Corach Rambler retains the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham ahead of Fastorslow and Monbeg Genius
Corach Rambler won the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham for the second year in a row. Fastorslow finished second, with Monbeg Genius in third.
Month: March 2023
Tapit Trice Vaults Upward in New Kentucky Derby Contenders Poll
Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll. Week 6 of the 2023 Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the NTRA covers racing performances through March 14, 2023. The 3-year-old poll represents horses competing up to and through the Triple Crown. Rankings are based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1 voting system. First place votes are in parentheses.
Don’t Sell Smaller Horses Short; Rider Fit More Important Than Height
The height of a horse that is retiring from racing should not affect his value as a riding partner, Aubrey Graham, anthropologist and trainer at Kivu Sport Horses, told Horse Nation.
Though riders who are horse shopping often have a desired height on their wish list, Graham points out that their ability to grow into good horses – not their height – should determine suitability. Smaller horses are often easier to compress strides on and are often “cattier” – meaning they can get their feet out of the way faster in most situations.
Graham also notes that while a rider may have long legs and feel that they “need” a bigger horse to take up leg length, height isn't the only way in which a horse can do that. A smaller, but broader, horse can take up just as much leg as a taller, rangier mount, making a rider feel secure.
Horses can grow until they're seven years old, so kicking a horse out of the possibility pile because they aren't yet a set height is presumptuous if they're on the younger side, Graham reminds. Horses — and Thoroughbreds in particular — don't grow evenly, so passing on a horse that is disproportionate as he transitions from the track can lead to a missed opportunity.
Read more at Horse Nation.
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Cheltenham Festival 2023: Constitution Hill wins Champion Hurdle, Honeysuckle triumphs
Constitution Hill wins the Champion Hurdle with a memorable performance to triumph by nine lengths at the Cheltenham Festival while Honeysuckle lands the Mares' Hurdle.
