The Horse racing thread

[Mickey Linden]

So whos your picks Don?

[Don Johnson]

Grands Crus and Cash and Go.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Why oh why oh why have they messed up the format of the 10 To Follow?

I used to enter a few lines each year but I'm not going to bother this season and I doubt I'm alone. It was nigh on impossible to beat the syndicates as it was but at least you had some hope of landing the monthly or festival prizes.

[boojangles]

Enda Bolger without a runner in the Cross Country Chase tomorrow? Must be the first time in a decade or more and sad to see IMO.

[Donnellys Hollow]

He has only one in the banks race at Punchestown on Saturday too.

[Don Johnson]

Why oh why oh why have they messed up the format of the 10 To Follow?

I used to enter a few lines each year but I'm not going to bother this season and I doubt I'm alone. It was nigh on impossible to beat the syndicates as it was but at least you had some hope of landing the monthly or festival prizes.

Yeah it is crap. Plus I had Grands Crus in both my picks for it and also had a hefty punt on it as well myself.

Our Father was a good winner for me though.

Mickey Linden is thinking about following Pricewise for £50 a point from now on, I suppose if you have it you might as well.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Enda Bolger without a runner in the Cross Country Chase tomorrow? Must be the first time in a decade or more and sad to see IMO.

Looks like Arabella Boy will line up at the next Cheltenham meeting for him. He's been quite frustrating over the last few seasons but he's probably just a slow horse who will always get done in normal chases. He's still quite young for this sphere so he could develop into a decent money spinner for the yard. He should be getting plenty of weight from Uncle Junior the next day.

Clondaw Court looked like a serious tool in the bumper today. Favourite already for the Cheltenham bumper!

[bcarrier]

Grands crus having a wind op...not sure it will fix him.

Willie Mullins back in form this weekend. His team this year looks deeper than ever.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Grands crus having a wind op...not sure it will fix him.

I think he's beginning to resent being held up in his races. He's not a horse that finds a great deal off the bridle anyway.

Willie Mullins back in form this weekend. His team this year looks deeper than ever.

It's scary to think he has still got the likes of Boston Bob, Sir Des Champs and Un Atout to reappear. I thought that was a good run by Hurricane Fly yesterday. He had to do it all himself on the front end but I thought he had a race fit Go Native well cooked at the last. Captain Cee Bee might be getting on a bit now but he put in a great display last time out at Limerick Junction and he couldn't get a blow in yesterday. If they keep Hurricane Fly on the go now and get him to Cheltenham sound I wouldn't back against him regaining his crown. There's no way that was his true running last season.

I see Staying Article did the business again today. Feckin missed it too.

I'm convinced that horse has a big race in him some day down the line. Interesting to see if O'Grady plots him up for something like the Schweppes or the County Hurdle. Those Definite Article horses are always knocked for being a bit soft like their Daddy but he out battled that Blackstairmountain who wouldn't beat his own shadow home.

[RealSpiritof98]

(Mullins Way - 3.20 S) Big money loading on this from a usual big price suspect.

[Armaghgael]

Interesting card tomorrow at Fairyhouse. Mullins and Ruby look likely to have a good day. Heard good reports about Twigline before Cheltenham 2011 making his debut for Mullins should go well.

[Lecale2]

DH mentioned Twigline as one to watch this time last year.

[Donnellys Hollow]

She's a good one. Great training performance to finally get her to the track because she's a very fragile mare.

[Armaghgael]

She's a good one. Great training performance to finally get her to the track because she's a very fragile mare.

Nice to eventually see it run. After backing for 2011 truimph hurdle i thought it would never race. Looks a good prospect

[Declan]

It's a cruel game sometimes -

Go Native suffered a fatal injury when breaking a leg on the gallops on Friday morning, said trainer Noel Meade.
The nine-year-old was three times a Grade One winner and had looked back to his best this season following a long absence.
Meade said: "We're all in a state of shock at the moment.
"He was just doing a very steady canter. I was stood about 100 yards away from him and all of a sudden I heard this almighty crack and he'd somehow broken his leg above the hock.
"I don't know why these things happen. He was the first one to come up the straight gallop after it had been harrowed. We are all completely devastated. It's cruel blow for his owners and everyone in the yard."
Owned by the Docado syndicate, Go Native returned from an absence of 939 days to be third on the Flat at Navan in October and went a couple of places better subsequently at Galway. He went back over hurdles in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown last weekend only to fall at the final flight when a length behind the winner, Hurricane Fly.
"You have to be a hard man in a game like this, I tell you" Noel Meade
Referring to the Morgiana, Meade said: "You have to question whether he did something in the fall, but although he's not done any fast work, he's been hacking all week and has seemed fine.
"We had the physio check him out thoroughly earlier in the week and she was happy that he was perfect. We'll never know now.
"He had all that time off and came back as good as he ever was and for this to happen is just incredible.
"You have to be a hard man in a game like this, I tell you.
"I know there are lots of other businesses where you get knocks, but there can't be many harder games than this."
Meade's inmate won nine races from 18 starts under Rules, including the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle three years ago.
But his finest hour came a season earlier when he claimed the Supreme Novices' Hurdle by a neck at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival.
Go Native earned over £319,000 in prize-money for his connections.