The Champion Chase 2010

Grasshopper said:
Come to think of it, I haven't seen TDK online anywhere for a while. He was presumably carted off to the loony-bin, shortly after suggesting Corals go Evens about MM? :D
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Good evening Grasshopper.

My point is this. I think people place MM on some mythical pedestal after the 2008 CC - and at any sign of him being a visually impressive winner, they declare he is "back" to this 186+? rating without the performance being anywhere near worthy of that rating.

If, instead of beating Mahogany Blaze (who incidentally made 2 bad blunders) 13l last time, Master Minded had beaten Petit Robin 12l or Forpadydeplaster 15l, exactly the same reaction for Cheltenham would have ensued - "unbeatable", "banker", "bet of a lifetime" blah de blah - but that is exactly what Twist Magic did to those opponents this season.

If you forgot about 2008 and concentrated on what MM had achieved subsequently, including last season's CC win, I think odds-on would look very stingy indeed for this race. Anyone looking at this seasons form objectively would say that Twist Magic has been the outstanding horse in the division.
 
tdk said:
Good evening Grasshopper.

My point is this. I think people place MM on some mythical pedestal after the 2008 CC - and at any sign of him being a visually impressive winner, they declare he is "back" to this 186+? rating without the performance being anywhere near worthy of that rating.

If, instead of beating Mahogany Blaze (who incidentally made 2 bad blunders) 13l last time, Master Minded had beaten Petit Robin 12l or Forpadydeplaster 15l, exactly the same reaction for Cheltenham would have ensued - "unbeatable", "banker", "bet of a lifetime" blah de blah - but that is exactly what Twist Magic did to those opponents this season.

If you forgot about 2008 and concentrated on what MM had achieved subsequently, including last season's CC win, I think odds-on would look very stingy indeed for this race. Anyone looking at this seasons form objectively would say that Twist Magic has been the outstanding horse in the division.
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Good evening, James. :cool:

I quite agree that the 2008 Champion Chase performance was over-estimated, but it was still a very, very good performance (Timeform's 179 being perfectly acceptable as a reflection of merit, imo). However, even if we take that performance out of his record, the balance of his form stands the highest scrutiny - in the context of the current CC field.

I look less at Master Minded's winning distances, and look more at the way he travels through his races, and particularly, at his jumping, which - a very few blunders apart - is exemplary for a 2m chaser. He is fast, low, economical and fluent, and it is this - coupled with his class - that set's him apart.

Hindsight suggests that the Punchestowns and Connaught performances are both excusable, in which case, the balance of his form makes him a certainty, imo. I take the high-class kalahari King to follow him home, but expect Mr Morgan's horse to look a bit workmanlike in comparison.

I reckon Coral's have chosen to take-on probably the best of the shorties, to be honest.
 
"the balance of his form makes him a certainty"

Preview night talk - it has become increasingly popular to exaggerate for effect at these events. I even read one the other day - "He is a certainty, but no value"!

Don't get me wrong, MM is a deserving favourite for this, but 2008 CC apart, I do not see a level of form that is really setting him apart from his main rivals.

Twist Magic is the interesting horse. I don't think there is a problem with Cheltenham (he travelled v well in MWDS Arkle), more that the horse has always gone sour in the spring in the past. Nicholls seems to think there is a reason for this that he has remedied - we shall see....
 
Fair enough, TDK. Personally, I think his Game Spirit wins, and his Tingle Creek win from last season provide ample evidence - beyond that of his two Champion Chase wins - that he is a street ahead of the rest. Not long to wait tnow to see who is right.

"Preview night talk"? How dare you.

:D
 
Barker (IRE)
Big Zeb (IRE)
Cornas (NZ)
Forpadydeplasterer (IRE)
Free World (FR)
Golden Silver (FR)
Kalahari King (FR)
Mahogany Blaze (FR)
Master Minded (FR)
Newmill (IRE)
Oh Crick (FR)
Petit Robin (FR)
Twist Magic (FR)
Well Chief (GER)
 
Final Declarations -

Big Zeb
Forpadytheplasterer
Golden Silver
Kalahari King
Mahogany Blaze
Master Minded
Oh Crick
Twist Magic
Well Chief
 
Will the ground be an issue for Master Minded? Only time he raced on it he lost to Voy Por after that bad mistake - probably won't make any difference but I suspect he probably is most comfortable with an easy in the ground.
 
I can see him running like Somersby today. Close but maybe no cigar. He's a great e/w bet to nothing but the fav will be tough to crack.
 
Backing him in the win market and the w/o market would be best strategy i suppose. Backing him ew and he's 2nd you're only getting you're money back. The risk naturally being that one gets in between the two of them.
 
Tremendous race... when Geraghty was crusing a couple out and looked over to see Ruby working away on Master Minded he must have peed himself with excitement.
 
Brilliant. Cantoris - I eat all the humble pie in the world!

To be fair, MM and KK ran way below form but take nothing away from the winner.
 
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