Twice Over

Harbinger

Harbinger

At the Start
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
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Mentioned it on Twitter earlier, but worth repeating this horse's unique achievement yesterday:

There are three all-aged, all-sex 10f Group 1s in Britain. The Eclipse, International, and Champion Stakes. This has been the case for 40 years - the Pattern was introduced in 1971, with the Eclipse and Champion Stakes starting as Group 1s, and remaining so ever since. The International Stakes was inaugurated a year later (as the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup) and immediately made a Group 1.

Twice Over is the first horse to win all three. That's a pretty notable feat in my book, as is the way he did it - it took him 4 seasons, and he won all three for the first time at his second attempt. Which I guess makes him pretty aptly named.
 
Gareth Flynn said:
Mentioned it on Twitter earlier, but worth repeating this horse's unique achievement yesterday:

There are three all-aged, all-sex 10f Group 1s in Britain. The Eclipse, International, and Champion Stakes. This has been the case for 40 years - the Pattern was introduced in 1971, with the Eclipse and Champion Stakes starting as Group 1s, and remaining so ever since. The International Stakes was inaugurated a year later (as the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup) and immediately made a Group 1.

Twice Over is the first horse to win all three. That's a pretty notable feat in my book, as is the way he did it - it took him 4 seasons, and he won all three for the first time at his second attempt. Which I guess makes him pretty aptly named.
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Agree, think he is a fabulous reacehorse.
Abdullah, or someone in his organisation, is very good at naming the horses. I assume his name comes from a play on his dam's name.
 
To think, if Bolger hadnt made the still unfathomable decision to run New Approach in the Champion that year, and RVW mug him in ladt yesr's international, it could be even better. A top racehorse.
 
Juddmonte bred as well. I have a great admiration for Juddmonte bred horses, they mostly seem good lookers as well.
 
Ian Mongan interviewed in the Racing Post Weekender 'Off Piste' was asked;

What makes Sir Henry so special?

I.M. " A lot of people ask that question and I don't think it is one thing, it is the whole package. He is incredibly patient, he listens and he has a great feel for his horses. I know he has said in the past that Twice Over is his best friend and I understand that. By that I mean Twice Over is a very kind individual and very relaxed and that is possibly why he is Sir Henry's best friend because they are so similar."

Good stuff and could well have secured him the ride.
 
Hamm said:
To think, if Bolger hadnt made the still unfathomable decision to run New Approach in the Champion that year, and RVW mug him in ladt yesr's international, it could be even better. A top racehorse.
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Or another what if: his owner doesn't put Byword in against him in the Prince of Wales', and he adds the other major 10f Group 1 to his CV!
 
Bar the Bull said:
I thought he was gone at the game, and layed him heavily at York in July to a very grateful friend on the Knavesmire.

Shows what I know.
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I thought he was starting to look gone at the game after he got smashed up by Sea The Stars and co in the Eclipse. Cecil dropped him down in class, gave him a couple of easy wins, and then he returned to win the Champion Stakes.

After his poor runs in Dubai, the Lockinge and this year's Prince of Wales', he did the same thing. Worked a treat.

I'm not about to call him one of the greats, or deny that his Eclipse was a very weak affair or that Wednesday's race turned into a private Cecil gallop. But if he was a truly great racehorse, or if he wasn't owned by someone who had enough in the breeding sheds to justify keeping him in training, he'd never have been given so many shots to make his little bit of history.
 
He's worth an A-, capable of winning the weaker Gr 1s but not up to winning an Arc or an Irish Champion Stakes.
 
The International isn't weaker than the Irish Champion. We're just unfortunate at the moment that too large a proportion of the top 10/12f animals are owned by either Ballydoyle or the Prince. With a fairer spread of connections we could have had Workforce and Frankel in that race.


And what's up with the Frenchies? Bago ran in the International before winning the Arc.
 
Euronymous said:
The International isn't weaker than the Irish Champion.
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I think these two races are the two best races on the planet, in terms of quality of winners. Certainly over the past 15 years.

Since the turn of the century, there have only been two arguably substandard* winners of the Irish race. Oratorio and Cape Blanco.

In the same period, Electrocutionist and Notnowcato are probably in the same bracket. Twice Over is probably a slight cut above those four in terms of best form.

* All of these horses are absolutely brilliant multiple Group 1 winners, and they would only be substandard compared to horses like Falbrav, High Chap, Sea the Stars and Dylan Thomas.
 
Euronymous said:
The International isn't weaker than the Irish Champion.
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Normally the International is an excellent race, better than the Eclipse or the Newmarket Champion Stakes, but I don't think it took a whole lot of winning this year. Either Await The Dawn ran below par or he's no good anyway, which left Midday as the only horse Twice Over had to beat, and some here will blame riding tactics for her defeat.

There is less strength in depth in UK racing in recent years. The big races are getting only a handful of runners. Part of the explanation is the concentration of the best horses in just a few stables, but another part is the renaissance in French racing.
 
Said it on another thread but i've always been of the opinion Twice Over is just short of top top class. I've backed him once in his career (Dubai World Cup) and I can never get him right but I have to tip my cap to the horse and trainer as he really is a remarkable racehorse and deserves plenty of plaudits for what he has achieved.

A great story and lets hope his trainer can complete the greatest comeback since Lazarus and win the trainers title. With Frankel, Midday, Twice Over, Vita Nova and some talented juveniles there's every chance he could do it (Provided Hannon doesn't win all of the sales races!).
 
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