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Cheltenham Gold Cup

Tanlic

Tanlic

Senior Jockey
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
12,108
Location
Bangkok Thailand
Condolences to the connections of Corbett's Cross.

It's fine and well saying Paul Townend wasn't happy on Gallopin Des Champs but no matter how you cut it he was simply trounced by a better horse.

There can be no excuses he simply was nowhere near as good as the hype.
 
Echo Corbetts Cross.

As for Galopin, was never really travelling. Ground probably a tad quick enough.
It's to his credit he kept at it and made a race of it.
 
RIP Corbetts Cross.

Does anyone think that Galopin maybe left his performance at the DRF? Still think he did amazing to finish 2nd given he never travelled in my opinion.
 
Gaz's Way De Solzen said:
RIP Corbetts Cross.

Does anyone think that Galopin maybe left his performance at the DRF? Still think he did amazing to finish 2nd given he never travelled in my opinion.
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Maybe Gaz.
At Christmas he quickened three times to put the race to bed.
DRF they wanted an easier race but I am not sure that they got one.
For all that his performance today was near par with his previous two; the faller did him no favours and all the little things count up.
 
He has a bit of a knee action and I suspect he's better with juice in the ground. Not sure what the times were like this week compared to the last two years when he won?
 
Gaz's Way De Solzen said:
RIP Corbetts Cross.

Does anyone think that Galopin maybe left his performance at the DRF? Still think he did amazing to finish 2nd given he never travelled in my opinion.
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He was campaigned aggressively by modern standards but just think today was a bit quick for him and the times will probably show that

Id suggest to the great WPM the following for 25/26

John Durkan.. let FTF win and get a run into him

FTF.. King George
GDC .. leop Christmas

No DRF for GDC and straight to March hoping for some cut
 
I remember Ruby Wash saying he thought Kauto Star left his race at Ascot when he ran no sort of race against Denman so I suppose it's possible GDC left his behind in the DRF.
However this was somewhat different
At no point during the race could you say winner was travelling better than GDC. He clouted the first was sticky at a couple of others and lost ground on GDC turning for home.
It wasn't until push came to shove GDC was found wanting and made to look like a tree.
Ok he won the DRF race but that was a prep for both Factofile and YKTWYT
I'm not convinced he's the superstar he's been cracked up to be having lost 3 of his last 5 races.
 
I admire GDC - he’s a gorgeous looking animal but I do think a better horse with cut .

You cannot blame the horse for the hype . It’s hardly his fault Ruby Walsh and others started this best Irish horse since Arkle stuff ( which was bollocks none of his wins come close to Captain Christy in the KG or GC.
 
It’s funny but on looks and conformation wise I think GDC is very ordinary. Like so many of Mullins horses he doesn’t have a good topline. Compare him to Inohowurthinkin (god it’s a stupid name!) who is much better put together...with a proper neck to boot!

I was talking to Westheadcowboy (on here but doesn’t post) who I went to Cheltenham with and we couldn’t work out why Mullins uses “bungee” ties to pull the horses heads in during daily exercise, because any dressage/event rider will tell you that these only work if you are sitting pushing the horse into the bridle with your seat and legs, and getting it to engage it’s back end.
 
Maybe he was hyped up a bit, but not much - he’s damn good. I was sorry to see him beaten and maybe we won’t enjoy him again, the Gold Cup is an attritional race, after all.
 
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jinnyj said:
It’s funny but on looks and conformation wise I think GDC is very ordinary. Like so many of Mullins horses he doesn’t have a good topline. Compare him to Inohowurthinkin (god it’s a stupid name!) who is much better put together...with a proper neck to boot!

I was talking to Westheadcowboy (on here but doesn’t post) who I went to Cheltenham with and we couldn’t work out why Mullins uses “bungee” ties to pull the horses heads in during daily exercise, because any dressage/event rider will tell you that these only work if you are sitting pushing the horse into the bridle with your seat and legs, and getting it to engage it’s back end.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1900637352969859367
 
Ardross said:
You cannot blame the horse for the hype . It’s hardly his fault Ruby Walsh and others started this best Irish horse since Arkle stuff ( which was bollocks none of his wins come close to Captain Christy in the KG or GC.
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Aftertiming of a sort but something of this sort went through my head before the race yesterday.

