2023 Handicaps

[Istabraq]

Can't remember myself, but are marks and weights allocated a couple of days later or when?

It's a week after entries close...

[Imperial Commander]

Can't remember myself, but are marks and weights allocated a couple of days later or when?

It's usually a week later

[ComplyOrDie]

Can't remember myself, but are marks and weights allocated a couple of days later or when?

I think weights are announced on the 28th, I could be wrong though.

[Istabraq]

It's the day everyone spends all morning on Twitter waiting for that bloke with the highlighter to wake up...

[PresentingPercy]

It's the day everyone spends all morning on Twitter waiting for that bloke with the highlighter to wake up...

Just need to book a few 'meetings' in my work diary for that day to clear up the morning

[Istabraq]

Just need to book a few 'meetings' in my work diary for that day to clear up the morning

I used to know someone who had the media pack which was issued within the industry the day before but everyone was on an embargo to protect contents until 11am on release day, these days things start dripping through Twitter and no doubt other places from 10am ish.
So probably best to go sick...

[Exar Essay]

Charlie Longsdon says re Rare Edition, "He'll be fine and if he works well before Cheltenham, he'll go to Cheltenham. He'll stick at two miles - a strongly-run two miles will be fine. The County Hurdle mightn't be off the agenda going by that. I think his mark of 138 looks very fair (he won't be going up after his latest run). Assuming his dirty scope is all to blame and he's sound come 17th March, I think 20/1 NRNB looks a steal.

[Rooster Booster]

Charlie Longsdon says re Rare Edition, "He'll be fine and if he works well before Cheltenham, he'll go to Cheltenham. He'll stick at two miles - a strongly-run two miles will be fine. The County Hurdle mightn't be off the agenda going by that. I think his mark of 138 looks very fair (he won't be going up after his latest run). Assuming his dirty scope is all to blame and he's sound come 17th March, I think 20/1 NRNB looks a steal.

Thing is he has been running in smallish fields so far and each run he has tracked the leader so has barely seen more than a few other horses in his entire hurdling career. If he was slicker with his hurdling he may be able to run a similar race in the county but I suspect he will have horses all around him at some point and have a meltdown . It would be a huge ask for a horse of his profile to run a personal best (of at least half a stone which he’d likely need to do to win) in a race of this nature imo.

By way of comparison take Pembroke who has a fairly similar profile but has run in bigger fields and has been taught to hurdle in and around other horses.

[ComplyOrDie]

Some selected Irish handicap updates/new ratings:

Absolute Notions 138 (+7)
Ballyadam 144 (+2)
Byker 124 (New)
Chemical Energy 147 (New)
Churchstonewarrior 146 (New)
Cool Survivor 135 (-1)
Darrens Hope 130 (-1)
Deep Cave 135 (+5)
Filey Bay 137 (+6)
Final Orders 149 (+9)
Freedom To Dream 130 (-1)
Frontal Assault 141 (-1)
Gaelic Warrior 153 (+10)
Good Time Jonny 138 (-1)
Grand Roi 143 (-1)
Grozni 125 (+4)
Hunters Yarn 143 (New)
Il Etait Temps 148 (+4)
Indigo Breeze 133 (-2)
Inthepocket 141 (+4)
Irish Point 142 (-1)
Jazzy Matty 121 (New)
Jungle Prose 136 (-1)
Liberty Dance 131 (+2)
Lossiemouth 139 (-1)
Mars Harper 131 (-1)
Meet And Greet 149 (-1)
Minella Crooner 145 (New)
Perceval Legallois (135 (+10)
Shantreusse 133 (New)
Sir Allen 127 (New)
Spanish Harlem 131 (New)
Tekao 128 (New)
The Goffer 147 (+9)
The Shunter 150 (New)
Three Card Brag 138 (+3)
Velvet Elvis 146 (+6)
Winter Fog 149 (+1)

[Istabraq]

I've been very critical of the Irish handicapper being very lenient in the past but Gaelic Warrior up 10lb for that handicap win seems lumpy.
Hunters Yarn higher first mark than I was expecting.
On the flip side Tekao at 128 has to scream Boodles.
Little surprised Ill Etait Temps only went up 4lb, if that mark was to be replicated in the UK I think he'd still be competitive in a County...

[Zachx02]

Some selected Irish handicap updates/new ratings:

Absolute Notions 138 (+7)
Ballyadam 144 (+2)
Byker 124 (New)
Chemical Energy 147 (New)
Churchstonewarrior 146 (New)
Cool Survivor 135 (-1)
Darrens Hope 130 (-1)
Deep Cave 135 (+5)
Filey Bay 137 (+6)
Final Orders 149 (+9)
Freedom To Dream 130 (-1)
Frontal Assault 141 (-1)
Gaelic Warrior 153 (+10)
Good Time Jonny 138 (-1)
Grand Roi 143 (-1)
Grozni 125 (+4)
Hunters Yarn 143 (New)
Il Etait Temps 148 (+4)
Indigo Breeze 133 (-2)
Inthepocket 141 (+4)
Irish Point 142 (-1)
Jazzy Matty 121 (New)
Jungle Prose 136 (-1)
Liberty Dance 131 (+2)
Lossiemouth 139 (-1)
Mars Harper 131 (-1)
Meet And Greet 149 (-1)
Minella Crooner 145 (New)
Perceval Legallois (135 (+10)
Shantreusse 133 (New)
Sir Allen 127 (New)
Spanish Harlem 131 (New)
Tekao 128 (New)
The Goffer 147 (+9)
The Shunter 150 (New)
Three Card Brag 138 (+3)
Velvet Elvis 146 (+6)
Winter Fog 149 (+1)

Three Card Brag NRNB for the pipe seems a good bet off that mark provided he doesn't get hit too much with Irish tax

[robith]

It's the day everyone spends all morning on Twitter waiting for that bloke with the highlighter to wake up...

Didn't the BHA threaten to sue him

[Istabraq]

Didn't the BHA threaten to sue him

Did they ?
I didn't hear that, can't remember who he was/is but if he got sued then presumably he had a formal position in the industry....

[robith]

Did they ?
I didn't hear that, can't remember who he was/is but if he got sued then presumably he had a formal position in the industry....

Maybe sue isn't the right word, but I think he got a cease and desist order for posting them on twitter alleging copyright infringement IIRC

[TCH29]

I've been very critical of the Irish handicapper being very lenient in the past but Gaelic Warrior up 10lb for that handicap win seems lumpy.
Hunters Yarn higher first mark than I was expecting.
On the flip side Tekao at 128 has to scream Boodles.
Little surprised Ill Etait Temps only went up 4lb, if that mark was to be replicated in the UK I think he'd still be competitive in a County...

Exactly my thoughts, Ista. Clearly the Irish handicapper is fed up Gaelic Warrior pissing around in handicaps. Mad he’s been rated 5lb higher than IET who beat FV over the same C&D in a much faster clock time. Not sure I get that logic.