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2025 Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle)

The weights for the Cheltenham Festival Handicaps are out tomorrow and, while most weights are predictable based on current BHA OR, some are not.

Can't wait!
 
I think so much revolves around where Kopeck De Mee and the owners' other horses go in this - a remark that could be cut and pasted into various Festival Handicaps tbh.
 
62 six-day confirmations.

I could see Jimmy Du Seuil running alright in this (if declared, obviously).
 
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Yes, 62 with one dec stage to go. I'm not going to spend too much time on the race for now. The Grand Annual is much more manageable.
 
I'd half expected DS to put Langer Dan in this at the last min. It would've been a big ask off 158 though, seems the handicapper isn't feeling quite so generous this year...
 
I was looking through the trends for the fred winter and a race at naas was suppose to be a good guide and it said a name of the horse that won it.i then realised that was a year ago but it made me look at the horse.
It finished out with the washing in the fred winter but then won at punchestown 22/1.
It has gone up in the weights now and might be too high and too much weight.OR 146
But in its last two races it finished 3rd to Home by the law and Bob olinger over 2.4f
Beaten 3.5L and 3.5L getting 4lb and 9lbs.those 2 are rated about 160.
He then stepped up in distance for the long walk won by Crambo 156 only getting a lb off them all and finally weakened.
But don't seem like bad form to me so I've taken 33/1 5places
Eagle Fang.
 
Final field (betting when I get a link):

Maxxum
Ballyadam Rachael Blackmore
Eagle Fang Oakley Brown
Sandor Clegane Sean O'Keeffe
Colonel Mustard Tiernan Power Roche
Jimmy du Seuil
Sa Fureur Jack Kennedy
Beacon Edge
Al Gasparo Keith Donoghue
Staffordshire Knot Sam Ewing
Impose Toi Nico de Boinville
Beckett Rock Darragh O'Keeffe
Bunting
King Alexander
Comfort Zone Mark Walsh
Might I Sean Bowen
Be Aware Harry Skelton
Samui Jordon Gainford
Anna Bunina Harry Cobden
Lossiemouth Stan Sheppard
Captain Morgs Sam Twiston-Davies
Minella Missile Adam Wedge
Vischio Emmet Mullins
Beat The Bat Bryan Carver
Jipcot Kielan Woods
Ike Sport Conor O'Farrell
 
Might I.
Ran in this last season + it sounds like he had a horrible time of it. Despite winning earlier this season at Bangor, I get the impression they've been looking after him a little bit, in order to get a bit of confidence back.
My eye is drawn to his run in the Martin Pipe 2 years ago, where he was a close up 4th to Iroko. 8lb lower now, so he appeals ew at 40/1
 
Robicheaux said:
Might I.
Ran in this last season + it sounds like he had a horrible time of it. Despite winning earlier this season at Bangor, I get the impression they've been looking after him a little bit, in order to get a bit of confidence back.
My eye is drawn to his run in the Martin Pipe 2 years ago, where he was a close up 4th to Iroko. 8lb lower now, so he appeals ew at 40/1
Click to expand...
I might add that last time out was over 2 miles 3, which may have been too short, and the time before at Cheltenham, over 3 miles, the RP analysis says: didn't get home under an aggressive ride over the longer trip.
 
I was fancying Be Aware, but he’s favourite which is the kiss of death in this - only one favourite has won in the last twenty odd years.
 
This is a cracking renewal with a lot of my tracked horses in it.

My number one fancy is Minella Missile, who was available at 66/1 prior to declarations, now 50’s. He looks like he has been targeted to have a good go at this. He ran to a, perhaps suspect RPR of 139 on only his second start over hurdles at this CD, when beating Captain Teague. After 14 months off he returned with a perfectly resectable run at Windsor at the end of January. He then squeezed in a further 2 poor runs before the 24 February deadline to fulfil the qualifying criteria for this race. The first over an inadequate 2m in the ultra competitive William Hill Hurdle (ex Betfair, Tote Gold Trophy, Schweppes) and then in a near 3m Pertemps Qualifier. The better going and the interim trip may suit.

Beat the Bat is also of interest and this longer trip looks like what he has been crying out for.

