Novice Chasers 2017/2018

Grasshopper said:
To be fair, there was plenty of enthusiasm for Denman, when he progressed into novice-chase ranks.....just not on Twitter. He was all-over shitty old platforms like Racing Forums, back in the day. :lol:

I can see why the comparisons are being made, based on their respective novice-hurdle seasons, as they've probably achieved roughly the same sort of level, but The Tank leaves big hoof-prints for any horse to fill. I'm not entirely certain that FO is up to it, but equally, I do have high-hopes for him as a novice chaser. Talk of the Arkle for the horse is, frankly, insane, imho - he will want the JLT trip as a minimum, and likely the RSA will prove the perfect race for him this season, as I think he is all about galloping. He would get murdered for a turn-of-foot over the Arkle trip, I reckon - especially on Good ground.

Edit: Denman was rated 155 by Chasers & Hurdlers in his novice hurdle season. I expect FO will be rated within a handful of lbs of that, when the book is published next month.
Click to expand...

I agree the JLT or RSA is the best option but I disagree that FO hasn't got a change of gear. I going to rewatch his races but I was convinced he was a strong traveller with a burst of speed to put a race to bed.
 
For me, FO had to grind it out a little, when upped in class, Brian. He clearly has a bit about him, but I’d have to think he was vulnerable at 2 miles, against the better novices.
 
Last edited:
Ballyandy jumped well today. Not sure he'll be a top class chaser though.

Fagan is a proper boat who will surely be targeted at the four miler.
 
Thought Ballyandy did it quiet nicely, though the best jumping performance of the day was A Sizing Network at Clonmel. He looked to be having a great time!
 
Bonjers said:
Ballyandy jumped well today. Not sure he'll be a top class chaser though.

Fagan is a proper boat who will surely be targeted at the four miler.
Click to expand...

OK, it was a first-time-out performance, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by Ballyandy’s jumping myself. He went left a couple of times, and looked steep on the landing-side at a couple of others. He has time to improve, of course, but it wasn’t a performance that had me thinking ‘natural born chaser’.

Hard to fault his tenacity though. He’s a real scrapper - though I expect he’ll need to be, if he’s to make an impact at the top-level as a novice.
 
granger said:
He is a stayer. If he wins the Arkle, I'm either gone at this game or it's a rank year of novice chasers
Click to expand...

My Way de Solzen, and Tidal Bay were stayers. The Arkle is run at such a fast pace on the easier old course, that top speed starts a long way out. A balance of stamina and speed is a requisite for such a race.
 
Maxbet said:
My Way de Solzen, and Tidal Bay were stayers. The Arkle is run at such a fast pace on the easier old course, that top speed starts a long way out. A balance of stamina and speed is a requisite for such a race.
Click to expand...

Or just plain shite renewals

MWDS - Fair Along, Jack the Giant, Faasal

Tiday Bay - Kruhuyova, Noland, Thyne Again

These were the days pre Ricci, GIGI and Potts
 
Grasshopper said:
Reasonably impressive from Death Duty.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily a natural but, apart from a couple, tidy and economical in the main. Once he'd gathered himself after fluffing the last he seemed to swat off Ruby's club-handed attempt at a mugging very comfortably.

RSA we presume.
 
I'd be a little bit concerned about Death Duty acting at Cheltenham, to be honest. He never seemed happy at any stage in the Neptune, and he seems to have a real dependency on genuinely Soft ground, to show his best form - and he doesn't seem likely to get that at Cheltenham in March.

The Irish Nash is worth an absolute bundle these days, and can self-evidently be won with a decent novice. I wonder if they'd maybe think about Fairyhouse as his target, and not bother with the Festival at all.
 
Grasshopper said:
I'd be a little bit concerned about Death Duty acting at Cheltenham, to be honest. He never seemed happy at any stage in the Neptune, and he seems to have a real dependency on genuinely Soft ground, to show his best form - and he doesn't seem likely to get that at Cheltenham in March.

The Irish Nash is worth an absolute bundle these days, and can self-evidently be won with a decent novice. I wonder if they'd maybe think about Fairyhouse as his target, and not bother with the Festival at all.
Click to expand...

Bartlett?

Elliott has attributed his poor showing to lack of 'rightness' rather than ground or track and said he'd gone home unwell.

You may well be right of course.

Be interesting where he places him next....

Update: just read Elliott saying 2m4f optimum trip and possibly heading for the Drinmore.
 
Last edited:
Grasshopper said:
My bad....it was indeed the Bartlett.
Click to expand...

Tad ironic GE is now favouring the intermediate trip when Russell was virtually pleading with him to run him in the Neptune and got put back in his box at a couple of the preview nights with the 'I train 'em, you ride 'em' line.

And then runs him today over nearly 3 miles commenting that he won never needing to get out of second gear.

Dunno...
 
Last edited:
Gigi will have about 12 in Irish Nash so DD could well be one. If Drinmore is his target they prob think he retains plenty of ability.

not sure how strong their novice crop is this term
 
Finian's Oscar has an entry in the 2m4f novice chase at Chepstow on Saturday.

Edit: He is not entered in the 2m7f novice chase on the Sunday. Make of that what you will.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top