Bet Victor Gold Cup Cheltenham Sat Nov 17th

Kings Socks owes a few I should think Martin must be well handicapped. I like Benatar too but not well h'capped. surely Mr Whit also blown his chances at carlisle unlike Happy Diva who i quite fancy for a great campaign this year

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King’s Socks also entered in 2m handicap on the Friday.

He’s also a bas*tard of a thief of a horse.
 
I went big on Rather Be when the entries came out. Perfect profile and Mister Whittaker going up after his run around Carlisle is a bonus as I'd have feared him most. That said I'd have had Rather Be to reverse form anyway on better ground.

I always try to look for the horse that could go on to win or place in a Ryanair or Gold Cup, and from the entries he's the only one I think fits the bill. I'll have a back up each way on a seasoned campaigner that likes the track too as they have a great place record and have provided the winner in the last two years.
 
I'm guessing your referring to Frodon Maurice. He's almost certainly going to be my each way play. I do wonder whether they are also using his mark to get Movewiththetimes in off a feather weight.
 
Frodon does fit your bill and is on my radar but I think Kalondra is a 2/1 shot in this.

I see no reason to question his Galway form, other than his soft fall. They seemed to go a decent pace and he was the only one not off the bridle when he came down two out. I've rated him as dead-heating for second/third that day but he might even have won it, which would put another 6lbs or so on his rating (and he's already well clear at the top with me). If he's fit, well and targeting the race only bad luck can beat him.
 
I've just watched the race, and it's too far out to get anything meaningful from it. I would say that the front two were going equally well and there was still the best part of half a mile left at at the second last.

On the plus side he was conceding 7lb's to two decent horses, but both have been dispatched with ease when they've been at the top table. I do see where you're coming from though, and you may well be right. If I were to rate him it would be through the Coo Star Sivola form who he beat at the December meeting (as well as Movewiththetimes), and I certainly agree than on that form he's a danger.

If two horses jump well and you want to making a comparison it can often be useful to check back to peak hurdle form to get a handle on the pair. In this instance, and setting aside OR's, I rate Rather Be 1lb ahead of Kalondra over hurdles. Rather be carries 1lb more over fences so there's a flawed train of thought that puts them upside each other.

I couldn't back both at the head of the market, so it would be a case of making a decision. I could cash out on Rather Be for a profit and switch if I was convinced, but the kicker for me is Rather Be's form in a big field when compared to Kalondra, and the balance of form suggests this kind of race is right up Rather Be's street where Kalondra's best form is in small fields. Not that it's bad I hasten to add.

Can I ask where you get his best rating from outside of the assumptions you've made for Galway Maurice? I assume it's the Coo Star Sivola race? If so the best I can have him is 4lbs better than his current mark. That could be good enough of course, but it wouldn't be the profile I'm looking for.

Not the the right thread but I'd also be interested in what ratings you have for Midnight Shadow, Silver Streak, and Western Ryder in the Greatwood.
 
The Coo Star Sivola race looks better in the light of his win at the festival. My rating for the earlier race was made via Jamieson's OR but I had him higher than that; I just chose to ignore the higher rating at the time.

I then carried Kalondra's rating through to his run at Cheltenham in April in the race won by Traffic Fluide but I now want to uprate that form in the light of what Traffic Fluide and Kalondra have since done. As an aside, I will be all over Art Of Payroll like a rash when he eventually reappears.

Kalondra, though, appeared to take his form to a new level at Galway so I'm inclined to interpret his other form as steps en route.

As for the size of field, there were sixteen runners in the Traffic Fluide race and he tanked all the way through it. I actually think the bigger field and faster pace will play into his hands. I can see him coming there pulling double turning for home on Saturday. My slight doubt is whether he'll truly get up the hill as he appeared either not to do so in April or maybe he thought he'd done enough once he went clear. I imagine, though, that Fehily will delay his challenge as long as possible, possibly until approaching the last.

I can't agree with you about Galway. Everything except him was off the bit two out and most had been for a couple of fences before that. When you consider what he did at Cheltenham in April from two out to after the last, a repetition of that burst would have taken him past Sub Lieutenant, I reckon. I think he was being ridden for that burst.

Kalondra was an unexposed 147 [OR] hurdler, potentially better by some way so I'm not too worried about a comparison with Rather Be (which I respect, especially as he's entitled to find about 10lbs this season as well).

We'll know a lot more either way at about 2.30 on Saturday afternoon.
 
Rather Be, Benatar and King's Socks have the most blue about them this afternoon. I suspect at least one of them is being put up by Kealy and/or Segal in tomorrow's Weekender.
 
I'm not surprised Kings Socks is being backed. There's plenty to like about him. The Pipe factor will also be at play, but David isn't his old man, and he's had more than enough of these french bred handicap good things that have flattered to deceive that makes me want to give them a wide berth.

I have to admit to liking the Benetar back form and he's on my shortlist of those feasibly handicapped.
 
Maruco said:
I'm not surprised Kings Socks is being backed. There's plenty to like about him. The Pipe factor will also be at play, but David isn't his old man, and he's had more than enough of these french bred handicap good things that have flattered to deceive that makes me want to give them a wide berth.

I have to admit to liking the Benetar back form and he's on my shortlist of those feasibly handicapped.
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Having had monster prices about him for the Festival, I can assure you there is nothing whatsoever to like about the gutless mutt! Will probably travel like a dream and find precisely nil.
 
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tiggers1972 said:
I backed Kalondra in April and was counting my money 3 out. To me he didn't get up the hill that day off a fast pace.
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Mulholland says they made too much use of him that day, and he’ll get a much more patient ride on Saturday, tiggers. Fehily just the man for the job too.
 
Personally reckon Frodon may have got off lightly with just a 3lb rise for winning at Aintree and represents good value at 16/1


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viking said:
Personally reckon Frodon may have got off lightly with just a 3lb rise for winning at Aintree and represents good value at 16/1


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Also trained by the Saturday Man...Who seems to be resurgent at the moment
 
Desert Orchid said:
Rather Be, Benatar and King's Socks have the most blue about them this afternoon. I suspect at least one of them is being put up by Kealy and/or Segal in tomorrow's Weekender.
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I'm very pleasantly surprised to be wrong about this.

Not only does Paul Kealy headline Kalondra but he puts it up as a three-star bet, which is quite rare for him. I remember he put up Altior (around the same time I backed it) with three stars at 8/1 ante-post for the Supreme but I only recall one three-star bet since then - not that I follow that closely as I don't get to read his midweek stuff. Maybe somebody else is more familiar with his record.

However, for me, it can hardly be a negative.

I see the best price is now 8/1.

It isn't too late...
 
A good write up DO and well worth a bet.just bought the week3nder but havent looked at it yet.
Always good to see Kealey agrees.
 
Grasshopper said:
Pfft. Pair of them following the Grasshopper in. :ninja:

:lol:
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In my case there's probably an element of truth in that.

Kalondra caught my eye a few times as a hurdler but I wouldn't have known he was in this field if you hadn't mentioned him. I didn't really know any of the entries until the other day, bar Frodon which I knew was top weight but that was it.
 
Desert Orchid said:
In my case there's probably an element of truth in that.

Kalondra caught my eye a few times as a hurdler but I wouldn't have known he was in this field if you hadn't mentioned him. I didn't really know any of the entries until the other day, bar Frodon which I knew was top weight but that was it.
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:thumbsup: :cool:
 
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