Road to the Champion Chase 2011

On The Bridle said:
It's hard to see him troubling the big two on even the best of what he's shown. Maybe McCoy reported back that MM is beatable!:whistle: He seemed to do everything to get him beat today - travelled wide, flung him at every second fence and went for home way way too soon! Is it just me or does McCoy seem to be able to get every horse he rides off the bridle miles from home??:ninja: I'm certain he would be pumping and slapping at Nijinsky at the four furlong pole. :rolleyes:
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What utter crap .

MM did not jump as well as he normally does - he sailed effortlessly round Sandown a couple of years ago for McCoy. AP was self-critical in saying that he let him stride on when the others slowed up but in the light of the fact he was not jumping as well as normal and that the horse had won over 2m 4f earlier in the season it was a perfectly rational decision to make.

Somersby hit a flat spot at that point and then ran on . I am a big fan of Somersby but I just do not think he has the speed for 2miles at Cheltenham unless it turned up soft - he was noticeably outpaced there both in the Arkle and the Connaught Chase .

The problem for Hen is that his two efforts at 2m 4f both over hurdles and in the Manifesto have seen him curl up in the last quarter of a mile . Whether that is because he was not right or over the top is a moot point .
 
Gearoid said:
Captain Cee Bee is very positive in the market again. I can only think that the horse must show them an awful lot at home because on his last run he is completely out of it.
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He looked flat and ran flat last day out. It wouldn't surprise me if there was something a bit the matter with him, and in the circumstances I thought he did well to finish as close as he did.
 
On CCB 0I wondered whether he had bled again .

EC1 - I just find all this anti McCoy crap completely irrational . If a Nicholls horse disappoints with Walsh on top - it is the horse . If they disappoint with AP on top it is his fault . It is nonsense.
 
Maybe utter crap Ardross but McCoy admitted himself he gave the horse a shocker. I prefer a quieter pilot on some of those horses. McCoy is an outstanding jockey but his "style" may not suit some of the horses he is put up on. If I had done my dough on him yesterday I would have been absolutely furious!!
 
On the bridle...the little ray of sunshine that is Mccoy would blame himself if he was the victim of a drunken hit and run car accident :)
 
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On The Bridle said:
McCoy admitted himself he gave the horse a shocker.
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Of course you know who he learnt that from.....Ruby. He's a master of understanding that if you come in and say "he's not that good" then the owner leaves the course really disappointed, whereas if he says " that was my fault, he's better than that" the owner goes away thinking two things (1) the horse will be better next time and (2) isn't ruby great admitting he made a blunder.
 
Cantoris said:
Of course you know who he learnt that from.....Ruby. He's a master of understanding that if you come in and say "he's not that good" then the owner leaves the course really disappointed, whereas if he says " that was my fault, he's better than that" the owner goes away thinking two things (1) the horse will be better next time and (2) isn't ruby great admitting he made a blunder.
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Can I take it McCoy rides Raise The Beat in the Champion Bumper so??:rolleyes:
 
On CCB 0I wondered whether he had bled again
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No, the Captain didn't bleed. Part of the reason for his lacklustre run might be that he was left a bit short of work on account of the weather.
 
If Somersby wasn’t so up for it on Saturday McCoy’s tactics would have destroyed the field and everyone would have said how brilliant they were. As it was McCoy didn’t account for Somersby being so up for it and was nearly caught out.

However, if reopposing I’d have no hesitation in backing MM to increase his superiority over that one, especially so on better going.
 
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Hard to say Master Minded does not deserve to be clear favourite now after that.

I am sure Big Zeb will still be a big threat - where to go with Golden Silver? QM, Ryanair or keep him for the Fairyhouse/Punchestown?
 
I'd be a firm believer that the Tied Cottage was lost by one jock rather than won by another. There is never more than 2 lengths between Big Zeb and Golden Silver and it would have been the same today if Geraghty had bothered at the second last, but more importantly at the last. What's the point in kicking on if you plan to pull the horse at the last two fences??!! I heard they really fancied Sizing Europe today so I think it was a good try on terribly sticky, rotten ground. It will be different come Cheltenham when Zeb gets to run on his favoured ground for the first time this season.
 
Sizing Europe was friendless in the market to be fair. Not that means that he was not fancied.
 
Ah Christ lads, I was there today...even Willie was contrite after. Short track, GS got a flier off the last while BZ idled. Nah, I wouldnt lose faith on Zeb at all.
 
Ah Christ lads, I was there today...even Willie was contrite after. Short track, GS got a flier off the last while BZ idled. Nah, I wouldnt lose faith on Zeb at all.
 
I think EC1's comment before the race that Big Zeb needs time between his races, as well as his win at Cheltenham last season entitles him to edge favouritism in the Champion Chase.

I say this as a man who is on MM in a big way ante-post.

I would price the race up thus:

Big Zeb 5/2
MM 11/4
Woolcombe Folly 6/1
Somersby 9/1
Captain CB 14/1
Golden Silver 14/1
20/1 Bar
 
I'd personally love to be accommodated at 11/4 about MM.

IMO, there's a ceiling on Big Zeb's talent around the 170 mark - that's as good as he is. Master Minded has a half-stone to play with if he's on form, and I've not seen any evidence this season which suggests he can't run up to near his best at Cheltenham.
 
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