I’ll also be having a small bet on Ike Sport 80/1, who ran an interesting race last time out at Doncaster, making a bold bid from a long way out, and ultimately paying for that in the final stages. Ridden more conservatively, he could run well here.
 
Jipcot 20/1
Colonel mustard 28/1
These are my 2 against the field.
Jipcot travelled well last time out ove 3 miles before his run flattened out.
Hopefully this distance will prove ideal.
C Mustard drops Into a handicap after contesting graded and listed contests.
Is very consistent albeit doesn't win often,but looks fairly handicapped and has a good 5lbs claimer aboard.
 
Outsider said:
I was looking through the trends for the fred winter and a race at naas was suppose to be a good guide and it said a name of the horse that won it.i then realised that was a year ago but it made me look at the horse.
It finished out with the washing in the fred winter but then won at punchestown 22/1.
It has gone up in the weights now and might be too high and too much weight.OR 146
But in its last two races it finished 3rd to Home by the law and Bob olinger over 2.4f
Beaten 3.5L and 3.5L getting 4lb and 9lbs.those 2 are rated about 160.
He then stepped up in distance for the long walk won by Crambo 156 only getting a lb off them all and finally weakened.
But don't seem like bad form to me so I've taken 33/1 5places
Eagle Fang.
Click to expand...
I see now yes, Steve.

I'm trying to knock this one in with a large hammer and a 12 inch nail, to pinch a phrase from an old forumite.
 
I think it's worth bearing in mind that, unless it rains, there won't be any "Soft" in the true going description tomorrow.

Be Aware has an obvious chance and I think the Leopardstown contest in December run in 1.99s faster than standard time in which Al Gasparo, Comfort Zone and Maxxum finished first, second and fourth may be of some relevance.
 
I've woken up to reports it is drizzling, with wintry showers (or even outright snow), forecast at Cheltenham racecourse for the next hour.

Only 2mm expected, but this potentially slightly tempers what I wrote here last night.
 
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I'm sticking my neck out here with what could be a surprise. The horse in question is Minella Missile. Here's one that, at the age of seven, has had just five races under rules.

He had a great novice hurdle season and won three times before the setback that took him off the racecourse for 429 days. The last of those three was the defeat of Paul Nicholls' Captain Teague by over a length in receipt of 5Lbs. CT eventually ended up on a rating of 142, winning the Grade two Challow Hurdle at Newbury off a mark of 140. given that, we might have expected MM to be rated around the same mark+.

Since his return to the track, it would seem that he has disappointed. If this race was the plan all along, we can see that those three subsequent defeats were excusable.

We should bear in mind that when he beat CT it was over today's C/D on g/sft so the three runs so far would not have been ideal: 3m too long, 2m too short, 3m again too far and all on soft ground when he favours less cut, as can be seen by his victories.

Today he's back over his best trip, on his preferred ground and off a mark of 133.

40/1 for 6 places 365 looks reasonable to me. Even had a free bet on Betfair Exchange at 50's
 
yorick said:
I'm sticking my neck out here with what could be a surprise. The horse inquestion is Minella Missile. Here's one that, at the age of seven, has had just five races under rules.

He had a great novice hurdle season and won three times before the setback that took him off the racecourse for 429 days. The last of those three was the defeat of Paul Nicholls' Captain Teague by over a length in receipt of 5Lbs. CT eventually ended up on a rating of 142, winning the Grade two Challow Hurdle at Newbury off a mark of 140. given that, we might have expected MM to be rated around the same mark+.

Since his return to the track, it would seem that he has disappointed. If this race was the plan all along, we can see that those three subsequent defeats were excusable.

We should bear in mind that when he beat CT it was over today's C/D on g/sft so the three runs so far would not have been ideal: 3m too long, 2m too short, 3m again too far and all on soft ground when he favours less cut, as can be seen by his victories.

Today he's back over his best trip, on his preferred ground and off a mark of 133.

40/1 for 6 places 365 looks reasonable to me. Even had a free bet on Betfair Exchange at 50's
Click to expand...
I've been watching him closely + have had small bets on him last twice. Those runs give me zero confidence if I'm honest. However at the odds I dare not leave him alone.
 
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