Tweet
Full credit to all connections though to serve up that race. And i'm going to try and take a more accepting viewpoint of the aftermath. If we want races like today then people should be willing to allow horses to progress through the season and not come to conclusions so soon. Otherwise it almost plays into the hands of connections when they avoid these races until the Spring.
So...
Summerville Boy - I've not been sold on him despite being a Supreme winner. I just don't think a horse who failed to win his first 3 hurdle starts could improve so much to then be a CH winner. Future chasers perhaps who could improve from a change in discipline where as SB has the same obstacles and not even a step up in trip to bring improvement. All you'd be counting on is natural progression and improvement as he gets older. However I made the case in here how much Tom George's horse's tend to need their first runs year after year so he was well up against it today despite the ground conditions. Chucked in against the current 2 time champ. No chance really. For me he's not up to the level but you'd have to give him the full season for sure. The problem may well be he may have to face Buveur again but the UK 2 mile trials do allow (they shouldn't but...) horses to sidestep eachother so if he can bypass him at least next time out maybe he can improve to fill the places in this years race
Samcro - again to take the view that we should be applauding the horse running here. The slow pace they went today will be nothing like a champion hurdle. Chalk and cheese. Add in the fact he had to make the running and you could argue the race will be run differently come March. He ran much better than last time out and jumped better - more like a 2 mile hurdler. If they went back to Ireland
now it wouldn't surprise me if he won over there at the trip and backers would just hope Cheltenham will suit better both in track and pace and he continues to jump/adapt to this discipline as each race progresses. BUT let's be honest he was an absolute class behind Buveur D'Air today. Beaten 8 lengths. I can't get away from wanting him over fences, in and around 3 miles. Gordon has just said he still sticks to this race. O'Learys may have something to say but I do feel like it's going that way. It'll a feel like a bit of a wasted season imo (on the basis I don't think he beats BvD)
And the winner - Buveur D'Air What a horse.
He pretty much laughed at Samcro there. Let's hope he now gets the credit he deserves. An absolute superstar
I'll end this to quote Gordon Elliott just now...
Samcro is a good horse...he just got beat by a very good horse
So...
Summerville Boy - I've not been sold on him despite being a Supreme winner. I just don't think a horse who failed to win his first 3 hurdle starts could improve so much to then be a CH winner. Future chasers perhaps who could improve from a change in discipline where as SB has the same obstacles and not even a step up in trip to bring improvement. All you'd be counting on is natural progression and improvement as he gets older. However I made the case in here how much Tom George's horse's tend to need their first runs year after year so he was well up against it today despite the ground conditions. Chucked in against the current 2 time champ. No chance really. For me he's not up to the level but you'd have to give him the full season for sure. The problem may well be he may have to face Buveur again but the UK 2 mile trials do allow (they shouldn't but...) horses to sidestep eachother so if he can bypass him at least next time out maybe he can improve to fill the places in this years race
Samcro - again to take the view that we should be applauding the horse running here. The slow pace they went today will be nothing like a champion hurdle. Chalk and cheese. Add in the fact he had to make the running and you could argue the race will be run differently come March. He ran much better than last time out and jumped better - more like a 2 mile hurdler. If they went back to Ireland
now it wouldn't surprise me if he won over there at the trip and backers would just hope Cheltenham will suit better both in track and pace and he continues to jump/adapt to this discipline as each race progresses. BUT let's be honest he was an absolute class behind Buveur D'Air today. Beaten 8 lengths. I can't get away from wanting him over fences, in and around 3 miles. Gordon has just said he still sticks to this race. O'Learys may have something to say but I do feel like it's going that way. It'll a feel like a bit of a wasted season imo (on the basis I don't think he beats BvD)
And the winner - Buveur D'Air What a horse.
He pretty much laughed at Samcro there. Let's hope he now gets the credit he deserves. An absolute superstar I'll end this to quote Gordon Elliott just now...
Samcro is a good horse...he just got beat by a very good horse
Comment