Rooster Booster's Champion Hurdle Prospects

[PDJ]

Personally as much as I love this horse, the way he races will mean that he can never beat Hardy Eustace. RB loves to burn them off at the end but Hardy Eustace simply doesn't stop like 2 milers. I fear his prospects this year are nil. I would however still love to be proved wrong.

[Colin Phillips]

Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! !!


Colin

[Maurice]

:lol:

I wonder if they'll try something different this season. Last year they trained him for the TGT-Champion double and got it wrong. If they train him solely with the Champion in mind then his best form is still better than Hardly Eusless's. The latter might still be improving, though.

They might believe he can't beat the reigning champ and just train him for Newbury.

[sunybay]

With a light campaign I think rooster is the most likely winner, because he was the best 2 milers last season by far.
Lets hope they dont run the tote Gold Trophy this year.

[Perry]

He's not too old to go chasing.

[Galileo]

How can a horse, who only won once in his season, be described as the best by far? He is clearly a tricky horse who is hardly like to improve again. hardy Eustice will have his measure again this season but HE himself is very beatable.

[simmo]

Rooster Booster won't win a race this season.

[Melendez]

Looked like he'd returned to his old ways from his handicap days last year. I'm sure there are other worthy reasons, but virtually every time he looked a likely winner two out, and didn't do enough (apart from the time he did, which, even then, didn't look as good as it might have)

[sunybay]

I dont think anybody must be a form guru to understand what happened in febraury at Newbury.

In chasing last season the best performance was also in defeat,it was Azertyuiop in the Victor Chandler when he showed he was the best chaser in Europe.

[Melendez]

I don't disagree with that Suny (although I don't entirely agree that Az.. was the best chaser in Europe), but while Azertyuiop went on to reproduce that performance at Cheltenham, Rooster Booster did not. It may have been that the TGT took something out of him, but he does have a long history of losing races we now know should have been a cakewalk for him.

[an capall]

If that old handicapper wins the CH I'll eat Thommo's underpants live on TV.

[Irish Stamp]

Rooster Booster won't even place in the Champion Hurdle.

[PDJ]

Assuming he runs, Irish Stamp, he will get placed. I will have a bet with you now about that.

[prince regent]

rb will win neither a tote gold trophy or a champion hurdle

a place is the best he can hope for

[LUKE]

At the 14s on offer with Cashmans RB is theoretically a good bet for the Champion as he would have a good chance of winning a trial or two and shortening considerably.One of the few people I have respect for on the betfair forum made the point that Hardy Eustace wont really be suited by the trials and in any case they are only interested in one race for him-the rest is trivia.
Personally I think people are grasping at straws with RB-time isn't on his side and he was a bookies benefit last season.

[Ardross]

Too early to say

[BrianH]

What did I lay you Maurice?

[Maurice]

Remind me, master?

[Gearoid]

£25 ew at 16/1

[Monty Conna]

Hard to see the Booster winning it, but he could be good for a place. Exceptional battler. An obvious statement, but I see the likes of Brave Inca and Sadlers Wings having a big say next year.

[PDJ]

Glad to have new blood on such a very original thread, Monty. By the way, who was the better horse, Montjeu or Sinndar, no-one on here has a strong opinion....

[Ardross]

:lol: Montjeu of course

[Desperate Dan]

Isn`t it great to have a "proper"thread again :D :D

[Ardross]

As for the Booster it does depend it seems to me on whether (1) as Mo suspects that the TGT bottomed him or (2)whether he is back to his old games or (3) he is getting on a bit .

It is inescapable that the best performance by a 2 mile hurdler was his in the TGT . The next three races he ran as if something was stopping him close home .

If he returns to that TGT level of form he will remain the one to beat and if he were to come back and win another CH the roof of the stand will come off - the Cheltenham crowd love the Booster .

I reckon Mr Warner needs to get his cheque book out and buy a good handicap hurdler that they cannot ignore as a pacemaker

[PDJ]

As much as I love this horse I have to disagree with Ardross. If you compare his 2 Champion Hurdle runs, both times he comes to the top of the hill swinging on the bit. However, the horse in front simply didn't stop last year which begs the question - can they run him to beat a stayer? I doubt it.

[Maurice]

The difference between those two runs, Paul, is that in the first he stormed away from the home turn putting distance between himself and the rest all the while, but in the second his promising run flattened out after the last. The same thing happened in Ireland and at Liverpool. He wasn't 100%.

[PDJ]

Not certain I agree, Maurice. He flattened out in Liverpool against Sacundai too the year before. I reckon Richard Johnson thought he had em beat but Hardy Eustace didn't stop.

