Leopardstown Dublin Racing Festival.

handsfree2

Francie Barrett wrote: »

If that is going to be the response from British trainers, then they've lost any right to complain about the lack of prize money in the future. Nicky Henderson's response in particular was totally spineless. He has no excuse to run the best hurdler going in Buveur D'Air in a £15k egg and spoon race when he could be going to Ireland and winning a much better race and taking home a £90k purse.

Seriously, I hope the Irish trainers pull their pants down at Cheltenham this year.

Here here

RivetingRoger

Am I the only one glad that BD V Faugheen won't happen till March
Adds to the intrigue and the anticipation of it
Most people hate that the NH season is all geared toward the festival and we don't see these match up through out the year, I actually like that!

Oct - Feb is like WC qualifiers, March then is the tournament itself.

Zarkandar

Francie Barrett wrote: »

You might catch it in the on-course Paddy Power, but I imagine it will be bunged in there. I think there's also a bar underneath the main stand that has other sports on TV.

6 Nations rugby will definitely be on plenty of tv's downstairs and in the bars. They now do a fair job of having other big sporting events being shown at track during racing.

handsfree2

RivetingRoger wrote: »

Am I the only one glad that BD V Faugheen won't happen till March
Adds to the intrigue and the anticipation of it
Most people hate that the NH season is all geared toward the festival and we don't see these match up through out the year, I actually like that!

Oct - Feb is like WC qualifiers, March then is the tournament itself.

If faugheen beat BV then it would make the Cheltenham race a lot more interesting in my opinion. The champ looking for revenge on the come back kid.

kfallon

Fúck the 6 Nations

Zarkandar

kfallon wrote: »

Fúck the 6 Nations

You might have to ask at the bar to get the Pro14 on.

Mr321

RivetingRoger wrote: »

Killultagh Vic 7/1 for IGC

Thank you very much....

Road to Respect wins it.

sweeneed

min v yorkhill. money seems to be coming for min while yorkhill drifts......

BumperD

Francie Barrett wrote: »

If that is going to be the response from British trainers, then they've lost any right to complain about the lack of prize money in the future. Nicky Henderson's response in particular was totally spineless. He has no excuse to run the best hurdler going in Buveur D'Air in a £15k egg and spoon race when he could be going to Ireland and winning a much better race and taking home a £90k purse.

Seriously, I hope the Irish trainers pull their pants down at Cheltenham this year.

Why would any trainer give their star performers a hard race before the main season target? Traveling to another country added in. Makes sense to me that they are avoiding this but will be there for punchestown or Aintree

Francie Barrett

BumperD wrote: »

Why would any trainer give their star performers a hard race before the main season target? Traveling to another country added in. Makes sense to me that they are avoiding this but will be there for punchestown or Aintree

It was just one example off the top of my head, but having said that Faugheen, Hurricane Fly, Brave Inca, Istabraq - all these horses did the Irish/English Champion Hurdle double. But whether Buveur D'Air travelled or not, the point still remains, surely there are English trained horses that might not fancy the stiff Cheltenham finish and will swerve it to go for Aintree anyway. If that's the case, then Leopardstown as a flat track would be perfect preparation for it.

BumperD

Francie Barrett wrote: »

It was just one example off the top of my head, but having said that Faugheen, Hurricane Fly, Brave Inca, Istabraq - all these horses did the Irish/English Champion Hurdle double. But whether Buveur D'Air travelled or not, the point still remains, surely there are English trained horses that might not fancy the stiff Cheltenham finish and will swerve it to go for Aintree anyway. If that's the case, then Leopardstown as a flat track would be perfect preparation for it.

I think if cheltenham was first then Leopardstown second then the Faugheen etc comparison would be valid but that’s not the way it lines up.

