The Gelding Thread

[Starine]

Get Smokin Back to Defend Kentucky Turf Cup Title
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... -cup-title

[HB1994]

The question of geldings in the Arc has come up again.
https://www.racingpost.com/news/festiva ... c52U5fbSN/
Much of the article is hidden behind RacingPost's paywall, but you will get the idea. Personally, I like having some classic races dedicated to only the horses who will impact the breed's future. Geldings, no matter how good, are a genetic dead end. There are many G1 races open to geldings, so shoehorning them into the Arc feels...awkward? Unnecessary? Does French Gallop need those few entry fees so desperately?

No it feels right to include geldings. Its supposed to be the best vs the best. Its not if they exclude geldings.

Cirrus des Aigles deserved a chance in the Arc.

The vast majority of male National Hunt horses are geldings. That doesn’t keep the NH breeding side from thriving. The number of mares the popular stallions cover is ridiculous.

[BaroqueAgain1]

"The number of mares the popular stallions cover is ridiculous."

I agree. And imho, reducing the number of potentially good new stallions by gelding the best of them does not help increase the gene pool.

[brunanas]

The question of geldings in the Arc has come up again.
https://www.racingpost.com/news/festiva ... c52U5fbSN/
Much of the article is hidden behind RacingPost's paywall, but you will get the idea. Personally, I like having some classic races dedicated to only the horses who will impact the breed's future. Geldings, no matter how good, are a genetic dead end. There are many G1 races open to geldings, so shoehorning them into the Arc feels...awkward? Unnecessary? Does French Gallop need those few entry fees so desperately?

No it feels right to include geldings. Its supposed to be the best vs the best. Its not if they exclude geldings.

Cirrus des Aigles deserved a chance in the Arc.

The vast majority of male National Hunt horses are geldings. That doesn’t keep the NH breeding side from thriving. The number of mares the popular stallions cover is ridiculous.

vast majority? aren't all of them geldings?

[Mylute]

In France and Eastern Europe it is more common to see steeplechase horses that are entire.

But in the United Kingdom pretty much all of them are geldings or mares.

Not sure why the difference.

[Northport]

Let geldings race in the Arc. It’s supposed to be a year end finale, where the best race against the best. The classics are reserved for colts only, let those be the “stallion making” races. Watching Ace Impact run his one and only open company race in last year’s Arc, then get retired with “nothing left to prove” is so boring. I am a fan of horse racing. I want to see horses race and the fastest horse win.

I agree. And imho, reducing the number of potentially good new stallions by gelding the best of them does not help increase the gene pool.

But horses that need to be gelded are going to get gelded anyway. Kalandagan was downright dangerous before he was gelded. Letting geldings run in the Arc isnt going to affect the gene pool. If someone has a talented but violent two year old, the chance of running them in the Arc one day is usually not the first thing that comes to mind.

Breeders are already doing a pretty good job at bottlenecking certain bloodlines as it is. I dont think that geldings making the Arc a better race is going to send us into a genetic spiral.

[Starine]

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[Starine]

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[Starine]

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[Starine]

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[Starine]

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[HB1994]

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[Starine]

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[Starine]

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[Starine]

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[Starine]

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[Starine]

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