Road to the Gold Cup 2011

I'll offer myself for ridicule by suggesting that I don't think Imperial Commander is completely unsuited to Kempton. Last year's race, put a line through it. He made a mistake at the second, banked one a few fences later, and was never in the race. He stayed on in a very distant fifth.

But the year before, he looked to handle the course just fine to me; he was right with Kauto Star to the home turn, when he seemed to empty. At the time, I thought his stamina gave out, but I do recall that other Twiston Davies horses weren't quite finishing their races during that Christmas period.

So, Kempton itself wouldn't put me off IC. A bigger statistic as far as I'm concerned is how he tends to fare after a break of about a month; he's much better when he's had a longer break than the one he'll have had since Haydock. But if he can somehow get over that and run his race, then he's by far the biggest threat to KS for me.
 
granger said:
A second season chaser, grade 1 winning hurdler and chaser, the reigning Arkle winner, doesn't deserve mention. Get real
Click to expand...

The worst Arkle in many a year.

Not upto it in open company since.

I love these horses for who there are always excuses.
 
Miss Nero said:
I'll offer myself for ridicule by suggesting that I don't think Imperial Commander is completely unsuited to Kempton. Last year's race, put a line through it. He made a mistake at the second, banked one a few fences later, and was never in the race. He stayed on in a very distant fifth.

But the year before, he looked to handle the course just fine to me; he was right with Kauto Star to the home turn, when he seemed to empty. At the time, I thought his stamina gave out, but I do recall that other Twiston Davies horses weren't quite finishing their races during that Christmas period.

So, Kempton itself wouldn't put me off IC. A bigger statistic as far as I'm concerned is how he tends to fare after a break of about a month; he's much better when he's had a longer break than the one he'll have had since Haydock. But if he can somehow get over that and run his race, then he's by far the biggest threat to KS for me.
Click to expand...

Agree strongly with that - he's well worth a bet.
 
Hamm said:
The worst Arkle in many a year.

Not upto it in open company since.

I love these horses for who there are always excuses.
Click to expand...

I think you are trolling to be honest.The 3 previous winners of the race were Forpaddytheplasterer,Tidal Bay and Mywaydesolzen.In my opinion Sizing was a better horse then any of those before the Arkle and I would be disappointed if he could not prove to be the best of that bunch after the Arkle.
 
Ardross said:
I cannot see why if Sizing Europe could not beat Kauto at Down Royal - why SE should beat KS where KS has produced the best performances of his career .

I think Long Run is absurdly short on his form - the time of the Feltham was 9 seconds slower than the KG although it had been run at a good pace after Tchico Polos went off fast .
Click to expand...

Almost all of this post is correct.

I would argue that if KS doesn't run his race on Stephen's Day for whatever reason, Sizing Europe is bang in with a shout.

But he needs the king to fluff his lines.
 
Hamm said:
The worst Arkle in many a year.

Not upto it in open company since.

I love these horses for who there are always excuses.
Click to expand...

If you take a dislike to a horse, nothing will change your opinion on it. If you think that was one of the worst Arkles in recent years, you are either insane or simply trolling this thread
 
What figure do we still think Kauto Star is capable of hitting in the King George under his ideal conditions?
 
LUKE said:
I think you are trolling to be honest.The 3 previous winners of the race were Forpaddytheplasterer,Tidal Bay and Mywaydesolzen.In my opinion Sizing was a better horse then any of those before the Arkle and I would be disappointed if he could not prove to be the best of that bunch after the Arkle.
Click to expand...

I'm not trolling in the slightest, I can assure you.

I'm just not a fan of the horse, and view him as pretty paceless.

He has been beaten in his past 3 races, and would have been beaten in the previous 2 before that (I realise jumping is the name of the game) if Captain Cee Bee and Mad Max hadnt made uncharacteristic mistakes.
 
granger said:
If you take a dislike to a horse, nothing will change your opinion on it. If you think that was one of the worst Arkles in recent years, you are either insane or simply trolling this thread
Click to expand...

As I have just said, I am not trolling, and am perfectly entitled to my opinion.

Mad Max would have won that Arkle without his mistake, and was beaten 20+ lengths in the Paddy Power. Somersby has hardly boosted the form either.

Fair dues, as I said at the time on the forum to all and via pm to Luke, to all who backed him for the Arkle, but I wouldnt personally let that cloud what I think is very little chance in the King George (I realise I am only putting up a 1/16 shot).
 
Hamm said:
Mad Max would have won that Arkle without his mistake, and was beaten 20+ lengths in the Paddy Power. Somersby has hardly boosted the form either.
Click to expand...

I think it's way too early to dismiss SE's Arkle as a poor one. Somersby is still a horse with a lot of promise as is Riverside Theatre. The renewal the year before only started to look half decent the following March and on into Punchestown with the Grade 1 for Planet of Sound and indeed Gauvain's victory the other week.
 
Euronymous said:
I think it's way too early to dismiss SE's Arkle as a poor one. Somersby is still a horse with a lot of promise as is Riverside Theatre. The renewal the year before only started to look half decent the following March and on into Punchestown with the Grade 1 for Planet of Sound and indeed Gauvain's victory the other week.
Click to expand...

It depends - how do you rate a race? By how the horses turn out or how they ran on the day - not straight forward (for me).
 
Ridiculous. Denman and Kauto Star are being looked after because of the careers they've had - the former and his massive weight concessions in big time Handicaps, the latter is a year older than IC and has had almost twice as many starts.

Connections have bottled it and I'll be gutted if he wins a second Gold Cup and people even dare to compare him to the big two.
 
Euronymous said:
Ridiculous. Denman and Kauto Star are being looked after because of the careers they've had - the former and his massive weight concessions in big time Handicaps, the latter is a year older than IC and has had almost twice as many starts.

Connections have bottled it and I'll be gutted if he wins a second Gold Cup and people even dare to compare him to the big two.
Click to expand...

A little unfair on IC. He ran a great Gold Cup. But for him Denman would have looked a decent winner.

If not up to Denman's Gold Cup win over Kauto it wasn't too far behind (on about 182). To beat Denman again I think he'd have to run even better, in the mid- to high-180s perhaps. He may not be quite good enough for that although it seems that both will be fresh for the race.

I'd still imagine that it is more likely that Denman beats IC in the Gold Cup this time than the other way round. The respective odds still say the opposite.
 
I've nothing against the horse, the connections I have no time for. The way they conducted themselves at Cheltenham, kind of being miffed that IC was ignored during the build up. He'd not deserved more of the spotlight at that time. And he still doesn't.
 
Back
Top