Timeform Features 
/ Timeform / 23 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run has the potential to stay at the top for a long time
"Long Run’s end-of-season Timeform rating of 184 places him behind only the legendary Desert Orchid and an on-song Kauto Star in the modern era of jumpers."
Timeform look back over the 2010/11 jumps season, picking out the highlights and rounding up the end-of-season ratings for the top performers...
Saturday's mixed meeting at Sandown officially brought down the curtain on the 2010/11 jumps season in Britain, though there are significant races still to take place in Ireland and France.
The end-of-term report on the sport's performance is also mixed, with its participants currently having to consider how it is perceived by the wider public in the aftermath of a large number of equine fatalities and serious injuries to jockeys.
In terms of elite performance, however, 2010/11 was another fine season, one which lends support to the notion that jumping is enjoying a 'Golden Age'. Kauto Star (rated 191 at his best, in 2009/10) would be a match for any chaser in the post-Arkle era, while Imperial Commander and Denman (182 and 181 respectively in the same season) were within hailing distance of that horse.
All three horses contested the latest Cheltenham Gold Cup - a vintage affair which lived up to its billing at a vintage Festival - and were beaten fair and square by the hugely talented youngster Long Run.
Kauto Star seems now to be on the wane, Denman may not quite be the force he once was, and Imperial Commander ran as if amiss, but Long Run's end-of-season Timeform rating of 184 places him behind only the legendary Desert Orchid and an on-song Kauto Star in the modern era of jumpers.
Another star of recent seasons, Master Minded (rated 179 at his best), also posted his most convincing performance for some time when an easy winner at Aintree.
Timeform's chase handicapper Gregg Taylor said "This year's Gold Cup was one of the best races seen in a long time, two of the best staying chasers in recent seasons going down valiantly to the rising star of the division. Master Minded coming almost right back to his best added further spice to an excellent season".
Leading chasers on Timeform ratings 2010/11
LONG RUN 184
DENMAN 177
MASTER MINDED 175+
SIZING EUROPE 171
IMPERIAL COMMANDER 170+
The hurdlers have been in the shadow of the chasers for some time now with one very notable exception. Big Buck's is unbeaten in 12 runs at around three miles since being switched back to the smaller obstacles, and he was imperious in his defeat of the top-class Grands Crus at Cheltenham and especially at Aintree in the latest campaign.
At eight years old, Big Buck's could be at his peak for a while yet. He has a realistic chance of equalling the Timeform rating of Istabraq (180 in 2000/1) or even surpassing it. Night Nurse (rated 182 in 1976/7) is Timeform's highest-rated hurdler in history. The problem where Big Buck's is concerned is that there have not been rivals around good enough to test him to the full!
The two-mile hurdlers have not got close to Istabraq's level of achievements in the years since, but Hurricane Fly (rated 168) was a better-than-average Champion Hurdle winner by recent standards. He was undefeated in four starts and posted the same rating as had Binocular in victory the year before.
Timeform's hurdles handicapper Matt Taylor said: "Big Buck's has been in a league of his own among staying hurdlers in the last few years and is one of the best over timber in Timeform's long history. What's more, he seems bombproof!"
Leading hurdlers on Timeform ratings 2010/11
BIG BUCK'S 176+
GRANDS CRUS 171
HURRICANE FLY 168
PEDDLERS CROSS 166
Each generation of stars has to contend not just with each other but with the challenges of the next generation. Hurricane Fly himself was the top novice hurdler on Timeform ratings in 2008/9: that honour goes to Al Ferof (rated 158) this time round. Binocular was the leading juvenile hurdler in 2007/8: Zarkandar (rated 152p) holds that distinction now. Denman was top novice chaser way back in 2006/7: Captain Chris and Time For Rupert share that title on 156p for 2010/11.
The definitive historical ratings for these horses (and for thousands of others) will appear in Timeform's Chasers & Hurdlers 2010/11, published later in the year.
Timeform look forward to what is in store in a very busy build-up to Guineas weekend.....
The National Hunt season comes to a close on Saturday, when Paul Nicholls will be crowned Champion Trainer for the sixth consecutive season, but it starts all over again on Sunday and there is also plenty to go at on the Flat across the two days....
The Timeform Radio big guns come out for the big one with Paul Jacobs asking Kentucky Derby-related questions of TVG presenter and handicapper Rich Perloff, Timeform's head of handicapping for North America Simon Rowlands and Timeform's North American correspondent James Willoughby. And if that lot can't find you the winner, nobody can!...
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