Novice Chasers 2011-12

I think the last ten years has shown that Arkle winners need to be high class and jump at speed. Needing a trip did not prevent Kicking King or My Way De Solzen from prevailing. 3m chases are for slow boats and Cue Card certainly has pace.
 
That's a fair point Euro! Granger, on paper this year looks a pretty amazing division of 2 mile chasers but Cue Card has laid down a fair marker today.
 
SlimChance said:
I think the last ten years has shown that Arkle winners need to be high class and jump at speed. Needing a trip did not prevent Kicking King or My Way De Solzen from prevailing. 3m chases are for slow boats and Cue Card certainly has pace.
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I couldn't agree more but again imo Cue Card doesn't jump well when taken out of his comfort zone and thats normally when they go a touch too fast for his liking. He's a class animal which is why he looks good over two miles but like most decent bumper winners or placed horses that proved to be above average - most of their performances came over further. I believe it takes a horse with plenty of stamina to win the champion bumper and believe we wont see the best of Cue Card and Dunguib until they go over a trip.

Some examples of very good to half decent horses who won or were placed in the Champion Bumber, hardly any went on to contest the Arkle and nearly all did best at 2m4f - 3m2f - The exception probably could have been Montelado but sadly we never got to find out.

Florida Pearl
Alexander Banquet
Monsignor
Pizarro
Be My Royal (3rd)
Liberman
Trabolgan (2nd)
Refinement (2nd)
Missed That – did run in the Arkle and was well beat and best run was over 2m5f
An Accordian (2nd)
 
Fair post Swedish but there is no evidence yet over fences that Cue Card won't jump well under pressure. He was a very credible 4th in the Supreme last year so its not exactly fair to suggest he lacks pace. Anyway I don't want to bog down the thread going back and forth. I certainly understand why people would not touch him in an Arkle but the risk/reward at 16/1 is great enough for me to get involved.
 
SlimChance said:
Fair post Swedish but there is no evidence yet over fences that Cue Card won't jump well under pressure. He was a very credible 4th in the Supreme last year so its not exactly fair to suggest he lacks pace. Anyway I don't want to bog down the thread going back and forth. I certainly understand why people would not touch him in an Arkle but the risk/reward at 16/1 is great enough for me to get involved.
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From the RP......

Hold Arkle bets on Cue Card, warns Tizzard

By David Carr 2:15PM 9 OCT 2011
CUE CARD may have halved in price for the Arkle Chase after his winning debut over fences at Chepstow on Saturday, but punters were warned on Sunday to think twice about backing him.


The 2010 Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner is quoted at odds as short as 10-1 by some firms, but trainer Colin Tizzard is far from convinced that his star will prove best at two mile.

"I wouldn't encourage anyone to back him for the Arkle yet because he might not run in that," said Tizzard.
"There is a two-and-a-half-mile novice and the RSA is only three - you can justsee him going round there on the bridle, quickening up off the last bend and leaving them for dead.

"The few times we have stepped him up to two and a half, he has looked mighty impressive. There is an awful long way to go and I don't know what trip he really wants. He could be effective from two miles to three miles, but I can't see any pointin going to three miles yet as he has so much pace."
Cue Card could get an early sight of the Cheltenham fences in a 2m novice chase at the Open meeting next month.
Tizzard added: "He is a horse we like taking to Cheltenham so there is a distinct possibility that will be the one but it wouldn't hurt him to have a bit more match practice in little novice chases.
"No doubt we will wait for Cheltenham but if there was something a week before which was valuable we might have a look at it."
 
Cue Card has a high cruising speed. He had Menorah dead last year at Cheltenham around the home turn but just couldn't sustain it. Either through weakness or not being good enough or both but Menorah went by him up the straight like Cue Card was standing still. I think Cue Card will look good on the run up to the Festival but I'm still not convinced he can sustain a pace over a short trip. That's why I'd like to see him over further.
 
Ooh, great bit of entry-watching, Martin. That'll be super. Thanks for the heads-up.

(Thinks: we oughtta have a thread called Entry Sentry, where we can flag up goodies which might get overlooked in the ruck.)
 
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qzy said:
From the RP......

Hold Arkle bets on Cue Card, warns Tizzard

By David Carr 2:15PM 9 OCT 2011
CUE CARD may have halved in price for the Arkle Chase after his winning debut over fences at Chepstow on Saturday, but punters were warned on Sunday to think twice about backing him.


The 2010 Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner is quoted at odds as short as 10-1 by some firms, but trainer Colin Tizzard is far from convinced that his star will prove best at two mile.

"I wouldn't encourage anyone to back him for the Arkle yet because he might not run in that," said Tizzard.
"There is a two-and-a-half-mile novice and the RSA is only three - you can justsee him going round there on the bridle, quickening up off the last bend and leaving them for dead.

"The few times we have stepped him up to two and a half, he has looked mighty impressive. There is an awful long way to go and I don't know what trip he really wants. He could be effective from two miles to three miles, but I can't see any pointin going to three miles yet as he has so much pace."
Cue Card could get an early sight of the Cheltenham fences in a 2m novice chase at the Open meeting next month.
Tizzard added: "He is a horse we like taking to Cheltenham so there is a distinct possibility that will be the one but it wouldn't hurt him to have a bit more match practice in little novice chases.
"No doubt we will wait for Cheltenham but if there was something a week before which was valuable we might have a look at it."
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Top man - Thanks!
 
Four Commanders ran on well from mid division in the last at Limerick yesterday - may be one to keep on the right side of for the rest of the year. Probably wont be aimed too high with a decent handicap mark in mind for later in the year. Looks a bit on the slow side but jumped really well.
 
Good spot OTB - handicap plot maybe?

Top stuff Kri - should be at that meeting myself, love an outing to one of my favourite jumps tracks as you well know :)
 
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