Which Way De Solzen

I think they gave him no end of speculative treatments, and ulcers was one of them, although AK readily admitted that the treatment was no indication that the problem existed, and was more of a stab in the dark.

He's got to prove it of course back at a shorter trip, but my suspicion was that Haydock was the first time he was ever pitched into a staying trip at a grade 1 pace, and for the first circuit he handled it well and even prompted Williamson to nominate him as the most likely winner. Why wouldn't he? He was still within his comfort zone having been one of the better Arkle winners of recent times when being the only horse to beat standard time that day, on what was officially soft ground. MWDS probably thought he was winning too and was expecting the finishing line to appear imminently. To his shock not only did it failed to appear, but he was being asked to maintain that pace and continue racing. Sod this for a game of soldiers he starts thinking, and duly empties. Come Kempton the same thing happens even worse this time. I can almost imagine the horse thinking 'not bloody likely' when he realised what was happening and downed tools.

King's comments about his having "plenty of speed" suggests to me that he's been showing well at home in this area? and the fact that his "class" might have got through his world hurdle hints that perhaps King might have realised that comparing the staying chase and hurdle division is a misnomer given that one is appreciably better than the other.

Who would you regard as the better football team? The champions of Spain or Champions of Norway? yet both are champions and thus of equal status in the eyes of those same types of people who would have you believe that the old European Cup was stronger than the Champions league because it exclusively featured "champions only"
 
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Retired today after another poor effort. Undoubtably one of the most disappointing horses I can remember. So much promise only to fall into a hole with little apparent reason.
 
I think disappointing is a harsh word for a horse that won at two Festivals over such different trips . Something has evidently been ailing the horse for some time . Doesn't stop him having achieved loads .

A long and happy retirement to him !
 
Ardross said:
I think disappointing is a harsh word for a horse that won at two Festivals over such different trips . Something has evidently been ailing the horse for some time . Doesn't stop him having achieved loads .

A long and happy retirement to him !
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When he won the stayers hurdle he looked like he would be a Champion racehorse over fences. When he won the Arkle, he looked like he would at least challenge Kauto and co over further. Granted he has obvious achieved alot, but I had high hopes for him in all age competition and he has failed to live up to it. Obviously something gone amiss physically or mentally but still a disappointment.
 
Very disappointing for patient owners who have given AK all possible time to try to find and remedy whatever was wrong, and the horse time to come back to himself.

Correct decision taken today imo. The horse will be happier doing something else now. Sometimes the training involved in winning Championship races takes so much out of a horse, it just shuts up shop.
 
Im with Gal here. Major disappointment.

If I was the owner, I would change stable and give it another shot. Im very harsh here but I think King seems to 'bottom' out of his horses a little quickly, Crystal D Ainay is another example, to a lesser extent Penzanace.
 
Not harsh at all but a valid observation. The majority of his horses have a short shelf life and I think he must be very hard on them at home as so many of them lack enthusiasm in their races. Blazing Bailey and Halcon Generlardais are 2 of his more notable horses that show this and there are countless others at a much lower level. From a punting perspective though he's still one of the best trainers around though.
 
From a punting perspective the time to catch this horse right was obviously a few years ago. The fact the horse has turned out to be so average is actually a compliment to Alan King - that he could bring a horse that essentially turned out to be no world beater into a dual Cheltenham festival winner (thats back to front but you get my drift). To be honest I don't see what the fuss is about, horse couldn't continue to improve and, as in life shit happens.
 
I think Martin is right there - Alan does tend to get the best out of the horses early (unlike say Hen Knight who tends to bring them on slowly). He can do that with quite average horses like Penzance. That can take its toll. Katchit has been very out of sorts this season too - Alan feels now that winning the Champion after the Triumph truly bottomed him.

I also wonder if they just get bored by the environment. Barbury Castle is a pretty bleak place, very isolated - nothing much for them to look at most of the time, esp as they live in barns - some small, and some only on single aisles; no village to trot through etc, and it's pretty cold and windy up there. The landscape isn't varied or stimulating. I too think a move to another yard might benefit any horse after a couple of years, just mentally, and that's no reflection on AK who is a top trainer in my book.
 
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martin said:
From a punting perspective the time to catch this horse right was obviously a few years ago. The fact the horse has turned out to be so average is actually a compliment to Alan King - that he could bring a horse that essentially turned out to be no world beater into a dual Cheltenham festival winner (thats back to front but you get my drift). To be honest I don't see what the fuss is about, horse couldn't continue to improve and, as in life shit happens.
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If MWDS was running to his best and still getting beaten that is fair enough. That is not what happened...so the horse has just not "continued to improve" it has gone backwards quickly like many from the yard.
 
Gal - the horse did not come back from his arkle win the same horse; that, along with the fact they must have trained him to make him a 3 mile chaser during the summer of 2007, obviously didn't hit the right buttons with the horse.,

I can understand your dissapointment, but surely Alan King has no obligation to meet people's expectations. He is a trainer and will do the best with his horses that he possibly can, and it's just a shame he couldn't do any moire with MWDS.

Thats my take on it anyway. As for king pushing his horses hard early; please don't stop doing that Alan. I can think of one trainer who lavishes so much of life luxuries on them, i.e state of the art swimming pools etc that the vast majority of them are punters nightmares...
 
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martin said:
I can understand your dissapointment, but surely Alan King has no obligation to meet people's expectations
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And I never he had....I am sure he couldn't care less what I or anyone else think of him on this forum. But that is hardly the point.
 
Just look at Tidal Bay, or even go back as far as Istabraq. Good, very good, or even great horses can go backward very quickly if they suffer too much racing at the top level.
 
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