Today at Lepopardstown

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

DId you see the Melbourne Cup over 3200m? Rider moved too soon, made the lead too early in the stretch, still in the mix late to finish third, on soft ground, no less. He can definitely run past 2000m. O'Brien has been too conservative with him, methinks, by running him only at 10f.

Yeah, the Melbourne cup is one of my favorite races everyone year, not sure his optimum distance is at the 2400 however, was interested at Aiden's comments after yesterday's race, mentioned his sire, a horse I absolutely loved that thrived at 2400. No doubt about it So You Think is a rare quality specimen.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by CSC

Yeah, the Melbourne cup is one of my favorite races everyone year, not sure his optimum distance is at the 2400 however, was interested at Aiden's comments after yesterday's race, mentioned his sire, a horse I absolutely loved that thrived at 2400. No doubt about it So You Think is a rare quality specimen.

I have to think that Coolmore paid a whole lot of coin for this horse and gave O'Brien instructions to win as many G1 races as they can with him. He'd won a number of races at 10f already, so the cautious thing was to keep him at 10f. But the great Euros, the legends, have all won at 12f - Ribot, Sea-Bird, Nijisnky, Mill Reef, Sea the Stars, even Brigadier Gerard. His record will be incomplete without a major win at 12f. Horses who can't handle 12f get only honorable mention, like Caro, Dubai Millennium and Giant's Causeway.

And I see no reason why he can't do it. His sire had no problem at 12f; his dam won a G2 semi-classic at 2000m. His inbreeding to Northern Dancer is through two of the most stamina-laden of the old boy's sons - Sadler's Wells and Nijinsky. And he's from a solid old-time Aus/NZ family, the lot descending from imported Juliet (1851). His is the Francolin (1926) branch, which has also produced Jazz (Nz Derby), Winnipeg (Queensland Derby) and her daughter Peg's Pride (Wellington Derby), Philomel (Perth Cup), Our Flight (Nz Derby, 1000 Guineas, etc) and Show Ego (Victoria Oaks, Queensland Oaks).

[Seattleallstar]

What gets me about the horse, is why one of the richest men in the world decided to sell and partner up with Coolmore. Apparently his original trainer Bart Cummings was livid about selling off to the Irish. But thankfully no matter how So You Think ended up at Ballydoyle, its all worked out for the better. Not stuck in Australia, yet showing the world how good he really is.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by Seattleallstar

What gets me about the horse, is why one of the richest men in the world decided to sell and partner up with Coolmore. Apparently his original trainer Bart Cummings was livid about selling off to the Irish. But thankfully no matter how So You Think ended up at Ballydoyle, its all worked out for the better. Not stuck in Australia, yet showing the world how good he really is.

I think Cummings felt betrayed. He'd made the horse into the monster he is, but he hadn't gotten that nth Melbourne Cup with him, despite a good run, and he would have wanted to get it right the next season. There can't be too many more great horses who will come his way, at his time of life.

And I think that currently he feels that O'Brien isn't doing right by the horse. He heaped scorn on the tactic of using a pacemaker at Royal Ascot, which he felt got the horse beaten. A horse who can win a 10f G1 on a Saturday and come back 3 days later to be competitive over 2 miles in a G1 doesn't need babying once he's fit, either.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

I think Cummings felt betrayed. He'd made the horse into the monster he is, but he hadn't gotten that nth Melbourne Cup with him, despite a good run, and he would have wanted to get it right the next season. There can't be too many more great horses who will come his way, at his time of life.

And I think that currently he feels that O'Brien isn't doing right by the horse. He heaped scorn on the tactic of using a pacemaker at Royal Ascot, which he felt got the horse beaten. A horse who can win a 10f G1 on a Saturday and come back 3 days later to be competitive over 2 miles in a G1 doesn't need babying once he's fit, either.

Hope he gets his chance in the arc, he's a very good horse and I agree a win at the 2400 will make him a great horse, from my observation he seems to have a better kick at the 2000 whereas in the Melbourne cup his kick wasn't sustained, regardless he deserves a chance, I thought Snow Fairy was getting to him towards the end of the Champion, though maybe he was just idling down, just more intrigue to the distance question.