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Rowan · Group Performer Joined: 27 May 2006 Posts: 8439

From the Racing Post

"STRONG FLOW, winner of the 2003 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup as a novice and whose career was presumed ended by injury, could return to the big-race scene in next month's Betfred Gold Cup after completing “a remarkable recovery”.

Now in training in County Kildare with Dessie Hughes, he has been given an entry in the last high-profile race of the jumps season at Sandown and could make the line-up, depending on how he performs in a comeback appearance in a point-to-point orhunter chase. "

lochsong · Group Performer Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 10026

Rowan

Is that the Brigadier Gerard meeting at Sandown? I've been to that meeting and IMO the best meet of the year as brings together flat and jumps - absoluteley blinding - and the best venue

LS
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westmeadhawk · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:38 pm Post subject:

Posted by Edredon Bleu

STRONG FLOW, winner of the 2003 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup as a novice and whose career was presumed ended by injury, could return to the big-race scene in next month's Betfred Gold Cup after completing “a remarkable recovery”.

Now in training in County Kildare with Dessie Hughes, he has been given an entry in the last high-profile race of the jumps season at Sandown and could make the line-up, depending on how he performs in a comeback appearance in a point-to-point orhunter chase.

Strong Flow looked to have the world at his feet when trained by Paul Nicholls, but he fractured a knee when winning the Grade 1 Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton. He returned to action in the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which he finished sixth to Kicking King. He was then retired.

Owner Barry Marshall said: “He has been with Dessie Hughes for four to five weeks and although we are taking things slowly, he has been very pleased with him.

“The plan is to go for a point-to-point, a hunter chase and then one of the bigger races.

“He has made a remarkable recovery during the time off, supervised by my wife Barbara, and he has come back better than we would have thought.

“The Betfred may come a bit soon, but it is not too bad a timescale and he is pretty fit.” The ten-year-old has 10st11lb in a field of 95 entries for the end of season handicap headed by Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Exotic Dancer on 11st 12lb.

Although Kauto Star is missing, the next seven finishers from the Gold Cup are engaged in the £160,000 race, most of whom have commitments at Aintree.

Exotic Dancer is an unlikely starter at Sandown and is being aimed at the Betfair Bowl after connections ruled him out of a crack at the National.

Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager Barry Simpson said: “If he was nine or ten years old we would have no hesitation in running in the National after finishing second in the Gold Cup, but he's still very young, with improvement to come, and we don't want totake that risk at his tender age.

“He will be entered for the Betfair Bowl in which he would be very leniently treated by the conditions because he has not won a Grade 1 race.”

Philip Hobbs confirmed last year's Betfred winner Lacdoudal on targetto bid to become the first dual winner of the race since Topsham Bay in 1993.

The Ferdy Murphy-trained Joes Edge and L'Antartique as well as Butler's Cabin, trained by Jonjo O'Neill, are eligible to challenge for the Betfred bonus of £250,000, paid toany Cheltenham Festival or National winner who lands the Betfred Gold Cup.
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geordie_racer · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:41 pm Post subject:

what a great piece of news

his hennessy win was truly amazing, and let's hope he's as good as ever in due course
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Geordie_R
"A should of known there mum was buying banana's"

Rowan · Group Performer Joined: 27 May 2006 Posts: 8439

westmeadhawk · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject:

I agree in the main Rowan, it is a rather high pressure race to come back in and if they must, couldn't they find something a bit less of an ask. The ground is often pretty dry by then at Sandown too which is a big negative.
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Mansfield Toon · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:23 pm Post subject:

alansouthcoast · Site Admin Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 13722

Say this was an Astonville type horse, then everyone would be moaning about connections being cruel. I am glad Strong Flow is fit and well. If they want to take him ptp for some fun and to keep him fit then fine. As i said about Kicking King, the poor horse wont ever reach the heights we remember him for. I know Aldaniti did but it doesnt happen often.

westmeadhawk · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:31 pm Post subject:

Toon, what I mean is that it is a big ask! I don't call two races plus the big one on the 28th April a good programme for a chaser coming back from injury. It is a race every two weeks if they start now. Or if they only take in the one hunter chase, it is not an ideal prep and it is not gentle at all. You are right that I should not have called the Betfred his comeback race though. Anyway I expect it is cloud cuckoo land and the horse won't run at Sandown.

And you don't think I have time to read everything on my desk do you? I've got a tin-pot dictatorship to run

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geordie_racer · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:40 pm Post subject:

you now, im puzzled
this horse was potentially exceptional; and he has been brought back from injury to a stage when his connections are looking at a poiting or hunter chase comeback on the roaad to a possible run in the betfredyet this is used an excuse to carp?

lets be honest, he could [and by many would] have been put down.

dessie hughes knows the time of day and he most certainly would not be putting the horse forward if he didnt think he was upt o it

read the qute again... "a remarkable recovery"... let's hope that's right

alan said "I now aldaniti did but it dosent happen often"..so maybe this is another of those rare occassions? At least i will not be berating the owners and trainer for havng a try
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Geordie_R
"A should of known there mum was buying banana's"

westmeadhawk · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:47 pm Post subject:

This, if the quotes are correct, is the owner's view. I think I will hang fire until Dessie Hughes says summat. I would state that the programme the owner is on about sounds more like running before you can walk, but, nothing would please me more to see the horse return successfully at whatever level.
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alansouthcoast · Site Admin Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 13722

Point taken Geordie but what if all doesnt go well ? My argument with Strong Flow and Kicking King is lets remember them for what there were. I just dont see how a horse can come back so long after injury and do himself justice.

three out · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:17 pm Post subject:

I am confused - what has the horse made a remarkeable recovery from exactly? I thought he recovered from his injury to race in the Gold Cup and was then retired as Nicholls thought it best. Am I wrong - did he get injured in the Gold Cup and that was why he has retired? If he has recovered from injury twice then I would be concerned about his durability for racing.

He was a decent enough prospect at one point but I would not be keen to see him brought back at the age of 10. He won a pretty poor Henessy IMO and got a reputation which may or may not have been justified. When he came back from injury he ran a hurdle race and then the Aon - that was his best performance in my opinion.
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david-uk · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject:

Hi Threeout,

Hope you had a good cheltenham, great to put a name to a face. We all seemed to get some winners this year, which is quite unusual.

Onto Strong Flow, I remember this horse running in the Feltham and clouting a few fences, I think he was retired after that. Shame they are trying to go to the well again, they never come back do they.

three out · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject:

Hi David,

Good to meet you too mate - enjoyed the day. It was nice to get a few winners and have a reasonably successful week. Bet you enjoyed the night after Cork All Star - nice touch fella!

Strong Flow was a bit of a dodgy jumper wasn't he - always likely to go through the top of them if I remember. Hope that they don't bring him back really - as you say - they never seem to come back.

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One way to stop a runaway horse is to bet on him.