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General Chat

robith said:
It's not been great viewing. Seeing IEP's groom walk him back in tears being pushed as a positive was weird for me; it was the first time I've really felt "maybe it isn't sustainable for racing to feel like this".

I don't buy "he didn't know till he crossed the line" at all - Hoiles called it on Comms straights away (with Ruby straight on deflector shield duty), the poor thing was visibly dragging his hind legs in its stride, and Townend jumped off immediately after the line. The day before the National too.

Putting to one side this facet of jumps racing (which I'm in a real "maybe it's not for me any more" mode ATM which I accept makes me more prone to a naturally antagonistic viewpoint), racing has a real issue with protecting ranks on the established order, which is one of the reasons it's shrinking. Skelton cheats all year and the handicapper gleefully cuts his marks, but a smaller trainer tries to have a little bit of a touch and theyll crush em. No doubt in my mind if a more junior jockey did that in a less high profile meet they'd have thrown the book at them.
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Complete agree with all this.

Racing has a fighting reaction (which it has to have to some extent as some anti-racing parties will never be won over) but it cannot react like this during crises and it must have a more open mind and honest discussion about what PT did. He's a champion and a competitor and will do anything to win - I think he'd do this again in a heartbeat.
 
Like most on here, I've never ridden in a race but I'm fairly sure that the adrenaline would have been running high in both horse and jockey. From my limited interaction with him, I'd say that it's highly unlikely that PT would have ridden a finish if he thought that the horse was seriously injured.

On the racing image point, media and antis would have had a field day whether the horse had won or been pulled up and put down in the final furlong.
 
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It’s a difficult one and really only the jockey knows if he should have pulled him up on the run in.

Certainly not a good look for the sport whatever way you look at it.
 
Lobos said:
Lovely. Good old Jonjo. Loves his Nationals !
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There's increasingly more evidence that Jonjo has made a wise decision in just leaving it to the sons. When interviewed by ITV today, think it was Chapman, he said as much.
 
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The BDA mares / Wodhooh stayers feels like a decent punt at big odds. Gordon said 2m4f is BDA best trip and he’s already mentioned 3m for Wodhooh a few times. He’d surely like to split them if he can.
 
Luke95 said:
The BDA mares / Wodhooh stayers feels like a decent punt at big odds. Gordon said 2m4f is BDA best trip and he’s already mentioned 3m for Wodhooh a few times. He’d surely like to split them if he can.
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Put this one in the related bets topic last month. It was 500/1+ then, and not much should've changed.

Chuck Lossiemouth in for the Champion Hurdle for a Mares Special!
 
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Luke95 said:
The BDA mares / Wodhooh stayers feels like a decent punt at big odds. Gordon said 2m4f is BDA best trip and he’s already mentioned 3m for Wodhooh a few times. He’d surely like to split them if he can.
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If Wodhooh had been declared for the 3m race at Aintree I would have been all over this.
I'm convinced she will be even better when stepped up so if they do that at any point before March it would be hard to drop her back.
BDA is the enigma and given the lack of depth in the 2m hurdling division (if this years top novices go chasing as seems the standard these days) she'd be a short price for a podium finish again if connections view that better than a Mares Hurdle win...
 
The hill said:
Listening to GE on Luck on Sunday it sounds like he wants to keep BDA over Hurdles
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Would love that. Would make Wodhooh a great bet in the Stayers.
Couldn't fancy BDA in the Mares though. She's a flat track bitch.
 
Benjy23 said:
Literally finished 2nd in the Champion Hurdle last month FFS
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Never looked like winning though and beaten by last year's Mares winner. Just think she'll always find one too good at Cheltenham.
 
The hill said:
Listening to GE on Luck on Sunday it sounds like he wants to keep BDA over Hurdles
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They probably already have one eye on breeding. Jumping fences going on 8 isn't super late but it is late enough. If Brighterdaysahead has the amount of success Matnie did Gigginstown could be on to a winner in that department.
 
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Iroko up 4lb today.
One I'd like to be (again) next year is Johnnywho, more that a little inconvenienced by the loose horses on the run in and I'll expect Jonjo to mess about with the horse until Feb and get his mark down to somewhere near where he ran off on Saturday (146).
25/1 doesn't scream huge value but I can see him being one of JPs leading lights next year...
 
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