Agree Aragon, everyone eulogising about Treve and he smashed her.
Agree Aragon, everyone eulogising about Treve and he smashed her.
He's actually beaten better horses today than Sea The Star's beat in his Arc.
I think Sea The Stars beat Youmzain and Cavalyman, whereas the horses directly behind Golden Horn today are a much higher calibre.
On ratings they're probably about the same but visually I personally prefer Golden Horn as a specimen over Sea The Stars, I just love how straightforward he is. They actually have the same sire Cape Cross which is interesting.
He's done to group one flat horses what Faugheen has been doing to his opponents over jumps, imo.
Basically Golden Horn makes something very exceptional look very easy, as he did when running on his own for two furlongs today before cutting over to get with the rest.
A truly gifted horse.
Whether he deserves to be called 'great' or not doesn't really matter, imo.
Last edited by marbler; 4th October 2015 at 7:20 PM.
tiggers1972 (4th October 2015)
He's not that far off STS, up there with the other v. good 3yo's, not up there with the true greats who proved they could give weight away as 4yo's.
Let's not be silly. Flintshire might just give you a clue.
From a poor draw he's been able to grab a great position. The pace has allowed him to just fill up his horse then kick. Was always going to be tough to make ground up. Flintshire and New Bay were right behind him, finished 2nd and 3rd.
Treve didn't break well, found herself near the back, then hung out wide and a fair way back. She has actually done well to make ground up and finish 2/3 lengths off. Clearly below her best but actually when analysing the race deserves marking up. Found too deserves marking up.
Look GH is a very good horse. The ground came in his favour. Given a good ride and allowed his own way to a point.
But yes at her best she smashes him. That's pretty clear.
All comers, all grounds, all beaten!
This perfect mix of poetry and destruction.
No its not. Thats total rubbish.
Given their ideal conditions they would probably beat each other I would agree but we'll never know. GH had his conditions today and beat her, hands down, no arguments. On the day he was by far the best. She didn't have her conditions but there is no way you could say she didn't come into the race in form, she had a pacemaker to get the right pace, she ran pretty much the same race in terms of positioning as the last two years but got beat. She's clearly not run to the same level as last year but it was conditions, not whether she was at her best.
Great horses like Frankel and STS won whatever the weather. That will always hang over Treve. She's a great horse, no doubt, but she's great round long champ on soft ground.
I'm clever enough to ask the questions i'm too stupid to answer
Utter tripe.
She won an Arc on what ground. A Diane on what ground.
Yes the firm made the difference, but clearly acts on good ground.
Regards Frankel and STS - correct.
Last edited by Frankel; 4th October 2015 at 8:13 PM.
All comers, all grounds, all beaten!
This perfect mix of poetry and destruction.
It's interesting that Frankie says that GH is "probably the best horse I've ridden", though that might be 'just after the race adrenaline' and I'm not completely convinced... Dubai Millenium was a pretty tasty beast as well.
Comparisons is such a hard game to play, the problem with doing it with horse racing is that often the horses get one chance against a rival to state their case... and more often then not it's the conditions that is the decisive factor (be it going, pace, distance, draw or how worked up they are on the day).. Both Treve and Golden Horn are exceptional and in my mind both could be capable of turning over the other on the day, just as both could have beaten Sea the Stars on a good day and vice versa. All of them were great champions in my eyes and all were a joy to watch
Last edited by Ajdal; 4th October 2015 at 8:22 PM.
All comers, all grounds, all beaten!
This perfect mix of poetry and destruction.
Eleanora Duse (5th October 2015)
Treve hung again today across the track. In fact I am surprised she wasn't dq'ed as she was responsible to almost bringing Dolniya down.
In my opinion she has always had physical problems and having that in mind I truly respect her achievements.
Last edited by LBM; 4th October 2015 at 9:17 PM.
lol... nothing like a bias fan
I think if you put up 9/1 Golden Horn in a 2 horse race with Sea The Stars on betfair if wouldn't last very long
It is a fun game to play though... rather than ask the question who is the best, ask the question: If you were a bookie, how would you price up the field if every Arc winner from Dancing Brave to Golden Horn lined up for a race; it's a tough one...
Last edited by Ajdal; 4th October 2015 at 9:49 PM.
Golden Horn has to be considered as one of the greats after that win combined with his season's tally.
This is a horse that had to be supplemented for The Derby as his owner/breeder was convinced he had a 10 furlong pedigree.
He danced nearly every dance and York was down to pilot error as well as sticky ground.
He had tough races in York, Leopardstown and Longchamp yet came up trumps, doing his own donkey work at leopardstown and having a sightseeing tour of Paris.
Full credit to all concerned for keeping him fresh and competitive for so long.
Treve was not going to reach a horse that was not stopping and had first run on her, yet she ran a most respectable race as did the other placed horses.
a great race all told.
Ajdal (5th October 2015), Eleanora Duse (5th October 2015)
Frankie might just allow his judgement to be tainted by his beef against his former employer. who was connected to most of the best horses he'd ridden previously.
Thought I might be alone in thinking Frankie was after the McCririck award for shameless self publicity, until my 11yo granddaughter passed by the TV and asked "Who's that show-off?".
Last edited by reet hard; 4th October 2015 at 10:12 PM.
Dubai Millennium is comfortably the best horse he's sat on.
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I think we have been quite spoilt the last couple of years... Kingman, Australia (who I always felt could potentially have put up a great performance), Treve, Golden Horn and Gleneagles (whose starting to remind me of See You Then/When), Taghrooda's King George to name just a few... and yet it is American Pharoah's Belmont that I personally enjoyed the most... it wasn't the best form performance and I certainly don't think he's the best horse I've seen in the last two years... but the triple crown is just one the great achievements in racing, there is something I find magical about it... which is why I still haven't forgiven Encke (RIP) for beating Camelot in the Leger.
Last edited by Ajdal; 4th October 2015 at 11:22 PM.
When I heard Frankie say this was his Carlsberg horse just after the race my first reaction was what about Lammtarra?
Golden Horn did move into a very exalted category today by winning the Arc after contesting just about every other major race of the season and winning all bar one of them. He has found it tougher at 10f but over 12f he has been irresistible.
In the airport in Paris on the way home. The one thought I have from the weekend is Frankie. He was electric after the race and despite Longchamp feeling like Cheltenham when Istabraq pulled up he made it a special moment. Racing is lucky to have him. He is the definition of redemption bar maybe Fergal Lynch.
"And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.
And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."