Meade blasts Harchibald critics
Noel Meade today responded to racing pundits who described his Harchibald as “gutless” after he was narrowly beaten by Hardy Eustace in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle two weeks ago.
Harchibald looked like defeating the reigning champion when he ranged alongside him after the final flight, when still on the bit.
Jockey Paul Carberry hung on to his mount until the last 50 yards before asking for an effort but Harchibald found little and Hardy Eustace prevailed by a neck.
“We felt that Harchibald has been much maligned by a lot of the English Press in saying that he’s gutless and he’s this and he’s that and the other,” Meade told At The Races.
“I don’t think it’s very fair that Harchibald to say those things about a horse that has done everything he can do on the bridle. Harchibald got tired. Ten days before the race it looked as though he even wouldn’t run in it.
“He faded out on the run up to the line. It wasn’t because he was gutless or he’s thief. It’s just because he got tired. He’d done everything he could and I don’t think it’s fair the way the Press have been accusing him of this, that and the other. The simple thing about the ride is that when you get beat you’re wrong.”
Meade said he was satisfied with Carberry’s performance.
“I had no problem with Paul’s ride. I think he’s done everything he could and he did what he thought was right,” the County Meath handler continued.
“I’m sure that he knows a lot more about riding than the people who were criticise him. You can accept criticism from the likes of John Francome or Richard Dunwoody or Tony McCoy but for someone sitting on a seat in a studio saying that he rode this or he rode that but like I say they are entitled to their opinion
“Paul is able to defend himself and I can defend myself. Poor old Harchibald has nobody to defend him unless we do and that’s the one I felt sorry for.
“We feel very strong about it and everyone here in the yard is very annoyed about that. About every time they call the horse this the call the horse that.
“You saw the horse in Kempton, in Newcastle and in Punchestown. He’s the best running horse I’ve ever trained. If he’s a rogue, a thief or gutless I wish to God they’d send me 10 more of them.”
The Champion Hurdle will be the six-year-old’s main objective again next season.
“Hurdlers are not machines and if we want him for the Champion Hurdle next year we need to preserve him. He’s such a good jumper that I don’t want to waste running him on the Flat,” he added.
