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Ballymore Novice Hurdle 2020

The Don said:
Seems like he’s trying to force things a bit and be a bit contrary just for effect.... like he’s being asked to write too much and can’t bring himself to be obvious even if that’s the right answer
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It is "the flip side" :witless:
 
Big Kevin Blake fan, you do need someone to play the other side occasionally.

As the great Rich Eisen used to say “I’m not saying, I’m just saying”
 
With EA being as dominant as he’s been so far he may scare a number of opponents away before the off therefore negating the issue of struggling in big fields as they may struggle to attract opposition. It happens every so often that a horse is too good for that race but it’s the most suitable race for them and I think Envoi is a unbeatable as a novice this season. Time will tell how he progresses but he’s something speavial. I missed the price and got him in a few multiples but like many I’ll be seeking out the extra places on the day to try and find a big priced horse to place.
 
jack1092 said:
Without being too much of an arse it's only what i've been saying for like 2 months as well haha :witless: Likely i'll end up wrong but sure.
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I think you'll only end up wrong if he ends up an all time great?

Odds still be in your favour, you've just got to be patient :loyal:
 
Hurricane fly said:
Big Kevin Blake fan, you do need someone to play the other side occasionally.

As the great Rich Eisen used to say “I’m not saying, I’m just saying”
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What Kevin said is true, the horses ability keeps him winning, whatever the opposition, but hasn’t generated monster figures (because he only does what he needs to).

Ratings are only based on how far you’ve won, and who you’ve beat, think Sea the Stars c/w Frankel. Both absolute stars.

Of course EA is much the most likely winner, from his Irish formlines, but not so far clear that the brits shouldn’t give it a good go via Tizzard, Hobbs etc. The owners pay so much for jumping prospects now that they ought to not duck any challenge. Particularly when the hurdling formlines aren’t combined until the Cheltenham race in March.
 
I thought the article was a little off the mark personally, totally agree with the auto praise stuff, but to say he needs to prove himself in the rough and tumble is a of strange thing to say. The champion bumper and the Dublin festival bumper are pretty rough races by their nature and not sure thats a valid stone to throw at him. Also no where in the piece did it mention that the horse was left short and had only done one piece of work and they were delighted he took a big blow.
 
Not sure that he needs to mention post race comments that were not mentioned pre-race,
It's likely bullshit speak IMO.
As why would you let an unbeaten 'stable star' go off short of work in a race where you're stepping him up in trip for the first time ?
Don't seem good practice to me.
More like cocky after race bravado.
Like when Tiger Roll won his hurdle last year on the bridle and he was only 5% fit or something ridiculous like that.
Just giddy after race trainer talk.

All Blakes done is try to find an angle to get the Fav beat and dampen enthusiasm, and he's at a stretch to do that IMO, with the road he's gone down.
 
Thought it lacked a bit of balance but understand the point he is making
 
billymag said:
I thought the article was a little off the mark personally, totally agree with the auto praise stuff, but to say he needs to prove himself in the rough and tumble is a of strange thing to say. The champion bumper and the Dublin festival bumper are pretty rough races by their nature and not sure thats a valid stone to throw at him. Also no where in the piece did it mention that the horse was left short and had only done one piece of work and they were delighted he took a big blow.
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Some just love to play Devils Advocate , on occasions they can be valid

Personally I don’t agree with the article .

We can all be guilty of looking for the next superstar but on many an occasion over hyped horses fall by the wayside.
Samcro as a juvenile was special and sadly due to health issues hasn’t trained on to meet expectations.

EA isn’t a certainty, they don’t exist however who would back him at todays prices and who would lay ?
 
I really like KB and obviously when a horse is as short a price as Envoi Allen is you look to pick holes but to me EA has proved more at this stage of his career than a lot of his equivalents from previous years.

Form keeps stacking up.

Can be ridden from the front or tucked in behind.

Fended off the challenge of a speed horse over that horses preferred distance when it looked an ideal opportunity for it to use its turn of foot to pass (Abacadabras).

