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Thread: Saint Calvados - as good as Arkle?

  1. #1
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Saint Calvados - as good as Arkle?

    Of course not...

    Well, maybe...

    Anyway, I trust I have your attention

    I was visually impressed by the way both TV chases at Warwick last Saturday were run.

    Saint Calvados was off like a hare being chased by St Bernards. His jumping was incredibly slick and barring mishap had the race won before halfway.

    In the next race, they again appeared to go a good pace. I wonder if the jockeys checked the time of Saint Calvados's race and thought the ground can't be as slow as they'd thought. Then Kylemore Lough cut loose some way and for all the world looked like the horse I'd hoped I'd backed in the Mackeson. The rest were struggling in behind to get anywhere near him until his exertions caught up with him going to the last. By that point only Casse Tete, struggling at halfway, was keeping on and swept past him after the last.

    I was sure that race must have been run in a fast time.

    It was almost 6 seconds per mile faster than the hurdle race run over about a furlong more and about 8 seconds per mile faster than the 2m hurdle race.

    It was much faster than the other chases... bar Saint Calvados's.

    It works out 71lbs faster.

    That's Arkle territory.

    Clearly there must be something wrong with the standard times. Saint Calvados is clearly good but the runner-up Diego De Charmil is no Mill House.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


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    Senior Member Tanlic's Avatar
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    The ground was awful the other races were longer hence the big difference which is pretty much par for the course .........Check every race and you will see the increases over standard because horses automatically are asked to go slower and finish much tireder in longer races.

    All the time tells you is he's decent nothing more nothing less
    Formely Fist of Fury

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    Saint Calvados was visually impressive but strikes me as a horse that will be ground dependant. He has a very rounded knee action, and I couldn't have him for March unless we had a deluge.

    He looked very much like Douvan over a fence by the way. He was almost hurdling them so I presume he's a giant of a horse.

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    I notice that atr and Irish Racing have a different timing to the RP. The interesting thing about Irish Racing is that they also offer an opinion of the time based on the going description:
    https://www.irishracing.com/result?r...d=201802101440
    ie. basically quick but not jaw-dropping.
    The older I get the better I was.

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  6. #5
    Senior Member TheBear's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by archie View Post
    I notice that atr and Irish Racing have a different timing to the RP. The interesting thing about Irish Racing is that they also offer an opinion of the time based on the going description:
    https://www.irishracing.com/result?r...d=201802101440
    ie. basically quick but not jaw-dropping.
    This again. Why can’t they get these times sorted out? How can there possibly be such a discrepancy?


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    Senior Member granger's Avatar
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    Not sure a ST Bernard would chase a hare mind.
    Last edited by granger; 14th February 2018 at 4:20 PM.
    Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done

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    moehat (14th February 2018)

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