Road to the Ryanair and all things Inbetween

harry said:
Isn't Medermit likely to go for the Gold Cup?
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They did say he would almost certainly run in the Ryanair. But I suppose with the doubts, real or imagined, about Kauto and Long Run it must be tempting for some of them to reappraise the situation. It's difficult to know what to take on trust at this stage.
 
Am also a big Noble Prince fan, a rock solid ew selection who will have his ideal conditions and has been laid out for this contest all season. Can't resist an ew tickle on Forpadydeplasterer 40/1!! This race could still cut up a little bit and a strongly run 2.5m on good ground round Chelt could be exactly what the doctor ordered for this fellow.

It's Cheltenham folks, we're allowed to dream :p:D
 
My pet hate is Medermit he always does the same thing. First to come under pressure responds to it but very very seldom does he win.


I backed Riverside Theatre at 10/1 before his first outing of the season but only to lay back

I think I'll stick the profit on Somersby
That's about as much as I'm prepare to do in this race as I reckon it could be one of the toughest race of the festival to predict the winner of.
 
I disagree. He'd have a Festival win to his name already if Cousin Vinny hadn't gone across him after the last in the Supreme and he should never have been in the Arkle last year given how much he relished the trip when he beat Captain Chris at Sandown. He was unfortunate at Cheltenham in December and ran into a course specialist at Ascot last time out. Over the Ryanair trip and indeed three miles he is pretty unexposed and worth more chances. If he follows the Imperial Commander programme to the 2013 Gold Cup I predict one or more Grade 1 wins to his name by the end of next season.
 
A next time out horse. Eventually you have to put your hands up and say, he's simply not top class imo.
 
I don't think he's top top class at all. But he is solid at his level. I'm not sure he's far behind the favourites, if at all, and has fewer questions to answer as far as I'm concerned.

I wouldn't back him until the day anyway but if he turns up then I think he's worth an EW interest.

Going for Gold on his first attempt over 2m5f would be a bold decision.
 
Well I'm sticking with Albertas Run. I backed him a while ago at 12/1, he goes well fresh, has done it all before and is 4/6 at his beloved Cheltenham, one of those where they ran him in the Gold Cup where he didn't stay. The only worry I have is his trainer, but he's trained him to win this race twice before so I don't see why he can't do it again.

Does anyone know who AP's riding. I presume he'll be offered the ride on Noble Prince, seeing as he's won on it at Cheltenham and ridden it elsewhere, plus Davy Russell will presumably be riding something of Gigginstown's? I'd like him to be riding Albertas.
 
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Albertas Run would be the other come to think about it. I always get the feeling that one will come and beat him but perhaps he can make it a hat-trick.
 
I'd be very surprised if AP doesn't ride Albertas Run. Having riding him to 2 Ryanairs, it's that old one of, could he bear it he got off him and he went and won.
 
trackside528 said:
I'm becoming increasingly sweet on Noble Prince for this. A strong gallop over 2m5f should suit him down to the ground.

There probably isn't all that much between the front few in the market in this but he arguably has less questions to answer than the likes of Riverside Theatre or Somersby.
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Connections of NOBLE PRINCE are very happy with him, and looks not a bad bet to me.

I think its 1 of the most competitive races on the card this year, not a race I would like to invest to much in.

ALBERTAS and KALAHARI KING ran great races last year, but I doubt they will put up similar performances being a year older.

tricky race to solve
 
Looks like Medermit is Ryanair bound. Fantastic news and I think he has a leading chance. Last year's Jewson is not working out and Riverside Theatre is probably the worst fav of the meeting. A race to get involved in.
 
I imagine because he knows he has no chance. Small fields with only one proper opponent are Guavain's conditions.
 
True enough but I can't see him getting placed in the Champion either. He'll get taken off his feet, like at Ascot, surely?
 
The QM is gonna have a small field and I can't see Sizing Europe going too mental up front. He set a sensible gallop with Mad Max last year and Somersby was more comfortable in that race than he was in the Arkle the year before (or he was till he made a mistake).

So a small field and only one serious opponent. Sounds ideal for him.
 
I've backed Kauto Stone. I don't think much of the 4 ahead of him in the betting, and he ought to get placed behind Sizing Europe.
 
Bit of a handicapper for me. Imperial Commander was far less exposed over fences when he won the Paddy Power and the Ryanair in the same season. GE hasn't the same scope.
 
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Just scares me that he goes well fresh and he has been put away for this after the Hennesey where he emptied after 2 1/2 when he was cruising
 
I backed Great Endeavour for this a couple of weeks back.

I can see Euro's POV, but this race has gone to "handicappers" such as Fondmort, Taranis and Thisthatandtother in the past, and Pipe has clearly laid the horse out for it. I think Great Endeavour has stronger claims than his price suggests.
 
Grasshopper said:
I backed Great Endeavour for this a couple of weeks back.

I can see Euro's POV, but this race has gone to "handicappers" such as Fondmort, Taranis and Thisthatandtother in the past, and Pipe has clearly laid the horse out for it. I think Great Endeavour has stronger claims than his price suggests.
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According to official going reports Great Endeavour has won on soft and even heavy ground. But if you judge the state of the ground by Raceform's going allowances, which are based on race times, a very different picture emerges. They show that he's won six of the seven times he's raced on what race times indicate was good or faster ground over trips short of three miles, with his sole loss being a one length second to the smart Poquelin after meeting trouble in running. He's run well below his best and lost every time he's run on ground Raceform rated slower than good.

If punters had known this, along with the fact that the ground was good last Saturday (it was officially good to soft - good in places) I doubt that Great Endeavour would have started at anything close to the 8-1 he ended up at.

I know you probably think Nick Mordin is shite Grass..but this observation looks a good un to me
 
I think Great Endeavour has a cracking chance and he looks to have exactly the right profile for this race. I'd probably back him at 6s.
 
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