Stayed perfectly well against other horse that are proven to stay over 2m4f.

Acts at Cheltenham.

Good number of runs under his belt.

The question marks are few and far between for me.
 
I mean the column is literally called the flip side and is about giving an opposing view. Totally natural to stick to your own beliefs but I think it is important to question the established orthodoxy
 
Thought Kevin was right about people automatically praising winning performances and paying little attention to the substance of the victory. I vastly prefer articles like that because the ‘raving superstar’ articles are a dime a dozen and this gets you thinking, but I don’t really have much to add. The whole article can be boiled down to Kevin having a question mark over how Envoi Allen handles the hustle and bustle of a big race. In typical Blake fashion he uses 250 words and not 50 to get there.
 
Love reading through this seeing Envoi Allen's bodyguard's out in force :witless:

He deserves his own thread like Elegant Escape i think :witless:
 
EA just idles in front... In the Bumper last year EA got to the lead, was lonely until Blue Sari came to challenge and then found plenty going up the hill.. Proven Cheltenham form also.... Not sure there is any holes to pick..
 
Rigga said:
EA just idles in front... In the Bumper last year EA got to the lead, was lonely until Blue Sari came to challenge and then found plenty going up the hill.. Proven Cheltenham form also.... Not sure there is any holes to pick..
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You can always find holes to pick.


Idling in front is little hole? You'd prefer him to hit the front and blast through the line
 
in his last race, it didn't look like idling to me Kev. I think the 2nd horse, Elixir D'ainay asked him serious questions and is a good horse. EA did well to go past him like he did in the straight in my opinion. Likewise, in the race before that, he did really well to hold off the speed horse Abacadabras over the 2 mile trip.

I think EA has very few holes in his form but he did look like he had a hard enough race the last day.
 
harchibald said:
in his last race, it didn't look like idling to me Kev. I think the 2nd horse, Elixir D'ainay asked him serious questions and is a good horse. EA did well to go past him like he did in the straight in my opinion. Likewise, in the race before that, he did really well to hold off the speed horse Abacadabras over the 2 mile trip.

I think EA has very few holes in his form but he did look like he had a hard enough race the last day.
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Was responding to Rigga who in the same sentence said he idles but that he has no holes.

If he idles, it's not a positive.




If he didn't idle, he was not getting the trip very well? Certainly not as impressively as I thought he'd be.




Looked better over 2 miles than 2m4f on what I've seen, but I'd still assume he will end up better over the longer trip - I just don't think we've seen it yet.
 
Fair comment..

Just think if he idled and then didn’t find anything, that would bother the punters..we wouldn’t be talking of EA as a potential superstar.
From what I have seen so far, it’s that increased pace over the last 2/3 furlongs that has put the races to bed. Much like Altior and Faugheen has done in the past. And EA certainly gets up that Cheltenham Hill
 
Rigga said:
Fair comment..

Just think if he idled and then didn’t find anything, that would bother the punters..we wouldn’t be talking of EA as a potential superstar.
From what I have seen so far, it’s that increased pace over the last 2/3 furlongs that has put the races to bed. Much like Altior and Faugheen has done in the past. And EA certainly gets up that Cheltenham Hill
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IMO the most accurate point in Kevin's article was punters willingness to want stars without questioning the manner of victory, or substance of form. Of all the reasons I'd have to oppose the 'he was idling' debate, the masses talking about him being a superstar would be at the bottom of the list. The vast majority of punters are wrong and most these 'superstars' turn out to be anything but.
 
charlie said:
IMO the most accurate point in Kevin's article was punters willingness to want stars without questioning the manner of victory, or substance of form. Of all the reasons I'd have to oppose the 'he was idling' debate, the masses talking about him being a superstar would be at the bottom of the list. The vast majority of punters are wrong and most these 'superstars' turn out to be anything but.
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Charlie agree, Champ ?
 
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