Cheltenham Saturday

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At the Start
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Ground is officially "Soft" with lots more rain forecast so conditions will be testing for trials day.

Cotswold Chase

Albertas Run
An Accordion
Barbers Shop
Exotic Dancer
Halcon Genelardis
Imperial Commander
Joe Lively
Knowhere
Miko DeBeauchene
Monkerhostin
Nozic
Ollie Magern
Roll Along
Snoopy Loopy
Star De Mohaison
Tidal Bay

Cleeve Hurdle

Amber Brook
Big Bucks
Blazing Bailey
Fair Along
Lough Derg
No Refuge
Pettifour
Punchestowns
Tazbar
Turpin Green

Finesse Hurdle

Al Amaan
Blues In Cee
Helium
Higgys Boy
Nampour
Pemberton
Reve De Sivola
Rory Boy
Silk Affair
Silk Drum
Simarian
Walk On
 
Would prefer to be on Walk On myself.

Good luck.

Think That's some cracking quality on show, three solid races.
 
Prefer to be with Helium to the pair mentioned previously.

Question the wisdom of running a horse who's unseated the last twice around Cheltenham - is Miko going for a hatrick?
 
The Cotswold Chase could be very interesting. With the way the ground is likely to be, I'll probably have to wait a bit longer to see Star De Mohaison. Having said that, he's not likely to get decent ground for any of his possible prep runs so they should just go ahead and let him run here. He likes Cheltenham.

Just wondering who will ride him at the Festival. And Neptune Collonges for that matter.
 
Even if the ground is testing - didn't he trot up in this race a couple of years back in Heavy ground?
 
If we get the weather that has been forecast and thus heavy going, Halcon Genelardais cannot be ignored. He's consistent, stays forever, will love soft going, loves Cheltenham and beat Exotic Dancer - by a lot - last time they met here.
 
And will be 10 lb better off as well SL. Though I don't think that even 25 1/2 furlongs is enough of a test of stamina for Halcon, even on bad ground. Remeber his effort in this 2 years ago on similar conditions off the same prep?

It was pretty testing when Star de Mohasion was second over CD at the December meeting and if he reproduces that in receipt of weight from all bar HG, I'll be amazed if he doesn't have too much toe for that rival. He should be fav for me and if connections are entertaining bothering turning up for the Gold Cup, he really should be winning on Saturday under these conditions.
 
It's only a furlong shorter than the Gold Cup, DJ - and he did alright in that last year.

Galileo's answer is what I love about this forum. Obviously Exotic Dancer ran way below his best in the Gold Cup, he had too, since slow old boats like Halcon Genelardais and Neptune Collonges beat it. Those two horses have been used ever since that race in an attempt to rubbish the form which is just daft, in my eyes. Slowly people are starting to accept that Neptune Collonges is a good horse yet Halcon is still seen as a slow old boat therefore since Exotic Dancer finished behind him Exotic Dancer HAD to be wrong on the day. What people forget is that Halcon Genelardais is actually pretty useful; you can't consistently finish close 2nds and 3rds in highly competitive handicaps off top weight and not be useful.

Whatever you lot think of it, the form is there in black and white, it happened. So there is every reason to think that Halcon Genelardais can beat Exotic Dancer again.
 
Shadow Leader said:
It's only a furlong shorter than the Gold Cup, DJ - and he did alright in that last year.
Click to expand...

Depends how you look at it. I'm of the opinion that his Gold Cup effort is a bit flattering in relation to the horses that he finished behind. Hoe looked paceless and was going nowhere for much of the final circuit, closing up at the death after the first 3 pressed on so far out. Like I say, I suspect the horse needs 3 1/2m+, and to be fair to him, he's some tool when he gets his ideal conditions.
 
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