We had fairly grim weather on Thursday (rain) and Friday (snow) but, surprisingly, Saturday turned out to be delightful (relatively speaking, of course). On Friday morning I was counting my blessings that we didn't have to head out onto the roads (other than crossing them on a horse) but by Saturday morning the snow and ice had gone (other than in the Grantham area, where it was surprising to find the fields by the A1 still covered in snow) and the drive to and from Wetherby was very straightforward on a clear, bright day. And being there was very enjoyable.
Surooj put in a nice debut. It worked out well that Eileendover (seen winning in the fourth photograph) was in the field because it meant that we knew in advance that Surooj couldn't win; and, as a general rule, the more hopeful you are of victory, the more stressful the day (and the more disappointing the day unless you do actually win). The ground was very testing (for all the horses, obviously, not just Surooj) and I feel that that was more of a hindrance than a help to her. Eileendover duly won easily (at the surprisingly long price of 1/3) and we ran a nice race to finish fourth, miles behind Eileendover but not too far behind the two minor place-getters. She did everything right all day and seemed to enjoy the experience. So that's very promising.
One of the reasons why I'd chosen Wetherby was that I reckoned that the ground would be less testing there than at many other places. In particular, the next juvenile bumper option was going to be at Hereford, which is generally a quagmire in the winter, and it seemed a no-brainer to choose Wetherby, where the ground was likely to be not too soft, instead. We were just unlucky that the weather on Thursday and Friday subsequent to declaration time was so grim all up the east of England. One of the races at Wetherby - a Class Four race, so not a low-grade one - was run over a minute slower than standard (62.26 seconds, to be exact) and that's a sure sign of testing ground.
Although I'd picked out Wetherby specifically because I wanted to avoid really testing ground, it never crossed my mind to scratch Surooj once it became clear that the ground would be very testing / more testing than had appeared the case at declaration time. She was ready to run and we would run and find out how she would cope with it. But I can quite understand why there will have been other horses, most obviously Altior, who did end up as non-runners yesterday; just as I can quite understand why there were horses who had been intended runners through the week who, in the end, were not even declared.
We actually had one of those: I had entered Das Kapital (seen here in Friday's snow) for Huntingdon on Sunday, again on the basis that, while the ground would be fairly soft, it wouldn't be extreme. Declaration time was 10 am on Friday, but once the bad weather was really setting in on Thursday afternoon I decided not to declare him. (At the time, of course, I didn't realise that the weather was going to be so bad that whatever decision one took would be irrelevant - come Saturday and parts of the track were under water so today's racing at Huntingdon was called off yesterday).
While all racing enthusiasts were looking forward to seeing Altior run in the Tingle Creek Chase, I'm surprised that anyone can't understand Nicky Henderson's decision to scratch him (which, responsibly, he did well in advance of the race, on Friday evening, rather than leave it until the day of the race). I was at home on Friday afternoon and had the TV on in the background, and it was clear that the ground at Sandown was, thanks to the deterioration in the weather, much more testing than people had been expecting. I'm sure that had that been clear on Thursday morning (ie at declaration time on Saturday), then Altior would not have been declared (and, presumably, nobody would have complained).
If he hadn't been declared, he wouldn't have run, which is the same as what happened the way things panned out. Is it worse to find out on Friday evening rather than on Thursday morning that Altior won't be running on Saturday afternoon? I can't see the difference. Looking at the big picture, it was better that Altior was declared because that meant that he would have been able to run if the weather hadn't taken such a turn for the worse, whereas if he just hadn't been declared, then he couldn't have run however things turned out. And yet I imagine that many would have been happier had Nicky Henderson not declared him and guaranteed that he wouldn't run, rather than declaring him and giving him a chance of running. Nuts.
Of course he could have run anyway. But it's easy to understand that Nicky Henderson (who has been training him very well, as his record of 20 wins and one second from 21 jumps starts testifies) might have not wanted him to have a really tough race on his first outing for 10 months. He had a very tough race first up last season when beaten at 1/3 and the upshot was that he only had one more run the rest of the season. And he's a year older with another year's wear and tear on his body now, so it's understandable that he's cautious.
