# Aintree Day 1



## Mariposa (9 April 2015)

Finally Aintree is here! 

Anyone got any tips for Day 1?

For me it's all about Rock on Ruby in the Aintree Hurdle, I just love that horse and the team behind him  

Also the beautiful Ma Filleule in the Aintree Bowl, and I can't wait to see Sam WC going over those fences on Warne again in the Foxhunters.


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## KautoStar1 (9 April 2015)

Yup Rock on Ruby for me too.  He should be fresh for it and the ground / course will suit.


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## Mariposa (9 April 2015)

Last year I really thought he'd pip The New One in it, was one of the most exciting races all festival!


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## amage (9 April 2015)

I would suspect Arctic Fire won't get up after that. Horrible fall


ETA WOW did not expect that poor horse to get up he really looked to have been fatally injured.


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## Elf On A Shelf (9 April 2015)

Mariposa said:



			Finally Aintree is here! 



 and I can't wait to see Sam WC going over those fences on Warne again in the Foxhunters.
		
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Well he made it to the other side of 1 lol! That's the pleasure and the pain of those fences! Previous form counts for very little in the grand scheme of things!


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## Exploding Chestnuts (9 April 2015)

Ruby says he is ok, I mean the horse.


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## Mariposa (9 April 2015)

EKW said:



			Well he made it to the other side of 1 lol! That's the pleasure and the pain of those fences! Previous form counts for very little in the grand scheme of things!
		
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Poor Sam! He has such a good record over those fences...i really thought they might win again!

I was amazed Arctic Fire get up from that fall, so pleased to hear he is ok. 

What's everyone on for tomorrow? I can't wait to see Cue Card back in action, and I hope Flintham runs well too.


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## Madam Min (10 April 2015)

I'm going today! Excited! Possibly going to back Splash of Ginge and then Champagne Fever in the Melling Chase


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## JCWHITE (10 April 2015)

For me, The Morning Line overall are doing a good job, Aintree looks magnificent,
 Thought the farce of a start for the Foxhunters needs to be looked at, how many  people does it take to put a bridle on, For me, the first fence came too quick in the same race , esp after a standing start. 
Thought the corraling of the loose horses worked well yesterday and pleased to see so much water on hand .


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## Clodagh (10 April 2015)

There were some horrible falls, so pleased to see Arctic Fire up but he looked pretty sore, I hope he makes a full recovery. Foxhunters was like the old days. The amateurs have no respect for the starter - they were the same at Cheltenham. How hopeless were they with that bridle, and why didn't they put the reins over his neck, what an incredibly good horse. My OH was laughing, we decided no one down there had ever tacked up a horse, they must have their grooms do it for them.
Top class racing though and I can't wait for today.


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## Mariposa (10 April 2015)

Clodagh said:



			How hopeless were they with that bridle, and why didn't they put the reins over his neck, what an incredibly good horse. My OH was laughing, we decided no one down there had ever tacked up a horse, they must have their grooms do it for them.
		
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I felt so sorry for that poor jockey, he didn't seem to have a clue...I thought the horse was going to canter off home at one point!!  It was a real pony club over the ears tumble wasn't it?


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## Elf On A Shelf (10 April 2015)

This race is absolute carnage!!!

It looks as though every horse got up and away but there were some pearlers of falls which in turn brought down others! 

I don't like SWC's tight silks! They just look wrong lol!


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## teapot (10 April 2015)

Streamlined EKW - saw him win at Larkhill and compared to the wooley jumpers I can see why he wears them! Just won me some money too :biggrin3:


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## Elf On A Shelf (10 April 2015)

teapot said:



			Streamlined EKW - saw him win at Larkhill and compared to the wooley jumpers I can see why he wears them! Just won me some money too :biggrin3:
		
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They defos beat the wooly jumpers any day lol! It will be interesting to see how many other owners start going for these skin tight things especially for the big races. He has the only set I have seen and nah, just don't like them lol! Probably just because they aren't traditional silks!


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## teapot (10 April 2015)

Think they'd be better if they weren't orange and brown...


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## Elf On A Shelf (10 April 2015)

Make them bright green and what with the body pretector and myscles on show they would look like the Incredible Hulk!  : D


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## Clodagh (11 April 2015)

I don't like the tight silks either, even on a bod like his!
I really enjoyed yesterdays racing, great to see AP strike again and Tom Scu, he seems such a nice man.


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## Mariposa (11 April 2015)

I don't like them either....it just looks...wrong! But didn't he do well yestererday! It was utter carnage and he just started out of trouble. I had money on Theatre Guide and he literally got stopped in his tracks by that loose horse!


Right - today for the big one I'm on Soll, The Druids Nephew, Rubi Light and a few £ e/w on AP because actually I'd love him to win it. My daughter picked Oscar Time (when I say picked I mean I showed her the Racing Post and she sort of pointed vaugely in his direction.....!)


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## teapot (11 April 2015)

Soll, Oscar Time and Cause of Causes for me


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## photo_jo (11 April 2015)

Night in Milan - for no other reason than I named his dam!


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## Elf On A Shelf (11 April 2015)

For purely selfish reasons I really don't want McCoy to win! If he wins he retires on the spot. If he doesn't win he will be up at Perth in a few weeks for the Wed/Thur/Fri of his final week as a jockey and that will bring in massive crowds and a huge party atmosphere!


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## Mariposa (11 April 2015)

Seedling  I hoped it wasn't as bad as it looked. Sad start to the day.


