Road To The Neptune

So Young was smashed up on the day and was a little unlucky with his mistake at the last. I was on Rock on Ruby and still can’t believe he was chinned

Backed Boston Bob last year at around 11/4 NRNB (went off 6/5) and imo just wasn’t right on the day and never looked happy. Hoping to do the same with Pont, but just with a happier ending..
 
Very hard to oppose Pont Alexandre considering the fact WM dropped him straight in at the deep end. That alone sent the alarm bells ringing to to how much WM thought of him and when he won so convincingly he was certain to be fav for this.

Looking at it closer no doubt Pont Alexandre had Don Cossack beaten when he fell but that form isn't exactly outstanding. In his next run he hammered Sizing Gold who has decent enough form which was franked to some extent when Morning Assembly went on and won his maiden. It's all good solid form but none of it makes Port Alexandre a superstar and he shouldn't be as short as 5/2 for this

Lots will be keen on the chance of the New One who went down against At Fishers Cross but the JP horse is being wrapped up and sent packing to the Albert Bartlett which allows AP to ride Jonjo's and they must be/are confident wherever the New One finishes it won't be in front of Taquin Du Seuil.

Taquin Du Seuil has improved with every run and the very fact he could run MTOY close giving him 6lbs over a trip that was dead against him makes him a force to be reckoned with. His bare form however isn't really any better than Pont Alexanders and he may not be as flashy to look at but he is held in the highest regard and any talk of him going for Albert Bartlett is just Jonjo being Jonjo . Good ground soft ground it won't matter he'll take the world of beating and at 7/1 looks well worth a bet and you can always cover any win stakes by backing him for a place on the machine ....not today though as no one is prepared to lay him unless you want to have 100 quid on at 1.04 as someone took all the 2.74 down to 2.38 :p
 
links781 said:
I'm sweet on Pont Alexandre but I feel he will have to draw the kick out of the new one.Hope Ruby sets a good gallop
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I'm with you Links. This is my only worry but Walsh makes very few mistakes. He'll want to make it a test given the speed The New One showed last time and Pont Alexandre's stamina is proven.

Whatever happens he will be a cracking chaser but I will be gutted if he doesn't win.
 
Puffin Billy. Fully appreciate that there can be changes to running plans but this horse appears to have gone Supreme-Neptune-Supreme-Neptune all in the space of a few weeks. I backed him for the Supreme (headstrong and all form at that trip = logical target?) but now wouldn't have him at any price for either race. What I don't understand is the last change of plan. The horse again raced too freely and folded very tamely. Sherwood subsequently reported a problem and was at pains to put a line through that run - if that was the case why has he abandoned the previous plan? I can only think he sees the Neptune as some sort of comfort blanket with the potential for throwing up the most excuses for a poor run.
 
Sherwood made it perfectly clear to anyone if it's testing he'll go for the Supreme, if the ground is good he'll go for the Neptune.

With My Tent Of Yours in one and the other being one of the hottest races of the meeting he must be wondering what way to go.

The horse is up against it no matter where he goes but writing him off because of his last run is crazy.

Sherwood was 100% straight up when he said he was found to be lame and anyone watching the race with half a clue about horses could see how badly it was affecting him. He didn't have to tell anyone anything but did which speaks volumes of the man.

Like any horse hurting he was jumping away from the pain trying to protect himself and at one stage got so unbalanced he almost sent his jockey out the side door. When he dove right at the next it was obvious that he was distressed and in truth his jockey should have perhaps done better by pulling him up.

When it came to light he had a poisoned foot that surely explained why he was jumping so badly right and slowing down or maybe you think he just lied about the whole thing? ......Next time you get a big spot on the end of your nose full of puss have someone slap it and you might have a better idea of what a horse feels like when he's galloping on an infected foot.
 
