The Horse racing thread

[Donnellys Hollow]

Probably the most overdue Grade 1 success ever. So that's the 2011 Irish, English and French Champion Hurdles for Willie Mullins emulating his late father.

[Radda bout yeee]

Nicely done McIlroy (9/4 - friday morning) - and await the dawn (8/11) double!!!! Hopefully Roars doesn't fill them now! 

[boojangles]

Probably the most overdue Grade 1 success ever. So that's the 2011 Irish, English and French Champion Hurdles for Willie Mullins emulating his late father.

I don't believe it. Looked at Mourad and all and thought 18/1 was too big but the fact I knew nothing of the french horses out me off it.

[Family guy]

Nicely done McIlroy (9/4 - friday morning) - and await the dawn (8/11) double!!!! Hopefully Roars doesn't fill them now! 

Your home and hosed now lad 

[SLIGONIAN]

Geraldines Lass 11th in Down Royal 14.40 today, didnt bet on it but as we all won good money on it lately i thought its worth a mention..

[Muzz]

Anyone watch the race? What happened crus? Thousand run a great race?

[Donnellys Hollow]

Anyone watch the race? What happened crus? Thousand run a great race?

They went very steady for the first mile and a half. Grand Cru looked to be travelling well three out but he was one paced when they quickened. Walsh only had to get after Thousand Stars at the back of the last. He had learned his lesson from the Barka a few weeks ago.

Big dilemna for Willie now. Might be tempted to go over fences but could be a possible challenger to Big Bucks over three miles?

[flantheman82]

Anyone know how or where to find the top jockey standings at royal ascot? Guy out of work was telling me about a 5 timer he has running, the last of which is Moore as top jockey. Gets a few grand for a £20 bet if he wins.

[Muzz]

Surprised with Grand Crus.  He's the only horse to challenge big bucks. Admittedly showed better at Cheltenham when Ruby ran a very different race than normal with Bucks.  At Aintree Bucks did look better when raced from the front.

If Crus can't win in that field (ex Bucks) in a race it has raced and challenged in all season where can he go? I'll probably eat my words next season. Mullins takes another horse and wipes the field not only Crus!

Interesting to see how thousand stars and bucks fair next year.  Can Crus come back?

[bridge fan]

A DOUBLE on the final day of Royal Ascot on Saturday helped Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien into the lead for the top jockey and top trainer titles at the royal meeting.

Jockey 1st 2nd 3rd
Ryan Moore 3 5 2
Richard Hughes 3 4 2
Jamie Spencer 2  2
Johnny Murtagh 2  1
Eddie Ahern 2     
Silvestre de Sousa 2   
William Buick 2     
Richard Kingscote 2     
Tom Queally 1 3   
Martin Dwyer 1 1 1
Phillip Makin 1 1 1



Trainer 1st 2nd 3rd
Aidan O'Brien 4 2 1
Richard Hannon 3 4 1
John Gosden
2 1
   
Mark Johnston 2  1
Tom Dascombe
2     
Hughie Morrison
2     
James Fanshawe 2   
Sir Henry Cecil
1 2   
Brian Meehan
1 1 1
Kevin Ryan
1 1 

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Surprised with Grand Crus.  He's the only horse to challenge big bucks. Admittedly showed better at Cheltenham when Ruby ran a very different race than normal with Bucks.  At Aintree Bucks did look better when raced from the front.

If Crus can't win in that field (ex Bucks) in a race it has raced and challenged in all season where can he go? I'll probably eat my words next season. Mullins takes another horse and wipes the field not only Crus!

Interesting to see how thousand stars and bucks fair next year.  Can Crus come back?

My understanding was that Grand Crus is heading novice chasing next season?

[Muzz]

Surprised with Grand Crus.  He's the only horse to challenge big bucks. Admittedly showed better at Cheltenham when Ruby ran a very different race than normal with Bucks.  At Aintree Bucks did look better when raced from the front.

If Crus can't win in that field (ex Bucks) in a race it has raced and challenged in all season where can he go? I'll probably eat my words next season. Mullins takes another horse and wipes the field not only Crus!

Interesting to see how thousand stars and bucks fair next year.  Can Crus come back?

My understanding was that Grand Crus is heading novice chasing next season?

I thought there was only talk of that because of his results against bucks?  Thought it was only here say from punters.  There could be something in it I suppose

[Donnellys Hollow]

Surprised with Grand Crus.  He's the only horse to challenge big bucks. Admittedly showed better at Cheltenham when Ruby ran a very different race than normal with Bucks.  At Aintree Bucks did look better when raced from the front.

If Crus can't win in that field (ex Bucks) in a race it has raced and challenged in all season where can he go? I'll probably eat my words next season. Mullins takes another horse and wipes the field not only Crus!

Interesting to see how thousand stars and bucks fair next year.  Can Crus come back?

My understanding was that Grand Crus is heading novice chasing next season?

I thought there was only talk of that because of his results against bucks?  Thought it was only here say from punters.  There could be something in it I suppose

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=racing/11/04/11/RACING_Crus.html

[Muzz]

Fair point.  So will thousand stars put it up to big bucks?

[drici]

http://unitedireland.tripod.com/dawn_run_lyrics_foster_allen.html


Jonjo first rode Dawn Run at Ascot in November 1983 and recalls "she was very moody and not a very comfortable ride. I never felt that I really fitted into her neatly and tidily". Nonetheless, they were successful and the following March landed the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, it was Dawn Run's victory in the 1986 Cheltenham Gold Cup that really captured the racing public's imagination. Her trainer, Paddy Mullins, was far from confident that she could win such a race, despite her exploits over hurdles. As Jonjo relates "the major threat to her chances were the fences – her jumping could be dreadful. She was a big, long-striding mare, who was fantastic at flying a hurdle and could be brilliant if she met a fence right. However, she hadn't a clue how to adjust herself when she was wrong and just took a chance".

Turning for home, towards the end of a dramatic race, Dawn Run was one of only four horses left in contention. After the second last fence she looked likely to finish no better than third, but under a power packed finish from Jonjo she stormed up the hill to catch Wayward Lad near the finish. As Jonjo remembers "It was an amazing feeling. The noise of the crowd was incredible – a fitting reception for the first horse to win the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup. It was bedlam, glorious chaos and a moment in time I'll never forget – how could you!"

Jonjo retired at the end of that season, but Dawn Run's connections extended her campaign in a bid to win a second French Champion Hurdle. Tragically, she fell in that, breaking her neck. Such was her popularity, her death was reported on the front page of the Irish Times. A bronze statue of her and Jonjo now overlooks the parade ring at Cheltenham.

Jonjo summed up her unique ability as follows "She gave me my greatest day ever as a jockey. She was a funny old thing, but it was a great honour to be associated with her".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC9dRA15F9s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhai8xzEi0k

Dawn Run, who also won the Irish and French Champion Hurdles, was killed in the summer of 1986, just months after her Gold Cup triumph, when falling at Auteuil under a French jockey, Michel Chirol.In her next race at Aintree she failed to get past the first fence, but followed up by again beating Buck House in a specially arranged match at the Punchestown festival.  The decision was then made by her owner to send her back to France to try and repeat her 1984 win in the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle).  French jockey Michel Chirol was on board Dawn Run.
Dawn Run broke her neck in the French Champion Hurdle.