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## scotlass (11 April 2015)

Mariposa said:



			Seedling  I hoped it wasn't as bad as it looked. Sad start to the day.
		
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Quite an incident packed first race.  Sad start with the fatality of Seedling, which if there is any consolation to take, looked instant.  Thoughts are with everyone associated with him.   Go West Young Man managed to get rid of his jockey twice - once before the start and again during the race .. and it's not often a NH horse needs ponied to the start, although from his last couple of starts, Days of Heaven can be a bit crazy.


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## x-di-x (11 April 2015)

Ekw. Where are you?  I live just along the road from perth but can't go to the upcoming races due to work . But agree would be good to see McCoy at perth and bring in the crowds to this small racecourse


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## Tiddlypom (11 April 2015)

Get off the horse fgs.

Hopefully winner is ok. Phew, looks good now.

Forget the post race mounted interviews on a horse that looks about to collapse next time, please.


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## x-di-x (11 April 2015)

Tiddlypom said:



			Get off the horse fgs.

Hopefully winner is ok.
		
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Horse is fine..... Apparently he's known for overheating and the vets were there straight away.... He's just been on tv looking fine but still bring cooled in the cooling facility they have at Aintree. 


I've just shed a tear of relief that Bakthazar King is ok.   He's up and ok according to vet & owner.  For some daft reason I really like that horse!  He's got a stable with me should he ever need one lol


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## Elf On A Shelf (11 April 2015)

Balthazar King is one incredibly lucky horse! He got galloped into when half up. You never wish any horse to come down but BK is such a wee legend in his own right I doubt many people enjoyed the rest of the race, especially when they bypassed the fence again. Ruby - fair play to him grabbed a flag to make sure that no one interfered with the vets doing their job. I bet a few jocks were relived not to have to jump the Turn again!

Aspell should have got off sooner, people should have told him to get off sooner. Yes the occasion may have got to him again but someone, anyone should have got him off sooner. I know myself the first thing I do is check the eyes as that's where you see the first signs off issues and if I have one then the jockeys are off before they know it!

It's easy for us to say all that at home but we are not the ones who have just won the National! But at least this year they did say to the public this is what's happening, this is why the horse isn't coming back into the enclosure et al. Keeping the public in the loop is the best way forward.

x-di-x I am just down by Milnathort, I work for Lucinda Russell


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## flaxen (11 April 2015)

Balthazar king still out on course being assessed by vets as channel four racing goes off air. I hope he is ok but sounds very serious.


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## Elf On A Shelf (11 April 2015)

Just goes to show what jockeys go through - I sincerely hope Robbie makes a full recovery!

Culloty told Channel 4 Racing before the Grand National: "My heart is thinking of Robbie McNamara at the moment. He is in surgery at the minute. As well as eight broken ribs and a punctured lung, he fractured his T11 vertebrae and there is a bit of spinal damage.

"There is a big haematoma on his spine pressing on his spinal cord and they are trying to remove that at the moment. My prayers are with him."


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## Fools Motto (11 April 2015)

What happened to Robbie?


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## Elf On A Shelf (11 April 2015)

He got pummeled into the ground and fair squashed over in Ireland yesterday.


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## teapot (11 April 2015)

Fools Motto said:



			What happened to Robbie?
		
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Fall at Wexford yesterday


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## Fools Motto (11 April 2015)

Horrible! Hope he is on the mend soon.

As for todays race, I was willing AP his fairy-tale ending, but loved Many Clouds. Lovely horse. Really hope BK will be ok, he may have been standing, but he sure did take a fair whack and I'd be worried for the rest of him. Poor boy.


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## starr_g (11 April 2015)

Heard on 5 Live that Balthazar King is up and walking. I bet on him but you don't care about wee bits of dosh when that happens and well done Ruby with the flag.


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## x-di-x (11 April 2015)

EKW said:



			Balthazar King is one incredibly lucky horse! He got galloped into when half up. You never wish any horse to come down but BK is such a wee legend in his own right I doubt many people enjoyed the rest of the race, especially when they bypassed the fence again. Ruby - fair play to him grabbed a flag to make sure that no one interfered with the vets doing their job. I bet a few jocks were relived not to have to jump the Turn again!

Aspell should have got off sooner, people should have told him to get off sooner. Yes the occasion may have got to him again but someone, anyone should have got him off sooner. I know myself the first thing I do is check the eyes as that's where you see the first signs off issues and if I have one then the jockeys are off before they know it!

It's easy for us to say all that at home but we are not the ones who have just won the National! But at least this year they did say to the public this is what's happening, this is why the horse isn't coming back into the enclosure et al. Keeping the public in the loop is the best way forward.

x-di-x I am just down by Milnathort, I work for Lucinda Russell 

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Ahhhh lucky you. Lucinda's got some lovely horses on her yard. Some very nice ones of Geoff brown!  We'll have a mutual friend in common.... Works for Geoff up here.....  X


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## Mariposa (11 April 2015)

scotlass said:



			.. and it's not often a NH horse needs ponied to the start, although from his last couple of starts, Days of Heaven can be a bit crazy.
		
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The horse accompanying him was one of Sarah Henderson's lovely polo ponies  

I read that Balthazar King walked onto the horse ambulance and has broken ribs, and will be ok. Fair play to Ruby for rushing to help.

And as for Many Clouds - well done and all that but I really thought he was about to have a heart attack afterwards, he was practically staggering, it was scary stuff.


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