Couple of things about most of the racing and betting media and social media....
1 They are always behind the curve.
2 They are incapable of retaining and discussing more than one item of information at a time.
Loads of focus on the jumping of a horse who has gone from being the slickest jumper of a hurdle I've seen since Night Nurse to one that's fallen three times in relatively-rapid succession.
Maybe a Flat campaign will sort it, they say.
Talk of a 2m4f Gold Cup bid (despite the fact his 2m4f Aintree Hurdle win was his least impressive Grade 1 win and it should be obvious to anyone he wouldn't stay 2m4f in a Flat race in a horsebox, especially if up against a horse like Trawlerman, who could set lung-bursting fractions from start to finish), or maybe the Ebor after getting a mark.
Err, the following weren't caused by poor jumping - that abysmal racecourse gallop at Kempton Park (after which he was eventually given the most under-the-radar summer wind op you'll ever eventually get to read about), that poor gallop at Newbury, where he was allegedly lame, or going out like an absolute light the last time he actually completed the course at Punchestown.
This is a horse that now doesn't find "Jack" off the bridle and tbh has never been in a serious fight, let alone won one.
And yet he could win an Ebor??!!
It should be obvious to anyone with more than two functioning brain cells (and any sense of emotional detachment) that this once great Champion Hurdle winner has completely and utterly gone at the game.
But the owner (who seems to love the limelight when things are going well and maybe isn't ready quietly to exit stage left just yet) appears to me to be in denial, the trainer won't give up in a hurry (why would he? Retired horses can't win trainers races) and the horse's fan club are still clinging to the now irrelevant glory days - that Supreme Novices' and Champion Hurdle footage, plus those lofty ratings - like security blankets and sending him off favourite "just in case" he comes back.
You could have won enough money PLACE laying the horse his last four runs to RETIRE on.
Len's right, they should give it up - but they won't, it's all about that big river in Egypt - "u no dat, DE NILE." (you see what I did there?)
www.irishracing.com
