Road to the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup

Euronymous

Euronymous

Senior Jockey
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Monkfish out for the season.

At this stage you'd have it between the first two from last season although Champ's apparent injury he carried over from Newbury to Cheltenham could possibly make him interesting.
 
That is gutting about Monkfish being out for the season! Big blow before it has even got going.

Euro - interesting point on Champ, he has had surgery over the summer and those problems have been ironed out apparently, so it will be interesting to see how he runs 1st and 2nd time out this season.
 
He's interesting for sure. The contrast with 12 months ago is stark. At that time we were coming off of a rather average Gold Cup but a tip top RSA. The roles are reversed now. With Monkfish out I can't really see who features from last year's Novice crop.
 
Euronymous said:
He's interesting for sure. The contrast with 12 months ago is stark. At that time we were coming off of a rather average Gold Cup but a tip top RSA. The roles are reversed now. With Monkfish out I can't really see who features from last year's Novice crop.
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Thoughts on Envoi Allen? Was thinking Ryanair but surely he can't be ignored.
 
Of last season's novices, the one which would interest me most for the Gold Cup is Latest Exhibition, as I don't think he's ever run over his optimum trip over fences yet. I think he'll definitely want 3m+ (Irish Nash probably a shade too far last season), and whilst he is possibly a little ground-dependent, the available 40/1 strikes me as a fair enough price this far out.

All that said, Minella Indo could just be another Al Boum Photo - the class horse in a race which possibly isn't going to be up to the desired standard or competitiveness. There's not a great deal of inspiration to be drawn from the ante-post list.
 
You could only really have Minella Indo and A Plus Tard on your mind from last seasons race, and they could well fill the first two places again. The race could well have left it's mark though as it has on many before them.

Second season chasers have the best record in the race though, and there's a handful that fit the bill:

Envoi Allen - I'm with Euro, I'm not convinced he wants a trip. His original connections ran him in what is the only two and half mile point in the calendar, so they didn't think so either. If he sees it out though he'd be the leading second season contender.

Chantry House - Will likely improve again for a step up in trip, and whilst most will prefer others, is think he's pretty solid, and 14/1 could underestimate him.

Galvin - It's not out of the question he comes here before the National. He's 40/1 too, but you'd need cash out to back him.

Espoir De Romay - In the 'could be anything' category, but Kim Bailey rates him highly. 40/1 is a big price too.

Asterion Forlonges - He jumped well enough in the Marsh with no sign of jumping right, and looked like a step up in trip would be in order. Given Willie has lost Monkfish it perhaps increases his chances of coming here. Available at 50/1.

Next Destination - Ran a good race in second in the NH Chase and there are worse big priced horses in the various markets, but it's hard to see him winning. He is the kind of horse that could run on into a place if it's a grueller though.

The Big Getaway - Out for a year doesn't make him very tempting, but if he were to prove his fitness and head this way he'd deserve some respect given jhow highly he was thought of.

Fiddlerontheroof - Probably the best of the two Tizzard novices last year. Not devoid of ability but hard to make a case other than for some of the big handicap pot in the season.

Eklat De Rire - I think he's a bit of a forgotten horse. De Bromhead is on record of saying how highly he thinks of him, but his fall in the RSA makes it hard to know what he might of done. I liked him as the alternative to Monkfish in that race, and I think he is potentially worth a poke at 66/1 with the benefit of cash out.


Chanty House is fairly obvious, so outside the first two from last year I'd put up Eklat de Rire at 66/1 and Asterion Forlonges at 50/1, with a watching brief on Galvin at 40/1. All nice prices to keep warm on over the winter months.
 
What's the latest with Topofthegame? I really, really liked the look of him, and thought he had a bit of class about him which could allow him to be in the mix as a Gold Cup horse.
 
Road to the 2022 Gold Cup

Might as well get this moving along.

I see Saint Calvados has been moved to Paul Nicholls.

I sort-of still have some mildly-reasonable hopes for this yoke.....though possibly more as a King George horse than a genuine Gold Cup contender.
 
edgt said:
Mick Winters making noises about Chatham Street Lad.
Obviously he will need bottomless ground on the day but stranger things have happened !
Any celebrations bound to accelerate global warming.
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I must look back though my log. I might have backed this one near the end of last season. It's one I still like myself.
 
Chantry House would be my selection. Won a Marsh in which Shan Blue injected serious pace after half way. He proved he could travel at that pace and was ultra impressive off that strong pace to power up the hill.

Very impressive at Aintree stepping up to 3m1f when trashing the Kauto Star Novice chase winner and horse who gave Monkfish something to think about in the Brown Advisory Novice chase at the festival. Granted Baileys fell 2 out but CH was only kicking into gear then to my mind as he had the Cheltenham race only 3 weeks before whereas Espoir De Romay was much fresher.


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Quite a taking performance from Galvin at Punchestown today, conceding weight and race-fitness to two decent handicappers. I was sufficiently impressed to take some 33/1 about him for this.
 
I had no idea he was running today but am slightly disappointed that he has come out and won. I was hoping he could get into the National off his current mark.

I've always rated him very highly but hoped he would win the National this season before going for the Gold Cup and other top races next season.

Maybe the handicapper will rate this form via the Snugsborough horse, in which case he might only go up a pound or two, but if he rates it via Annamix his days in handicaps might be over.
 
He's conceded race-fitness and 8lbs to both Annamix and Brahma Bull yesterday, DO, and did it with his head pretty-much in his chest. Any rise will be closer to 10lbs than 2lbs I'd say, so you're probably looking at early/mid 160's when he is re-appraised.

That's not an automatic stopper for the Nash, but it's not ideal either.

Elliott has seemingly confirmed two things since yesterday. Firstly, the Nash apparently remains the overall target, and secondly, that the JN Wines is the next target. If he was to win in Down Royal, you'd have to think it would ruin his mark for the Nash completely, but it would also put him right into the mix for the Gold Cup.

Hard read at the moment, but this is a good horse, and he already wouldn't be too far off G1 level.
 
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He’ll have a much better chance if the ground is on the good side of soft/watered.

“ He only ever does enough. I think the Grand National would be more up his street than the Gold Cup to be honest - Gordon Elliott, trainer.”
 
The other thing about the run the other day is that it qualifies him to run in the GN, unlike the other Elliott horse Noble Endeavor who ended up missing it first time round.

In theory they can afford to run Galvin down the park a couple of times and maybe get him back down to 154 in time for the weights coming out in mid-February.

Alternatively, if they're happy with 159 they can campaign him in such a way as to win diddy races without affecting his mark.
 
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