Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Grand National 2012

11314151618

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭ste2010


    hucklebuck wrote: »

    If there was decent prize money Big Bucks would run and sluice in.

    He's like a trundle wheel powered by a Ferrari engine!
    On another note off topic...I know u were asking about time form a few weeks ago. I came across their pod casts yesterday. One to follow


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,173 ✭✭✭hucklebuck




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,173 ✭✭✭hucklebuck


    ste2010 wrote: »
    He's like a trundle wheel powered by a Ferrari engine!
    On another note off topic...I know u were asking about time form a few weeks ago. I came across their pod casts yesterday. One to follow

    Cheers man, I am still trying to nail down my selection process, it is either very good or piss poor with no happy medium.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭ste2010


    [/QUOTE]

    Cheers man, I am still trying to nail down my selection process, it is either very good or piss poor with no happy medium.[/Quote]

    No worries. To be honest your not alone. Usually do very well until jan. then chelt finds out alot of horses and aintree unusually was pretty ok for me this year but usually kills me. I'm considering knocking handicaps on the head..if I looked at them this is where I fall down the most. I'm not a layer but wouldn't rule it out..I worry it would be laboursome and take a little bit of the enjoyment out of the gamble.
    Can't wait for punchestown now..some great memories up there. Last year had 5 winners (including a 16-1 I tipped up) and 2 places in 1 day with all the lads. Surely a success that will never be repeated, We went bananas after popping bottles and dancing like sean puffy combs around the court hotel after! :-)


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,244 ✭✭✭Juwwi


    Edit Horse appears to be fine .


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 720 ✭✭✭Timfy


    I was born and brought up in Lambourn, as most of you know it is a horse racing village, one of the largest centres of all things equestrian in the UK. I love the purity and grace of flat racing. I love the passion, strength and sheer spectacle of national hunt. I was raised in an environment that was permeated with racing as did most of my friends. However I feel that the Grand National is nothing to do with the core spirit of racing. It is just a modern day version of the Roman games, with a stupid, braying crowd expecting, and unfortunately getting, death and destruction. I know that the course has been "sanitised" and is a shadow of it's former self but when quality horses die, not just also rans that obviously wouldn't manage the course, but Cheltenham Gold cup winners, then something is deeply, irrevocably wrong. I'm no tree hugger nor animal rights activist but seeing a race continue around the corpses of two mighty animals strikes me as somewhat inhumane. I wonder if in the forthcoming Olympics that should an athlete die during the 1500m, whether the other runners would just continue around him as if he was roadkill?
    My friend, heavily involved with racing and still living in Lambourn had this to say "It was a very sad day today and deeply upsetting to hear of any horse being put down let alone one of such amazing charizma as Synchronize. The quality of the crowd has definately changed the public attitude of the race and not for the better in my opinion, pure sterile greed for the big win ! It needs less runners and tougher qualifying races to make these owners and trainers think a bit harder about the risks rather than the glory."

    No trees were harmed in the posting of this message, however a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,330 ✭✭✭Morgans


    Timfy wrote: »
    I was born and brought up in Lambourn, as most of you know it is a horse racing village, one of the largest centres of all things equestrian in the UK. I love the purity and grace of flat racing. I love the passion, strength and sheer spectacle of national hunt. I was raised in an environment that was permeated with racing as did most of my friends. However I feel that the Grand National is nothing to do with the core spirit of racing. It is just a modern day version of the Roman games, with a stupid, braying crowd expecting, and unfortunately getting, death and destruction. I know that the course has been "sanitised" and is a shadow of it's former self but when quality horses die, not just also rans that obviously wouldn't manage the course, but Cheltenham Gold cup winners, then something is deeply, irrevocably wrong. I'm no tree hugger nor animal rights activist but seeing a race continue around the corpses of two mighty animals strikes me as somewhat inhumane. I wonder if in the forthcoming Olympics that should an athlete die during the 1500m, whether the other runners would just continue around him as if he was roadkill?
    My friend, heavily involved with racing and still living in Lambourn had this to say "It was a very sad day today and deeply upsetting to hear of any horse being put down let alone one of such amazing charizma as Synchronize. The quality of the crowd has definately changed the public attitude of the race and not for the better in my opinion, pure sterile greed for the big win ! It needs less runners and tougher qualifying races to make these owners and trainers think a bit harder about the risks rather than the glory."

    You do realise that the screens that the horses ran around were up for an injured jockey.

    Qualifying races?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 713 ✭✭✭newuser89


    what a race in compliance ran in 5th
    i was watching him after giles cross pulled up as the woman was adamant i back it
    ran on the outside from what i could see and made very gd ground on the leading bunch towards the last few fences
    had to listen to her all day on how shes always right(i kept telling her it was a waste a money ,no chance)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,370 ✭✭✭b757


    naughto wrote: »
    where can i watch the race again??


