2016 Gold Cuppin

Reply to Reet and EC1, trainer says Smad Place will be aimed at the Ascot chase in February over 2 miles 5F then the Ryanair. That's when we'll find out what he can do over shorter trips.

My case for Smad Place in the Ryanair is this. Smad Place is a class horse on his day. Regardless of the Hennessy, he got found out in grade 1 company in the King George, so trying to train him for shorter distances is the only way to go.
I'm sure we will be debating this further after the Ascot Chase in February, by which time you'll be keener on his Ryanair chance than a fat lass outside a cake shop :)
 
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he got found out at kempton because he hasn't gears for a trip that short against oppo like that..he may win all day against 140+ ers at shorter..but when he gets in the ryanair agin 160ers he will be finding that pace shifts there send him even dizzier than those in the kg

its all about what level of race and at what trip..the whole game..both those criterion are intertwined..you mix and match..SP can win at shorter agin inferiors..but he needs further agin better hosses
 
Lets put it like this EC1. If you were the owner of Smad Place, what race at the festival would you be sending him too now, and telling your trainer to train him for, all things considered?
 
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Frankel said:
Why would the ground get softer as the meeting goes on marble? Unless it rains of course. Or they forget to turn the taps off. :D
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The ground turning soft was why Coneygree went for gold last season instead of the RSA.
 
Yeah it did, and I'll take my chance it rains again. Smad Place..out there in front...stretching the field in a championship 2 mile 5 race, stranger things have happened..trust me. :)

I'll be chipping away at those double figure prices in the next 2/3 months.
 
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Ml O Leary gave a quite revealing interview today.
He wants go win Gold Cup if possible this year and will run all his staying chasers ( bar one for Ryanair Chase ) to do so.
Re Don Cossack ; he describes him as a horse lacking tactical pace to get himself out of trouble.
So ideal scenario has Don Cossack in whit cap ridden by Russell or Carberry to get the horse in a rhythm, keep him out of trouble and use his stride and jumping to maximum effect, if that is possible.
For all that Djakadam wins for me at the moment.
 
Comparing NMH and DC

Elliott commented: "Don Cossack would be a more classy horse with more speed. He is more an out-and-out stayer and jumping is his game. He's a good horse."
 
Just watched again the KG and C4 on-demand vids and I didn't see any jump mistakes of the Don until that fall, he just lost his position when Vautour upped the pace but judging by how he stayed in there and was starting to challenge 3 out its nothing but positives to take from it and I'm glad his connections feel the same. It would've been sick not to see him line up in the GC as they were sketchy when asked about his GC target at the Irish awards..
 
Ruby

"I thought he ran a blinder," he told Racing UK."He jumped a little to his left and if I was to ride it again, I probably would have sat a little bit longer on the bend going to the third-last, but I rode him according to the feel he was giving me.
"I thought I had plenty of horse left to go and win the race from there, but Cue Card found plenty for pressure and chinned me.
"I don't think Vautour lost a whole pile in defeat, it was a huge improvement on his Ascot run and it's onwards and upwards.
"You'd have to think he'd be better at Cheltenham. He did jump a little to his left, nothing too bad to throw it away, but just a fraction so you'd imagine left-handed would be an advantage.
"I think he did stay as a couple of strides after the line he was back in front.
"Whether he'll get three and a quarter, I don't think you can answer that question until you try it."
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