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REVIEW OF THE 2000/2001 NATIONAL HUNT SEASON ... A PERSONAL VIEW
Monday, 30 April 2001
This was the season that wasn't!
A season which many will wish to forget, due to the ravishes of foot and mouth, and it being one of the wettest winters on record....
Point-to-pointing barely begun, before it had to be cancelled... Judging by the over subscription of hunter chases, summer jumping will at least not suffer for numbers of runners!!!
The Racing Channel dropped coverage of Irish racing, and point-to-points... another oddity that hopefully is sorted out by any media deal.
British racing fans either needed to go to the bookmakers, and watch via the satellite (thank god for Tara TV!!!). They may have missed Ned Kelly, Sackville, Like-A-Butterfly, and Colonel Braxton all confirming what talents they are for the future.
The wettest season that I can remember decimated racing. Even those tracks that managed to race may now pay for providing us sport during the winter. Tracks such as Huntingdon, Market Rasen, Newton Abbot, Leicester, and Sandown, who all lost meetings to flooding, may not have been able to have obtained sufficient growth in the ground to avoid it becoming patchy, if as should surely happen soon, the summer we were promised arrives.
At least we had some good moments
The Gallic invasion, which had been led solely over the last couple of years by Francois Doumen, was joined this time by Guilliame Macaire. One of France's leading trainers, Macaire, so used to passing on his young
protégés to our leading trainers, had a go himself this term. The brilliant Jair du Cochet, Imperial de Thaix, and Broiswick led his season's haul. We can be certain that this talented trainer will be plundering our shores again next term.
Francois Doumen, not to be undone, brightened up the second half of the season. Baracouda, Bilboa, and First Gold all produced stunning performances to win graded races. All of them have assignments over the summer, but will no doubt then be rested to challenge for races again on this side of the water during the French close season.
Istabraq kept the 'crown' of top 2mile hurdler, however he didn't perform near his best (then again he didn't have to). He did though flirt too much with fate for his fan's liking... Other than him, it was hard to get enthusiastic about the 2-mile division, though group winning Landing Light, and maybe Bilboa gave hope that at least the Champion Hurdle field may be stronger next term
Edredon Bleu proved what a superstar he is; despite having to race on ground, which we know doesn't suit him.... His battle with Fadalko at the end of the season will live long in the memory
Losing the Cheltenham Festival was a blow ... frankly we shouldn't have. Even allowing for the restrictions imposed as a result of foot & mouth, it seems odd that a festival which is planned for a year, didn't contain a contingency to extend it over the whole of the week, in case of postponement... It almost certainly would have happened in Ireland.
Spirits should have been raised by the time Aintree came around, however whilst First Gold, and Bilboa did their bit to lift the heart, Mother Nature wasn't about to lift her grip on proceedings. One of the most dramatic Grand National on record played to an enthralled.... and appalled audience.
In these times of political over-correctness, it was a shame, and ironic, that the racing fraternity itself, led by
Alistair Down, leapt first, and criticised the running of the race... The subsequent infighting between fractions; for and against (wrongly in my view) attempted to overshadow the guts and bravery of those who competed in arduous conditions that day.
Red Marauder, Smarty, Blowing Wind, Papillon, & the other 36 runners and their pilots deserved better from racing's own supporters.
Tony McCoy deserves a word of praise, not only for becoming champion jockey again, (and surpassing himself on Edredon Bleu on the final day), but also for displaying his human side last Saturday.
There he stood beside the stricken Grey Shot, who had just taken one of the worst falls of the season. As the fallen hero rose to his feet, he moved over, and gave him an affectionate stroke on the muzzle. His will-to-win, never say die approach doesn't meet with uniformed approval, however this sign of affection will help temper those who consider him a mercenary.... I am not amongst them
MY AWARDS
HURDLERS
JUVENILE HURDLER OF THE SEASON
BILBOA - Over the course of the season, her performances in France and England was just better than Jair du Cochet...it will be interesting to see if either of them are able to secure the French crown later this month
NOVICE HURDLER OF THE SEASON/HURDLER OF THE SEASON/STAYING HURDLER OF THE SEASON
BARACOUDA - Although its hard to compare English and Irish form, Barracuda's performances this term do stand out, more than Istabraq, Ned Kelly or Colonel Braxton showed in Ireland, and the likes of Skippers Cleuch, and Hindiana, who I have no doubt are better than their recent form suggests
HANDICAP HURDLER OF THE SEASON
LANDING LIGHT - still open to more improvement next term
CHASERS
CHASER OF THE SEASON/STAYING CHASER OF THE SEASON
FIRST GOLD - His two wins in the King George V Chase, and the Martell Cup, set him apart from his main rivals, though Edredon Bleu ran him close
2 MILE CHASER OF THE SEASON
EDREDON BLEU - deservedly so over Function Dream, who preparation for Cheltenham was almost certainly hindered by the weather/foot & mouth
NOVICE CHASER OF THE SEASON
I can't split BEST MATE, and ILARE, who both may be dominating the European scene in their respective countries
2- 2 1/2 MILE NOVICE CHASER OF THE SEASON
BEST MATE & ILARE
3 MILE NOVICE CHASER OF THE SEASON
I'd be hard pressed to split SACKVILLE, and SHOTGUN WILLY, so I'll award this particular title jointly to them
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