mckenzie

A rye grass mix that was developed for them. Some info on the structure of the surface in the videos below
 

The first day of the Grand National meeting took place on ground described as Soft, Heavy in places on the Mildmay track and Heavy, Soft in places on the Grand National course.
Four Grade 1 championship races on the day and the card opened with the Manifesto Novices Chase over 4000m which saw the 1-2 from the Turners at Cheltenham (GREY DAWNING and GINNY'S DESTINY) take on the third from the Arkle in the form of IL ETAIT TEMPS.
IL ETAIT TEMPS had been let down by his jumping in the Arkle but he's got a serious engine and Paul Townend declined the early gallop sent by Harry Cobden on GINNY'S DESTINY. They went a decent but not insane gallop but on a flat track IL ETAIT TEMPS seemed much happier which he had shown in the Irish Arkle in February.
When Townend put the horse in the race at the third last it was game over for both GINNY'S DESTINY and GREY DAWNING who both look like 4800m chasers for next season and IL ETAIT TEMPS powered away to win by nine lengths. I don't know if Punchestown is on the agenda and the problem they are going to have with this one is he doesn't quite have the speed to mix with the 3200m types but has too much tactical speed for the 4800m races. A race like the Melling here next spring over the same course and distance would be ideal.
Nicky Henderson had a wretched Cheltenham failing to secure a win for the first time since 2008 but with signs the stable was coming back, SIR GINO was strongly supported for the Anniversary 4-y-o Hurdle against the Triumph runner up KARGESE and the promising KALIF DU BERLAIS.
An emphatic win for SIR GINO who was simply too good for KARGESE after the last and you'd think on that line he'd beat MAJBOROUGH as well. Whether he'll be asked to go to Punchestown I don't know but Henderson commented the horse might go chasing in the autumn rather than be aimed at the Champion Hurdle. KARGESE ran well and is the best juvenile filly out there and will no doubt pay her way next year.
The track was all wrong for KALIF DU BERLAIS who looks like a chaser now and I think would beat SIR GINO over fences but that's a question for another day.
Just 27 days after finishing runner up in the Gold Cup, GERRI COLOMBE was a big fancy for the Aintree Bowl. Among the opposition were Gold Cup also rans BRAVEMANSGAME and GENTLEMANSGAME and the enigmatic SHISHKIN as well as the promising staying novice CORBETTS CROSS.
A workmanlike win for GERRI COLOMBE who ultimately had too much class for AHOY SENOR who, as usual, raced close to the pace at a track where he always performs well. CORBETTS CROSS looked to have every chance two out but couldn't go with the leaders in the final stage. SHISHKIN ran okay but didn't jump with much fluency and I just think he prefers decent ground these days while BRAVEMANSGAME has disappointed all season and I think the hard race in the 2023 Gold Cup bottomed the horse.
CORBETTS CROSS is only a 7-y-o and this was a run full of promise and I can see him being competitive in the Gold Cup next year as we know he stays strongly. AHOY SENOR was runner up to SHISHKIN in this last year and again ran a blinder. He seems to prefer the flatter tracks and doesn't perform at the likes of Cheltenham.
GERRI COLOMBE was no match for GALOPIN DES CHAMPS at either Leopardstown or Cheltenham but he's a very good horse and also has time on his side. He's another who looks to like faster tracks and quicker ground and given how wet the winter has been he's done well. I'd love to see him in the King George at Kempton on decent ground.
There's no Grade 1 4000m hurdle for those outside novice company and the Aintree Hurdle fills the role for the intermediate specialists though plenty of Champion Hurdle types have run in the race in times past. This year, IMPAIRE ET PASSE was backed into favourite having missed Cheltenham but looked to have plety to do against BOB OLINGER who had chased home STATE MAN in the Irish Champion Hurdle and for whom the return to 4000m was a big plus.
A race with drama and controversy in abundance and tv viewers got to hear the jockeys giving evidence at the subsequent stewards' enquiry (though not the deliberations of the stewards themselves). From the second last there was a lot of pushing and shoving among the first three home and with IMPAIRE ET PASSE jumping right at the last and LANGER DAN jumping left and the two jockeys trying to correct their mounts, it all got very messy and with BOB OLINGER also leaning in close to the post and the front three split by a nose and a short head you can appreciate the sense of drama.
In the end, I suspect, the stewards opted to file the whole thing in the "too difficult" column and IMPAIRE ET PASSE kept the race. You could argue both BOB OLINGER and LANGER DAN were unlucky and on another day you might get a different result. The winner has had a difficult season and I do wonder if they will finally put him over fences in the autumn. BOB OLINGER is a solid performer at this trip and while LANGER DAN won a handicap at Cheltenham I can't help but think he might be the one to try over further and join the stayers division.
I'll mention the fact I gave you all four winners because no one else will. I backed them individually but wish I'd done the accumulator - £10 on the four winners paid £546 which would have kept Mrs Stodge in steak and champagne for a week or so.

