racing review
Big Bucks wins the World Hurdle for the third year in a row. His success could prove pivotal in trainer Paul Nicholls’s attempt to remain champion NH trainer
direction with Cue Card’s defeat in the Supreme Novices Hurdle – he did run a great race but possibly missed that mid-winter racecourse outing having not run since December – and then with Time For Rupert’s poor effort in the RSA Chase. This writer had been saying all spring that Rupert was the lay of the meeting only to lose the courage of her convictions and do nothing about it. Admittedly, Rupert looked the pick of the paddock ahead of the Grade 1 chase, but he ran no sort of race at all and came home with blood in his nose, clearly health-wise not having completely recovered from the illness picked up earlier this spring. He proves just how hard training racehorses really is – the son of Flemensfirth looked well, had obviously been working well, but still was not “right” for a race at that level. The same goes for Imperial Commander, who you get the feeling had been pushed to get to the meeting. It has to be felt that the Twiston-Davies horses had a little “something” on them through the meeting as none featured in finishes. His horses galloping all the way to the line being the usual trait that they can be relied upon. While Paul Nicholls could revel in the performances of his old timers providing a more-than-adequate answer to those saying they should be retired, the Twiston-Davies fortunes revealed how fine the line is between success and failure, how in horseracing there is just no middle ground.
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Last year, after Gold Cup victory, his son Sam took the Foxhunter Chase aboard Baby Run and the stable had a party that would have been several days in the enjoyment. This year, Imperial Commander faded
badly turning for home and was found after to be “sore” and to have bled, while his younger son, Willie, aboard Baby Run, got it all wrong at the second last, ending up falling off and being reduced to teenage tears of disappointment.
Cheltenham results in numbers: country of origin Race
Country Nos
G1 wnrs:
Ireland
7
France
4
G1 wnrs & placed:
Ireland
22
France
12
G2&3 wnrs & placed: Ireland 7
France Germany
2 1
GB 10 USA 1
43
France
19
GB 15
Germany
2
All races:
Ireland
GB
USA
2
2
Most successful sires Cadoudal
Long Run & Big Bucks
Montjeu
Hurricane Fly & Noble Prince
Robin des Champs
Quevaga & Sir Des Champs
Dom Alco
Al Ferof & Grand Crus (2nd)
Presenting
First Lieutenant, Zemsky, Denman (2nd), Jessies Dream (2nd), Beautiful Sound (3rd)
Accordion Network Midnight Legend Pivotal Oscar
Albertas Run & Get Me Out Of Here (2nd) Sprinter Sacre (3rd) & Rubi Light (3rd) Holmwood Legend, Aimigayle (2nd), Sparky May (2nd) Final Approach & Bothy (2nd) Peddlers Cross (2nd), Oscar Whisky (3rd), Big Zeb (2nd), Rock on Ruby (2nd) & Oscar Delta (3rd)