TVG showed the race: McDynamo gets his 5th consecutive victory impressively!!
It was actually McDynamo’s SEVENTH consecutive victory at Far Hills (he broke his maiden there and then won an allowance over the course before streaking 5, now, consecutive BC wins.)
And, at the International Gold Cup races in The Plains, Virginia, it was Seeyouattheevent, Robbie Walsh up, winning the $50,000 IGC timber stakes handily. Robbie told me he was ‘to the boards’ trying to stay with a fast fast fast pace set by Jack Fisher-trained Allimac early, but that one backed up to the field at the water jump (the 15th) and though Fields of Omagh (2005 IGC winner) moved first, Walsh got the inner on the final, 90 degree bend. Fellow Irishman Jeff Murphy came to him at the last aboard Woodmont, jumping upsides, but Seeyouattheevent outkicked him to the wire winning as he pleased in a hand-ride.
Bon Fleur, Murphy, won the Steeplethon wire to wire.
Walsh rode Orpington to win the NW2. Chris Read won the SoK maiden for Kinross; English visitor Lucy Horner rode Capital Peak for Kinross to win the invitational amateur turf.
A fantastic day of racing in Virginia, made all the better by reports trickling thru from Far Hills.
Other winners at Far Hills were Irish Prince in the timber stake, and Imagina in the filly stake (both, like McD, for Petty-Hendriks), Gliding in the $100k hurdle stake, Party Airs the $50k stake and CR’s Deputy the 3yo hurdle.
MCDYNAMOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! 
What an awesome horse. I just about cried with joy when he took the lead and ran off with the race. I took lots of pictures and I’ll post a link when I get them online.
Are today’s full Far Hill results available online? I wrote down as many as I could but I missed a few races.
[QUOTE=Madeline;2750852]
http://www.st-publishing.com/st-times/viewstory1.php?id=418
Has all the winners.[/QUOTE]
Thank you!
Here are a few shots from today:
Forget that stuff going on at Monmouth this weekend, Breeder’s Cup Schmeeders Cup. The real racing season starts on Sunday.
The top National Hunt horses come out of their summer hibernation and line up in the first big Chase of the season, the Old Roan Chase (G2) at Aintree.
Look at this for a lineup… last year’s undisputed champ, Kauto Star, plus Monet’s Garden, My Way de Slozen, Exotic Dancer, Monkerhostin and a host of others.
Will be a tough test for the still young Kauto Star (7yo), as he will carry the top weight in this handicap, of 164lbs, giving away as much as 20lbs to the likes of My Way de Solzen and Monkerhostin and 14lbs to Monet’s Garden who’s a specialist over the shorter 2m to 2½m chases. Kauto Star did comfortably win this race last year, carrying a similar weight, but it was a very anemic field of five runners who had no business running in a graded race.
While winning the Gold Cup last March crowned him as the next big thing, I think a win in a handicap like this, conceding serious weight to good horses, will truly put him on the road to being considered up there with the mighty Arkle.
First kink in the armour for Kauto Star, the 14lbs he was giving to Monet’s Garden proved just that bit too much, though he put up a gallant fight to finish a length and a half behind the winner, who is a specialist over the shorter distances.
From the Racing Post…
Monet’s Garden wins the first battle but Kauto not disgraced
by Martin Kelly
MONET’S GARDEN floored Kauto Star to landthe Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase at Aintree.
The Nicky Richards-trained grey took full advantage of the 14lb he received from last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hero to win by one and a half lengths.
Monet’s Garden (9-4) had been left in the clear when Ashley Brook fell at the fourth-last fence.
Exotic Dancer, the only other runner, was a long way back in third.
Ashley Brook set a sensible pace with Tony Dobbin close up in second, with a gap to Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer.
There was no change in the order but the race turned dramatically when Ashley Brook came down at the cross fence.
Monet’s Garden was left 10 lengths in front of Kauto Star, whose rider Ruby Walsh was hard at work.
However, last season’s top chaser responded and cutthe gap to just two lengths at the final fence.
But the concession of 14lb to the course specialist proved too much and Kauto Star could not repeat last year’s success in this race.
The first two pulled 20 lengths clear of Exotic Dancer.
Nicholls was happy with Kauto Star’s seasonal debut and told BBC Sport: "It just as we thought - Monet’s Garden was always going to be hard to beat at the weights.
"He’s a true stayer and wants three miles.
"They went a fair old gallop early on and we were never going to try and get to involved in that.
"Monet’s Garden’s a specialist two-and-a-half-mile horse.
“It was a great place to start off and we’ve now got a month to get him ready for Haydock (for the Betfair Chase), which is three miles.”
Worth taking a peek:
youtube.com: “Red Rum’s Song 1979”
As shared by the producer of the 1979 tribute and ode to the great Rummy.
You’ll never see this again when it comes to an (inter)national hero:
Red Rum’s trainer Ginger McCain, a very nice guy, arranged the day especially for us and brought “Rummy” to Aintree for the occasion.
