Road to the Gold Cup 2012

...he is a horse and a half. I've taken 25s and 20s and believe he'll be difficult to keep out of the frame in the Gold Cup. As last year I'll reserve my biggest bet for a place on the day.
 
I don't know whether he actually writes his Betfair column, but PFN comes across increasingly as an arse these days.

First there was his post-Haydock slaverings about critics of Kauto Star (which clearly exist only in his own mind), and now this "Denman is a forgotten horse" nonsense? It's complete and utter bollocks.

No-one has "forgotten" about Denman - we're patiently awaiting his reappearance in the Lexus, in the hope he can demonstrate that he too has retained something close to the best of his form. The reason he is failing to attract any column inches, is precisely because Nicholls made his plans for the horse very clear a long time ago, and it's not relevant to talk of the Lexus until at least the entries are made.

Nicholls is verging on paranoid when it comes to KS and Denman, and his utterances are seriously starting to get on my tits.
 
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Soary Stars said:
Very nice; PN really sends a message, doesn't he?
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I liked this part:

"I have always said that I hope Kauto Star and Denman, the best of friends, will spend their retirement together in a field somewhere. And I have always said that when they do retire, I will make a comeback in the saddle to take Denman hunting, with Ruby on Kauto."

If the four of them do, Denman will, ah, be giving a fair bit of weight away.
 
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Grasshopper said:
I don't know whether he actually writes his Betfair column, but PFN comes across increasingly as an arse these days.

First there was his post-Haydock slaverings about critics of Kauto Star (which clearly exist only in his own mind), and now this "Denman is a forgotten horse" nonsense? It's complete and utter bollocks.

No-one has "forgotten" about Denman - we're patiently awaiting his reappearance in the Lexus, in the hope he can demonstrate that he too has retained something close to the best of his form. The reason he is failing to attract any column inches, is precisely because Nicholls made his plans for the horse very clear a long time ago, and it's not relevant to talk of the Lexus until at least the entries are made.

Nicholls is verging on paranoid when it comes to KS and Denman, and his utterances are seriously starting to get on my tits.
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...he's done a great job with them both, but I have to say I know what you mean.
 
Will Kennedy jocked off TFR. Dennis ORegan takes the ride. Dont think the jock has done anything wrong.
 
Hennessy said: "Andrew [Lynch] thinks the horse will come on for the run. He got a bit tired, which is understandable as he was sick after his previous race.

"He loves the ground and will probably go for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28. That will decide the rest of his season and we'll know whether we have a Gold Cup horse or a Ryanair horse."
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Turning 7. He has the scope for it. His win today really reminded me of KK's win in the same race in 2004

Really like how he created so much space between him and the field

Has a very nice cruising speed to boot.
 
Grasshopper said:
I don't know whether he actually writes his Betfair column, but PFN comes across increasingly as an arse these days.

First there was his post-Haydock slaverings about critics of Kauto Star (which clearly exist only in his own mind), and now this "Denman is a forgotten horse" nonsense? It's complete and utter bollocks.

No-one has "forgotten" about Denman - we're patiently awaiting his reappearance in the Lexus, in the hope he can demonstrate that he too has retained something close to the best of his form. The reason he is failing to attract any column inches, is precisely because Nicholls made his plans for the horse very clear a long time ago, and it's not relevant to talk of the Lexus until at least the entries are made.

Nicholls is verging on paranoid when it comes to KS and Denman, and his utterances are seriously starting to get on my tits.
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That would be nothing comapered to the surprise that might be round the corner if Kauto runs at Kempton then retires. My bet is with Long Run still unable to jump after coutlesss hours of schooling from Yogi Bresner and nothing else looking remotely like a Gold Cup horse the gloves will come off and enter Big Bucks.

If the Gold Cup picture doesn't look any better by January PN would be nuts not to try. Big Bucks will no doubt have broken Bula's record by then of 21 cons. wins and there's nothing left to prove.