I suspect every single one of the top U.K. hurdlers and chasers still have an eye on the festival , The lower quality horses would be playing for place money only at best and given the strength in dept of 2nd third strings this side of the pond maybe not even place money. That’s my thinking anyway

antietam

Francie Barrett wrote: »

It was just one example off the top of my head, but having said that Faugheen, Hurricane Fly, Brave Inca, Istabraq - all these horses did the Irish/English Champion Hurdle double. But whether Buveur D'Air travelled or not, the point still remains, surely there are English trained horses that might not fancy the stiff Cheltenham finish and will swerve it to go for Aintree anyway. If that's the case, then Leopardstown as a flat track would be perfect preparation for it.

"Leopardstown as a flat track" and I believed for years you knew what you were talking about.

posturingpat

Six nations going to be on the big screens around the track, well the Ireland France game anyway, not sure on the others.

uxiant

Walk up from the car park at Leopardstown and you will know immediately that it is anything but flat.

diomed

uxiant wrote: »

Walk up from the car park at Leopardstown and you will know immediately that it is anything but flat.

Almost every track I can think of has a rise to the finish, and I don't know why.
It might be to provide a stamina test.
It might be because people learned that if the finish was is a dip it would be heavy going for spectators in wet weather.
And having the stands on a height must make it easier to view the course.

The Mig

From standing inside the track on the golf course, the height difference from looking at the back straight to the finishing straight is massive

hawaii501

It is definitely not a flat track anyway, if anything it is similar to Cheltenham hill finish(not as daunting though).

Anyway getting away from that, I think it is great value for money considering the racing on offer. A lot better than the Christmas festival for an extra 10er.
might even go premium for this :pac::pac:

uxiant

Kevin Blake wrote about this a few years ago. On the old course at Cheltenham the rise up the hill is 8m which is just short of the 10m rise on the new course. Leopardstown's rise from the beginning of the straight is 8m. 6f out at Leopardstown the rise is a significant 15m.

Leopardstown looks pretty flat from the stand because it isn't undulating but rather has a steady rise to the finish. Once you step into the golf course or walk up from the car park you immediately realise it's anything but flat however. Probably one of the stiffest tests out there actually.

The Mig

I think he said Navan was the stiffest finish in that blog

BumperD

Galway is 21m from the fence in the dip to the top of hill finishing post.

Mr321

Anyone see ITV racing today what horses did Rici mention for next weekend?

ANDREWMUFC

Any early fancies for this lads ?

Charlie George

Mr321 wrote: »

Anyone see ITV racing today what horses did Rici mention for next weekend?

He mentioned max dynamite for the county hurdle, couldn't get what the first horse was.

clevtrev

Charlie George wrote: »

He mentioned max dynamite for the county hurdle, couldn't get what the first horse was.

Getabird

https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/ricci-excited-about-getabird/142103

Mr321

Thanks lads yea Getabird fav and well backed for supreme I see. Looking at the AP prices for him in the 2 novices this weekend they must be not going to run him at all against Samcro at Leopardstown.

hawaii501

Willie said today Getabird won't be running. Sharjah goes so I imagine it's instead of Getabird who only ran a couple weeks ago

Motivator

Mr321 wrote: »

Thanks lads yea Getabird fav and well backed for supreme I see. Looking at the AP prices for him in the 2 novices this weekend they must be not going to run him at all against Samcro at Leopardstown.

Sharjah will be their Supreme horse and Getabird will be their Neptune horse.

To be fair, I don’t see them avoiding anything from any other stable. They keep their own horses apart but they’re not in the business of running scared of anything else (Samcro) - regardless of what Ruby or Patrick say on ITV or any Festival preview night.

WickIow Brave

Motivator wrote: »

Sharjah will be their Supreme horse and Getabird will be their Neptune horse.

To be fair, I don’t see them avoiding anything from any other stable. They keep their own horses apart but they’re not in the business of running scared of anything else (Samcro) - regardless of what Ruby or Patrick say on ITV or any Festival preview night.

I think this is different. I'd be stunned and very pleasantly surprised if Samcro and Getabird clash at Cheltenham. They'll avoid and if that means Samcro in the shorter race than so be it.

Gavin "shels"

Bagged myself two tickets in an ATR Twitter competition - all of a sudden now looking forward to it intently.

RivetingRoger

Faugheen drifting melon shortening. ........no no no no no.....