Oh wow, now this is the real deal, the 1973 Grand National, one of the greatest races of all times. The amazing Crisp led the field for most of the race, at one point almost a full fence ahead of the rest, putting on an absolute exhibition of jumping. He ran out of gas in the run-in and Red Rum, who was getting over 20lbs from Crisp, came from way back to grind him down and catch him at the wire.
Red Rum was seen as a huge villian that day, even people that had backed him to win were cheering for Crisp to hang on after the amazing display he put on. It was almost criminal that he should lose that day.
Absolute heartbreaker.
Watch Crisp jump, have you ever seen a more noble jumper in your life?
Perhaps making even the Aintree-based Grand National look slightly easy …
The Czech Republic’s Velka Pardubicka (video - 2007) which albout 7km distance, 31 obstacles and run since 1874, with a few years having been cancelled. Not taking a thing away from the GN winners, but it takes as tough as nails horse and rider to finish that!
The last two winners have Northern Dancer tail male. One is by a Lyphard son and the other is by a Viceregal son.
While the Far Hills race has been expectedly McDynamos to take year after year, I doubt he’ll take the Eclipse this year unless it is for sentimental reasons.
Good Night Shirt romped the field in the $150,000 Grade 1 Marion du Pont Scott Colonial Cup (video) today. While he lost in Jersey to McD by a few placings, the youngster at 6 yrs old, has twice soundly defeated the 10-yr old this year.
Kudos to whoever produced the Colonial coverage, nicely done.
Hell of a nice looking horse that Good Night Shirt, very striking. I’d never have pegged him to be a champion jumper on his breeding though, but he sure jumps with a lot of zest, stands off his fences nicely. Man was he rank in the early going, Dowling didn’t have much choice but to let him go on.
Was it the screen, or is it really that brown in South Carolina? Looked like they were galloping on a desert.
I don’t think his pedigree is that bad. Concern has produced some American jumpers, along with his dam’s sire, Two Punch. Those are both up close, and I’m fairly certain that you’ll see atleast Two Punch in a few notables.
McD was definitely fairly beaten. After seeing how harshly GNS was lugging on Willy, I figured he’d be tired towards the ends, but it was McD that fizzled. Impressive run by GNS!
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;2812893]
Kudos to whoever produced the Colonial coverage, nicely done. [snip] Was it the screen, or is it really that brown in South Carolina? Looked like they were galloping on a desert.[/QUOTE]
The video was produced live for South Carolina’s PBS station - ETV. Nice to see that something like that is made accessable across the region.
As for the brown indeed the drought of the Southeast US is quite bad. (Although I can’t say that SC ever is that green in the winter months.) Still the water rationing is luckily not a factor in SC - like it is for Atlanta, for example - but lush and green isn’t a motto of Camden 
Retired - McDynamo
His connections suggested Saturday a good showing in Sunday’s Colonial Cup could open the door to a return to racing in the fall races of 2008. That door of opportunity was closed with yesterday’s performance although who knows what could transpire. A winter and spring’s worth of foxhunting and maybe one more Far Hills race?
Steeplechase Times 11-18-07 “McDynamo retired after finishing sixth”
McDynamo retires sound with a record $1.3 million in career earnings from 15 wins in 25 lifetime starts over jumps for owner Michael Moran and trainer Sanna Hendriks. The 10-year-old won five consecutive Breeders’ Cup Grand National steeplechase races.
“I’m happy to retire him, and proud to own him,” said Moran of the 10-year-old Thoroughbred. “There were so many years where we felt that degree of confidence because he’s so good but now as he’s gotten older it’s not that your not confident in the horse, but you’re not confident in the decision you’re making. It would be greedy to ask him to do more. He’s been so good to everybody that I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.”
Seen and most notable in the hunt field Saturday - Big joint meet between Piedmont Foxhounds and Orange County Hunt. Met at Kinross Farm which literally is the “segregation lane” between those 2 adjacent clubs. Farm trainer Neil Morris was mounted on multi grade I winner Sur La Tete – who has overcome his lunacy at the races to be quite a lovely field hunter. Farm jockey Chris Read was mounted on Virginia Gold Cup winner Miles Ahead.
Double Wow. Great photo will be in this week’s Fauquier Times-Democrat. Page B5. I’ll make sure to post it on the online paper, too. www.fauquier.com
I just found this thread. I actually just returned to Canada from working on a Tb breeding farm in Ireland. We bred for the flat, but some of our stallions have sired some amazing jumps horses. I went to quite a few jumps races over there at Fairyhouse and Punchestown. Here are some pictures from the Powers Whiskey Easter Race Festival at Fairyhouse: http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k90/mmacke03/Ireland/
Kauto Star is back to winning ways, taking the BetFair Chase at Haydock on Sat, though Exotic Dancer made him work for it at level weights (161lbs). The replay, … look at the way he jumps the last open ditch, the 3rd fence from home, what an amazing leap.
Sam Thomas deputised in the irons for the injured Ruby Walsh.
Betfair Chase (Lancashire Chase),
G1, Haydock
3m, £200k (~$400k)
- Kauto Star
- Exotic Dancer
- Beef or Salmon
