King George Boxing/St Stephen's Day 2017

Don't think Henderson has mentioned anything specific for MB as yet - not even the King George (though it would be patent madness not to run him there).

Haydock is an obvious option, as is the Hennessy/Ladbroke GC. The Charlie Hall is probably the only other race he could run in as a prep, though the Sodexho Chase at Ascot might figure (though like Newbury, he'd be giving a lot of weight away).
 
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Grasshopper said:
Don't think Henderson has mentioned anything specific for MB as yet - not even the King George (though it would be patent madness not to run him there).

NH Blog in April

Is Altior crying out for a step up in trip? Is the King George on the agenda next season?
I would be amazed if it was. I still see him as an out and out two miler. If he got any further than that he would be so unbeatable it would be terrifying because he has so much speed. MIGHT BITE will be our King George horse anyway.
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Re Sizing John, not forgotten by me - I'm just not convinced he will come over, unless he wins at Haydock. The market is basically asking us to take 4/1 for him to win both races, and I reckon he will be an NR in the King George, if he doesn't win the Betfair, so can't consider him as a bet, given that scenario.

I suppose a similar argument applies to any horse that disappoints in his prep, but might be easier to forgive English-trained horses, seeing as they don't have to travel. I just figure SJ has to win at Haydock, if he is even to run in Kempton.
 
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Has the makings of a cracking edition, if all the principals make it, and one (or both) of Ricci's comes over for it.
 
If Sizing John is beaten at Haydock, and the million bonus is no longer achievable.......and the stablemate has been under a cloud........then the Lexus starts to look an altogether more attractive option for connections.

And with Thistlecrack likely to have only a hurdles run, or a racecourse gallop beforehand....and coming off the back of a setback........I'd be cool on his chances too. And let's say Douvan doesn't go either - I think it extremely unlikely myself - there's three of the front four in the betting potential - or effective - NRs.

Between them, they take out around 55% of the market, which makes some space for ante-post value elsewhere. For those not already confidently-committed to The Biter (muppets), the 33/1 Disko, 50/1 Coney Island, and - particularly - the 25/1 Whisper, would be the ones which would be of interest to me, at current odds.
 
Some quotes from Meade

"I'm pretty sure Road To Respect won't run again until Christmas. Disko will have an entry in the John Durkan, but he'll also have an entry in the King George so we'll see."I was talking to the handicapper and he's got Disko 1lb higher than Road To Respect so we're getting up there.
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"I've always thought Disko was a three-miler but the Gold Cup is a long way away, a lot of water can run under the bridge, but we'll hope that he is
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granger said:
No UDS so
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Can't say I'm altogether surprised, tbh. Probably won't get his ground, and shaped very-much like a non-stayer on his only outing beyond 22f (admittedly, it was 3m1f in a bog at Auteuil).

Maybe his absence makes one of WPM's other ones a more likely runner, though with Elliot banging them in regularly, it would be no surprise if both were kept the other side of the Irish Sea to contest local targets, and not brought over to the UK until the spring.
 
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"Thistlecrack, Sizing John and Douvan could clash in King George cracker"

Only the RP could manage to come up with a headline for the race, fail to mention the winner and yet include Douvan, who more than likely won't run.
 
I don't think there's a person who if they had backed Might Bite, Sizing John or Thistlecrack that wouldn't **** a brick if WPM said Douvan was running

Sort of messes up the race for AP punting
 
As a Might Bite backer, if WPM "said" he was running I wouldn't give a toss.

Should he actually line up, it'd be a different story however...
 
I'd be perfectly happy to take-on Douvan with Might Bite in the King George.

There have been many a Grade1 2m5f horse who have found this just too much of a test, and I would be very-strongly against Douvan getting home. Whilst Douvan's grand-dam is an influence for stamina, his sire is not, and there's a reason why the furthest he has ever been asked to race, is 2m1f.

Kempton is generally considered an "easy 3m", but the King George is the one race where this doesn't apply, because they go hard at it right from the off. With Might Bite and/or Thistlecrack in the race, the coals will be shovelled-on from the outset, and you are going to need to get every yard. Douvan's tank would be empty before two-out.
 
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Vautour stayed 3 miles fine, problem is with all the jumps out to the left he actually ran nearer 3m2 that day.
 
Vautour was running into a Cue Card at the height of his powers, and ran to a huge mark in defeat. He would have been thereabouts with the subsequent Gold Cup winner, if Don Cossack hadn't fallen. To me, that proves he truly stayed - he was just cut-down late by Brennan. They front two were also a country-mile clear of some very good horses.

But lets not go there again! :lol:
 
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