    Yeah here it is on youtube..





    €10 e/w on Black Apalachi.. :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,838 ✭✭✭Nulty


    I can't believe the national was won by a nose (short head but really, a nose)

    :eek:


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭barney4001


    Katie gave her horse a great ride just did not stay on for her


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,335 ✭✭✭✭UrbanSea


    Timfy wrote: »
    I was born and brought up in Lambourn, as most of you know it is a horse racing village, one of the largest centres of all things equestrian in the UK. I love the purity and grace of flat racing. I love the passion, strength and sheer spectacle of national hunt. I was raised in an environment that was permeated with racing as did most of my friends. However I feel that the Grand National is nothing to do with the core spirit of racing. It is just a modern day version of the Roman games, with a stupid, braying crowd expecting, and unfortunately getting, death and destruction. I know that the course has been "sanitised" and is a shadow of it's former self but when quality horses die, not just also rans that obviously wouldn't manage the course, but Cheltenham Gold cup winners, then something is deeply, irrevocably wrong. I'm no tree hugger nor animal rights activist but seeing a race continue around the corpses of two mighty animals strikes me as somewhat inhumane. I wonder if in the forthcoming Olympics that should an athlete die during the 1500m, whether the other runners would just continue around him as if he was roadkill?
    My friend, heavily involved with racing and still living in Lambourn had this to say "It was a very sad day today and deeply upsetting to hear of any horse being put down let alone one of such amazing charizma as Synchronize. The quality of the crowd has definately changed the public attitude of the race and not for the better in my opinion, pure sterile greed for the big win ! It needs less runners and tougher qualifying races to make these owners and trainers think a bit harder about the risks rather than the glory."

    The horse had won a Gold Cup.What kind of qualifying races would he want to see if that isn't accepted?


    Also, using this human v. horse argument is not comparable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 878 ✭✭✭Huntley


    sting60 wrote: »
    The person who told me Ballabriggs at 50/1 is now telling me Giles Cross big time.Its the National but this horse is in serious order.This is my best info this year so far I tipped Countrywide Flame as a banker at Cheltenham,the war office had 5e e/w on it at 33/1 loads of brownie points.
    sting60 wrote: »
    Back the horse.He is going to run a blinder.
    sting60 wrote: »
    The owners /trainers in my opinion know more than you.You are a fool please do not contact me again.
    Huntley wrote: »
    If the owners/trainers think he will stay 4m 4f then I would question whether they know more than me. We will see who the fool is in 9 days.

    Giles Cross is best priced 25's, considering I am such a generous and charitable guy I will exclusively lay you whatever you want at 27's.
    sting60 wrote: »
    Where you at Cheltenham fool when I asked you for a challenged.You shut up .very ,very right.

    Very, very wrong it seems.

    What was it this time Sting, did he have a cough?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,589 ✭✭✭irish_stevo815


    What a dramatic finish to the race. Always sad to hear horses dying from a race.

    Had 5 horses backed, only 1 finisHed for me: sunnyhillboy, but had him to win. Also had synchronized (RIP), kilyglen, black apalachi and alpha beat, all each way.

    Will prob see some big changes for next year after them fatalities. Synchronized should never have been put into the race after what happened during the parade. The whole start of the race was a shambles, but the finish was so so dramatic


  • Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭mystika121


    Can I just ask how does a horse qualify for the Grand National? Can lesser rated horses pay a supplement fee to enter the race?

    Also, why is the tape used at the start when most steeplechases don't use it?

    Thanks.


  • Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭Stewie Griffin


    Huntley,
    Giles Cross was pulled up at the 11th fence, about 2 miles (at a rough guess) into the race. It's hardly conclusive proof that he wouldn't have stayed, seeing as he has won over 3m4f this season.
    FWIW, I don't think he would have stayed the trip either, but I just don't think you got the proof you needed yesterday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,330 ✭✭✭Morgans


    mystika121 wrote: »
    Can I just ask how does a horse qualify for the Grand National? Can lesser rated horses pay a supplement fee to enter the race?

    Also, why is the tape used at the start when most steeplechases don't use it?

    Thanks.

    Each horse has a rating based on that they have done to date on the racetrack. The top 40 rated horses run.

    Tape is used in all steeplechases. Sometimes its more visible than others.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,330 ✭✭✭Morgans


    Huntley,
    Giles Cross was pulled up at the 11th fence, about 2 miles (at a rough guess) into the race. It's hardly conclusive proof that he wouldn't have stayed, seeing as he has won over 3m4f this season.
    FWIW, I don't think he would have stayed the trip either, but I just don't think you got the proof you needed yesterday.

    Was against Giles Cross in two match bets yesterday as I didnt think he would finish. Those who support him will blame the ground. I'll happily take him on again next year, but how he ran yesterday proves no one right or wrong.


