TOWARDS THE END of his open day for the racing media, as the countdown for the Cheltenham Festival gets truly under way, Gordon Elliott remarked that he was thinking of stepping up in trip with Mengli Khan and dropping back down with Hardline.
Trainers are always adding to the information bank and tweaking as needs be, but there is a sense this year that getting a handle on the novices in particular has been more of a puzzle than ever before.
“I’d say it’s the same for the public, the press and everyone” said Elliott. “There’s a lot of horses that have only had one run and they might have had two or three before so for experience and everything, it is a worry for a lot of people but everyone is in the same boat. The circumstances this year have been very funny.”
Whereas Irish history is pockmarked with a few Big Snows and the odd Big Wind prior to last year, there aren’t too many testimonies detailing a Big Drought.
The stubborn refusal of rain to fall for most of 2018, after the Beast from the East had had its wicked way with us, made the going almost too quick for flat racing here. It left national hunt trainers tearing their hair out and in reality, we have been treated to a winter of summer jumps racing.
The quality is better of course but trying to make sense of form since November is very difficult indeed, with Cheltenham – the ultimate priority for all the good ones – in mind.
Sniffles, colds and bugs (nobody mention the flu) thrive in the prevailing milder conditions as well, so many handlers are on Plan Z with their charges, having constantly had to chop and change with regard to intended engagements, fearful of running them without juice in the soil, or unable to because of sickness.
Much is made of the ‘Where’s Wally?’ routine of Gold Cup favourite Presenting Percy but there will be horses line up in the shadow of the Cotswolds without having had any run at all this season.
The term started with the shock announcement that Samcro would eschew the presumed direct run at a chasing career for a tilt at the Champion Hurdle.
Given that industry media and followers are forever bemoaning the adoption of a perceived easier route, it was disappointing to see such enterprise and ambition belittled as last year’s Ballymore winner was beaten three times, most recently out the gate in the Ryanair Hurdle at Christmas. A lung infection emerged subsequently and he has been on the easy list since though may make an appearance still at Cheltenham.
It won’t be the Champion Hurdle though, because stablemate and fellow Gigginstown House-owned horse, Apple’s Jade has leapt to the forefront of thinking with regard to the two-mile championship after her annihilation of a strong field in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the beginning of the month.
The irony here is that the aforementioned bemoaning followed the daughter of Saddle Maker around as her intended engagement was the Mares’ Hurdle. If you were Elliott and the O’Leary brothers, you would have been forgiven for thinking you couldn’t win.
The Stayers’ Hurdle is where Samcro will show up now if he does make the trip to Cheltenham but it is evident that his prospects are longer term again, over the larger obstacles.
“I think there’s more important horses than Samcro to talk about now” a mildly-irritated Elliott declared at one point, as questioning on the one-time Champion Hurdle favourite continued. It has been a long grind for the Samcro team and you hope he is back to his brilliant best by this time next year.
For now, the star is Apple’s Jade. A seven-year-old mare, bought by Willie Mullins for Michael O’Leary but who moved to Cullentra House when the Gigginstown-Closutton partnership ended, she has been victorious in 10 Grade One contests.
The three garnered this term have come at wildly-varying distances but until Leopardstown, she was destined for a different target.
“If you want to be a jockey and don’t want to be a champion jockey; if you want to be a trainer and won’t want to be champion trainer, then you shouldn’t be in it.
“If you’ve a horse that’s got a chance of winning the Champion Hurdle, you’ve got to give it a go. It’s one of those races. She’s a hero in my eyes. If she could win the Champion Hurdle, she’d be something special, wouldn’t she?
“I’m best man for saying you should try and win the race that best suits a horse but for the year that’s in it….what would you do? She got bet in Mares’ Hurdle last year.
“She’s got 10 Grade Ones won. If she went and won the Champion Hurdle, it would be icing on the cake, wouldn’t it?