[Shadow Leader]

He certainly ran as though somethign wasn't quite right after the TGT...maybe something small was niggling him, or he simply was bottomed at Newbury.

[BrianH]

An 11-y-o to win the Champion Hurdle? Dream on...

[Bar the Bull]

He's a slow old boat. An ideal type for the 4miler at Cheltenham.

[Ian Davies]

Sea Pigeon was a veteran when he won his Champion Hurdles and, coincidentally, he is the horse Rooster Booster most reminds me of, in that Sea Pigeon too had to be held up until the last possible second in strongly-run races and stopped if he hit the front too soon.

However, though he ran a smashing race in the Tote Gold Trophy, in subsequent races Rooster Booster showed that he looks rather better cruising through beaten horses which have raced rather too close to a suicidal pace, than he does against horses who aren't stopping at the end of their races.

I don't see Rooster Booster improving and it would hardly be a shock if he started to deteriorate.

Hardy Eustace, meanwhile, though hardly the best Champion Hurdler ever on paper, might improve and something may well emerge to beat them both.

[Garney]

If Rooster Booster couldnt win last year, he aint going to win it this year, unless a front runner like Contraband tows them along. I think Brave Inca might just be lacking speed for the race, despite winning teh 2m novice - in a way I would have thought the same about Hardy Eustace last year.

One horse that i would love to get a price on at the moment, and a fancy price at that, is Zonergem. With the lack of real class coming through to challenge the top rung on the hurdling scene, I think that this flat racer could step up to the mark over hurdles. aaah, its a dark one to throw out.

[Maurice]

I agree broadly with Ian's comments.

In terms of ratings achieved, Hardy Eustace is the second best champion in recent years (after RB). Most pundits and ratings compilers agree that the rooster wasn't quite at his best after the Tote Gold Trophy (in which he recorded a lifetime best rating).

There is as much likelihood of RB deteriorating as there is of HE improving, so it is only right that the reigning champ is regarded as the most likely winner at this stage. Whether HE will retain his pace as he gets older is a question I will want to see answered. Istabraq came back from winning at 2m5f to be the best of his generation at 2m and HE might be in the same mould.

However, would you really want to back anything other than RB to be second to HE is they ran the race tomorrow?

[PDJ]

Originally posted by Maurice@Aug 9 2004, 09:19 AM

However, would you really want to back anything other than RB to be second to HE is they ran the race tomorrow?
Absolutely not.

[Galileo]

But the race is not tomorrow, its next March. Far more likely RB will regress rather than improve or maintain his level of form.

[BrianH]

Ian, this is not to misinterpret your comparison - rather it is to prevent younger members getting the wrong end of the stick. To paraphrase Senator Lloyd Bentsen:

"I knew Sea Pigeon, I backed Sea Pigeon when he won win the Ebor and the Chester Cup, Rooster Booster is no Sea Pigeon."

Rooster Booster has won eight races. These include the Champion Hurdle, the County Hurdle, the Bula Hurdle and the Agfa Hurdle.

Sea Pigeon won thirty-seven races, sixteen on the flat and twenty-one under NH rules. They include: the Ebor Handicap (carrying 10st), the Chester Cup (twice), the Vaux Gold Tankard, the Doonside Cup, the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, the Tennant Trophy, the Bogside Cup, the Champion Hurdle (twice), the Scottish Champion Hurdle, the Welsh Champion Hurdle, the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the Embassy Handicap Hurdle. He was also seventh in the Derby and fourth in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot.

I rest my case.

[Galileo]

BOOSTER SET FOR KEMPTON RETURN
Rooster Booster is set to reappear at Kempton in October, trainer Philip Hobbs revealed on Monday.


The HH Associates Hurdle at the Sunbury track on Saturday, October 23 has been earmarked for Rooster Booster's return to action.

The 10-year-old won the Champion Hurdle in 2003 and was runner-up to Hardy Eustace in the Cheltenham showpiece last March.

"We're hoping to have his first run at Kempton at the end of October in a conditions race that he won two years ago.

"Hopefully, he'll be ready to do himself justice by then as long as the ground is not too firm," Hobbs told At The Races.

But the Minehead handler ruled out any prospect of the grey gelding ever running on the Flat.

"Although it would have been very tempting a couple of years ago, I think to be running a 10-year-old on the Flat, and maybe jar him up even more because he's always been a horse that pulls too hard, would probably not be a good idea at this stage of his career.

"I'm sure he could win a Flat race even at the age of 10 but I think by doing so we might scupper our chances of winning decent hurdle races with him and we don't want to do that."

Hobbs has though been considering running last season's Triumph Hurdle winner Made In Japan on the Flat.

