Novice chasers 2014/15

Brilliant to watch pretty much from start to finish and he looks a proper horse.

So good, he even made Richard Johnston look good :)
 
I am saying nothing about betting but how on earth was Mr Mole 9 in running when he was running al over the top of them before the home turn.............amazing.........and I'd have him before DB any day of the week
 
I sincerely hope that Kings Palace jumps the ditches at Cheltenham, better than he did at Newbury........but what an engine.
 
Nice performance from Coneygree. Should be running in RSA.
If only to tee it up for Don.
 
The RSA was the right race for Arkle and for Denman and clearly where Coneygree should go . The GC is a horrible race for novices and I would ban them from running in it .
 
Coneygree is a lovely yoke, but his victory in the Denman says more about the paucity of decent staying chasers around at the moment, than it does him being head-and-shoulders clear in the novice-chase ranks....which was the inference on the RUK coverage.

I have to confess though, as a Kings Palace backer, I'd be quite happy to see Coneygree run in the Gold Cup, and Don Poli run in the NH Chase......because I think Pipes is a complete tap-in for the RSA in their absence.
 
Kings palace was far from fluent today.Not touched a twig twice previously but was real chancy at three today.Will be on the deck in the RSA with a round like that.
 
To be fair, he didn't make a semblance of an error in his two chase starts at Cheltenham, and he was - if anything - too bold at the ditches today. Those fences apart, his jumping was very neat; particularly at the cross-fence, which catches a lot of horses out.

Hopefully he has learned something from the experience, because he is going to take a lot of pegging-back if he puts in a clear round in the RSA.
 
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Granted there's no Bobs Worth in this line up but Grand Crus had tons better hurdles form, handled the course well and looked just as imperious in his novice season leading up to the festival and look what happened there.
 
What am I supposed to do, fonz - make my decision based on what Grands Crus did or didn't do three years ago?
 
That sounds like the sort of argument people put forth for preferring Peddlers Cross over Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle, his superior hurdling form. King's Palace didn't run as a hurdler outside novice company and has had a prep for the RSA in the new year, something the grey never had.
 
if coneygree goes rsa gonna be fun and games to see who makes the running. expect to see plenty of people suspecting the main two "cut each others throats" up front leaving something to pick up the pieces.
 
If Kings Palace and Coneygree take each other on, there might not be anything with the required class (save for Don Poli if he runs) to stay with them.

The race could be over by the time the dour stayers get up to full-tilt.
 
Grasshopper said:
Coneygree is a lovely yoke, but his victory in the Denman says more about the paucity of decent staying chasers around at the moment, than it does him being head-and-shoulders clear in the novice-chase ranks....which was the inference on the RUK coverage.

I have to confess though, as a Kings Palace backer, I'd be quite happy to see Coneygree run in the Gold Cup, and Don Poli run in the NH Chase......because I think Pipes is a complete tap-in for the RSA in their absence.
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Have to agree that the RSA is a three horse race assuming they all turn up.
 
As far a Coneygree and his preference for give in the ground goes someone made a very interesting point the other day.

Most years, a week or so before the festival the course is pretty much on the soft side

The closer we get to the festival the drier it seems to get and we end up good to soft or good.

This year the festival start earlier than it has for years on the 10th and the earlier the meeting kicks of the greater the chance it will come up soft.

I myself have seen the 1st day lost because the course was waterlogged Ten Up's year
and the Gold Cup (Alverton) being run in the snow so we shouldn't assume anything.
 
Aragorn said:
Have to agree that the RSA is a three horse race assuming they all turn up.
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Yep is was a 3 horse race when Punchestowns Long Run and Burton Port ran in it but Weapon's Amnesty had different ideas

All Time For Rupert had to do was turn up and be pointed in the right direction.

Grand Crus? a steering job and Cheltenham banker for many

Unioniste and Boston Bob looked sure to fight out the finish

Ans last year had me thinking O'Faolains who? That can't win, only beat some moderate animal called Many Clouds, form is rubbish.

Toughest race on the card to predict and you'll be wrong a lot more times than you are right.

Personally I really like King's Palace especially after yesterday. He showed he's no weakling when he recovered so well from that mistake yesterday he could just outjump and outstay the lot of them.

That said there is a massive difference between running all over the top of the opposition he has met so far and going head to head with the likes of Coneygree.

Coneygree himself is already a festival loser and despite looking good yesterday the form isn't exactly something to write home about.

Houblon Des Obeaux may have finished second in the Hennessy but he doesn't look the progressive type and for the best part he's pretty moderate and terribly one paced.

Either could be anything as could Don Poli if he turns up but these would be RSA trials are exceptionally misleading and the race seldom turns out like you expect
 
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If I was Bryan Cooper that's what I'd be saying. It's a no brainier. Gigginstown has the second fav for the NH chase anyway and VL has bags of pace so is the obvious horse for the JLT.

The mistake people tend to make is that they forget the RSA is a war. Coneygree and Don Poli have the right profiles.
 
Tanlic said:
Houblon Des Obeaux may have finished second in the Hennessy but he doesn't look the progressive type and for the best part he's pretty moderate and terribly one paced.
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Prior to this season he was very inconsistent. This season he's ran three real solid races on the bounce, and whilst 33/1 is about his chance of winning, over the Gold Cup distance at what will be a gruelling race I wouldn't be surprised if he did A Giant Bolster on us and ran into the places.

I challenge your assertion he is not 'progressive' in the sense that I don't think at any point in his career before this season has been placed three times in a row, certainly not in races like the Hennessy and Denman. Whilst usually finding one too good he does look to have improved this season, Venetia has done well in these types of big races with outsiders before.

The name of that 50's chance that won the national for Venetia Williams escapes me right now.....anyway I view him as a fair left field e/w poke.
 
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HDO has had 19 chase starts and has run to within a handful of lbs either side of 155 in the last ten of them.

He is very consistent, but he is not progressive.
 
JamesRB said:
if coneygree goes rsa gonna be fun and games to see who makes the running. expect to see plenty of people suspecting the main two "cut each others throats" up front leaving something to pick up the pieces.
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No contest. Kings Palace won't last with Coneygree. There's a huge difference between making all against novices and making all against Gold Cup pretenders. Kings Palace will be looking towards the ambulance for oxygen after a mile.

Coneygree reminds me of Looks Like Trouble and that northern Collonges winner of the RSA. Just too much pace.
 
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