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Which is a race that's always been on the festival schedule, the JLT just plugged the gap in the chasing game but it's certainly impacted the number of horses that contest the Arkle.
I wonder whether the introduction of the potato race has had an impact on the Neptune entries ?
I could be overthinking life here !
Let's face it, although I do enjoy it, the four days from three days fest and the introduction of the JLT etc has shifted the whole game in terms of targets and betting markets, some may think for the good, others for the bad
Yep that's true, but I think we all love it and even if they turned it into 5 days and found another 7 races from somewhere we'd still love it.
I remember going to Punchestown a few years ago (festival) and they had a £4k bumper and £10k maiden hurdle, so every festival gets diluted the more you try squeezing from it
I was starting to get convinced with his rating and course form but I'm not too sure about Old Guard, having looked into him a further I think he has a bit of a false rating, based primarily from his run in December at the course. I think at the time both the Henderson horses (Peace and Co and Hargam) had inflated reputations that now the season has unfolded have not lived up to anything like what was expected. Plus Sempre Medici is a good 3/4 tiers down from being top class. He got hiked up to 157 after that race.
You could be right Jono but even if he should be rated 150 over hurdles, being a 5 year old he should still be improving. My main concern if him being flat bred as I've never been a huge fan of flat types jumping fences.
At 33/1 though, I'm more than willing to take a chance.
It's Old Guard's age that makes me take notice, he has plenty of racecourse experience and if fit and taking to fences he'll be competing at the top table this year.
Ratings are always a debate but those in charge (of ratings) know an awful lot more than me so I have to take them literally, the only question is whether the horse is healthy and whether he can jump a fence, I think he has the talent to be a player as his defeat of the County winner in waiting showed
In my ever so humble opinion, national hunt horses ratings aren't as important as they are on the flat. The margins of victory can often be a lot bigger and it is much harder to get a grip on. The trips are further, they don't factor in 'mistakes' or not jumping straight, just loads of additional variables that need to be factored in. I mentioned earlier (or on another thread, that I do like the best hurdler when it goes chasing) and if it lends itself to my thinking then I like it, but I wouldn't ever use the ratings as a solid rule. If Old Guard starts jumping and looking 'a natural' (which he may not as Faugheen says about being flat bred) then his hurdle rating will be based upon the new code anyway.
I don't have the information now, but I imagine Sprinter Sacre's rating changed dramatically after he started popping a few fences. The fact that 'a fence' can bring out such improvement gets proven time and time again, so despite me liking to use hurdle form, I think chasing is so unique that seeing is believing.
I use the hurdle rating is a good indictor of a horses natural ability (if that's the right word). For example, a horse with a hurdle rating of 150+ is much more likely to make into a top class chaser. It's very rare that you get low rated horses that show top class form over the larger obstacles.
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