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General Chat

Only ones I can think of with one word names off the top of my head are Disko, Muirhead & Pandorama!

Probably none of them as I don't remember them being consistent 'fallers'.

Yeah was none of those COD, but was definitely around the Pandorama era, IIRC he wasn't a grade 1 horse though

Probably impossible :lemo:

No it wasn't the Listener That Horse

Wasn't a grey

*I'm going to end up down a long road here:frog:
 
Found it!

Zaarito - trained by Colm Murphy

Nov chase season in 2009/10 went as follows:

Fell 3 out
2nd btn nk to Captain Cee Bee
1st by 8L
Fell at the 3rd
Fell at the last
1st by 6L
Fell 3 out
7th when upped 5f in trip, and went down on his nose 5 out
 
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The DRF is only 4 weeks next weekend. That's a nice new year present for us all.
 
The DRF is only 4 weeks next weekend. That's a nice new year present for us all.

And just like that. Most of the festival markets will be formed. Don't know about anyone else but it has absolutely flown this year but that might be an age thing.
 
And just like that. Most of the festival markets will be formed. Don't know about anyone else but it has absolutely flown this year but that might be an age thing.

They say with each passing year, one year becomes a smaller percentage of the amount of time that you have already lived, which makes it seem like a much smaller amount of time. If that has depressed you in any way, there's this song called holding back the years by simply red which should lift your spirits.
 
They say with each passing year, one year becomes a smaller percentage of the amount of time that you have already lived, which makes it seem like a much smaller amount of time. If that has depressed you in any way, there's this song called holding back the years by simply red which should lift your spirits.

Can't stand the ginger prick :emmersed:
 
6 winners from 74 runners (8.1%) for Willie Mullins over Christmas, compared to 16/71 last year. No winners bigger than 7/2 and 17 beaten at 7/2 or much shorter (5 Evens or odds on). A very rare dip for the yard. Had 40/93 in January 2024 and 34/85 in Jan 2023. (From twitter)
 
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I am looking forward to the podcasts dropping this week. I might download them all as MP3 and go on a long old walk. There should be hours and hours of decent listening this week.
 
If anyone has given it much thought, what are your views on Workahead and Koktail Divin? Both owned by Barry Maloney who has a bit of a reputation for a stayer. Workahead has shown speed over 2 miles though in a Supreme year where nothing has leapt off the page (yet) 1 more chance of that. They both look good enough to be festival horses but if you twisted my arm i would say Koktail Divin will end up in the Bartlett but can't make my mind up where Workahead would rock up. The Turners looks pretty fierce at this stage. I am in a muddle.
 
6 winners from 74 runners (8.1%) for Willie Mullins over Christmas, compared to 16/71 last year. No winners bigger than 7/2 and 17 beaten at 7/2 or much shorter (5 Evens or odds on). A very rare dip for the yard. Had 40/93 in January 2024 and 34/85 in Jan 2023. (From twitter)

Rare dip but something to note for future years (December and good going, might be worth leaving mullins horses alone)
Dont think it will come as a surprise come the DRF, through March and April seeing Willie not only winning but also filling the places. I'll be trying to work out which horses to get onside with WTAF, those winning at the DRF for Willie, will end up being very short for the festival and will be likely winners
 
Rare dip but something to note for future years (December and good going, might be worth leaving mullins horses alone)
Dont think it will come as a surprise come the DRF, through March and April seeing Willie not only winning but also filling the places. I'll be trying to work out which horses to get onside with WTAF, those winning at the DRF for Willie, will end up being very short for the festival and will be likely winners

Yeah agree.
And amongst all the misery for Mullins he saddled Impaire Et Passe to a comfortable G1 win with the penalty of Daryl Jacob on board and also sent out Galopin Des Champs to one of the most destructive staying chase performances I can remember.
No question he'd be disappointed with his return over Christmas but not quite all doom and gloom....
 
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Did Daryl Jacob not retire yesterday ?

I see he’s jocked up in the first at Taunton today
 
I am wondering just a little bit that we have become a little complacent or even entitled on here. Those of us that have been doing this for decades now remember how difficult this used to be. Lately it has become much easier it seems. Find Willies best novices, get on his best senior horses early, sprinkle in a few of Henry’s or Gordon’s or Nicky’s best ones and a couple of Dan’s in handicaps and form an orderly queue. I notice that many of us seem to think it is inevitable Willie will dominate the festival again and rather than taking stock and stepping back and asking ourselves ‘what is my plan b’ if that doesn’t happen, we are in fact barrelling forwards and doubling down by snaffling up these lovely big prices on horses we are convincing ourselves will come good again when it matters. It feels like we are almost celebrating this ‘value’ as if it were concrete and undeniable.

Are we prepared just in case he isn’t firing in March. Do we think what happened to Hendo last season couldn’t possibly happen to Willie. Do we have a contingency for this or are we doubling down and just assuming things will be fine?

is anybody on here genuinely worried that their book looks too Willie centric and starting to get a little worried or is everyone just treating it as an opportunity to take advantage of unexpected value as if it were a gift from the racing gods?

This is not aimed at any one person, this is more a general observation from someone who has seen these things ebb and flow for decades now.

Interested in folks thoughts :glee:
 
Good post Rooster! Valid points and a reminder that things can change quickly
Wasnt too long ago when Willie had a fairly poor DRF, believe the ground was to blame that year, which blew a antepost bets out of the window

A few points below, things I question myself

1) Willie will have the best novice hurdlers. Feels like a lot of effort is being exhausted trying, waiting, searching for Willies hot pots for the Supreme, Novice Turners and AB, when actually he normally only wins 1 of these races despite dominating discussions and antepost betting
2) Willie is difficult to beat on soft/heavy ground, if it comes up quick, I think I would be swiftly looking a Henderson and even Joseph O'Brien who has had a amazing few days on decent ground. Despite this, I think he's been push aside fairly quickly and nearly forgotten about. I havent looked at what juveniles or novices Joseph O'Brien has (I need to now!) but, along with his senior horses, I will ensure I consider his runners especially if the going is better than good to soft
3) There could be some value in the DRF, again and I've done this myself, I've automatically said "Willie will hose up at the DRF" and I'm sure the wider community, podcasts, pundits, will drift towards this statement. This opens up value elsewhere.

Nice reminder RB that racing isn't straight forward. It can change and to ensure unexpected value is taken when opportunity rises and to have a plan b.

Just imaging a festival where Willie turns up and... struggles...
 
is anybody on here genuinely worried that their book looks too Willie centric and starting to get a little worried or is everyone just treating it as an opportunity to take advantage of unexpected value as if it were a gift from the racing gods?

I had this exact thought last night. I haven't got around to checking in on my books and the potential impact, but I will be going through them over the next couple of days. The lingering question I've got is just how much he wasn't firing, how much his horses needed the run and how much it was just the hype horses not performing?