  • Registered Users Posts: 878 ✭✭✭Huntley


    Huntley,
    Giles Cross was pulled up at the 11th fence, about 2 miles (at a rough guess) into the race. It's hardly conclusive proof that he wouldn't have stayed, seeing as he has won over 3m4f this season.
    FWIW, I don't think he would have stayed the trip either, but I just don't think you got the proof you needed yesterday.

    We didn't see whether the horse stayed or not but that isn't entirely relevant in this situation.

    If somebody felt entitled to call me a fool last week than you can be sure I will remind him that the horse didn't run a "blinder" and he wasn't "very,very right".


  • Registered Users Posts: 878 ✭✭✭Huntley


    If memory serves me right I think a horse has had to place in a 3 mile chase before their rating is taken into account.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,641 ✭✭✭gscully


    I think they should leave the race alone.

    Just my opinion, but I think the ground has a lot to do with it. We've had mild and dry weather early Spring for the last two years and the ground has been harder than it should be for such jumping. I'd wager that there's a higher attrition rate during summer NH meetings than Winter. The cross-country at Cheltenham lost two horses also and was the only part of the course that couldn't be watered. Maybe if it was determined that the Grand National be run on ground no better than good-to-soft or soft, that would help? Good and fast ground is fine for lighter flat horses with nine stone on their backs, but not for horses landing from five feet high with eleven stone on them.

    As an aside, does anyone know if racehorses use standard horse-shoes or are they specially designed for absorbing impact? I know I wouldn't go out running unless I had plenty of cushioning.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,330 ✭✭✭Morgans


    Huntley wrote: »
    If memory serves me right I think a horse has had to place in a 3 mile chase before their rating is taken into account.

    NOt sure if this is the case. Quoilbet and Or Noir De Samoza ran last year with ratings from france. I dont think that they had won or placed in 3m chases. Maybe some restrictions have been added. I remember Majed running in his first chase in the National for Martin Pipe. Might have forced a change.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,335 ✭✭✭✭UrbanSea


    Such rubbish being posted over in the thread in After Hours.


    Apparently stable workers don't care about the horses as long as they're paid


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,838 ✭✭✭Nulty


    UrbanSea wrote: »
    Such rubbish being posted over in the thread in After Hours.


    Apparently stable workers don't care about the horses as long as they're paid

    Whats new? Whenever I feel like posting rubbish, that's where I go.

    Sunnyhillboy was so unlucky....I might post that in this thread for a few weeks til I get over it

    :P


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,838 ✭✭✭Nulty


    Did anyone else see the lass of Neptune Collonges slapping the neck of the horse in the winners enclosure after he won the race. She was belting the life out of the soft peachy animal. It was a disgrace and totally cruel and abusive behaviour. You could hear the slaps a mile away and I think she should be locked up and the key thrown away. Poor animal being beaten by a human. Absolutely disgusted.

    ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,774 ✭✭✭Big Daddy Cool


    i feel they should leave the race as it is.

    There is no way possible you can ever reduce the risks of jump racing where you will get zero fatalities or injuries, i feel if you continually decrease the size of the fences its possible you could increase the emphasis on speed which in turn could lead to more fallers because horses will be going that quick they wont meet a jump properly or lose their balance on landing which again in turn could lead to more problems and what do you do then,

    i know maybe have jump racing over 5 miles without whips with 2 show jumping poles a maximum 2 feet off the ground and a maximum field of 15 runners.

    now i bet that would keep ''everybody'' happy :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,669 ✭✭✭Colonel Sanders


    Morgans wrote: »
    Huntley wrote: »
    If memory serves me right I think a horse has had to place in a 3 mile chase before their rating is taken into account.

    NOt sure if this is the case. Quoilbet and Or Noir De Samoza ran last year with ratings from france. I dont think that they had won or placed in 3m chases. Maybe some restrictions have been added. I remember Majed running in his first chase in the National for Martin Pipe. Might have forced a change.

    Wasn't the 3m stipulation only introduced this year?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,173 ✭✭✭hucklebuck


    Wasn't the 3m stipulation only introduced this year?

    Yeah after last year, as far as I remember they changed it to horses 7 or older who had placed in a 3 mile chase or further, I think the rationnel was that 6 year old are too inexperienced for it.

    I have a feeling there is a minimum rating too but not too sure, I remember Mullins giving out about one of his but I think that was because he had won 2m6 ish but Mullins had to run him again and plot him in a 3 mile plus race so his horse could qualify.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,838 ✭✭✭Nulty


    Winning owner John Hales pays tribute to JP McManus, who owned the runner-up and was first to contragulate him despite losing his Gold Cup hero during the race. "We lost One Man here in 1998 the year he won the Champion Chase. The highs and lows of this game are extreme," Hales says.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement