RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
Red Rum

Ex NZers at Middleburg Races Virginia

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Eagle Fifty and Princeville both ex Myers runners race this Saturday at big meeting at Middleburg , Virginia . Both in maiden hurdles , Eagle Fifty couple great runs on Coast last year then win at Poverty Bay , Princeville Mckee prior to Myers  1 from 16 in NZ . Both had few runs to get into Stateside jumping , Princeville couple  of 2nds in three runs  and Eagle Fifty  6tn and 5th .

Lot of Ex Euro jumpers in , best of them Footpad in the big race who at his best is some horse , and another runner Zanjabeel is a half brother to Caravan Rolls On winner of Geelong Cup about 10 back .

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Will go some to beat Grand Canyon's record  , would love to know about his NZ life prior to tearing up in States,  France and UK.  My Dad was in awe of the horse and we got to see him jump around Sandown after years off in Grand Military Gold Cup in 1984 , he was living with Household Cavalry in retirement at the time and was advanced in age but had one last spin round .A legend from NZ .

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"Another tough, rugged and consistent performer from New Zealand."

That is how The Times described Grand Canyon.  I remember that comment because I arrived at work early to read the papers, and I underlined that comment in red ink.  It was the underlining that brought it to my boss' attention, as he rarely read the racing pages.

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2 hours ago, Tauhei Notts said:

"Another tough, rugged and consistent performer from New Zealand."

That is how The Times described Grand Canyon.  I remember that comment because I arrived at work early to read the papers, and I underlined that comment in red ink.  It was the underlining that brought it to my boss' attention, as he rarely read the racing pages.

If you search under title " The Argonaut " I posted a photo of Grand Canyon details and write up in the race card that day in 1984 . Write up was he is based at Barracks in London , hunting in Leicestershire and some work on beach in Norfolk . I don't think the fast work was possible on Horseguards Parade . That post was in response to Sha Tin naming all their races after the Queen Mothers best horses , race one being named in honor then as it is this Sunday of The Argonaut another super jumper from NZ that the crowds loved in UK .

Those were the days if you wanted a good jumper NZ was a place to go , Playschool was imho the best of them , doped in Gold Cup was the rumour .By a stallion called Valuta . David Barons who died a few years back in retirement in NZ i think  shipped them over in great numbers . Seageam GN winner was another of Barons imports , he was by sire called Balak . 

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3 hours ago, Tauhei Notts said:

"Another tough, rugged and consistent performer from New Zealand."

That is how The Times described Grand Canyon.  I remember that comment because I arrived at work early to read the papers, and I underlined that comment in red ink.  It was the underlining that brought it to my boss' attention, as he rarely read the racing pages.

Turns a bit full circle , Grand Canyon was brought by trainer called Derek Kent who brought a lot in NZ according to reports  , he won 76 and 78 Colonial Cup ,with GC ,  also broke track records 5 times in a row .Race reply  of him leading the 1979 King George Chase is on you tube, leading a stellar field  , can see how he broke the records . He fell late on down backstraight in that race . Derek Kent went to HK and won the Queen Mother Cup in 85  while there and had best winner to runner ratio whilst he trained there . This weekend they run the 2021 Quien Mother Cup. Kent died in 2001 .

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GRAND CANYON was, like TINGLE CREEK, a brilliant jumper and excelled at a track like Sandown. It was the era of the southern hemisphere jumpers such as CRISP and the 1973 National which is etched in the memory.

FOOTPAD will go on to the Virginia Gold Cup and then the Iroquois which is one of the top US jump races. He was brilliant at Cheltenham and Punchestown in 2018 but he was never as good over further.

In terms of buying new "talent" for the UK jumps scene, it's France for the 3-y-o ad Ireland for the older types. Today's concluding Bumper at Punchestown was due to feature a horse called GULLY BILLY, who won a 4-y-o maiden point at Tipperary last November after which he was sold for £310,000 (yes, you read that right). Cheveley Park Stud bought him and he will be trained by Henry de Bromhead. If you want to see why the British struggle to compete, that's the reason.

In pre-Covid days, the top British agents would be seen at any and every Irish point sizing up the young horses for potential purchase but if Irish horses cost too much then it's off to provincial France to look at the 3-y-o hurdlers and chasers in the summer. The French imports are favoured over the British ex-Flat horses because they know how to jump and are effective on slow ground as they do their racing on the overwatered Auteuil track in Paris.

The Irish horses are later maturing types - they go over 4800m as 4-y-o so speed isn't their thing. I tend to swerve an ex-Irish pointer if he's introduced over less than 4000m but they make good hurdlers and of course chasers.

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Princeville 4th of 8 and Eagle Fifty 6 of 7 .

Looking at track record at course Isti Bee and Suembul two ex kiwis hold one each at different distances , Isti Bee over  hurdles and Suembul over the timber .

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