2008 HRI Awards - Horse of the Year Award

[sebwingfield]

where can I get this song?

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

New Approach on that list but Ravens Pass was better than all of them

[cmcgarth1O]

@MANUTD4LIFE171 Hows that then

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O Ravens pass wasnt the best at the start of the season but he proved by eventualy improving enough to reverse form with HenryTheNavigator TWICE, conquering the breeders cup classic a race HTN and the duke also ran in both finnishing behind him. please name me other European horses who have won the classic

Timeform also rate him superior to any of the horses on that list, thats because he was the most talented horse of that generation

[cmcgarth1O]

@MANUTD4LIFE171 He won the Classic on that dodgy surface but, Curlin would have eat him alive on dirt. He improved past Henry towards the end of the season and his performance in America was exceptional but New Approach was the most talented colt of that generation, to just get beat a nose in the Guineas when crying out for a trip, brilliant performance in the Derby and broke the track in the Champion after recovering from an injury which was worse than ever got made out in the press.

[cmcgarth1O]

@cmcgarth1O Thats why he got beat at York and thats why he barely won the Irish Champion against a bad field but usually he only done enough anyway and once he got to the front, he was unpassable.

Totally agree about Zarkava, best horse of 2008 and there were some good ones about. Great filly. But i think New Approach would have gave her more of a race in the Arc if he turned up on his Derby on Champion Stakes form and he never ran a bad race in his life, Unbeatable Champion 2yo

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O I am well aware New Aproach had his injury problems but Bolger was well aware New Aproach would have been no match for Zarkava even on his best form thats why never had a go for the Arc and he was also well aware that he had already been exposed by HTN in TWO guineas and he wasnt going all the way to the states for the classic to get beat again as he no doubt would have done, Interestingly the time of Ravens passes win was faster than Zenyatta on that polytrack surface so he was good

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O The Champion stakes was just a bunch of handicapers and Twice Over who did frank the form as an older horse but that did include a 15 lengh defeat to STS and RVW so i still dont think Twice Overs 3 year old form was very strong as he has only become a top class horse in the last year, Henry Cecil is a genius at getting the best out of failed 3 year olds once they are older horses

[cmcgarth1O]

@MANUTD4LIFE171 Well they were a bit better than Handicapper but I take your point. Its debatable whether Twioe Over has actually improved that much, to me, a top group 1 horse will always beat him. He beat a handicapper in his Champion in Mawatheeq and Sariska and Fame Ang Glory were no where near there best. I think Lingaari came out of New Approach's champion and ran 3rd in the Hong King Vase so it wasnt complete mugs and he smashed the track record so dont right the performance off.

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O Well i agree slightly he is not a superstar group 1 horse, as a 3 year old he was only group 3 standard now he is of group 1 since Cecil has worked his magic and he is a very solid group 1 horse i would certainly fancy him to beat Sariska who is majorly overrated he beat Da Re Mi in the Eclipse a fillie who has proven superior to Sariska although i agree he isnt as good as Fame and glory!!

[cmcgarth1O]

@MANUTD4LIFE171 Dar Re Mi was half fit m8 and is a mile and a half horse, that was the worst Eclipse ive ever seen and he only won it by half a length. A top group 1 horse will beat Twice Over. He has improved but the horses hes running against have got worse, you seen what happened to him behind Sea The Stars. Sariska would beat Twice Over in soft ground. Shes a class filly, especially on soft

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O Even you cant disagree that Twice Over had an off day against STS he was far from his best, I disagree that Da Re Mi is a better horse than Twice Over despite her preferred distance being 1m4, obviously she is capable at 1m2 or she would not have been entered, I agree he wil be beaten by the very best Like FAG and Workforce among others but i doubt Sariska would be good enough to beat him unless the ground was a bog but that is always unlikely this time of year

[cmcgarth1O]

@MANUTD4LIFE171 Yeah he had an off day, Dar Re Mi can run at 1m2 but you need to remember, everything has to be 110% to win a group 1 and she was half fit, I got told that a week before the race, she would need the run and is being aimed at the King George were she will show up much better. Sri Putra and Viscount Nelson are Group 3 horses, it was the worst Eclipse ever bar none

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O So to summarise i feel Twice Over is now a very good Group 1 Horse who now has to be taken seriously but as a 3 year old he was IMO of Group 3 standard look at his results at 3 compared to the results at 4 and 5 he has improved atleast 10 pounds taking into account the weight allowance, If he raced New approach now i feel he would be alot closer although i would still expect New Aproach to win

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O Far more research required Ravens Passes Breeding suggests his best surface would have been Dirt so there is no guarentee Curlin could beat him on that surface, the way i see it is Curlin wasnt good enough and the result would have been no different regardless, These American horses are always overhyped he was a short price favourite in a field that included 2 of the classiest colts around from europe in RP and HTN and the American punters certainly got there comeuppance!!

[MANUTD4LIFE171]

@cmcgarth1O Although if we are going to include the french then Zarkava deserves the award

[slish77]

Yeats !

[bigderekkeene]

yeats for me

[dessiesdoneit]

the duke was a machine aswell, sum performance at ascot

[mollylambchops]

Great video... GREAT HORSES...Thx

[dessiesdoneit]

great video m8 its a shame the only new approach race on youtube is probly his worst performance in the irish champion on bottemless ground.(we can thank racing uk for that) great horse, u dont get many horses where u can put all ure money on with confidence but this is one. ppl say it was a bad derby but tartan bearer and casual conquest will show how good a derby it was this year. only been into racing a few years but ill be lucky to see another 2 horses like new approach and zarkava.