IT’S not a great look for a sport, if mention of one of its stars gives rise to more negative comments than positive. It has become a bit like that with Constitution Hill. His various ‘no-shows’ and subsequent ailments last season, added to a lot of talk this month of where or when he may run, hasn’t been received with enthusiasm in every quarter.
Everyone hopes he will return to his brilliant best, but too much Cheltenham chat, before the Arc or the big two-year-old flat races have been run this season, is just guaranteed to irritate.
The jumps season has suffered from too much ‘will he, won’t he’ around many horses in recent seasons.
On the other hand, the nine-year-old Flooring Porter’s Kerry National win was the highlight of the week, as the jumps season does come in focus. The race was excellently targeted by Gavin Cromwell and the addition of two Grade 1 winning chasers at the top of the weights, played even more into favour for the dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner. He made no mistake, galloping strongly if a bit low at his fences, on his seasonal debut.
Exciting
In a time where we have come to expect a lot of jumpers to take the easy target, bold future plans could be very exciting.
“He got into a rhythm and he’s very hard to peg back, it’s definitely worth considering!” Gavin Cromwell said afterwards of a possible bid at the Grand National.
And what a thrill that would be, in a time when racing is in more of an avoidance culture. A front-running Grade 1 hur
Yes, the jumping style from Wednesday could see him in trouble, but he jumped Cheltenham’s three miles, half a furlong course as a novice in fine style last season. Let’s not forget, Tiger Roll had a far from ideal jumping technique before he went to Aintree for his first National.
Can Troy ‘Seize’ the opportunity?
WE had a bit of a mixed reaction to City Of Troy’s public gallop at Southwell last week. Yes, it was in part a well-played PR exercise, but everyone around it played an amicable role and it got a lot of attention. Some might say City Of Troy needs all the extra attention, because he may still not have captured the imagination like a true superstar should.
Visually, he is no Sea The Stars or Frankel, he does not have that ‘look of eagles’ we hear about in outstanding horses, but he has done enough to raise plenty of excitement in heading to the US to take on their best. If last week brought increased attention – it was a good thing.
All this advance publicity though could well be ‘trumped’ on the day by those from the US.
American racing had taken a bit of a bashing by this time last season, with some high-profile deaths on the track. The Breeders’ Cup, at a sunny fall season meet in Del Mar, helped ‘clean up’ the image, with wins for favourites Cody’s Wish, Idiomatic, Inspiral and Auguste Rodin, they kept everyone happy and provided great racing.
D Wayne Lukas (left) is congratulated by Bob Baffert after his Preakness Stakes win by Seize The Grey \
Healy Racing
Famous trainer
This year’s Classic may well have America’s most famous trainer, as well as Europe’s. D Wayne Lukas at 89, combining with the biggest, most enthusiastic group of ‘new’ owners in the MyRacehorse owners following Seize The Grey’s Penn Derby success. Add in the less than shy Mike Repole with his star colt Fierceness and we are in for entertainment.
Reports from last week’s Grade 1 at Parx from MyRacehorse founder Michael Behrens praised Parx management and indicated what to expect at Del Mar, with many talking about planning a “trip of a lifetime”. Should all appear on the day, it’s something to really anticipate.
THE full range of changes to the Cheltenham Festival races and experience were announced this week. And, for once, a racing organisation seems to be proactive and has listened to feedback from racegoers and racing media.
Most of the changes to races and race conditions were greeted with approval.
However, it did seem odd and unnecessary to tamper with the National Hunt Chase, now allowing professional riders to ride in a race that had more than a century of embracing the best of the amateur side of the sport. Does the 2019 race still sit in the consciousness of some with a black mark against it? Any concerns then were taken care of by the distance reduction.
Cheltenham, though the pinnacle of jump racing and home of the top races and horses, is not the Breeders’ Cup, where you only see the best of the best. Over four days, very many people over all areas of the sport get a look in – it’s not elitist.
The history and roll of honour of the National Hunt Chase is a who’s who of many great names in the sport, competing as amateurs. Lord Mildmay, Bunny Cox, Alan Lillingston, John Lawrence, Ian Balding, John Thorne, Michael Dickinson, Robert Alner, Mouse Morris, Dick Saunders, John Fowler, Willie Mullins, Marcus Armytage, Philip Fenton, Tony Martin and J.T. McNamara all rode winners before more recently Derek O’Connor, Patrick Mullins and Jamie Codd joined them, as well as two welcome wins for female riders in Katie Walsh and Lisa O’Neill.
Remember how much it meant to Willie Mullins to have his son win the race? On its best days, Cheltenham had a place for everyone. Ask any top amateur what it meant to ride that winner there.
If you don’t want to bet on an amateur race – take a break, there’s 20-odd races to please you. But many did over the years. It might not be in the Sad, Mad, Bad realm, but for many, sad it is.