The Jumpers are Coming 2017/2018

slimshady007 · 19-03-2018 9:26am

ziggy wrote: »

Nicholls seems to have lost a lot of big owners over the years, I wonder why that is?

Is he falling out with the owners?
I wouldn’t blame Clive Smith not having any more horses with him after his antics when Kauto Star retired for example.

Im not sure - with the exception of Clive Smith who else has left him? I see Andy Stewart still has horses there.

What happened with Kauto Star exactly? I thought Nicholls wanted him retired to the field but Smith wanted him to do dressage (which he did). And when he died Nicholls wasent told until after the fact and was pi$$ed off he wasn't told beforehand so he could say goodbye. If I had trained the horse of a lifetime I think I'd have felt the same as you'd inevitably become attached to a horse like that. I remember they fell out but not sure who was in the wrong.

ziggy · 20-03-2018 1:09pm

This post has been deleted.

Joe_ Public · 20-03-2018 1:16pm

How many horses does Clive Smith have nowadays? Don't notice those colours much anymore.

As for Rich Ricci, I doubt there'll be any great rush to scale down from his Mullins link anytime soon. The key to Mullins is Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard, among others, who source the best horses and keep him continually one step ahead of his rivals. Boulard has been associated with the Mullins' since the days of Dawn Run. Sure, it's a lot about the money, but it's so much more than that too.

supremenovice · 20-03-2018 1:37pm

ziggy wrote: »

Nicholls has lost Clive Smith, Paul Barber, Harry Findlay (he went bankrupt) & Graham Wylie.

The Stewarts & John Hales seem to have less horses these days too.

In the last few years he has also lost his number one jockey (Ruby) and two assistants (Harry Fry & Dan Skelton)

The Smith fallout came about because Nicholls wanted Kauto Star to spend the rest of his days in his stable and spat the dummy when he didn't get his way.

Excellent trainer, if i had a horse in the UK he would be near the top of the list of trainers i would send it to.

I was only thinking to myself that maybe the Wylies should send Yorkhill to Nicholls to see if he can be turned around. It would send ripples through the racing world and may damage the Mullins/Wylie relationship but a radical approach needs to be taken to get him back to his best.

RivetingRoger · 20-03-2018 8:31pm

Wait till WPM wins the Irish GN with Bellshill and all will be forgiven

(was a shocking festival for Wylie alright)

handsfree2 · 21-03-2018 9:02pm

supremenovice wrote: »

I was only thinking to myself that maybe the Wylies should send Yorkhill to Nicholls to see if he can be turned around. It would send ripples through the racing world and may damage the Mullins/Wylie relationship but a radical approach needs to be taken to get him back to his best.

Wylie put up with Howard Johnson for years with moderate success (tidal bay and Ingles Driver are the only two grade 1 winners I can remember) .

Under Willie he's had multiple grade 1 winners in a short period, relatively speaking.

kfallon · 21-03-2018 11:31pm

handsfree2 wrote: »

Wylie put up with Howard Johnson for years with moderate success (tidal bay and Ingles Driver are the only two grade 1 winners I can remember) .

Under Willie he's had multiple grade 1 winners in a short period, relatively speaking.

Arcalis and No Refuge!

BumperD · 22-03-2018 12:28am

RivetingRoger wrote: »

Wait till WPM wins the Irish GN with Bellshill and all will be forgiven

(was a shocking festival for Wylie alright)

I saw him ambling about the shopping tents looking at paintings and tweed coats I guess he didn’t have many runners on track to view this year so had more time on his hands

handsfree2 · 22-03-2018 12:58am

kfallon wrote: »

Arcalis and No Refuge!

Fair point but he's had some amount of grade 1 winners with Willie

Shaneshill (bumper)
Bellshill
Black Hercules
Yorkhill
Nicols caynon
Briar Hill
Boston Bob
Felix younger
Back in focus

Not to mention on his own being second in a gold cup.

Fanny Wank · 26-03-2018 12:24pm

Still not decided if Samcro goes chasing or for the champion hurdle next year. If I owned him I'd run him in the champion at Punchestown and decide then, though being a 6yo already my gut would say chasing to be aimed at the Gold Cup at 8

https://twitter.com/AtTheRaces/status/978227203262447616?s=19

danganabu · 26-03-2018 12:41pm

Cue Card to be retired after one last run in the Oaksey Chase.

WickIow Brave · 26-03-2018 10:47pm

Fanny **** wrote: »

Still not decided if Samcro goes chasing or for the champion hurdle next year. If I owned him I'd run him in the champion at Punchestown and decide then, though being a 6yo already my gut would say chasing to be aimed at the Gold Cup at 8

https://twitter.com/AtTheRaces/status/978227203262447616?s=19

It's interesting that Gordon said that he'd be tempted to train him for the Champion Hurdle next year while I read an Eddie O'Leary quote today saying that Samcro could run in the 3 Mile G1 Novice hurdle at Punchestown. They seem to be on completely different wave lengths. The good thing for both of them, I suppose, is that it doesn't really matter where Samcro goes because he'll be winning wherever he ends up.

EICVD · 07-04-2018 3:31pm

WickIow Brave wrote: »

It's interesting that Gordon said that he'd be tempted to train him for the Champion Hurdle next year while I read an Eddie O'Leary quote today saying that Samcro could run in the 3 Mile G1 Novice hurdle at Punchestown. They seem to be on completely different wave lengths. The good thing for both of them, I suppose, is that it doesn't really matter where Samcro goes because he'll be winning wherever he ends up.

He might have his champion hurdle won this season anyway. I was up in Cullentra this morning & making small talk I asked which novice race will Samcro go for & Gordon said he could run in the champion either.

Fanny Wank · 07-04-2018 6:13pm

EICVD wrote: »

He might have his champion hurdle won this season anyway. I was up in Cullentra this morning & making small talk I asked which novice race will Samcro go for & Gordon said he could run in the champion either.

Makes complete sense to run in the champion at Punchestown to me (posted it a while back)

A find out mission and also could be important for the trainer's championship

Fanny Wank · 08-04-2018 11:17am

Eddie O'Leary is predicting another nail-biting finish to this year's trainers' championship but hopes Gigginstown House Stud can help Gordon Elliott bring Willie Mullins' 10-year reign to an end at Punchestown this month.
...

Read the full story at:
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/o-leary-we-ll-be-doing-everything-we-can-to-help-gordon-across-the-line/2477115/