way - far easier than Moscow Flyer ever had it.
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I think the point is its unlikely that Well Chief is the horse he was back all those years and injuries ago.

MM was ridden to win (naturally) but he was also asked way more questions this year when winning comfortably than when absolutely bolting in last season.

That is not a diss at MM, but there is absolutely not comparison between his dominance on the day this year compared to last season or even earlier this year.
 
I don't think there's anyone claiming there is Gal. Today's race tells us nothing about just how good Master Minded is or isn't.
 
Gareth Flynn said:
I don't think there's anyone claiming there is Gal. Today's race tells us nothing about just how good Master Minded is or isn't.
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I was referring to the fact, bar Ted Walsh, no one bothered mentioning in on the TV...comfortable winner but you'd think he won by 20 lengths.
 
Well Chief had a white beard!! LOL
What a horse to finish 2nd with a 2 yr lay off!

The real winner in my eyes.

The crowd were cheering Well Chief in. Unbelievable

MM is the best but WC represents the greats "Moscow and Azertioup" and ran for them too:<3:
 
I think people also wanted to apy credit to how Well Chief has been handled: that was his second return after a very long layoff, and to win fto after the first, and then to come 2nd in a hot Championship on his first run since, is truly remarkable. Besides, he's such a very handsome horse and so gutsy! Yes, if only he'd stood up - he so deserves to have his name on that board, and never will now, short of losing MM, which no-one could ever wish for.
 
Well Chief ran a marvellous race - until he was somewhat outpaced between the 2nd and 3rd last - one almost wondered whether the impossible would happen . The roof truly would have come off !

MM below his best , but still so much the best he was able to win . Until VPU's eclipse in the Ryanair you wondered whether they regretted being afraid of one horse .
 
I've said before, I like to gauge a jockey's reaction in the immediate aftermath of a big race. Ruby's body language just after the line said a lot. There was no big grin or slap of the horse's neck. He was gimacing and then put his hands to his mouth like Dean Martin after a much-needed drink. It looked to me like he was very relieved to have won. Nicholls then said the horse wasn't trained to its peak, only "just enough to do the job". They cut it a bit fine.
 
They shouldn't have run him in the Victor Chandler. I'm not a fan of Nick Mordin but he does talk sense on two milers when he says they should have big long breaks between races and only run in Tingle Creek and QM or maybe one at Crimbo. Nicholls made a mistake running Kauto at ascot last year and nearly did the same again.
 
He was good enough not to come under pressure from anything. Professional rather than spectacular. I wonder if Voy Por Ustedes would have given him more to do than Well Chief (admirable as that one was) if forcing it?
 
Both VPU & Neptunes took in prep races very near Cheltenham and both ran relatively flat on the day. Kauto took in the same race as Neptunes the preceeding year and in my eyes ran flat on the day. The case is there that a horse must be fresh for championship season
 
granger said:
Both VPU & Neptunes took in prep races very near Cheltenham and both ran relatively flat on the day. Kauto took in the same race as Neptunes the preceeding year and in my eyes ran flat on the day. The case is there that a horse must be fresh for championship season
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Master Minded ran at Newbury last year and absolutely routed the opposition in the Queen Mother last year. Punjabi ran at Wincanton, Cooldine ran in a slog at Leopardstown, Go Native ran at Naas, Big Bucks and Punchestowns ran at Cheltenham trials day.....

Year in year out horses have gone to Cheltenham with proper prep races and have done fine....please please please lets not get the idea that all of a sudden all horses should have 3 races a year. The National Hunt season is lobsided enough as it is.
 
No two horses are the same just like people. Some will take their races well, others will not. Nicholls has gone on record as saying Kauto is far better fresh as has been proved this season.
 
There are certainly horses that come into their own in the spring for instance and if a horse is fresh (and fit) it will obviously not do its chances any harm.

Nevertheless, I agree with Galileo, in general I don't like to see them being wrapped in cotton wool for one big race. Some horses actually thrive on racing and most benefit from it. They can go soft hanging about on the sidelines.
 
granger said:
No two horses are the same just like people. Some will take their races well, others will not. Nicholls has gone on record as saying Kauto is far better fresh as has been proved this season.
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Whilst the Gold Cup is probably his best performance, his best season of performances (collectively) was when he seemed to be running every 3 weeks or so.
 
I think age and miles on the clock also come into it. It could be that Kauto could withstand more racing when he first broke on to the scene than he can now.
 
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