But at the moment that is not a priority as he is to go novice chasing this campaign.

"Definitely off a mark of 80 on the Flat we will make use of that. The only thing I would say though is that four-year-old and upwards novice chases start later on in October and November.

"I'm probably going to be a bit stretched to get a run into him on the Flat before he goes novice chasing.

"Therefore the Flat race might well be next spring when we've finished the jumps campaign.

"The Arkle Trophy would be the obvious long-term target but we always like to start these horses off in low, ordinary races and hopefully get their confidence and win a race or two first before we even begin to consider any better targets."

[Garney]

I agree with you Brian despite only seeing Sea Pigeon on video, but Rooster Booster wasnt in training as a 2yo, and there have been plenty of rubbish horses have won the Scottish Champion hurdle, the Fighting Fifth, welsh champion hurdle.

If you were to list of Limestone Lads race winning record, it would be hugely impressive but Iris's Gift in winning one race surpasses all LL 35 wins.

[Ardross]

PDJ let's hope that you have to hang your head in shame next March :lol:

[PDJ]

Let's hope so.

[BrianH]

Garney, I note that you agree with me. Where the "but" bit is concerned, apart from Rooster Booster's 22% strike rate, if he had been in training as a three-year-old how close do you think he would have finished in Benny The Dip's Derby?

[Ian Davies]

BrianH,

As you rightly suggest and illustrate, Sea Pigeon was different class to Rooster Booster - I was alluding purely to their style of racing, as I'm sure you realise.

[Ian Davies]

Originally posted by Maurice@Aug 9 2004, 08:19 AM
However, would you really want to back anything other than RB to be second to HE is they ran the race tomorrow?

Maurice,

Probably not but, as the race takes place next March, it is my expectation that something will emerge and RB may deteriorate.

[Garney]

Ive absolutely no idea Brian, he did finish second a lot in his younger days. :lol:

But Gran Alba finished in midfield in a derby, likewise The Fly I think, definitely the leger. Chimes at Midnight has had wins and placings in good races on the flat but it's pretty much irrelevant to do with how great they are as hurdlers. For instance, you list the Doonside cup, I can remember Leggera winning it a couple of years ago ( a classy enough animal, ran well in the arc) but it is to all intents and purposes pretty much irrelevant when classing great horses. That Sea Pigeon won the race means nothing when comparing his achievements against RBs. Winning the Ebor of top weight and two chester cups are brilliant performances of course, and the best hurdlers from the modern era would have had trouble defying the handicapper as often.

That RB never beat a hurdler the calibre of Monkfield is self evident however you could try to sckew the formbook.

I just suppose that listing the wins alone - eventhough it was an eduction - doesnt mean you can rest your case on the issue.

[BrianH]

I rest my case on the fact that there is no comparison between the two - if you need further detail I'll supply it, but you might have to wait until after I'm back from York!

[Shadow Leader]

Oh, how the other half live.............. :cry:

[Garney]

No need, as i said, i agree with you, but I'll stand over that Rooster Booster, despite all his idiosyncracies, would be long odds on in the Welsh Champion and Scottish Champion hurdle (probably meant much more back in those days) had he contested them. So the listing of the races won as a comparison is irrelevant. For instance, SP was handed the scottish hurdle on a plate when golden cygnet fell (i think), but I believe that if he never won a champion hurdle, lets say retired after Monksfield second defeat in 1979, he still would be a superior hurdler on form to RB.

Winning the county hurdle or the greatwood hurdle off top weight would mean much more now than beating The French Furze in the fighting fifth, and a horse like Thisthatntother or Ulundi in the Scottish Champion

[Ardross]

What a pointless comparison ! The Booster is a great hurdler whether he was as good as Sea Pigeon ( very few are/were ) is neither here nor there .

I hope he is refreshed and comes back to his best . In which case watch out doubters

[Ardross]

Is the Booster not expected to return at Kempton shortly the race he murdered Mr Cool in a couple of years ago . It will be interesting if people no longer race to beat the Booster i.e by a slow pace becuase they think he is no longer a threat he could come straight back into his element

[prince regent]

very wishful thinking

cos even with a fast pace in the big race he will probably meet hardy eustace whom wont be bothered by a fast pace

[Ardross]

:angy:

[SteveM]

Said Rooster wouldn't win last season, next to impossible that he will win this season. The stats for the race deselect him on every count. The stats backed up last year's winner in several respects despite a hugh difference in respective prices. There are of course others in addition to Hardy Eustace who will come into it this time. Rooster won't be one of them.

Let's applaud him for what he has achieved and let it go at that.