“I was nervous coming back against the geldings over two miles but she showed how good she is. This year, she’s gone from strength to strength. If she runs to the form she’s running all year, I think she’ll run a big race in the Champion Hurdle.”
Samcro was looking very well but time is his enemy.
“Cheltenham is coming fast enough. His options are Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown but the next 10 days are important.
“He looks good but until you go and give them a few good bits of work, you don’t know where you’re going and what you’re doing. It’s not the be-all and end-all. If he gets to Cheltenham, he does. If he doesn’t, whether it be Aintree or Punchestown, or we take the shoes off him and leave him to go chasing next year, there’s no decision made yet.”
Meanwhile, Tiger Roll is now one of the most popular horses in Ireland – and at Cullentra.
“I couldn’t believe how well he won on Sunday. It surprised me. I thought he’d finish second- or third-last t to be honest. It was a good pipe-opener for the cross-country race. He showed how good of a horse he is. To win at three Cheltenham Festivals… to win a Grand National and then come back and win a Boyne Hurdle…we’re very lucky to have him and he’s one of the favourites around the yard.
“It’d put a smile on your face looking at a horse like him.”
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no Conway is the man. fast can tackle & safe hands under a high ball
@john fleming: shtop.
@john fleming: Ha ha ha
He’s too dangerous a finisher to take off the wing. I’d like to see Stockdale-Lowe-Larmour next season
@Rudiger McMonihan: Lowe is qualified?
@Rudiger McMonihan: that would be a ridiculous backline
@Rudiger McMonihan: oh Jesus Christ !!!!
@Bluepoolroad: after the world cup
I think it’s November 2020 before he qualifies
@Rudiger McMonihan: Keith Earls won’t be pushed out that easily.
@Rudiger McMonihan: Jesus did earl’s steal your wife or something
@Padraic Burke: Earls isn’t half the player that Lowe is.
Earl’s is much older and in a years time it is unlikely that he will still be the best winger. If he is then fair play to him. I hope I’m proven wrong!
@Baz Dunne: your right. He’s twice the player.
@Anthony:
For Leinster the qualification of Jamison Gibson-Park at the end of 2019 will mean J Lowe should become a regular because that 2 into 3 problem will be gone. But it will not be till next year that he could qualifie (if he wants to go for a place in the Ireland setup)
A fine player but Earls is the man !!
@Baz Dunne: And you’re clearly not half the expert you think you are.
@Bluepoolroad: yes Lowe can play I. Next 6nations I think … has to be in the mix as does Adam Byrne I think if he keeps progressing post the Kearney, Earls era
Is there anything to be said for Simon Zebo?
@southside: No
@southside: if he comes back then absolutely
@Rudiger McMonihan: Zebo shouldn’t have to come back to qualify. He is 1/2 French and has chosen to experience that culture. Should that restrict his eligibility?? NO
Bad example but Imagine telling Irish soccer players plying their trade in England you need to play in the league of Ireland.
Zebo record try scorer for Munster
Was on shortlist in his 1 season for Top 14 player of the year. Of course he should be considered.
@southside: yeah get lost Simon
@T Meister: yes it most certainly should restrict it. We need to protect our provincial game because at the moment it’s working. Look at how bad the French team are because they have no control over french club players
@T Meister: I can’t believe we’re STILL having the Zebo conversation.
@Anthony:
So should Sexton have been dropped too?
@The Great Unwashed:
Different times my friend and all gone over many many times .
@Anthony: FREEDOM of choice for ALL.
Best players who qualify for this country should be considered. Provinces should stand on their own merits encourage Irish players to stay but not the detriment of the National Side being able to choose The Best 15.
@Martin Quinn:
Not different times at all. The ‘rule’ applied to players before Sexton and after Sexton, so why didn’t it apply to Sexton himself?
You can’t have a policy and then choose to disregard it when it’s inconvenient – either it’s the policy or it isn’t.
@The Great Unwashed: maybe you should change your name to the great uneducated, this was enforced because of sexton.
