Cheltenham 2016/2017

I presume you boys will be in the Mandarin for most of the Festival? If so I'll catch up with you in there. I can't do Tuesday as I'm running some hospitality, so I'll pop in on Wednesday.
 
Maruco said:
I presume you boys will be in the Mandarin for most of the Festival? If so I'll catch up with you in there. I can't do Tuesday as I'm running some hospitality, so I'll pop in on Wednesday.
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Oh Hospitality are you.... *ahem*
 
'said Ruby Walsh, the human being who sat on Douvan'

Ha! Love it. She really does have a superb writing style.


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I agree. I can't say I'm heavily influenced by her, but I really look forward to reading them. Lydia is one of the best racing writers around.
 
Would love to see him in the QMCC but reckon NJH will send him to the Arkle


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It's a hard life I am listening to these presenters telling us how fantastic Altior is comparing him to Sprinter Sacre and how he should take Douvan on.... now I have got to read it:lol:

That was perhaps his easiest task to date. Tizzard said Fox Norton want's fit enough to win, Dodging Bullets has gone completely and Traffic Fluide was having his first race for yonks and was completely gone by the home turn.

Douvan would have won that by a similar distance but without coming out of 2nd gear. Talk of taking the highest rated chaser in training on is nuts...Nicky wouldn't have it on his mind..............I am delighted he won as he should have...............puts my 11/10 double Altior and Douvan in a layable position already
 
The QMCC, you turnip.:)

Saw Sprinter Sacre im the paddock, and he still looks the same magnificent beast he always did.
 
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It is always unwise to run a novice in a championship race as it would have been for Douvan to have run in last year's CC .

Douvan is dazzling but he has not beaten much but that has hardly been his fault . This year there is not that much to beat . Sprinter Sacre even at 11 in the form he was in at Sandown in the spring would have been a completely different proposition to anything he will meet this year .
 
People keep saying e hasn't beat much but really that is nonsense unless you think Sizing John who has won 5 from 6 of the races he has contested when not taking on Douvan.

He just kicked a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 winner into touch so he far from nothing.

Awesome Altior earns Sprinter comparisons in Arkle audition

Is today's heading on the Racing Post website............Comparison by who? Certainly not Nico or Nicky just them selling racing as usual.

When Sprinter beat French Opera he ambled round Barry looking through he legs all the way up the straight he wasn't even in 2nd gear.
I wish I could have got the going stick reading for what they called soft yesterday because Altior 4m 5.80s which looks a good time for true soft ground Sprinter was 3m 57.72s on good to soft when he beat French Opera which was exceptional.

Way too early to be saying Altior is the next coming he beat 2 unfit horses yesterday and a hasbeen that is the truth of the matter.........Douvan beat Fox Norton 32 lengths when he was supposed to be fit........... Nicky sensibly wants to avoid Douvan like the plague for the time being.

If Nicky wants to take on Douvan the time to do it could be in the Champion Chase at Punchestown in April.

It may be the only chance he gets unless Douvan who will surely be stepped up and tested at Aintree this season goes Tingle Creek then King George but there's a horse called Min to beat first
 
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Altior has been every bit as impressive in his novice season, as Douvan was at the same stage in his - possibly even a little better, in fact - and a clash between the pair any time soon, is to be drooled-over.

I hope Tanlic is right, and we get to see them face each other in the Punchestown Champion Chase, assuming all goes to plan/the form-book at Cheltenham.

Min has it to prove now. I remain hopeful that he is something special, but he will need to be, if he is going to worry Altior, who really does look exceptional.
 
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Altior beat the 167 rated Fox Norton by 13
SS beat the 161 rated French Opera by 6
Both in the Game Spirit
Two caveats, the ground was much slower yesterday which may have exaggerated the winning distance, and FN was coming off of an injury which probably means he wasn't at his best. You'd have to say though that at this stage of their careers both horses are at least level ratings wise - and that might be being kind to SS

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@Ardoss, SS never raced at 11. I also heard a reporter saying that he was 15 or so when winning something, exaggerating his age in a stupid manner, like they do. In human dates he was actually just 9 when winning his last CC and turned exactly 10 when he had his last race.
 
@Tanlic it was early when someone like me said it, but now there's plenty of evidence for everyone.

Aughex said:
@EC didn't Altior pulled like a bull that day the whole way round? Nico refused to do what Fehily did today and simply let him go.

He's fine and jumps well, just what we needed to know. Surprised he's still odds against for the Arkle. Could win the Champion with a bold trainer.
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Aughex said:
I hope he takes well to chasing as he has JLT winner written all over him.

Regarding Altior, Fehily unlike his first ride, hesitated today to go past them too early and there were couple of furlongs in the backend where he just watched over and I think that affected their time vs the Tingle Creek race(who were lead by the insane Ar Mad), but Altior should be 6/4 for the CC not Arkle. Really incredible that he's odds against for the novices. All being well, thats the race Nicky will send him for, he doesn't have the guts to go for the CC with a novice so 99% its known Arkle is the target, so why he's still odds against is a mystery which I welcome as it allows me to continue including him in the accumulators.
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Aughex said:
@Tanlic it was early when someone like me said it, but now there's plenty of evidence for everyone.
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What are you on about? The only evidence is visual because the form is worth nothing as Fox Norton was gone before the home turn due to the lack of race fitness
 
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