I was looking at my printout of my figures and thinking about Best Mate who I thought was better than the highest actual rating I could give him of 181 and I kept saying it on here that he was being falsely lauded as the best since Arkle, even after he won the third. He only just beat a handicapper that day.

I reckon the chasers were maybe generally better around then. I had Desert Orchid regularly posting figures higher than Kauto Star ever did and I reckon Kauto was better than Best Mate.

Maybe that's an argument for another thread but the second top [on my figures] yesterday was Banbridge on 168 and he was a doubtful stayer. The next was 165 (Ahoy Senor) and the rest were even lower. That was why I reckoned GDC would hack up.

I was always frustrated that Best Mate got the adulation he did. He was a proper G1 horse and very game but never had proper opposition. It looks like maybe GDC is similar and it's maybe for the best that he didn't win.

If he was going to win the Gold Cup for a third time I wanted him to do it in style but I'm still convinced he was a stone below form yesterday for whatever reason.
 
Ardross said:
I admire GDC - he’s a gorgeous looking animal but I do think a better horse with cut .

You cannot blame the horse for the hype . It’s hardly his fault Ruby Walsh and others started this best Irish horse since Arkle stuff ( which was bollocks none of his wins come close to Captain Christy in the KG or GC.
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Next season will be all change. 3 horses on the up Caldwell Potter
Yesterday's winner and Factofile. He won't be taking in the DRF as a prep race again.
I can't see GDC winning another Gold Cup the opposition will be much stronger next season
 
To my eye, GDC was never going or jumping with his usual zest. I thought that he wasn't letting himself down on the ground which the course walkers were calling proper good.

Willie seemed to think the same post race so, unless something else comes to light, I'll be assuming that to be the case.

The winner was very good on the day though and it will be interesting to see how they go in the Savills if they both get there.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Aftertiming of a sort but something of this sort went through my head before the race yesterday.

I was looking at my printout of my figures and thinking about Best Mate who I thought was better than the highest actual rating I could give him of 181 and I kept saying it on here that he was being falsely lauded as the best since Arkle, even after he won the third. He only just beat a handicapper that day.

I reckon the chasers were maybe generally better around then. I had Desert Orchid regularly posting figures higher than Kauto Star ever did and I reckon Kauto was better than Best Mate.

Maybe that's an argument for another thread but the second top [on my figures] yesterday was Banbridge on 168 and he was a doubtful stayer. The next was 165 (Ahoy Senor) and the rest were even lower. That was why I reckoned GDC would hack up.

I was always frustrated that Best Mate got the adulation he did. He was a proper G1 horse and very game but never had proper opposition. It looks like maybe GDC is similar and it's maybe for the best that he didn't win.

If he was going to win the Gold Cup for a third time I wanted him to do it in style but I'm still convinced he was a stone below form yesterday for whatever reason.
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It’s an old argument but it was soft at Cheltenham in 2004 and the official ground description was rubbish - it rained all day and I think Paul Carberry was right when quoted - Best Mate would have won ten lengths yesterday the rain gave us all a chance .

Banbridge was frustrating everything was right for him but he jumped poorly and was beaten way before stamina was an issue.
 
Tanlic said:
Next season will be all change. 3 horses on the up Caldwell Potter
Yesterday's winner and Factofile. He won't be taking in the DRF as a prep race again.
I can't see GDC winning another Gold Cup the opposition will be much stronger next season
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I wouldn’t rule out Lecky Watson - chasing has been the making of him . Rewatching the Broadway Chase - has Ballyburn always had such a low head carriage ?
 
Not a lot to learn from the sectionals... really are a waste of time imo.
Ballyburn is the one horse everyone should be aware of
Wasn't the best Idea holding him up..He could still be a contender next season
 
Surely they would be better served by publishing lesser races
I mean like races not covered by the main stream media who analyze the main events so we pretty much know if a race was true run or not..if you follow my drift
 


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