Road To the Grand National 2012

I just tweeted one of the boys there in the stable who reports Chicago to be 100 percent. Looks like a false rumour started on twitter.
 
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I agree that the fields are too big and about the absurd run to the first . Perhaps we should also consider whether outriders can be used as Synchronised is not the first to die as a consequence if falling when running loose - but he was still completely wrong for the race and it probably cost them the race as AP might have got sunnyhillboy home by a nose .

I could not understand why they were running Synchronised when Sunnyhillboy had such a screaming chance .
 
I love this theory that AP could have won on Sunnyhillboy, it's a particularly pointless 'what if' discussion. Jesus, McLernon is no world beater by any means but the amount of grief in that race with horses brought down etc etc, he obviously did a bloody good job to avoid all that trouble and get the horse into the position he did. Obviously, didn't go great from there, but still...he could have been on his arse if AP was on board, who knows.
 
It seems fair enough to question the rationale of putting Synchronised in the race if that's what Ardross wants to do. McCoy would have no doubt ridden a stronger finish, but as you point out who knows if he would have been in the position to do so?

If we could run the race again I wouldn't mind seeing AP on Sunnyhillboy, but I guess we're stuck with the result we've got.
 
Oh, rationale of running Synchronised is totally different subject,

But to suggest AP on Sunnyhillboy would automatically have meant a victory is a stretch, in my opinion
 
Having watched the race a couple of times last night Jacob gave the horse a fantastic ride-he had to be ridden into the first fence and looked beaten on numerous occasions.
I remember driving home from the in laws one Christmas after being snowed in for 48 hours and having a big each way bet on him in the rearranged Long Walk hurdle at Chepstow -it was the race Inglis Drever was injured in -I think he finished second to My Way de Solzen-at a guess it was December 2005-that's how long he has been running at the highest level and I mean the highest level.
Also congrats to the RP West Country correspondent who napped him.
 
Bobbyjo said:
Oh, rationale of running Synchronised is totally different subject,

But to suggest AP on Sunnyhillboy would automatically have meant a victory is a stretch, in my opinion
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The words I used were " probably" and " might" .Not automatically.
 
SteveM said:
It seems fair enough to question the rationale of putting Synchronised in the race if that's what Ardross wants to do. McCoy would have no doubt ridden a stronger finish, but as you point out who knows if he would have been in the position to do so?

If we could run the race again I wouldn't mind seeing AP on Sunnyhillboy, but I guess we're stuck with the result we've got.
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Richie Mc got chinned probably in front too soon ,iF AP was on board then he wouldnt be 16/1
 
Not sure that AP can do 10.5 these days and would have had to either waste or put up overweight.
 
I suspect McLernon thought he only had to put in a clear round to win, barring a flying finish from Synchronised, which would explain why he was taken wide the whole way, a tactic not often associated with the horse's normal race tactics. Sliding into one of the fences wouldn't have helped and he fiddled a few others but most of the field arguably would have done that too.

I also think Sunnyhillboy either idled or shied a wee bit from the crowd once he was clear in front. It looks to me like he pricks his ears with about 50 yards to go.

I thought Neptune Collonges had a chance at the weights but couldn't see him finishing in front of Giles Cross (which I thought downed tools in front at Haydock).

And to cap it all I thought SHB had just held on until I saw the slo-mo.
 
I really fancied Sunnyhillboy yesterday and he was comfortably my main bet. I didn't watch the race as I was out mountain biking. The lad who I was riding with came to pick me up in the morning and asked if he could borrow my laptop to put a bet on the National and also asked what I fancied.

I told him about SHB, but after consideration, he decided to top-up on the horse he had in a £1 work sweepstake, with a £2 win bet. Neptune Collonges.

When we got in we watched a recording of the race. He was over the moon...

I've had two bets so far today. Dragon's Choice and Famous Name. Both won in their respective photo-finishes.

It's a funny old world.
 
To be fair to McClernon he got Sunnyhillboy in a lovely rhythm out in the country. That was crucial to his chance.
 
Zenyatta said:
To be fair to McClernon he got Sunnyhillboy in a lovely rhythm out in the country. That was crucial to his chance.
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It was certainly crucial to his finishing. In normal races he seems quite happy to be in a pack in the inside but obviously there's more of chance of meeting trouble in the National if you go that route. I've no doubt his wide route cost him a fair bit more ground than he was beaten by and had he held on by an inch I'd be among those hailing it a super piece of tactical riding. It nearly was.
 
Bar the Bull said:
I was close to a four figure payout, and you won't find me complaining.
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As was I, and I'm not complaining either. I think he did a super job to get a horse with jumping doubts into such a lovely rhythm to win it except right on the line. I feel sorry for the lad and I'm certainly not criticising him.
 
Desert Orchid said:
It was certainly crucial to his finishing. In normal races he seems quite happy to be in a pack in the inside but obviously there's more of chance of meeting trouble in the National if you go that route. I've no doubt his wide route cost him a fair bit more ground than he was beaten by and had he held on by an inch I'd be among those hailing it a super piece of tactical riding. It nearly was.
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Nearly was indeed. Amazing to reflect how a whole season for Nicholls can hinge on the last stride in the National.
 
Just seen the interview before and after of John Hales. Fantastic!! Great story how some of the family didnt want the horse to run but he felt the horse deserved the chance after his previous run at Haydock. Love it!
 
Bar the Bull said:
How anybody could criticise the ride Sunnyhillboy got is beyond me.

I was close to a four figure payout, and you won't find me complaining.
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I wasn't criticising or complaining. As I said, it was an inch away from being an utterly brilliant ride. It was also a tactic that, it could be argued, ultimately cost it the race but it also got him within an inch of winning rather than being brought down or otherwise hampered out of it. Another angle, as I suggested, is that it wasn't the tactic that cost it the race but idling after going clear. Such is racing life. I backed it win-only and am not complaining about it, just observing.
 
We can be quite sure that they were confident he was much better than his mark. If the Kim Muir was only his 'prep', and he shouldn't get raised anymore for the National, then you would think he has a bit up his sleeve still. Fantastic little horse though. He absolutely pinged them.
 
Bar the Bull said:
There was a lot of criticism about him on here over the winter.
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He ran like an absolute monkey in a big Saturday handicap when very well backed as I remember. He was pulled up behind Quantitative Easing. The last twice McCoy rode him he failed to complete. The last time McCoy rode him a winner was in Feb 2010. Maybe McCoy was the problem all along.....:whistle:
 
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