Hennessy

Wasn't Taranis the horse Nicholls mentioned in the RP when he said he fancied one of his for this? I think he said watch out for one carrying 10-4.

I'll be seriously impressed if Denman wins this. The gallops is one thing, a race like this another.

One of the second season chasers for me, just not sure which.
 
Hamm said:
I think the answer to the puzzle may well be Taranis but have no idea if je is an intended runner.
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Taranis won in January after being off for at least a couple of years... without checking (which I can't do at the moment) I don't think he has appeared since then. It is certainly intended that he will run. His chance is difficult to assess.
 
The gallops is one thing said:
Very true, but I'm sort of thinking that a race like this might be more of a hinderance to the others than it will to him.

Denman may well be vulnerable to something fast improving ahead of its official mark, but I'm starting to believe that they might be more vulnerable to the most efficient weight-carrying colossus of his age.
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I've done a couple of night-shifts this last week for the first time in a long while. I therefore disposed myself to have a look through the Forum Gold forum, and killed a pleasant hour reading through the Gold Cup thread therein.

It's good to see your hyperbolic skills are still alive and well, SteveM. You're one more post away from a squiggle, I reckon. :D
 
SteveM said:
...I know what you mean. It has taken all of my will power to put off backing Denman so far. I keep telling myself that if Arkle couldn’t do it then it’s very unlikely.
Then again I see reports that he’d been shining in work with Big Bucks, Neptune and Taranis and I can’t help wondering if he can give weight and a start to these.
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Arkle should have done it but was done by a brilliant ride by Stan Mellor - Taaffe was caught napping - and I doubt Denman will be giving 35lb to a Gold Cup runner up to be .
 
Grasshopper said:
I've done a couple of night-shifts this last week for the first time in a long while. I therefore disposed myself to have a look through the Forum Gold forum, and killed a pleasant hour reading through the Gold Cup thread therein.

It's good to see your hyperbolic skills are still alive and well, SteveM. You're one more post away from a squiggle, I reckon. :D
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:p Yes such skills as they are, are still alive and kicking… Although without wishing to be too pedantic I think you may mean hyperbolical. Hyperbolic is a function related to a rectangular hyperbola, such as a hyperbolic cosine… jeeze, if that’s not “too pedantic” what is!!!?

However, I see: “most efficient weight-carrying colossus of his age” as rational rather than hyperbolical.

…but I guess you’re right, there is no hope for me.

I finally succumbed and took the 5s today, if only to stop me taking the 3s later.:rolleyes:
 
SteveM said:
Is China Rock likely to run? He's improving and is in the handicap proper.
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His preparation would look a bit odd usually but given that Denman has always been a likely starter meaning the weights would be compressed, perhaps they decided not to bother waiting for the race and sacrificed his mark knowing it was likely to mean he was in the handicap proper anyway. Protecting a mark with Denman around is a bit of a waste of time.
 
"He worked in Punchestown on Sunday and we were delighted with him. He jumped around over two miles and seemed to do everything well, so it's all systems go and we couldn't be happier with him at this stage," Meade told At The Races.
"We'll see how we get on in the Hennessy but I would say he'll probably run in the Lexus Chase over Christmas. He looks like a genuine three-miler and we think he's good enough to compete in those good races. What rating he can get up to, I don't know, but we like him a lot and he's only been beaten once."
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Diamond Harry receives a big boost with the news that Daryl is to take over the ride from Murphy for the season. About time too!!
 
I liked the way Dream Alliance won the Welsh Nash last year. Seemed to me to be going like the winner from about the fourth or fifth fence and never flattered to deceive. Jumped so smooth and the last jump where he flew the last fence only to slow down on the run in was a fantastic sight. Vintage handicap performance back then and I'd love it if he were to get in the Hennessy and run a big race.

Come on DA.... (with a run).

.
 
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Right, so why does Barry Geraghty ride China Rock and Andrew Tinkler rides Burton Port?

Edit: just read he can't do the weight.
 
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Nicholls has shown plenty of times he can ready one after a very long lay off - Taranis being a good example although I can't remember the exact nature of his injury.

My money will be carried by Taranis and Pandorama. It's a shame Pandorama is not in the handicap proper but I think he's good enough to win anyway. Not the quickest but the Hennessy is won by stayers and his only defeat came over 2m4f in a three runner novice hurdle to Mikael D'Haguenet. Considering he was giving the Ballymore winner 4lbs in a tactical affair it wasn't a bad effort and 3m2f over fences looks ideal.
 
The Hennessy is a gruelling enough race to win anyway; let alone after eighteen months off with a leg injury. I'm not so sure he'd be as sharp a type as Taranis either.
 
If the going was very soft or heavy then Carruthers would be a stand out bet at 20/1 e/way - The ground can change very quickly at Newbury and i'll be watching with interest on Friday.
 
Pandorama was the most exciting novice chaser I saw last season and really fancy him for this. China Rock is race fit though, with a couple of good runs under his belt and could be the danger.
 
I couldn't bring myself to lay him. And if memory serves Grassy didn't you say last year he wouldn't finish in the first 5?

I'm filling up on Diamond Harry. Could be my biggest jumps bet ever.
 
Euronymous said:
I couldn't bring myself to lay him. And if memory serves Grassy didn't you say last year he wouldn't finish in the first 5?

I'm filling up on Diamond Harry. Could be my biggest jumps bet ever.
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What makes you so confident, Euronymous? I am often in agreement with your opinions on horses and races, but I can't weight up the Hennessy. Surely Diamond Harry will have to improve his jumping incredibly to go close here...
 
I'm kind of trusting his trainer on that. I also think that starting off over timber last year didn't help his transition to fences and that if he'd had a couple of easy novice events before Christmas instead of being beaten by Big Bucks we'd have seen a more polished jumper come the spring. I'm also far from convinced he likes Cheltenham given that his hurdling was far from perfect in the Baring Bingham.

He's a big strong chasing type carrying a feather weight on a track that suits him. How the hell Burton Port and Weird Al are shorter in the market baffles me.
 
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