Tanlic said:
Sherwood was 100% straight up when he said he was found to be lame and anyone watching the race with half a clue about horses could see how badly it was affecting him. He didn't have to tell anyone anything but did which speaks volumes of the man.
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Are you being serious? Sherwood has talked this horse up as the best he has had since Large Action - he would have been absolutely desperate to give out an excuse.

As regards chances I think you are just being deliberately picky with words - I have said I wouldn't have him at any price and you have said he is up against it. It is not a case of writing a horse after the one run - the horse has had a string of easy wins which probably don't add up to a great deal and then a far from ideal prep run. Irrespective of the opposition the horse should run in the race that will suit him best and that should take into account he is a horse who has struggled to settle and only has form at the minimum trip.

If you think Sherwood has been the definition of clarity perhaps you can confirm for everyone where Puffin Billy will go if the meeting opens not unsurprisingly on good to soft ground?
 
Yes I'm 100% serious. Are you seriously asking people to believe he lied because he said he's the best he's had since large Action and he doesn't want to be embarrassed? Jonjo reckons his is the best horse he has ever trained and he couldn't care if he's wrong......all trainers end up with egg on their faces at some point. Horses have a nasty habit of making fools out of as all at some time or another.

As far as the injury goes Oliver Sherwood's yard is open everyday to anyone who wants taken round the place to have a look the press included. If he were making an "EXCUSE!" the whole world would know about it. Unless that big bandage he had on for 4 days that dozens of people saw including a tv crew was part of the conspiracy to fool you I'd say he was telling the truth :lol:

He'll run in the Neptune if good to soft he's already said that....I reckon he'll love Cheltenham as he's very straight forward and he'll run a big race but hopefully not too big as I'm on Jonjo's
 
Oliver Sherwood just tweeted

Puffin Billy and Many Clouds worked very well this morning...am very happy with how they are
 
Tanlic said:
Yes I'm 100% serious. Are you seriously asking people to believe he lied because he said he's the best he's had since large Action and he doesn't want to be embarrassed? Jonjo reckons his is the best horse he has ever trained and he couldn't care if he's wrong......all trainers end up with egg on their faces at some point. Horses have a nasty habit of making fools out of as all at some time or another.

As far as the injury goes Oliver Sherwood's yard is open everyday to anyone who wants taken round the place to have a look the press included. If he were making an "EXCUSE!" the whole world would know about it. Unless that big bandage he had on for 4 days that dozens of people saw including a tv crew was part of the conspiracy to fool you I'd say he was telling the truth :lol:

He'll run in the Neptune if good to soft he's already said that....I reckon he'll love Cheltenham as he's very straight forward and he'll run a big race but hopefully not too big as I'm on Jonjo's
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It is a shame the likes of Jonjo and Henderson don't post on here - it would save the need for all this second hand information which as I have said before you continually use presumably because you feel it somehow adds weight to your posts. Perhaps I am the only one who finds it a little tiresome?

Perhaps you should read posts more thoroughly before replying. I accept what Sherwood said and there is nothing in my posts to suggest otherwise. What we (and that includes you) don't know is how much the problem affected his performance. The question I was asking is why that run led to a change in target.

You said above he would run in the Neptune on good ground now you are saying he will run in Neptune on good to soft. About as clear as mud I would say.
 
treetangle said:
Are you being serious? Sherwood has talked this horse up as the best he has had since Large Action
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Actually im not really sure what this means taking into account the hurdlers he has had since large action the horse really could be quite average and still be the best hes had since large action
 
Off the top of my head his best horses over the years have been , The West Awake, Jaunty Flight, Large Action, Young Snugfit, Artic Call and Coulton.

Coulton was a well above average hurdler but that was with Mick Easterby and he never jumped a hurdle for Oliver Sherwood.

What he said the other day was this was the first time he was going to Cheltenham with a horse/s with a real chance for years. I wasn't aware he had said Puffin Billy was the best hurdler since Large Action which is hardly surprising considering the best he's had in between times is probably the mare.
 
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