Road to the Gold Cup 2011

Nice one DJ! Fair point too Galileo, you would want him to be ridden tomorrow like a certain stayer. The 5/1 is guessing but it would not be my first time! Any bookmaker worth his salt should be filling the bag tomorrow on Kauto Star.
 
Its an absolute disgrace you did start a thread. Perhaps this means the DJ lemmings might not fall off the edge of a cliff this weekend.
 
I honestly think the 13/2 Sizing with Betfair is serious value-I would take the view that the owners don't need to back him.
 
A right good finish. I thought the front 3 all ran their race and no excuses. What do you do with Sizing Europe? He clearly stays.
 
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Don't know what to think.I thought KS was all out -was it old age or did he need the run.Sizing had his chance -not certain how much the track suited him.
 
My initial reaction is they must take him on again at Kempton. He is very much in the Gold Cup picture in my mind.
 
Kauto Star just doesn't look the force of old to me. I thought he wasn't travelling at one stage down the back.

Sizing Europe jumped slow at a few of his fences I thought (haven't seen a replay mind) and certainly looked to pull for his head for much of the race. Ran a great race considering. By the way I made a complete muppet of myself suggesting he wouldn't get up the hill in the Arkle but if that horse wins a Gold Cup I'll give up racing.
 
Kauto looked no more to be struggling than he was in last year's Betfair - these two are much better horses than those he beat two years ago and they were race fit .

The jockeys are apparently reporting it rode like a very good race.
 
Sizing Europe has obviously improved 7 lengths from his last run to finish with China Rock today. Looked a pretty good race to me. Kauto's won today 13 seconds quicker than when winning same race 2 years ago (albeit beating a 50/1 shot into second back then).

Kauto looked all out to me aswell but then he looked classy as ever and this is not virtual racing these are grade 1 horses after all. He's obviously strong fav to keep hammering Sizing Europe similar to the way he used to do Exotic Dancer, but after today Sizing Europe could keep improving over the extra trip better on the softer going which he got today.

Hopefully Sizing Europe can at least start doing himself justice as any right minded person can see he's got potential.
 
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If Ruby's leg injury is a serious as they are reporting I cannot believe they would run KS in the Hennessy without him on .

I suspect AP would get the nod for the KG if Ruby is out until after Christmas.
 
I thought it was a pleasing reappearance, all told. Kauto should be sharper for it.

I'd still prefer they skip Newbury and go straight to Kempton.

Great to see him again, though. Fourteen Grade 1s now. That missing space on his stable door (with the big win plaques) can be filled now. :)
 
trackside528 said:
Sizing Europe jumped slow at a few of his fences I thought (haven't seen a replay mind) and certainly looked to pull for his head for much of the race. Ran a great race considering. By the way I made a complete muppet of myself suggesting he wouldn't get up the hill in the Arkle but if that horse wins a Gold Cup I'll give up racing.
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He didn't travel or jump anywhere near as well as he did in the Arkle and is good value for the King George at around 14/1. No way should Imperial Commander be five points shorter.

Actually 16/1 at Corals. Great each way price.
 
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Just back from the course - lots to take from the race. Plenty of positives to be taken from each of the first three.

Kauto Star did it well enough to me - always thought he was going to win it from about three out and very encouraging to see him jump so well after his horrific fall last year. He got a great reception in the winners enclosure and he was loving every minute of it. A real superstar.

I need to reassess Sizing Europe - at the start of the season I was very much in the non stayer camp for 3 miles but he definitely got it well today, right to the line. Whats more I definitely think there is more to come from him looking at him in the paddock and judging on how he jumped early on. To me Sizing Europe is only ever likely to be at his very best in a really strongly run event - the quicker they went today the better he jumped. Early on they were not going fast enough for him and it showed in his jumping. I think they have to go to Kempton with him - hard to see him reversing form with Kauto Star but on better ground and in a strongly run 3 race from start to finish I think he could get into a pretty potent rhythm and put in a big run.

China Rock looks a real improver this year, jumped well and travelled really gamely. I wonder might he develop into a Ryanair Chase horse.
 
Impressed with how SE stayed on today. Don't think his jumping was near sharp enough mind and he will come on even further for this. 14's at Kempton seems huge to me
 
I agree with those who have generally expressed positive thoughts of the first three today. I know some were disappointed with Kauto, and I suppose it's a measure of the horse he's been that they can feel that way with a first time out win in a Grade 1 against the previous season's Arkle winner.

Granted he didn't win the way ratings might have suggested he should have done but I thought he did it well, and he stayed on strongly at the end.

I'm not really looking with a view to the Gold Cup, but I think the King George is still well within his compass.
 
Miss Nero said:
I'm not really looking with a view to the Gold Cup, but I think the King George is still well within his compass.
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No, the Gold Cup is incredibly wide open this year but having a lot of the big races on this thread brings a nice narrative to the season and is a bit tidier as well.
 
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