Hunches For The Season Ahead...

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Denman and Kauto Star to look good pre-Christmas but come up short in the new year.

Binocular not to win the Champion Hurdle.

Big Zeb not to win the Queen Mother.

Dunguib not to win a race all year.

Mikael D to be favourite for the 2012 Gold Cup after Cheltenham.

Gordon Eliott to get his hands on a top class novice hurdler or chaser this season - surely he is going to have had a few proper ones sent to him over the summer.
 
Denman and Kauto Star to look good pre-Christmas but come up short in the new year. 10/11 Not to win a race after January 1st

Binocular not to win the Champion Hurdle. 1/5

Big Zeb not to win the Queen Mother. 1/10

Dunguib not to win a race all year. 5/2

Mikael D to be favourite for the 2012 Gold Cup after Cheltenham. 9/2

Gordon Eliott to get his hands on a top class novice hurdle or chaser this season - surely he is going to have had a few proper ones sent to him over the summer.66/1 - He will be too busy stopping them to realise how good they are.

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Materminded to bounce back

Hurricane Fly to win champion hurdle

Finians Rainbow to be special

Dunguib to win an early Irish hurdle race easy enough

Kauto to get his fifth KG
 
Richard Johnson to be still in with a realistic chance (i.e bookmakers will have a market open) of the jockey's title after christmas.
 
Mark Johnston to be leading trainer by number of winners but continue to show a much poorer strike rate at Kempton and Lingfield than Wolverhampton and Southwell.
 
Nicky Henderson takes the King George and the Gold Cup but with two different animals.

Nick Williams gets his first Festival winner (hopefully of many)

Agree with Gal about MDH. When he's odds-on for the RSA racing forums everywhere will be full of punters crowing about the double figure prices they took in the Autumn.

Big Buck's will not win the World Hurdle. Strongly suspect he may not even line up.

Binocular compared favourably with Istabraq as he wins the CH by a street.
 
As an add on to the topic. What is currently the best ante post value for the festival?
 
Mick Halford to be top NH trainer before going on to claim a clean sweep of the classics and the top flat training crown in Ireland and the UK.

A man entering the record books for having the most egg on his face in living memory.
 
I think that not only will Kauto Star not win the King George he will not even be sent off clear fav. The whole Gold Cup landscape will have a different outlook on the 26th of December.
 
Has any horse run and won a Queen Mother the fourth time around? There is a slight paralell with Moscow Flyer if you include his Arkle victory. I would think the 9/2 needs serious consideration at the very least.
 
I would want to see Master Minded return to form (not just once but to back it up) before backing him. Every chance he could regress further.
 
I predict that, even if he wins the Gold Cup, the Derby and the next General Election I, [and probably most other people] still won't be able to spell Mikael D... without googling it first.
 
Denman and Kauto are set to enter a phase of gradual decline in form this season... but it will be gradual. They will still hold their own and achieve success this season. Only a small handful of younger horses, on their best day, will be able to displace them at top level.
 
Binocular to win the CH again

Denman not to win a race

Imperial Commander to be out of the first 3 in the Gold Cup

Master Minded to return to his best

Kauto Star to prove there is life in the old dog yet

M de H to carry all before him in staying novice chases
 
I didn't like the performance of Denman at Punchestown. He ran like a horse with some sort of physical problem, and worse again, put in an absolutely huge performance for a horse running with a problem. I'd love to be proven wrong but I'd be surprised if that hasn't left a mark.
 
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