Diamond Harry
 

...and it's not just because he's named after me.

Not sure if there's any jumps chat on here these days, but thought there needed to be some mention of the monster that is Diamond Harry...quite simply the most exciting horse in years. I don't go into raptures about many horses these days, cynical as I've become, but this is an absolute machine. Just can't wait for him to run, wherever it is, Cheltenham on Saturday, then the Festival. RSA follows next season and then several Gold Cups! He reminds me so much of French Holly but is being campaigned more sensibly than that horse and, barring accidents, will fulfill his potential. Excitement abounds!!

Thanks for the heads up.

I only follow it a little and have my favorites... kind of only follow them.

You must be happy... 6 in a row. Nice!

http://www.racingpost.com/horses/home.sd?story=86533

He a huge prospect alright, I didnt like the way he edged left under pressure though. That cant be a advantage in March where he might have the likes of Cousin Vinny to deal with..

I get the impression Cousin Vinny will go for the Supreme and, for all he's a very good horse, I would fancy Diamond H over him in the Ballymore every time, seemingly more impressed than everyone else with him today, inconvenienced both by the lack of pace and where Murphy opted to go with him in the straight and, whilst he lugged a bit initially, he didn't do anything wrong after the last, keeping a dead straight line under pressure. And it's not as if Murphy went for everything, anyway; there's plenty more to come in my opinion, principally over fences, but this season too. We shouldn't forget, either, that Bensalem is a very good horse himself, and they pulled well clear.

As things stand he's my Festival banker, perhaps with Kasbah Bliss behind him. Who are you fancying at present, Kev?

Not just happy, ecstatic with him today, first time he's been under pressure over hurdles, and I liked what I saw. 7 for 7 come the Festival!

Well, hello there Harry (stranger).

I was at Cheltenham on Saturday and I have to say, I had heard plenty about Diamond Harry since I have been away and I was very disappointed if I'm honest. He looked like a horse that the RSPCA might want to look at in the paddock...... very, very light and looked as fit as greyhound. Nick Williams might have made a HUGE mistake in preparing him for this, I think he has plenty of work on his hands to keep him in top nick for the festival.

I'm also concerned at the way he lugged left and at one point he looked like he might run out.

He only just got the better on Bensalem, and by all accounts and word of mouth at the track and at the sales last night, Alan King was delighted because he has something beginning with K that makes that Bensalem look like a moderate handicapper. I've not looked for this horse yet, but supposedly very, very good.

I hate to say it, but I will be laying Diamond Harry at a short price at the festival.

Alright Phil, I'd have been there myself but for having a miserable card at Detoxeter to cover.

In terms of physique, that's just the way he is, raw-boned but still a bit light-framed underneath if you know what I mean. He's a rangy horse and I imagine he'd grow even more into himself over the summer. Either way, I don't think he was hard-trained for Saturday, and I would trust few people more than the excellent Nick Williams to prepare a horse for the big day.

As for the run itself, Murphy seemed intent on keeping to the absolute inside of the hurdles track in the straight, even running him onto the chase course, and I think it was that above anything else that made him look as if he was lugging more than he was. After the last he maintains a perfectly straight line. It was a slowly-run race not conducive to an impressive performance and, more than anything, the first 2 need to be looked upon in a positive light for pulling as far clear as they did. As you will have seen, Bensalem is a big, rangy horse himself, one who'll do very well over fences next year you'd have thought.

Karabak is the horse you're referring to and, yes he's very good, a bigger danger than either of the Irish horses we, for some reason, have rated above Diamond H at present. His win at Ascot caught the eye and was backed up by a good time, but he hasn't impressed as well as DH, and I struggle to imagine him as being a better horse, especially as it may well be the case that the less testing conditions that we're sure to see at the Festival will suit Diamond Harry all the better.

Whatever you do, I'd implore you not to lay the thing!!

As a valued member of the the timeform employees, I cannot doubt you or what you say. You have seen this horse many more times than me (that was the first time I had seen him run on Saturday).

I must admit, I wasn't impressed with the way he looked on Saturday and I don't know if you happened to read the RP on Sunday but even Nick Williams seemed very concerned and commented himself on how light he looked that day. To me, he looked like a horse who looked in desperate need of a long break. You know the type you get on the AW on the winter who run 12 times in two months, they look almost hollow, and he looked the same. It's a long shot, but maybe he doesn't take much racing?

In the interview Nick Williams gave afterwards, he seemed very concerned. Suggesting that he didn't think the horse should have come off the bridle on Saturday and the way he won was "the last thing he wanted". He just seemed very negative (maybe that's just the way he is) and the way he spoke suggested that he was going to have his work cut out to get him in top shape for the festival.

You know far more than me on this game where they have to jump brown things that are shoved in front of them (while I'm on this subject, did you see Lodge Lane yesterday?) and I trust your word. I still could not back him in the festival though, I'm afraid.

Harry, Ive been in and out of the loop here and should really know more about the jumps game than I do, but I have been thoroughly impressed with Hurricane Fly. He showed some lethal turn of foot the last day at Leopardstown, he put daylight between him and his rivals after the last hurdle which Ive seldom seen before. I was under the impression that he would go for the Supreme Novices and Cousin Vinny or Mikael D'Haguenet would go for the Ballymore / 3miler.. One worry for me with Hurricane FLy is that in his two runs this winter, they have been run at a crawl and he could yet be swept off his feet when it comes to Cheltenham..


Anyway, I quite like our novive hurdlers this year and am struggling to find out what happened to last years novices as our Novice chasers dont look anything too special just yet.

Well someone sure sparkled today. :tro:

He'll still struggle at the top level, in my honest opinion. I could be wrong, but I've never been a huge fan of these sorts of horses.