• REGISTER NOW!! Why? Because you can't do much without having been registered!

    At the moment you have limited access to view all discussions - and most importantly, you haven't joined our community. What are you waiting for? Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join Join Talking Horses here!

The 2025 December Gold Cup Handicap Chase

I'm putting this in the too difficult pile. Good luck all that have played.

From a punting perspective I prefer the later 2m race where JPR One looks reasonable at 9/2 in a far less competitive heat now that Country Mile (original fancy) and Excelero (original danger imo to Country Mile) are both nonners.
 
The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but wonder how much, and by whom, connections of Ga Law were paid to keep it in the race until today to keep the actual weights carried down to a ceiling of 11-8.
 
Robicheaux said:
I have no bet in this race + if they're going to start omitting fences, even more reason not to bother.
Click to expand...

The low sun has been a problem here for years. Surely it isn't beyond the wit of the racecourse exec to come up with a solution?

Road engineers found ways decades ago of minimising headlight glare from traffic on the opposite side of motorways.

Some kind of screen that can be raised when it's sunny and lowered when it's dull should be made possible. Or sell the land to a developer on the understanding that they build a block of flats high enough to block low sun from the straight.
 
Desert Orchid said:
The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but wonder how much, and by whom, connections of Ga Law were paid to keep it in the race until today to keep the actual weights carried down to a ceiling of 11-8.
Click to expand...
Trainer last night

"Ga Law won the Paddy Power Gold Cup here in 2022 and we've kept him in high-class company with decent success over fences ever since. He was a good 3rd on his latest reappearance in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby. Reverting to handicaps here, I fear he remains in the handicapper's grip so we're taking 7lb off with the highly promising Izzi. He can run a big race here, providing the ground is not too soft"
 
Desert Orchid said:
The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but wonder how much, and by whom, connections of Ga Law were paid to keep it in the race until today to keep the actual weights carried down to a ceiling of 11-8.
Click to expand...
The official reason for Ga Law not running today is the going which is good to soft. Most of his racing has been done on good to soft ground, and it was good - and probably edging towards good to firm - at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall Chase last month. Definitely a bit odd.
 

1:50 – Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup (Handicap Chase) (Grade 3) Cl1 2m5f ITV​

21/22 – Aged 8 or younger
20/22 – Ran within the last 6 weeks
18/22 – Had won over at least 2m4f (fences) before
17/22 – Had won between 2-4 times over fences before
16/22 – Placed in the top 3 last time out
16/22 – Went onto run at the Cheltenham Festival later that season (2 winners, Frodon – Ryanair Chase and Coole Cody – Plate)
16/22 – Had raced at Cheltenham (fences) before (6 won)
15/22 – Returned 9/1 or shorter in the betting
14/22 – Officially rated 141 or higher
13/22 – Unplaced favourites
13/22 – French bred
12/22 – Aged 6 or 7 years-old
10/22 – Carried 10-12 or more
10/22 – Ran at Cheltenham last time out
10/22 – Ran in the Paddy Power (Nov) Gold Cup last time out (1 won)
7/22 – Finished in the top 5 in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last time out
6/22 – Won last time out
5/22 – Trained by Paul Nicholls
3/22 – Trained by Nicky Henderson
3/22 – Went to an Irish-trained horse
2/22 – Trained by David Pipe
2/22 – Ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies
1/22 – Winning favourites
10 of the last 13 winners carried 10-12 or less
The average winning SP in the last 22 runnings is 10/1

SUREWIN BEST BET: HOE JOLY SMOKE
SUREWIN DANGER: IL RIDOTO
 
Desert Orchid said:
The low sun has been a problem here for years. Surely it isn't beyond the wit of the racecourse exec to come up with a solution?

Road engineers found ways decades ago of minimising headlight glare from traffic on the opposite side of motorways.

Some kind of screen that can be raised when it's sunny and lowered when it's dull should be made possible. Or sell the land to a developer on the understanding that they build a block of flats high enough to block low sun from the straight.
Click to expand...

Two great idea's
 
This lady can train horses! Or is she a name on the licence for AP? :unsure: (happy to be informed!)

I thought that her Winston Junior in the first was one to stick in the tracker for the Boodles.
 
Gutted that Vincenzo couldn't quite get up (might want headgear) but brilliant training performance and a brilliant front-running ride.

Hope somebody on here backed it.
 
Jagwar just didn’t jump well. Lost at least the distance he was beaten with jumping errors

Well done anyone who found the winner x can’t say I even looked at him
 
jinnyj said:
This lady can train horses! Or is she a name on the licence for AP? :unsure: (happy to be informed!)

I thought that her Winston Junior in the first was one to stick in the tracker for the Boodles.
Click to expand...
She's based at AP's pre-training yard in Lambourn, and she credited him with help with placing some of her horses back in the summer. He's racing manager for JP as well ( I think ) so it was probably for the best that it wasn't Jagwar which was a close second.

I don't think anyone on the Forum mentioned Glengouly beforehand.

Amancio runs for Faye Bramley in the 3:17 at Doncaster. Desert Orchid tipped up Vernon Subutex ( Sophie Leech) in the Longshot thread for this one.
 
Interestingly she has very little online presence bar the obvious racing pages. No website for a start which is strange for a trainer starting off these days because surely you need to be capitalising on your successes? And marketing the cr*p out of them. So that does make me wonder - I sound like DO and his conspiracy theories.

I know AP has a head lad who runs a few pointing, as I have been to the yard which was pretty much all JP stores or resting horses with the odd pointer in amongst them. I wonder what her connection is....?
 
Just watched the replays.

Between Dylan Johnston losing his claim and ground and momentum - again, he did it in the Mackeson - at the last, Vincenzo is shaping up as one of the unlucky horses of season so far, and he'll go up 5lbs for that.
 

Recent Blog Posts

Back
Top