• HELP US - Become a Patron - Fat Jockey is a horse racing community focused on all the big races in the UK and Ireland. We don't charge users but if you have found the site useful then any support towards the running costs is appreciated ... a small donation each month would be a huge contribution. Become a Patron!

2023 Novice Hurdlers

Firestep is a Mahler so you'd expect Ballymore at a minimum. Damsire is Saddlers Hall so again, stamina influence. I'd expect the Albert Bartlett, especially considering his age.
​​
 
Henderson on Ahorsewithnoname....


"She's got only two objectives; the Cesarewitch and the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, in which she was second last season. She improved considerably in the spring and her Cheltenham run and her two Flat wins were way above anything she'd done before."
 
Luccia also heading down the Mares Novices route and the issue she had explained......

"She could be anything," he said. "When she won at Sandown it was the best performance in a mares' bumper all season. She was incredible, but she has this habit of locking her stifle and, one morning, it wouldn't unlock.
"She went over and couldn't get up, and we thought we'd lose her, but there was a technique we tried, which saved her life.

"Let's hope she's as good as we thought, and I don't think the issue will worry her'
 
DenmanSacre said:
Firestep is a Mahler so you'd expect Ballymore at a minimum. Damsire is Saddlers Hall so again, stamina influence. I'd expect the Albert Bartlett, especially considering his age.
​​
Click to expand...

The dam raced almost exclusively at 2m but it’s the Mahler angle that probably puts me off him. He also looked very quirky but that may have been inexperience.
 
Aye, the word 'Mahler' is very useful in weeding horses out. It may happen eventually, but there's enough of them about for the percentage call to be a simple ignore of the whole lot. In my incredibly scientific opinion anyway...
 
Easier for me to play a waiting game with Firestep or even ignore him completely when considering the Mahler angle plus him being off so long and his age.
 
His odds will shorten again now they know he's back in !
 
I'd have thought that he came in from the field in early to mid August and spent the last 6 weeks in a pre-training yard.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lobos
archie said:
I'd have thought that he came in from the field in early to mid August and spent the last 6 weeks in a pre-training yard.
Click to expand...

I guess all horses are different but is it a fair estimate that horses need 8-10 weeks of being back in the yard for them to fit enough to run ?
I always imagined a Summer in the field meant exactly that, 3 months of eating grass with no formal exercise/training and when they come back there's plenty of weight to shift, but I'm guessing...
 
Each horse is different and different trainers have different regimes. Willie's standard break for the winter horses is from after Punchestown to Galway ie about 3 months. Some go straight back in to the main yard, others go via pre-training.

As a very rough rule of thumb, they take about as long to get ready as they've been out and you can probably look at it as 4 weeks walking, 4 weeks slow/half speed and 4 weeks building up to proper gallops. 3 full speed gallops and bingo. All very rough and ready for the 'average' horse but you get the idea.
 
  • Like
Reactions: opatcho
archie said:
As a very rough rule of thumb, they take about as long to get ready as they've been out and you can probably look at it as 4 weeks walking, 4 weeks slow/half speed and 4 weeks building up to proper gallops. 3 full speed gallops and bingo. All very rough and ready for the 'average' horse but you get the idea.
Click to expand...

Thanks Archie, very helpful…
 
Juvenile hurdler Jazzy Matty (Previously named Jamestown) runs tomorrow at Auteuil 11.15 under his current connections. Would be hopeful of a good run there before going straight across to Gordon. Still 33s in the Triumph market..
 
darlojim said:
Juvenile hurdler Jazzy Matty (Previously named Jamestown) runs tomorrow at Auteuil 11.15 under his current connections. Would be hopeful of a good run there before going straight across to Gordon. Still 33s in the Triumph market..
Click to expand...

Seems an odd decision if he's to move stables shortly. Change of mind perhaps or incorrect information??
 
Lobos said:
Seems an odd decision if he's to move stables shortly. Change of mind perhaps or incorrect information??
Click to expand...

Fil Dor made his debut for Caldwell in France before moving to Gordon, albeit earlier in the season. It may be part of his education or a deal they made with Gab Leenders to let him race once after bringing him through.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Saxon Warrior and Lobos
I see The Mediator is due to run very shortly. He won a bumper and ran a solid enough race in another last season, and is one I'm keen to keep tabs on as a novice hurdler this season.

Highly likely a handicap will be the route he takes, so it will be interesting to see how he goes today.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Winging The Last
ComplyOrDie said:
I see The Mediator is due to run very shortly. He won a bumper and ran a solid enough race in another last season, and is one I'm keen to keep tabs on as a novice hurdler this season.

Highly likely a handicap will be the route he takes, so it will be interesting to see how he goes today.
Click to expand...

Impressive winner already being talked up by pundits as a live MNH horse. The season has begun!!!
 
ComplyOrDie said:
I see The Mediator is due to run very shortly. He won a bumper and ran a solid enough race in another last season, and is one I'm keen to keep tabs on as a novice hurdler this season.

Highly likely a handicap will be the route he takes, so it will be interesting to see how he goes today.
Click to expand...

Most definitely a handicapper! Will likely come on for that run, and winner was race fit.

Looking at the size of him though he must be seen to best effect over a fence, eventually.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom