2018 Gold Cuppin'

Desert Orchid said:
If it was the ground rather than anything else that beat him then he might not have had as hard a race as it looked. He was only only asked for maximum effort between the last two whereas I felt Native River had a much harder time of it being hard ridden from before the turn and leathered all the way to the line.

Didn't Wayward Lad come back from a similarly hard-looking race in the Gold Cup to run away from his field at Aintree?
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No -after the Dawn Run Gold Cup -she fell at the first at Aintree and Wayward Lad was run off his feet by 40/1 shot Beau Ranger.Wayward Lad won the race in 1988 but he missed the Gold Cup that year.
 
G-G said:
He stopped after the last fence, I don't think he stayed.
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Stayed well enough to be a 4 length winner without Native River.

Even well before the last when Nico ask him to quicken and go past Native River kept finding

To be frank Might Bite has probably run the best race of his life and simply isn't as good a horse as Native River

Let's not forget this is the first time he has taken on top drawer material and he's just been found wanting a bit.

You could argue the ground would change things but as Native River showed in the Hennessy he acts just as well on g/s and Might Bite won the KG on soft

Both were slowing but that is nothing unusual but you could say he never stayed as well as Might Bite but I would have to question the idea that he didn't stay
 
Question away,Fist, but first take off the NR tinted specs and look at their history.
MB has won once in excess of 3m; on good ground around a sharp Aintree.
NR has won a Henessy, a Welsh National, and finished 2nd in the Festival 4 miler.
MB is a year older, but if he doesn't - ultimately - attain a career higher rating than NR, I'll swallow the form book, whole.
 
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The problem with that is who exactly is going to take Might Bite on that he can beat to boost his rating?
Another King George like that last one isn't going to see him shoot up the ladder and nothing else is likely to take him on during the build up.

UNLESS!!! you know who steps up in trip and goes KG but then he'd kick him into touch anyway:)
 
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LUKE said:
No -after the Dawn Run Gold Cup -she fell at the first at Aintree and Wayward Lad was run off his feet by 40/1 shot Beau Ranger.Wayward Lad won the race in 1988 but he missed the Gold Cup that year.
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Thanks, Luke. That was lazy of me. I should have checked before posting. Apologies to all.
 
LUKE said:
No -after the Dawn Run Gold Cup -she fell at the first at Aintree and Wayward Lad was run off his feet by 40/1 shot Beau Ranger.Wayward Lad won the race in 1988 but he missed the Gold Cup that year.
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You are right about 1986 but Wayward Lad did win at Aintree in 1985 and in his very last race in 1987 after The Thinker’s snowy Gold Cup .

The old boy had Gold Cup runner up Cybrandian back in third. Here he is with Graham McCourt replacing Bradley who rode Stearsby.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHAj98SHrjM
 
Memory playing tricks - Pendil was robbed by the hopeless rides given to him by Richard Pitman not outstayed .
 
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Ardross said:
You are right about 1986 but Wayward Lad did win at Aintree in 1985 and in his very last race in 1987 after The Thinker’s snowy Gold Cup .

The old boy had Gold Cup runner up Cybrandian back in third. Here he is with Graham McCourt replacing Bradley who rode Stearsby.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHAj98SHrjM
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You are correct -I ducked out of school down to the local bookies to watch the race -after Wayward Lad won I had to sprint back to do an important exam.
 
Tanlic said:
Stayed well enough to be a 4 length winner without Native River.

Even well before the last when Nico ask him to quicken and go past Native River kept finding

To be frank Might Bite has probably run the best race of his life and simply isn't as good a horse as Native River

Let's not forget this is the first time he has taken on top drawer material and he's just been found wanting a bit.

You could argue the ground would change things but as Native River showed in the Hennessy he acts just as well on g/s and Might Bite won the KG on soft

Both were slowing but that is nothing unusual but you could say he never stayed as well as Might Bite but I would have to question the idea that he didn't stay
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Without NR, only because he, MB, is a class above the rest of the field he faced. Henderson said before the race they were worried about him getting the trip. Maybe he would have won on better ground, but only because the rest of the opposition, excepting NR, were not in his class.He had no legs after the last, it had taken everything out of him to stay with the winner thus far. I would be surprised if they try for it again next year unless they think on better ground and without NR, he could win it.
 
LUKE said:
I would disagree -absolutely nailed on to be aimed at the race next year.
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I would agree with that but I'm not convinced he'd cope with the hill at that trip even on good ground.

Back at 3m nothing would live with him, including Native River.
 
Without doubt he'll have two targets next year. The King George and the Gold Cup, ant they'll believe they can reverse on better ground. Proven stayers were off the bridle a mile or more out.
 
Maruco said:
Without doubt he'll have two targets next year. The King George and the Gold Cup, ant they'll believe they can reverse on better ground. Proven stayers were off the bridle a mile or more out.
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I agree and looking at the times of friday it appears the ground was the slowest of the 4 days.
 
LUKE said:
I would disagree -absolutely nailed on to be aimed at the race next year.
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I'm sure they will but I said if they get better ground and no NR I said. If he has the same class of opposition as this year that were behind him, then yes definitely they will, but because of his sheer class. Anything as good as NR will beat him again I think. I love Altior and was willing him home, but if NR holds his form and turns up again, I don't think the places would be reversed.
 
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