Racing Thread

[tikay]

[Doobs]

Michael O'Leary has withdrawn Tiger Roll from the Grand National because of an unfair weight.  Nice bit of timing, but the weight claim seems a bit dubious? 

Anywhere else the weight might look a bit high, but given his National record, it never looked massively unreasonable? 

[tikay]

Michael O'Leary has withdrawn Tiger Roll from the Grand National because of an unfair weight.  Nice bit of timing, but the weight claim seems a bit dubious? 

Anywhere else the weight might look a bit high, but given his National record, it never looked massively unreasonable? 

I believe he was grumbling about the allotted GN weight a few weeks ago to be fair.

[arbboy]

https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/tiger-roll-withdrawn-from-national/189720

Suddenly the allocated weight was too much.   Wonder why it wasn't such an issue when the weights were first announced? 

[tikay]

https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/tiger-roll-withdrawn-from-national/189720

Suddenly the allocated weight was too much.   Wonder why it wasn't such an issue when the weights were first announced? 

They did have a bit of a grumble at the time. This was 11th February, just after the weights were announced;



https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/feb/11/talking-horses-tiger-roll-grand-national-horse-racing

[Karabiner]

I seem to remember him grumbling before the weights even came out.

[arbboy]

Sure but the weight hasn't changed he made a statement that he wanted to be rated in the 150s.  He wasn't rated anywhere close to that so why not make the withdrawl straight away as the horse would be carrying over half a stone more than he wanted.  All very convenient to blame the handicapper now it seems.

[tikay]

Sure but the weight hasn't changed he made a statement that he wanted to be rated in the 150s.  He wasn't rated anywhere close to that so why not make the withdrawl straight away as the horse would be carrying over half a stone more than he wanted.  All very convenient to blame the handicapper now it seems.

Ahh yes, fair comment.

[Doobs]

Sure but the weight hasn't changed he made a statement that he wanted to be rated in the 150s.  He wasn't rated anywhere close to that so why not make the withdrawl straight away as the horse would be carrying over half a stone more than he wanted.  All very convenient to blame the handicapper now it seems.

Ahh yes, fair comment.

and it is pretty dubious.  He ran to that mark in the Grand National in 2019 and wasn't far off in the Cross Country last year.  He has run once over big fences since then, so there is little evidence for a drop in weights, never mind one as big as he wanted.   Just O'Leary behaving like O'Leary.  He couldn't run anyway as things stand right now.

[tikay]

Sure but the weight hasn't changed he made a statement that he wanted to be rated in the 150s.  He wasn't rated anywhere close to that so why not make the withdrawl straight away as the horse would be carrying over half a stone more than he wanted.  All very convenient to blame the handicapper now it seems.

Ahh yes, fair comment.

and it is pretty dubious.  He ran to that mark in the Grand National in 2019 and wasn't far off in the Cross Country last year.  He has run once over big fences since then, so there is little evidence for a drop in weights, never mind one as big as he wanted.   Just O'Leary behaving like O'Leary.  He couldn't run anyway as things stand right now.

[crownhill]

All Cheveley park horses removed and sent to Henry de bromhead and Willie Mullins

[arbboy]

The more horses that move the more O'Leary will love it as his bargaining power over Elliott will grow even stronger financially.   He tried to effectively blackmail the handicapper in a similar power grab thinking he would bend because of the pressure for Tiger Roll to enter the GN for pr reasons for the sport.

[Doobs]

Envoi Allen has gone to De Bromhead.

Irish horse racing board meet Friday

https://mobile.twitter.com/ihrb_ie/status/1366733982839275520

Thought the same Arbboy, he will be twisting the knife in to Elliott in his own way.  To be fair to O'Leary, if the likes of Delta Work have to miss Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown then he should get a reduction in fees.

Think he'll get a short suspension, though he probably deserves an extra month just for the explanation he gave of events. 

[tikay]

All Cheveley park horses removed and sent to Henry de bromhead and Willie Mullins

Presumably Envoi Allen will now shorten up after yesterday's wobble?

[Doobs]

All Cheveley park horses removed and sent to Henry de bromhead and Willie Mullins

Presumably Envoi Allen will now shorten up after yesterday's wobble?

I don't think the bookies really lengthened it.  It should be a bit bigger now simply because the horse may not settle in well?  A new jockey is unlikely to be a positive either?  Though I do rate Rachael Blackmore, if it will be her, and though it looks a straightforward ride, she doesn't really know the horse.  This assumes a jockey change, though that may not happen before Cheltenham?