The Road to the 2012 King George

Bar the Bull

Bar the Bull

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
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Location
Llandubno, West Wales (very west)
Not sure if it is a good idea to separate this thread from the Gold Cup thread, but it is an important enough race in its own right.

31 entries were made today. Long Run tops the betting.

The following horses were not entered: Captain CB, China Rock, Flemenstar, Invictus, Joncol, Last Instalment, Realt Dubh and Sprinter Sacre.

Current betting:

Long Run 4/1
Grand Crus 5/1
Silviniaco Conti 7/1
Finian's Rainbow, Riverside Theatre 8/1
Cue Card, Sir des Champs 10/1
Bobs Worth 12/1
Kauto Stone, Burton Port 14/1
Al Ferof, Sizing Europe 16/1
Captain Chris, Hunt Ball, For Non Stop, The Giant Bolster, Peddlers Cross, Time for Rupert and Great Endeavour 20/1
 
Al Ferof stands out like a sore thumb for me. No way should he be longer than Bob's Worth (not his track) and Kauto Stone/Burton Port (neither anywhere near good enough)
 
The relative prices of Cue Card and Grand Crus are nuts. I thought the former was very Im pressive in the Haldon....
 
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He was. Take Sprinter Sacre out of the equation and you have a decent Arkle winner reappearing impressively.
 
I have a massive hard on for Finian's Rainbow. This is reportedly his target, and hopefully being tried over longer trips this season will bring about more imrpovement. looked mightily impressive when upped int rip at Aintree, although i am always wary of Aintree form as its the end of the season. Supposed to be going for the Amlin at Ascot at end of the month, if he wins that convincingly then the 9-1 on offer now looks very generous.
 
Snap Euro / Aragorn...here is what I emailed some mates at lunch time.

Now let’s just pretend for a second that Sprinter Sacred doesn’t exist. It is safe to do so in this race, as he is not entered in this race.

What you would have in this SS-free universe is an impressive Arkle “winner” (he would have beaten a subsequent G1 winner by 22L into second). This “Arkle winner’s” two previous races were wins over For Non Stop and a gee-hair defeat to RSA Chase winner Bobs Worth. What’s more, this “Arkle winner” has come out and SLAMMED the opposition in his seasonal debut by 26l. What’s more, this “Arkle winner” is available at double figure odds.

Cue Card…10/1 win.

BISH BASH BOSH
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jft2005 said:
I have a massive hard on for Finian's Rainbow. This is reportedly his target, and hopefully being tried over longer trips this season will bring about more imrpovement. looked mightily impressive when upped int rip at Aintree, although i am always wary of Aintree form as its the end of the season. Supposed to be going for the Amlin at Ascot at end of the month, if he wins that convincingly then the 9-1 on offer now looks very generous.
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Agree strongly. My favourite horse of the past few years.
 
so do we think cue card gets 3m ok?

i just hope most of these turn up for it. fantastic prospect.

is great endeavour really being quoted? :/
 
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Aragorn said:
The relative prices of Cue Card and Grand Crus are nuts.
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They are indeed, but I fancy Grand Crus to be the classier horse still. Time will tell, and everything else bar the revelation of the booking of Prophet Mohammed on one of these up and coming chasers in the KG is simply conjecture right now.
 
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SlimChance said:
Odds on him running? I'm always wary of Irish trained horses in the race.
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In normal circunstances he would not run, and I think Kempton will not be ideal for him , maybe they dont want a battle in december with Flemenstr BUT

the stable has so many runners in chases that who knows and

Willie Mullins won it with Florida Pearl
 
Bar the Bull said:
Snap Euro / Aragorn...here is what I emailed some mates at lunch time.

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My post in second-season-chasers thread from yesterday, Bar;

Intermediate Chase at Sandown (Friday of Tingle Creek meeting, I think) would be a logical stepping-stone to Kempton. Hits the spot time-wise, if they're looking to get another run into him. Very little not to like about Cue Card (though connections are wankers for swerving Chelts ), and he'd certainly not be without a chance in the King George.

Edit; Bit gutted to see the price has gone, actually. Now 8's from as high as 25's with Powers.
 
Doesn't time fly? Anyone remember a horse called Long Run?

I've never been a big fan but in reality he remains the horse they all have to beat.

Finian's Rainbow has made me feel kinda stupid more than once as I was touting him as a future King George winner way back before the Arkle, a race I had him down as a good thing and he got stuffed by Capatain Chris. Then to top that he's kept at 2 miles and beats my nap of the day Sizing Europe in the QMCC.

Then when I had all but given up on him ever running in a King George he hacks up over 2m4f looking like he could go round again.

He is to my mind one of the biggest dangers to Long Run as most of the others have holes in them you could drive a bus through.

Riverside Theatre I couldn't fancy at all. He's not in the same class as the other 2. There's a video on youtube where Nicky Henderson made no secret of the fact the only race he was interested in winning with him was the Ryanair. He wasn't sighted all season until he won the Betfair won the Ryainair as Henderson predicted then went to Aintree and ran like a horse who had enough for the season. IMO Nicky most likely wont have him tuned up fully for the King George if he turns up at all as he's improved ziltch since Long Run hammered him by 12 long looking lengths.

Grands Crus and Al Ferof can have there own private battle at Kempton to settle which one of them is overrated the most. I can't see either even coming close to winning a King George. Neither has the class in my book.

Cue Card I used to hate and had him down as very likely to throw the dummy out of the pram at anytime but he grew on me every time he ran last season. I can see him running a cracker but if something else were going as well as him turning for home I'd still worry about him seeing the race out. He's a good ew bet in my book but he may not be tough enough to win the race if he comes off the bridle which is more than likely in a King George. No surprise if he won but I wouldn't back him to win.

Silviniaco Conti proved me wrong at Wetherby the other day hacking up in the Charlie Hall I'd have him before AlFerof and I'm sure Ruby will too and I see him as the main danger to the Henderson pair.

Hard call between Silviniaco Conti Finian's Rainbow and Long Run for me. The latter ran Kauto Star to under 2 lengths in this race last year and that is the best form by some way, Finians has the class without a doubt and PN's looks to be improving every time he runs.


Not confident enough to be backing any of the 3 ante post.
 
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After backing him in the Arkle and then opposing him all last season I'm kind of in the FR camp again. He settles well, doesn't need to lead and jumps very well nowadays. I just have this doubt about him staying the full three miles.
 
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