Novice chasers 2014/15

Agreed and they clearly rate him a bit talking about the Florida Pearl Novice Chase or Drinmore

Apache Stronghold entered at Down Royal tomorrow & hopefully we get to see him
 
Apache Stronghold declared

It's a great card including the grade 2 hurdle with Guitar Pete, Tiger Roll & Arctic Fire, Morning Run in the mares hurdle and Black Zambezi in the NH flat race for the Winning Ways (Cantoris?) syndicate
 
Perpetual said:
It's a great card including the grade 2 hurdle with Guitar Pete, Tiger Roll & Arctic Fire
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Wicklow Brave looks to be still in that race too. I had him rated a fraction higher than Arctic Fire going to Cheltenham Festival last season.
I appreciate Ruby's comments recently on AF and he has chosen to ride him tomorrow, but I'll be very interested to see prices.
I'm not saying he will win, but I'm anticipating Wicklow Brave could be very good value if he lines up.........
I also think any more rain would favour Wicklow Brave over Arctic Fire.
 
They're probably closer talent-wise than the market suggests, DH.....but Ruby having the pick must tell us something. Maybe AF is slightly straighter than WB, maybe he's schooled a little better, maybe he's been winning gallop head-to-heads pulling-up trees? Who knows really, but it has a legitimate bearing on the market, and when you add the degree of guesswork usually associated with early-season novice chases, I wouldn't quibble with the prices too much.

It looks a race to watch rather than bet in.
 
Tricky race to call tomorrow and more than just a square up between the two Mullins soldiers.
 
Yeah I agree it's a highly competitive little race. Little King Robin a fine mare too & in super form.
And in terms of a bet, it will be a small one. I just see a value angle on WB.
The 2 Mullins horses get a nice little 4lb pull with Tiger Roll and Guitar Pete also.
And as Grassy says, Ruby picking AF must tell us something, but I suppose I'm taking the view that WB price is a market overreaction to that....
I've often been on a Ruby horse in the past where a stablemate has come and done him, so it's not inconceivable.
Just monitoring the going too, currently saying 'yeilding' and any rain overnight could change that.
If there is 'soft' in the going tomorrow, it suits WB as Tiger Roll and Arctic Fire both prefer a sounder surface imo.
 
WKD Hurdle looks like the best race anywhere today.

I backed Tiger Roll in his last race and I honestly thought I had done my money.

He had to be really pushed to try and get on terms with the front running Calipto and din't look like getting there until PN's horse found the hill a bit too much for him.

If the past is anything to go by he's going to meet another front runner today in Little King Robin.

On her last run she went off in front and not for one second did she look like stopping and whats more unlike Calipto at Cheltenham she never touched a twig all the way round.

Tiger Roll seems to take time to get going and that could work dead against him with her in the field. I think he'll be hard pushed to get near her but if he does it will have taken so much out of him he himself won't see this one out.

Arctic Fire on the other hand is a a very good traveller and it should be much easier for him to keep tabs on the mare.

In his last hurdle race he showed tremendous speed to get away from the pack as they approached the last then found even more after they humped it.

It's hard to tell how good the mare is but she looks better than her rating would suggest but then so does Artic Fire.

I'm tempted to back the mare but I'll go along with Artic Fire who may have enough speed to get past her but it wont be easy imo

Arctic Fire to win and a RFC with Little King Robin for me..
 
Grasshopper said:
They're probably closer talent-wise than the market suggests, DH.....but Ruby having the pick must tell us something. Maybe AF is slightly straighter than WB, maybe he's schooled a little better, maybe he's been winning gallop head-to-heads pulling-up trees? Who knows really, but it has a legitimate bearing on the market, and when you add the degree of guesswork usually associated with early-season novice chases, I wouldn't quibble with the prices too much.

It looks a race to watch rather than bet in.
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You'd think that AF would be better prepared than WB, as he's unlikely to get his ground for much longer, whereas the latter could well run all through the winter.
 
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Euronymous said:
It was. He doesn't have an action that suggests soft ground is necessary either.
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I couldn't be happier, he jumped like a buck. He will improve for that, but he was fit enough for the race. Paul thinks he'll be better with a good gallop. He hasn't schooled on grass, he schooled on all-weather so you never know. He does like getting goodish ground, but he should go on anything. The Drinmore has to be the race but I also have Very Wood, but he may want further. We'll have to see about whether we can get a race into him (Apache Stronghold) before the Drinmore.
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Noel Meade
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Great racing today, but not much on the novice chase front. My only bet will be Solar Impulse at Wetherby. 6/4 is a bit stingy but committed to back him next time after his Newton Abbot run
 
some nice entries here for Tuesday

(2:55) 304E Fairyhouse Membership Beginners S'chase €6,210.00 ( 2m 5f - 4yo+ )[MAX 16]
NHFrm
11-42 1 Apache Stronghold (NMeade) - . ..... 11,12
3-630 2 Azorian (EGriffin) - . ........................... 11,12
4430u 3 Festive Felon (NMeade) - . ................ 11,12
123-1 4 Mala Beach (GElliott) - . ..................... 11,12
85356 5 Oscar Buzz (ECawley) - . ................... 11,12
p2-75 6 Plan A(124) (GElliott) - . ...................... 11,12
35633 7 Prima Vista (GB)(115) (NMeade) - . ... 11,12
-3126 8 Real Steel (MFMorris) - . .................... 11,12
0007 9 [2] Rebel Cry (NLee) - . ........................... 11,12
1433- 10 Rye Martini(130) (CAMurphy) - .......... 11,12
-2336 11 Seskinane (BMMcMahon) - . ............. 11,12
p-f-f 12 The Bosses Cousin (WPMullins) - . .. 11,12
111-2 13 The Tullow Tank (DTHughes) - . ....... 11,12
9-f 14 [3] Whitesfort Boy (MissHMcLoughlin) -
. .................................... 11,12
15 [1] Heroic Approach (JHCulloty) - . ........ 11,11
32121 16 Le Vent D'Antan (FR) (MissEDoyle)
- . .................................. 11,11
12613 17 Lieutenant Colonel (GB)
(DTHughes) - . ............. 11,11
5-134 18 Riverside City (GElliott) - . ................. 11,11
1-44 19 Val De Ferbet (FR) (WPMullins) - . .... 11,11
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Agree that Mala Beach has a touch of class, but he probably wants further. Then again, TTT does have stamina to prove, though I don't think it will be an issue, myself - he's crying-out for a step-up in trip, in my view.

I'll be very disappointed if the word "authoritative" doesn't appear in TTT's match-report.
 
Quite fancy Carraig Mor tomorrow at Exeter. The Ascot mistake clearly affected last season, but he looks a smart chasing prospect.
 
Certainly looking forward to seeing TTT in action.
What with that and the big race at Exeter. Good stuff.
 
will forgive TTT his run with Vautour in Leop last year given the reports we had on here on his condition that day and he is an immensely promising horse. Loved his Christmas run last year. One I am relishing.

RSA bound I think as Vautour will frighten loads away
 
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