The Horse racing thread

[beer baron]

Sprinter sacre ruled out of the festival, kind of expected  it but still disappointing 

[beer baron]

Cue Card out of Cheltenham now too,was looking for a while there like there'd be no real high profile absentees then there's 2 in the space of a few days,hopefully that's the last of it!

[beer baron]

It's a busy day on the news front,Murtagh's retired as a jockey to focus on his training career, i kind of expected this before last season but after the brilliant season he had i thought he'd go on for another while,a class act of a jockey and always came across as a gentleman too. His ride on Henrythenavigator to beat New Approach in the English Guineas at about 12/1 will forever give him a place in my heart   

Hopefully his training career goes well and from the start he has had it looks like it will.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Up there with Kinane, Eddery and Fallon out of all the top Irish flat jockey's that I have seen. Always produced on the big days:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ6viZtSGWg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRW8Wme3HBU

[Sea The Stars]

Agree with both of the above posts. The New Approach / Henrythenavigator Guineas was one of those memorable finishes to a horse race.  Murtagh was probably the difference - no disrespect to Manning!

Wasn't around when Eddery was winning races but I always regard Murtagh, Kinane and Fallon as the three kings of flat racing. They rode in all the major Group 1 races over the world and won a fair chunk of them too!

Murtagh always produced it on the big days for sure DH! He was some man to take the lead in a race too and win from the front. Any of the Group 1s, if I ever saw Johnny Murtagh making the running, I'd be saying he's going to make an eejit out of every other jockey here - and he would! There was never any messing or showboating either in those Group 1s. He kept the tactics simple but was ruthless in a finish. A great jockey and a great ambassador for Irish racing. Even though he'll still be involved, I'll miss him in all those big races.

[beer baron]

Annie Power off to the World hurdle,at least she'll have  a chance there,mind you i still won't be backing her   

[Sea The Stars]

The World Hurdle is shaping up to be a great race with Big Bucks and Annie Power the two marquee horses but like the the Champion Hurdle there's a few horses there capable of winning it, More of That, At Fishers Cross, Zarkandar, Celestial Halo, Rule The World. Monksland in with a outside shout and Mount Belbulben is even running !! I find it hard to narrow it down to one. Also word on Twitter is Our Conor worked very well after racing at Leopardstown and Ballycasey fell in his preparations !!

[bcarrier]

Good Cheltenham Preview thread at http://www.fatjockey.com/forum/showthread.php?2053-2014-Cheltenham-Festival-Preview-Night-Reports ...probably worth going straight to last page as news goes out of date fairly fast.

Andy Macs quote on Champion Chase "Jamie Moore told him Sire De Grugy 'fackin ates' Cheltenham "

[Donnellys Hollow]

If Rule The World gets genuinely good ground then he is the value in the stayers. Otherwise I think Annie Power is a worthy favourite. She's a class above the rest. I would be very surprised if Big Bucks can bounce back. He looked plenty straight enough to me before his comeback run.

[bcarrier]

Mixed reviews of Our Conor yesterday. Champagne Fever was the one I liked the look of.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Mixed reviews of Our Conor yesterday. Champagne Fever was the one I liked the look of.

Can't have him at all bcarrier. I know the festival form is in the book but he's only had 2 runs, one of which was a defeat which exposed jumping deficiencies  with no race since Christmas. Poor enough favourite in my book.

[Sea The Stars]

Champagne Fever has been poorly campaigned in my opinion although he is a good ground horse so maybe he'll run a few times between now and the end of the season. I think he'll win though. He's a sensational jumper and I would not let one error put you off. The likes of Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop got it wrong on the big days but were a sight to behold jumping a fence 99% of the time.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Walsh had a complete brainfart that day. Defy Logic is a bit of a headcase. Taking him on down the back was always going to end in tears. If he had the opportunity to ride that race again I'm certain he would just take a pull and allow Defy Logic to tow him into the straight before picking him up going down to the last.

The lack of a recent run worries me too and I'm sure it was not the plan after Christmas. He did bomb out at Naas last year before bouncing back in March so he could just be one of those spring horses who comes to himself at this time of year. I wasn't at Leopardstown on Sunday but I saw footage of him and he looks fantastic. If he is anyway right he will take the world of beating. He stays all day and jumps like a stag.

[beer baron]

BHA have cleared all Fentons horses to run,happy days 

[winsamsoon]

Regal Encore currently 11/4 def worth a shout @ 3:15 sandown on sat men. Also an ew punt on who's that at Gowran, ran a cracker last day at a big price and got boxed in so give it another try