Current BHB Rating at 25/09/08: 146

Current wins/runs at 27/10/08: 33 runs, 6 wins (20 runs over fences, 4 wins)

Parsons Legacy: Overview

Started his career in Bumpers and Novice Hurdles in Ireland for William Flavin but came over to England and Philip Hobbs whilst still a maiden for the 03/04 NH Season.

Right from the word go ‘chasing was mentioned as this horse’s likely forte but he still managed two wins from his brief hurdling career.

The 08/09 season will be Parsons Legacy’s fifth year over fences but the 07/08 season was curtailed after his run at Cheltenham on the 1st January due a bout of coughing and then lameness. He was an intended runner in the National until being withdrawn at the 18th March forfeit stage and so putting paid to many an ante post wager!

Parsons Legacy’s wins over fences have come at distances of between 20 and 26 furlongs and he has won going right handed and left handed and on a variety of different types of tracks. He would appear to prefer good ground with all his six wins coming within the good to firm – good to soft ground range, genuinely good ground would seem to suit him best.
He has run over 26f on four occasions (27f x 3, 33f x 1). The most interesting of these being his run in the 2007 Scottish National where he finished 1 ¾ lengths 3rd to Hot Weld and Nine De Sivola.

GNG View

Parsons Legacy’s recent return to action after a nine month lay-off was rewarded with a good victory at Cheltenham in an 18k race at the opening meeting at the track. This win takes Parsons Legacy up to an official rating of 146, a couple of pounds outside the magical 136-144 range of recent Grand National winners.

I was glad to see Philip Hobbs start the horse’s campaign so positively and especially as he goes so well fresh. There is surely little point putting all your eggs in one Grand National basket, especially if the horse has already had bouts of lameness and is 10 rising 11.

The placing at the Scottish National is the icing on the cake for most of last year’s ante-post punters and just to improve things further he would be significantly better off with his conquerors at Ayr if they were to meet again in the near future.

I’m not 100% sure though that Scottish National form means we can rubber stamp the fact that this horse will get the trip again in the Grand National. He is by Leading Counsel and whilst that sire has thrown other staying chasers such as Dun Doire and Model Son he has also produced more essentially speed horses in the likes of decent 2 mile chaser Justified and a good Martin Pipe hurdler from yesteryear, Rodock. The dam comes from the line of The Parson so there is an influence of stamina there but I just felt that the Scottish National might have pushed him to the limit stamina wise.

Conclusion

I was prepared to take a chance on that stamina doubt last year but last year’s injury worries and the possibility of a tad more weight this year just put me off at the moment with a view to including Parsons Legacy in my shortlist for the National.

Also, I’m just wondering if he has crossed over into the “too experienced” category now after five seasons over fences? Like many in the current ante post list, perhaps he missed his best chance last year?

As so many contributors to this forum appeared to back Parsons Legacy last year we would be very pleased to hear their thoughts about the horse’s chances this year. And let us know if you can see yourself backing him again!

Posted in Grand National 2009 | 1 Comment »

2008 Grand National third Snowy Mornings participation in the 2009 race has been thrown into doubt recently when his trainer Willie Mullins suggested in the Racing Post that a repeat performance might be unlikely.

Mullins was running through his runners in a stable tour and when speaking about Snowy Morning and the Grand National he said the following:

Bookmakers haven’t been rushing to move Snowy Morning in the betting for the National although there has been a slight move in his price on Betfair where he has drifted out to a current price of 25. However given that the statement is so early in the season it must be quite possible that the trainer could reconsider if Snowy Morning hasn’t made the progression into Grade One races that he is evidently hoping for.

His current mark of 162 would be enough to put off a large number of people from backing him and it could be that his trainer is spot on in his analysis and last season was his best chance of glory at Aintree.

What do you think? Do you believe that the Mullins camp will have a change of heart and run Snowy Morning in the National or has his performance at Punchestown now weighted him out of competing in the Grand National?

Posted in Grand National 2009 | 14 Comments »

Connections of Cloudy Lane have given the go ahead for the gelding to be aimed at the Grand National once again in 2009.

Donald McCain’s charge was 20lb well-in on official figures for the 2008 race and as such will have a much harder task at the weights in 2009 but his owner and trainer believe his sixth place finishing position in last year’s race is not as bad as first thought and the eight year old deserves another shot at the race.

Disappointing in 2008 Grand National

Cloudy Lane competed in the 2008 National of a mark of 141 but begins the 2008/09 season off of 159. The McCain yard has stated an early campaign of the Old Roan Chase at Aintree and possibly the Hennessy at Newbury. It would seem likely that if the horse’s season is going to be geared towards the Grand National then races such as those will be used to try and gain fitness and to get the horse’s handicap mark dropped.

Tough Task At The Weights?

However, even if he was back down to a mark of, say, 150 by the time the weights were published it would be hard for me to be enthusiastic about his chances. Connections believe he jumped well at Aintree and they would know best, of course, but I wasn’t that impressed and I didn’t think he looked comfortable over the Aintree fences and was surprised he managed to finish as close as he did.

More McCain and Hemmings Glory?

It is understandable given connections of McCain and Hemmings that the horse is being aimed at the National again but at eight years old he could perhaps have been given a year of other targets and then given another look at the race when he was ten or eleven.

No doubt the current quote of 33/1 will appeal to some ante post punters but it doesn’t make me want to raid the piggy bank. How about you? Do you feel Cloudy Lane will be a genuine contender for the 2009 Grand National or will he be weighted out of it this year?

Cloudy Lane is currently a 33/1 chance with Paddy Power.

Posted in Grand National 2009 | 9 Comments »