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Originally Posted by Linny
The issue I have with AH is his lack of "will to win." Look at some of his races, most in fact. The jock has to ride the fur off him to get him to accelerate. He had no interest in exerting himself to catch or pass a rival. He had no gate speed to assure he was in front at any point. He just seemed indifferent to the whole thing.
I'd rather breed to a tenacious horse with lesser breeding and take my chances that I'd get a runner, a beast that wanted to beat horses.
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I don't think it was the will that was lacking, it was the acceleration. AH was a traditional one-paced horse. He has one gear and depends on the speed dying on a fast lead and/or and extended distance to win races. Against lower class horses, his one pace is fast enough to pass the others in the stretch - they are tiring more than better class speed horses do. He would have been a natural for the 1950s, where there were a wealth of main track stakes races for stayers. Remember - when grading started, the Jockey Club Gold Cup was 2 miles and the Gallant Fox (13f) was a G2.
This staying style is from Mum's side; his dam's only win was at 12f over the All Weather in England. His second dam was a SW who placed in the CCA Oaks (then 12f) and his second dam was second to Ruffian in the same classic (still 12f).