2016 Gold Cuppin

Road to Riches goes to the Irish Gold Cup, though Gigginstown saying that Don Poli not a certain runner, and will leave decision to Mullins.

Reading between the lines, RTR will be headed to the Gold Cup, rather than the Ryanair.
 
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I'm expecting to keel-over either way. It's a somewhat invidious position to find oneself in, quite frankly.

:blink:
 
I'm surprised a certain someone hasn't been all over Ricci's comments about Vautour today!

He also seems to suggest that he will have no say in where his horses run which I find difficult to believe.
 
Ricci spoke of Vautour, saying: "I think at the moment there's no reason not to train him for the Gold Cup. At the moment, we will keep our powder dry until just before the race.

"What we'll do is just keep our options open for the moment - for punters, we're going with both horses for the Gold Cup at the moment.

"Of course there is [a chance that one of them might go for a different race] but at the moment both horses are aiming for the Gold Cup and until we decide, I'd keep my powder dry.

He went on to say that he may run again before Cheltenham, possibly at Newbury in the Denman Chase.
 
Let's get our facts right here and eliminate any confusion.

Ricci said Vautour is the best he's ever had

WPM said Douvan is the nicest he's ever had

Ruby Walsh said : Gillian is the best I have ever had so I married her

The investigation continues :lol:
 
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TheBear said:
I'm surprised a certain someone hasn't been all over Ricci's comments about Vautour today!

He also seems to suggest that he will have no say in where his horses run which I find difficult to believe.
Click to expand...

Was flying to Dublin and then on the skite all day yesterday, TB.

Ricci appears to be leaving himself plenty of wiggle room, so not sure we're much further forward, to be honest......though good to hear that Newbury might be a consideration.
 
Tanlic said:
Let's get our facts right here and eliminate any confusion.

Ricci said Vautour is the best he's ever had

WPM said Douvan is the nicest he's ever had

Ruby Walsh said : Gillian is the best I have ever had so I married her

The investigation continues :lol:
Click to expand...

not so Tanlic

Ricci said Douvan is best - http://www.racinguk.com/news/article/40457/douvan-out-to-deliver-irish-arkle-gold-at-leopardstown

Mullins is noted for sharing grassys thoughts that Vautour is the best
 
FACT: Mullins said in 2015 after Cheltenham ""I think Douvan is as good as we have ever had" that was after he said "I think he's one of the nicest horses he had ever had going to Cheltenham"


What would Grassy know? I said Vautour would win the Champion Hurdle and Faugheen would go chasing.:lol:
 
Rich Ricci: "Douvan is the best I've ever had"


By Racinguk

It would be one of the biggest shocks of the season if the brilliant Douvan does not keep his unbeaten record over fences intact in the Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown, and certainly to owner Rich Ricci.

Last season's stunning Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner has made an almost seamless transition to the chasing game and struck Grade One gold over fences for the first time in the Racing Post Novice Chase over this course and distance a month ago.

The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old faces just two opponents this weekend - including a horse who was 64 lengths behind him a month ago - and looks set to confirm his place as odds-on favourite for the Arkle at Cheltenham in March.

"I am disappointed in the Douvan race," Ricci told Racing UK.

"Those races always scare me because anything can happen. He is in good form, he is a very good horse, I think he is the best horse I ever had but he has to prove it and continue on the curve of progression."

Joe Chambers, racing manager to Ricci, added: "It's a shame that the race has cut up a bit as only three have declared, but we are very hopeful. It's a chance for Ruby (Walsh) to get back on board and it is a Grade One race in its own right.

"We've been happy with him since his last run and we will be pleased if he can reproduce what he did over Christmas. He was a bit guessy at one or two that day, but he clearly has a big engine and if he puts in a clear round, he's got a good chance."

With Walsh at Kempton to partner Faugheen and Vautour and second rider Paul Townend injured, the trainer's son Patrick came in for the ride on Douvan on Boxing Day, but Walsh is looking forward to getting back on board this weekend.

He told Racing UK: "He worked well on Tuesday morning. He was very good at Christmas.

"Patrick was fairly happy all right, it was great for him. I don't think he's ridden that many two-mile novice chasers and when he got the chance he took it.

"I think he's been very good. He was very good at Navan and I thought he was brilliant at Leopardstown at Christmas, hopefully he'll be as good on Sunday and then all roads lead to the Arkle.

"He's a very exciting horse, we hope he is, he was great last year as a novice hurdler and has done nothing wrong this year."

The Alan Fleming-trained Velvet Maker was no match for Douvan last time out, but takes him on again due to a lack of alternatives.

Fleming said: "We don't have many options and the ground is against him again, but we need to get some runs in to give him some experience.

"With a clear round he'll be picking up some prize-money, at least."

The field is completed by Henry de Bromhead's Domesday Book, who steps up in grade after bolting up at Limerick on his second chase start.

His jockey Andrew Lynch said: "There's only three runners, there's plenty of prize-money on offer and it's worth a shot.

"Once you've won your beginners' (chase) in Ireland, you either go for a handicap or you take on the good horses.

"He (Domesday Book) should be third at worst in a Grade One, which will be good for his pedigree, so we'll see what happens.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
No he's not. I had the Douvan quote in my mind and answered the wrong question which created the confusion.

For what it's worth. I agree, and think Douvan is the best he's ever had.

I don't however think Vautour will win the Gold Cup. Thank god Grassy's away at Leopardstown or all hell will break loose! :lol:
 
Douvan has put figures in off the scale on my calcs..Vautour would be a monster if kept at shorter though ..whereas he is a mid 170's hoss at 3 miles..would be mid 180's at best trip..they take their chance with stretching out his massive potential...with that Cheltenham sectional a stand out..

Min is the one i think might topple Douvan in a while..at the moment though Douvan is the best NH hoss around..purely on numbers
 
it's like a conveyor belt of talent that just gets better year on year :lol:

it's going to be crazily hard for mullins to keep these beasts apart in the years to come if this keeps up? would imagine douvan will have to be mixing it with his other star chasers next year. namely uds or vautour.

interesting to see coolmore acquired walk in the park for their nh stud roster. expect we start to see his better offspring being trained by joey?
 
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