The Festival Bumper

There's a whole series of horses in both countries that have won their bumper without anything laying a glove on them. Very few of the main contenders have actually had to race yet. Like Sherlock today, some of them won't enjoy a fight.
 
It's slightly clutching at straws to be honest Treetangle but I was advised before he ran at Navan FTO by a very good judge over there that if I wanted a horse to follow in Grade 1 races for the coming years then this fellow would be it. He came from the same source as Champagne Fever I believe and was due to run in a p2p last season but was slow to come to hand so he was sold on to Connell.

Golantilla looks a proper tool but I was told before he was sold that he was an unlikely runner in the Champion Bumper and from what I've seen of him he still looks particularly weak. I'm a big fan of Golantilla and it's great to see Tony Martin getting some good horses, I'm sure he'll come good in time but it wouldn't surprise me to see his stablemate Blackmail (who's much more of a quick ground horse and is a smaller type) finish in front of him at Cheltenham.

Martin
 
Unbeaten Red Sherlock will not run in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival says trainer David Pipe .
 
I need to know when do we get the entries for this?............I have a "Horse" for this but until I can have my cash on I'm saying nothing other than this is some horse
 
I can't see any point in having a bet now. It will be 7/1 the field on the day and some firms will offer four places. In my view Golantilla will definitely run. Red Sherlock is now 75 to back on Betfair.
 
From after his bumper win:

QUOTES\: Sean O´Brien, trainer of Golantilla: "That was exactly what I knew he´d do. This horse is an absolute machine. We have some decent handicappers at home and they can´t get anywhere near him. We might go to Naas or Fairyhouse with him now or else straight to Cheltenham. The Champion Bumper is the aim with this fella and always has been."
 
Aragorn said:
From after his bumper win:

QUOTES\: Sean O´Brien, trainer of Golantilla: "That was exactly what I knew he´d do. This horse is an absolute machine. We have some decent handicappers at home and they can´t get anywhere near him. We might go to Naas or Fairyhouse with him now or else straight to Cheltenham. The Champion Bumper is the aim with this fella and always has been."
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He'll run but that quote can be possibly considered redundant given he was sold.
 
Aragorn said:
From after his bumper win:

QUOTES\: Sean O´Brien, trainer of Golantilla: "That was exactly what I knew he´d do. This horse is an absolute machine. We have some decent handicappers at home and they can´t get anywhere near him. We might go to Naas or Fairyhouse with him now or else straight to Cheltenham. The Champion Bumper is the aim with this fella and always has been."
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That's exactly what you say when you are looking to extract 300 or so bags from Barry O'Connell. What decent handicappers does he have??
 
Really hoping O'Brien's don't make any significant impact tomorrow. Bad enough Flat jockeys playing with the race but it really would make a mockery of the ante-post market if O'Brien were to go on and win the Festival bumper.
 
treetangle said:
Really hoping O'Brien's don't make any significant impact tomorrow. Bad enough Flat jockeys playing with the race but it really would make a mockery of the ante-post market if O'Brien were to go on and win the Festival bumper.
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I don't agree. There was a time most firms didn't price it because you were never sure what would run until the last few weeks. It's demand that from punters that's caused the market to be up so early.
 
SlimChance said:
I don't agree. There was a time most firms didn't price it because you were never sure what would run until the last few weeks. It's demand that from punters that's caused the market to be up so early.
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There is a huge difference between not knowing what is going to run then finding out at the eleventh hour that one of world's leading Flat trainers suddenly fancies a dabble. Perhaps we should invite the likes of Stoutey and Cecil along as well?
 
treetangle said:
There is a huge difference between not knowing what is going to run then finding out at the eleventh hour that one of world's leading Flat trainers suddenly fancies a dabble. Perhaps we should invite the likes of Stoutey and Cecil along as well?
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The world best trainer still needs to have the ammo. Why should his horses necessarily be the any better than what's already atop the market?
 
SlimChance said:
The world best trainer still needs to have the ammo. Why should his horses necessarily be the any better than what's already atop the market?
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Hopefully, they aren't good enough but personally I wouldn't want to see blue blooded Flat pedigrees in the Festival Bumper just so O'Brien can have a bit of fun.

Does anyone know any plans for Diamond King who bolted up yesterday? There is a slight link to O'Brien in that he shares his damsire with Kingsbarns.
 
No one was crying last year when John Ferguson saddled the well fancied flat bred New Years Eve. If anything John Ferguson string of flat breds was a refreshing addition to the jumps scene. Sometimes I wonder if racing fans have a clue what they want.
 
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