Solwhit Vs Big Bucks

[Guest]

Would a fully fit Solwhit have beaten a fully fit Big Bucks at Cheltenham and Aintree this year ?

Was very impressed with Solwhit on Saturday (moreso than at Cheltenham) and think he might have done him for toe. Hope they can get it on next year.

[Old Vic]

Would a fully fit Solwhit have beaten a fully fit Big Bucks at Cheltenham and Aintree this year ?

Was very impressed with Solwhit on Saturday (moreso than at Cheltenham) and think he might have done him for toe. Hope they can get it on next year.

Think Big Bucks might have won at Cheltenham and Solwhit at Aintree ...on the fence.

[bitchy]

i think big bucks would have beaten him at cheltenham and aintree

[Yeehaa]

Recency bias Hoof imo. Solwhit an admirable animal though.

[mayo]

Solwhit by far the best BB would have faced and has to be a chance BB was already in decline before injury.

[Old Vic]

Handicapper is sure

With Big Buck's out of the picture, the resurgent Solwhit has taken over the mantle this season and completed the Cheltenham/Aintree double, writes Martin Greenwood.

While the World Hurdle may have partly fallen into his hands due to the steady pace, the John Smith's Liverpool Hurdle was a much more truly-run affair and Solwhit ran out a very convincing winner.

Top rated on 164 going into the race, he looked to hold an excellent chance of following up given the majority of his rivals were either disappointing types such as Grands Crus or up-and-coming ex-handicappers like Holywell and Medinas, though Smad Place, third in the last two World Hurdles also lined up.

Everything went to plan for Solwhit, who under a typically patient Carberry ride pounced at the last and strolled clear of the much-improved Pertemps winner Holywell (now 159) with Smad Place (still 158) finishing in his favourite position. Solwhit's bare form was 162 (opposed to 159 that my standards suggested) but I have given him an extra 5lb and his new mark is now 167, which puts him firmly into second place behind Big Buck's in this season's staying hurdle ranks. It must be remembered that Big Buck's stroll at Newbury in December strongly suggested that he had retained all his ability and he remains on 174.

[Yeehaa]

even trainer not impressed by aintree

"As long as he is 100 per cent, I am looking forward to taking on Quevega and it looks like it is going to be a really good race. I will leave a definite decision until the weekend because he only ran at Aintree two weeks ago.

"He didn't come out of the race at Aintree as well as he did at Cheltenham, which surprised me. The initial intention was not to run at Aintree and wait for Punchestown but he came out of Cheltenham so well, we decided to go.

"He had such an easy race in Aintree, we thought he would come out of it bubbling but he's a bit flat and we will just wait for him to come alive. I am pretty hopeful that he will be OK by the weekend.

"Although he won easily at Aintree, I don't think it was a better performance than at Cheltenham. The fourth horse at Aintree was only rated 138 and there was nothing like Quevega in the race."