Wouldn't even surprise me if he won the World Hurdle in a common canter then won the Gold Cup the next day. PN actually rates him higher than he does Kauto so nothing would surprise me.

This man has no respect for stats and isn't shy at coming forward as we saw when he sent a 6 year old out to murder the opposition in the QMCC.

Big Bucks runs in the Gold Cup? I can see the Long Run paranoid punters heading to Ditchet with their shotguns now :D
 
I don't think BB will ever jump a fence again nor do I see the point of it really

I think their is a minimum turn out time for horses introduced in last few years so don't think its even possible that they could consider WH/GC double. Liable to be wrong on that ruling however
 
granger said:
I think their is a minimum turn out time for horses introduced in last few years so don't think its even possible that they could consider WH/GC double. Liable to be wrong on that ruling however
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Are you thinking of the Sporazene affair, where topweight Rigmarole was taken out on the morning of the race?
IIRC, that only applies to handicaps, where the weight would be adjusted nowadays, anyway.
 
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reet hard said:
Are you thinking of the Sporazene affair, where topweight Rigmarole was taken out on the morning of the race?
IIRC, that only applies to handicaps, where the weight would be adjusted nowadays, anyway.
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Nope. I remember Martin Pipe vying for the Jumps title with Nicholls and sending out a number of horses rather rapidly over a few days and thought the BHA made some ruling on how quickly you can turn out a horse after its last race
 
Empire Levant ran on Thur and Sat at Newbury's 'Winter Festival' (Hennessy Meeting).

I also remember Quel Esprit falling at the 2nd in the Neptune on Wednesday and running in the Albert Bartlett on Friday.

Not sure what the precise rules are.

However, I would be quite certain that Big Buck's will be doing nothing other than retaining his World Hurdle crown before heading to Liverpool once again.

P.S. Big Buck's win streak is currently 13, matching Bula's record, and Master Minded was 5 when he blitzed the field in the 2008 Queen Mother Champion Chase.
 
For a horse that made his Irish debut over fences in September 2010 Rubi Light has made excellent progress.He could be the bet of the meeting if he runs in the Ryanair but he certainly deserves a Gold Cup entry.
Let's not forget the connections aren't strangers to Cheltenham success.
 
LUKE said:
For a horse that made his Irish debut over fences in September 2010 Rubi Light has made excellent progress.He could be the bet of the meeting if he runs in the Ryanair but he certainly deserves a Gold Cup entry.
Let's not forget the connections aren't strangers to Cheltenham success.
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Let's also not forget that he jumps like a buck out of heavy ground, and has done since his early days, yet made a number of errors on the good ground of last season's RyanAir.
If the horse is to win on normal festival ground, I'd suggest he'd need at least 3m - if only to give his jumping a chance - and there's little in his form or his breeding to suggest he won't get it.
 
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If his breeding says he has a very good chance he'll stay, he's got to be worth a few bob at his current price.

As I said the Gold Cup looks in a slump and up for something to come along and give it a boost.

As for running a horse in 2 races of course you can it happens on the all weather all the time. Last horse to try in the highest grade was Flyingbolt who won the Champion Chase and finished 3rd to Salmon Spray in the Champion Hurdle. He surived and went on to win numerous other races.
 
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LUKE said:
For a horse that made his Irish debut over fences in September 2010 Rubi Light has made excellent progress.He could be the bet of the meeting if he runs in the Ryanair but he certainly deserves a Gold Cup entry.
Let's not forget the connections aren't strangers to Cheltenham success.
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They seem hell bent on the Gold Cup. I'd go Ryanair this year and Gold Cup next year.
 
Cantoris said:
They seem hell bent on the Gold Cup. I'd go Ryanair this year and Gold Cup next year.
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Any particular reason C? This horse reminds me of Long Run but with a better ability to jump. I must look at a replay of last years Ryanair again - I can only remember his jumping somewhat falling apart there. The ground would be a concern but over the GC trip he may actually need what is usually good ground.
 
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