@Chris Mc:
What does that even mean? The policy was there long before Sexton moved to Racing, so why wasn’t it applied to him as it was applied to other players who moved overseas?
@The Great Unwashed: I know the reason as you certainly do by the question you asked and for THIS reply to be published this is all I can say.
No.
His a winger.
Stick to players playing in there natural position. Instead of fannying about.
@Paddy Waggon: played u20 at full back and pretty impressive at that
@Kevin Donnelly: why was he moved to the wing so .
@Paddy Waggon: To get game time in a position which is not as challenging for a young inexperienced player. He will be Ulster’s 15 for years to come imo
Even though his defence has improved over the past 12 months, it remains the weakest part of his game. At 15 he could be exposed by all of the open ground as opposed to being able to use the touchline as an extra defender. It could improve for pro14 level but I don’t think he could manage international.
@Declan Snow: It’s his defensive positioning and reads that have let him down, rather than his tackle technique. At 15 he’ll only really be needed to shut someone down when they break the line and he has the speed to do it. Would really like to see him there.
The thoughts of a Stockdale, Lowe, Larmour back 3 going into the next world cup cycle is mouth watering!
I’d prefer to see Larmour getting some serious game time back there!
He needs to be given a few games on the run
@Aaron Tynan: In what aspect(s) of his game is Jordan better than Jacob?
@Bluepoolroad: actually grounding the ball for one
@John Keenan: savage
@John Keenan: that was harsh now in fairness.
@Stephen Foster: funny tho
@Bluepoolroad:
Knowing when to pass.
I think everyone is forgetting about Addison. I think he will have a say in that back 3 over the next 4 – 8 years.
Stockdale can’t / won’t pass.
You need a 15 that can pass.
@Bungee Aky: so Rob Lyttle got the ball by telepathy on Friday night?
@Ian Frizzell: you said it
@Bungee Aky: Rob “Straightens the line” Kearney never saw a ball he couldnt run into the first chaser with
@Bungee Aky: Kearney is knowing for his passing rather than his running into contact ;-)
@Bungee Aky: also a dodgy defender
@Kevin Donnelly: In what alternate universe is that true?
I never feel confident that he will catch a high contested ball in game.
The question is, who will be fb come world cup
Henshaw is our best natural fullback, I hope Joe sticks with him in the warm ups.
@Rochelle: showed against england he has almost no positional sense to defend the chip over the top. If he isnt playing 15 for leinster (he wont be) its a non runner for Ire
@Rochelle: He is in his hoop
@Kazoochka: bovine excrement! He covered as well as anyone would have with that defensive set up. Even with the tweaks that followed RK with all his experience was caught several times v Italy. Give players that much time to look up and pick and choose their kicks and with nobody else dropping into the backfield the best 15 in the world would have struggled. England just out gunned us tactically and broke our defence down, I wouldn’t go pointing the finger at any one player.
@Kazoochka: both Earls and Stockdale made horrible calls in the game and expecting an full back to read those is a bit much.
Larmour is prob next in line, he still has a lot of learning to do in my opinion. There are a lot of times in games where his decision making with ball in hand gets him (team) in trouble. No doubting his ability but sometimes he should just take the direct line of contact and get go forward rather than trying to jink statically around guys and then get pushed back a few meters
Well itd be interesting. Hes a tall lad so fielding wouldnt be an issue. In terms of speed hes very quick as well. But is he too tqll that hes an easier target?
Worth a try at least.
I’d much rather keep him on the wing. It’s a pity Haley has taken the fullback position at Munster as I believe Conway is our best all rounded fullback in the country. While larmour and Addison have still to add to their game, I believe Conway has all the right attributes to make a top quality fullback at international level.
@Anthony O Connell: Conway has never really claimed the Munster 15 shirt and always seems to be injured when the internationals come around. He’s no spring chicken either.
You shut up.
I’m Eoin McLove.
I can do what I lie!