The Road to the Grand National 2010

Got to say I agree with you, Cantoris. Not a pushing ride at any point, which I found a wee bit disappointing. Be interesting to have heard from all of the jockeys about their finishers, as I think we did a few years back, via the RP, and to know why she didn't press on more. But I was previously a bit dissy about her not handling big fences and at least she sat on and didn't get one of the many UR's awarded elsewhere, so I thought I'd correct that thinking.

Gearoid - my post had nothing to do with male vs female, as you would understand if you'd actually read it. If you were a female (and, not ever having met you, I've no proof you're not... ) you'd be feckin pissed off with the way M-E-N have deliberately held back women from competing levelly in racing, along with Any Other Business. It's pathetic that your gender (I'll accept you're really a male) was so insecure down the centuries that it couldn't take competition from 'girls' in case one of them beat you at whatever you were doing, but that's the history, the facts, and the reality of the situation, so suck on it, sweetie, suck on it.
 
I think Nina might fairly argue that Character Building was going as fast as he could all the way round and she did plenty of pushing etc from the second last but he still faded into seventh.
 
Gearoid which jockey are you talking about Costello had already been jocked off in favour of Codd who was then jocked off by the new owners.
 
Ardross said:
I think Nina might fairly argue that Character Building was going as fast as he could all the way round and she did plenty of pushing etc from the second last but he still faded into seventh.
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She might well argue that and I read in the RP that she thinks he has a good chance next year if the ground is softer. So maybe he was going as fast as he could.....we will never know....but he was jumping well all the way round and would have thought she could have pushed from a mile out rather than from the second last??!! I don't know this horse very well and am a big fan of Nina but just feel she wasn't quite at her best yest....whether that was her or the horse I don't know.
 
Cantoris said:
She might well argue that and I read in the RP that she thinks he has a good chance next year if the ground is softer. So maybe he was going as fast as he could.....we will never know....but he was jumping well all the way round and would have thought she could have pushed from a mile out rather than from the second last??!! I don't know this horse very well and am a big fan of Nina but just feel she wasn't quite at her best yest....whether that was her or the horse I don't know.
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I think he is a bit of a character ! Codd did rather nurse him into the Kim Muir too last year.
 
Why are people congratulating Nina for finishing 7th? What a patronising load of bollocks. She's got higher standards than that.
 
Just a few pics of Don't Push It parading at Andoversford PTP near Cheltenham today

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Ardross said:
Gearoid which jockey are you talking about Costello had already been jocked off in favour of Codd who was then jocked off by the new owners.
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Do you really mean Jamie Codd? He got the ride in one race over a year ago because it was confined to amateur riders and has no connection whatsoever with the Quinn yard so certainly hasn't been jocked off. Barry Geraghty rode at Cheltenham fwiw.

Character Building ran poorly at Cheltenham which was attributed to the good ground (he has a history of lameness) and it was certainly quicker yesterday to my eye. It seemed to me that he wasn't enjoying it and Nina did a good job to nurse him round.
 
rorydelargy said:
Do you really mean Jamie Codd? He got the ride in one race over a year ago because it was confined to amateur riders and has no connection whatsoever with the Quinn yard so certainly hasn't been jocked off. Barry Geraghty rode at Cheltenham fwiw.

Character Building ran poorly at Cheltenham which was attributed to the good ground (he has a history of lameness) and it was certainly quicker yesterday to my eye. It seemed to me that he wasn't enjoying it and Nina did a good job to nurse him round.
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Jamie Codd was reported in the RP as having been booked to ride the horse in the National at the insistence of the previous owner - only for the owner to sell the horse to the Thompsons - who apparently told Quinn they wanted a professional jockey only to change their minds and choose Nina instead.
 
David England (Ballyfitz, fell 22nd): "He was just unlucky. I guarantee you now that if it is soft ground next year Ballyfitz will be the horse to be on. He wants soft, heavy ground, he was flat out early and was only just getting into the race when he fell."
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Into the notebook...
 
:)

On its best form, Ballyfitz is a decent horse. It's not that long ago he gave Big Fella thanks weight and a gubbing. He's the kind of horse that will stot in at long odds one day, in the same way that Pigeon Island did at the festival. (Did I ever mention that I backed Pigeon Island that day?)
 
Don't get lulled into the trap I was caught in this year - that slow horses need trips. They don't - Royal Rosa, Character Building, Palypso De Creek, Flintoff, Niche Market none of them could go the early gallop and all ended up finishing unplaced/coming to grief/being pulled up.

Would also like to add an Arse Cup nomination to whoever did the Comments In Running for the Racing Post - someone who clearly didn't bother to watch the race whilst doing them. It was observed that Ballyholland was pulled-up at the 20th, when it was in fact prior to three out that he departed the race.
 
Ballyfitz was my main bet for the race - and I watched him closely - given how much he was knocked off his feet early on, I'm not sure if the race will ever suit him. Even in softer conditions, they'll go off at some tilt.

He does have a big race in him though - perhaps not Aintree though
 
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