Quickthorn did something similar to Pride Of Jenni in a Group 1 at Goodwood last year.  Maybe not quite as far in front during the run.
 
 

Some interesting analysis from Glen Boss
 

Some interesting analysis from Glen Boss
 

Funnily enough I had stumbled upon this a few weeks back and thought it was pretty amazing - not a GR1 though 🙂 
 

IT was amazing camera work too on TV . They had to Pan the Camera out so far to keep Jenni and the rest of the field way behind in the frame , that you were looking at the race like you would be from the grandstand, with No zoom at all.  I think everyone cheered her home for accepting the 2000m challenge with gusto.
Mr Waller came on TV after the next race as had just brilliantly Quinellaed the Queen of The Turf. But He was still visibly fuming about Jenni beating his horse in that previous race , the Queen Elizabeth. these blokes (and Gai) sure want to win everything going. not happy with defeat. 

Chris Waller on how the Queen Elizabeth Stakes played out: "I don't know why they let the race unfold like that." "Most of my boys said it was out of their control but I think they all said that."

Yes, both races good.
I think Merlin can thank a brave Tell The Truth for his win. Geez the Aussie stuck on after getting the hardest run in the race and gave Merlin a drag almost to the turn before the naturally started to tire. Top runs from Merlin and Don't Stop Dreaming. Huge runs from Better Eclipse and Old Town Rd. Old Town Rd doesn't seem to have any gate speed, Iraklis mate? I am not sure why he was so far back? He drew three so should have got handy early, probably the one/one. Instead he is at the rear and no show from there. It was a strange drive I thought?

Not a total surprise, I remember hearing whispers a while ago that this season might be her last. Makes sense looking back now that they passed on the Everest to get G1 wins for her broodmare page.

Not a total surprise, I remember hearing whispers a while ago that this season might be her last. Makes sense looking back now that they passed on the Everest to get G1 wins for her broodmare page.

Not a total surprise, I remember hearing whispers a while ago that this season might be her last. Makes sense looking back now that they passed on the Everest to get G1 wins for her broodmare page.

Correct McKenzie he was .....in fact if you had seen his two lead-up trials you would swear he was 47 runs short! 😂.
FF.

Thought this was interesting:
“She was all out and I remembered that in New Zealand when I rode her when I changed the whip over, she took off,” McDonald said. “She did it again today.

We produce world class horses but our local racing industry is lacking stars because the cream of every crop bred here gets exported. Even top NZ owned horses (Imperatriz, I Wish I Win etc) are now essentially Australian trained and won't race here ever again. As with most things, it comes down to a business decision. And racing in Australia is too lucrative to stay away from.

We produce world class horses but our local racing industry is lacking stars because the cream of every crop bred here gets exported. Even top NZ owned horses (Imperatriz, I Wish I Win etc) are now essentially Australian trained and won't race here ever again. As with most things, it comes down to a business decision. And racing in Australia is too lucrative to stay away from.

Well done to Windsor Park, securing a stallion of that quality confirms the renewed confidence in the NZ racing and breeding industry. Siyouni has been successful as a 2yr olds sire. hopefully Paddington will follow in his footsteps.

wow, how good!
does racing get any beter ?
zelda has had n0 sleep, been up screeching at the TV watching some sensational jumps racing.the last two nites
a bucket list must.
she even reckons camilla porker bowls looked good 🥴 
too much Vodka n0?
ps was ThomPson on el fabiolo .

The time slot seems strange to me. Wouldn't it make more sense on a Sunday morning? Surely more people would watch then rather than a Monday morning.

The time slot seems strange to me. Wouldn't it make more sense on a Sunday morning? Surely more people would watch then rather than a Monday morning.

You mean like Thorobred Weekly , it would mean getting out of bed early on a Sunday , we're not professional .

Or Luke Radich

Fast forward a few months:
The September and October Racedays, incorporating the G1 Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes, G1 Horlicks Plate, and G1 Ormond Memorial, will now be held by Auckland Thoroughbred Racing at Ellerslie, and not at Hastings. After an inspection of the Hastings track last Friday it was evident that the current issues with the Hastings track will not be remedied in time to hold this important raceday. No, we haven't inspected the Ellerslie track. We're sure it's fine.
And then:
The November Racedays, incorporating the G1 NZ 1000 and 2000 Guineas, will now be held by Auckland Thoroughbred Racing at Ellerslie, and not at Riccarton. After an inspection of the Riccarton track last Friday via Google Maps it was evident that we'd rather run all G1 races at Ellerslie. We haven't had a chance to test the Ellerslie track since remedial work after last month's abandonments, but we will run the G1s as the first races on their respective days so that the meeting won't be abandoned before they've been run.
 

The Black Caps have a huge mental block playing Australia, especially in tests. They just seem to fold.