One thing that is worth noting from yesterday's Sandown meeting is the massive gulf in class between top-class horses and horses who are merely very good. All the races at Sandown yesterday were good races, but obviously the two Grade One races were the pick of them. The times of the other races were 31.56 seconds slower than standard over two miles; 38.28 seconds slower than standard over two miles; 29.79 seconds slower than standard over two miles; 43.90 seconds slower than standard over three and a half miles; 25.25 seconds slower than standard over two miles (by which time the official going description had belatedly been changed to 'heavy').
By comparison, the times for the two Grade One races were in a different league altogether. Politologue's Tingle Creek was run merely 3.14 seconds slower than standard, while Allmankind recorded a better time (carrying 10lb less), ie 2.94 seconds slower than standard. That tells us two things: how very, very good the good horses are, and that contesting the two Grade One races would have been very taxing. I doubt that Nicky Henderson would have digested the times and felt that he had taken the wrong decision.
5 comments:
I thought Sooroj ran a lovely race, relaxed and full of promise; furthermore seems a really nice person to-boot.��
I am not sure if you managed to see at some point the Racing TV interview with NH regarding the Altior situation. Lydia Hislop was extremely brusque and in fact, hectoring, towards the trainer even after he explained in patient detail the thought processes he, the Pugh’s and the jockey went through before regrettably pulling the horse out. I was quite frankly embarrassed, for the sport the Trump like stupidity of asking the same question four times and expecting a different answer. Clearly, NH was angry, exasperated and rightly so. Lydia’s thrust was that he had run and won on soft before and that the going was soft not heavy. After speaking to Nico B , NH was sure it was glue pot heavy and didn’t want to gut the horse prior to Cheltenham. Whatever the reason, Lydia’s protestations were unreasonable, rude and at times,unprofessional.
Thinking of you when feeding ours in the frozen gloom of a December morn.
Thank you, David. Yes, your reading of both Surooj and her run is the same as mine. Mind you, I'm biased as I ride her every day so she's very much a favourite child who can do no wrong in my eyes!
Proper 'bleak midwinter' conditions (albeit there are no frosty winds making moan) at present, although I think it is set to become a bit milder as the week goes on. Hope so, anyway!
I do get the Altior argument from both sides , particularly on Friday where very little got through the ground well , got to say on Saturday they seemed visually to cope much better .
So I could totally understand why NH would pullout overnight . What I fail to understand and frankly never had going back to See You Then why does NH enter for races that are likely to be run on soft or worse ground , if he doesn't want to risk on the extremes of going why doesn't he start these type of horses earlier on the late summer ground . I dont feel he does racing as a whole any favours by this protective attitude towards his stars that said he is working for the owners not racing as a whole and on that basis his decision is totally understandable
As regards Lydia Hislop she can appear brusque on TV even with colleagues she works regularly with i dont think it is personal to NH i just think it is the way she is but i could be totally wrong about her got to say she is very well informed when doing her pieces
Yes Neil..I think she can be quite tricky. I was at Newmarket a summer back and she was throwing what looked like a hissy fit at the small crew and the other talking head standing next to her looked quite uncomfortable. I agree..she is well prepared.
I think the problem with placing these top horses at strategic times is often the lack of options. John would be able to explain better but I think the route to Cheltenham ( and whether we like it or not, is the sports Mount Olympus) gives these G1 horses only 4/5 options from Oct to March. So you enter them up and hope the weather/going pans out. As John will tell us, there are many variables within the going as stated having read Johns thoughts about different courses and “holding” tendencies.Evening stables calls. Cheers guys.
David I accept fully the points you make and agree with the Mount Olympus analogy and perhaps that is the problem , rather than the race programme culminating in the finals at the Festival the rest of the season disappears into irrelevance , and as such what should be great races in their own right are seemingly lost in an attempt to deliver at the great event .
I have to be honest many of the high grade races become few runner , no pace uninteresting events than even the greatest fan struggles to enthuse over which is a crying shame as the sight of great horses going at it takes some beating , but at the moment in the UK outside of the top handicappers you rarely see the top horses other than at Cheltenham (and then sometimes as an after thought at Aintree)
So we have decent prizes for traditional races which are woefully under supported , I don't know the answer but feel perhaps the right to run at the festival could possibly be linked to running in some of these events . And the point about horses who do not want extremes of ground suggests some playing with the fixtures/races or even the courses they are run at may be required
Interestingly the top Irish jump races seem to have stronger fields often run on extremes of ground , with the best taking each other on a far more regular basis , I find this far more satisfying as a spectator . One also has to point out if the end analysis is the Festival then maybe they have it right .
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