Rather Be was absolutely cantering when brought down 4 out.
Rather Be was absolutely cantering when brought down 4 out.
Meant to say...
I got a call yesterday afternoon not long after the big race from my brother (who isn't as cynical as me) asking whether I thought the Benatar - Baron Alco thing was one big put-away by the Moores.
On reflection, he's probably right. I suspect Benatar was a decoy all along.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Rather Be would of pi$$ed this had McGrath negotiated a clear passage...end of
If Kings Socks had stood up he wouldn't have been out of the first three. He just made that one mistake, which is all it takes to end your chance. It looked to me like a combination between wanting to chuck Tom Scu off and trying to dive through the fence as the pace was increasing. A novicey mistake to make. I wonder if they will give be him a surprise entry over the smaller obstacles in a handicap hurdle in the near future. That would be worth watching!
Last edited by Marb; 18th November 2018 at 12:45 PM.
I was seriously unimpressed with McGrath today on Claimintakinforgan and Verdana Blue. The former, considering he was reported to have jumped well last time, hardly met a fence right in the first mile and I'm not convinced he was serious about winning on the latter.
I think jockeys should be made to study Sam Waley-Cohen video replays on how to get horses to meet fences on a stride. I don't think there is better out there.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Nonsense like that doesn't even deserve an answer
Formely Fist of Fury
Was definitely going ok but look to his right and Adam Wedge hasn't moved a muscle. 4 out is fully 10 furlongs out at Cheltenham and there was at least 8 of the first 9 yet to be asked a serious question.
Guitar Pete was under pressure but he finds for pressure while King Socks who looked to be going ok finds SFA in his races.
It would have taken some performance for any of the fallers to have beaten the winner who was very impressive IMO
Formely Fist of Fury
I've done some initial figures.
They back up my immediate impression that it was a 'great' race, certainly in terms of the ratings it's throwing up. A little bit like my huge ratings for the Whitbread (won by Step Back from Rock The Kasbah) which I wasn't sure were reliable, these ratings are 'way up there with the best renewals of the race in terms of being ahead of the handicapper.
And Kalondra would have won if it had run to my rating for it. Rather Be would have needed to improve 10lbs on my alread good rating for it to have dead-deated with Baron Alco, which ties in very closely with its handicapping turnaround with Mister Whitaker from the festival race.
I'll add more later - squeezing this in while the TV adverts are on!
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On my figures, Frodon, Mister Whitaker and Eamon An Cnoic have run to their previous ratings to the ounce but the form might be even better again as I had MW with a 'p' and EAC with a '+'. For the time being I'm using their old ratings because I thought MW could have jumped a little better or could have been rider nearer midfield. EAC ran in midfield so may have run his race but what if he's better, as the '+' suggests?
Frodon had a '?' because his rating was just so high but, like RTK in the longer race, he has justified it despite not jumping as well as he can. Maybe he's better as well.
The new handicap mark rises are almost irrelevant to the level of form. Baron Alco's new mark leaves him on a rating off which he can take any decent Saturday handicap but he'll need to improve again to win a big one (£50k+).
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