The Road to the 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup

I feel robbed, which admittedly is an entirely selfish reaction.

Not a penny on the horse but we have been deprived of such a great talent.
 
That is terrible. What a loss. He was some site to behold around Cheltenham. Clonsutton lost Avan Tout today as well. A hammer blow. Thoughts with all his connections this evening.

RIP Vautour & Avan Tout.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Shows you might only get the one chance at a Gold Cup.

increases likelihood of Douvan being stepped up now.

Also raises different agendas for horses like VVM, KV and a few others.

Thats all for another day.
 
Don't know why I'm putting this on a CGC thread, probably should be the next GN thread :whistle:

"Don Poli will be off hunting for a few weeks, then they will reassess and get another race into him before Christmas."
 
I backed Poli for the Nash over the summer, and again after the JN Wines. Hopefully he'll re-appear over hurdles, and not look down a steeplechase course again, until the weights are out.

I just wonder if the Nash is too short a trip for him though? He might be better off in the Tour de bleedin' France!
 
Just had a look at the GC market and it could be a renewal lacking depth if a couple take alternative races in or don't run at all.

Thistlecrack 4/1
Cue Card 10/1
Coneygree 10/1
Valseur Lido 12/1
14s bar.

On Douvan I don't get the whole step up for the KG and back down for the CC. Just run in and win the CC. Step up in trip for Punchestown and again next season if that's how they want to go.

I've left Don out of the above as he's touch and go, as is Killultagh Vic. More of That another who needs a clearer run than of late.
 
Reported on ATR during Ricci's interview, that KV will appear late in the season. I don't know if the words "if at all" were also used by Patrick Mullins, but Chapper's sounded suitably dubious, and muttered them under his breath.

It looks like Douvan will stay at 2m this season (Champion Chase the stated target), he fancies taking-on Altior again with Min (picked-up injury in Supreme, but in good order now), but the entire discussion around Faugheen and Annie Power left me bewildered. I think he suggested that they might run against each other in the Champion Hurdle, but to be honest, I'm not sure.

Most interesting snippets (for me at any rate) were that Susannah Ricci had been keen to retire Annie after winning the Champion hurdle, and the Vroum might go for the King George, though every other option seems to be open to her too (referred to on more than one occassion as 'supersub').*

As far as the Gold Cup goes, I'm probably now leaning towards Valsuer Lido. Thought he was very good in Down Royal.

* Usual caveats about him being a gobshite when it comes to targets apply.
 
Last edited:
RR said Annie and Faugheen wouldn't run against each other when pressed from my take. It felt very much like Faugheen would be stepped up.
 
Also found it interesting that RR said Thistlecrack was the horse he'd like to own from any horse in training, and that he thinks Faugheen is too old to go fences. Matt hammered it with silly points all night but forgot to tell him that Faugheen is 2 months younger than Thistlecrack and that one never jumped a fence before 2 weeks ago, unlike Faugheen who started life over fences.
 
SP Only said:
RR said Annie and Faugheen wouldn't run against each other when pressed from my take. It felt very much like Faugheen would be stepped up.
Click to expand...

agreed, Mullins is keen on running them both, RR thinks AP deserves to be the first mare to win two CHs. Most likely he'll go WH, but surprisingly it won't be Mullins or Ruby to blame.
 
Last edited:
My impression was that RR was pessimistic about Annie repeating in the Champion Hurdle, and that Faugheen was his best shot at the race.....though again, it was hard to unpick exactly what he was saying.
 
Grasshopper said:
Reported on ATR during Ricci's interview, that KV will appear late in the season. I don't know if the words "if at all" were also used by Patrick Mullins, but Chapper's sounded suitably dubious, and muttered them under his breath.

It looks like Douvan will stay at 2m this season (Champion Chase the stated target), he fancies taking-on Altior again with Min (picked-up injury in Supreme, but in good order now), but the entire discussion around Faugheen and Annie Power left me bewildered. I think he suggested that they might run against each other in the Champion Hurdle, but to be honest, I'm not sure.

Most interesting snippets (for me at any rate) were that Susannah Ricci had been keen to retire Annie after winning the Champion hurdle, and the Vroum might go for the King George, though every other option seems to be open to her too (referred to on more than one occassion as 'supersub').*

As far as the Gold Cup goes, I'm probably now leaning towards Valsuer Lido. Thought he was very good in Down Royal.

* Usual caveats about him being a gobshite when it comes to targets apply.
Click to expand...

Just to pick up on KV....it was on the back of a caller who claimed to know the owners and he thought we wouldn't see him this year. Chapman txt Patrick who said it would be VERY late in the season IF AT ALL, if we are to see him this year.

As others have said Patrick doesnt half talk some pish half the time but I wouldn't be going near him at any price for now.
 
Last edited:
Grasshopper said:
My impression was that RR was pessimistic about Annie repeating in the Champion Hurdle, and that Faugheen was his best shot at the race.....though again, it was hard to unpick exactly what he was saying.
Click to expand...

Not the impression I got. What gave you that impression.
 
Frankel said:
Not the impression I got. What gave you that impression.
Click to expand...

The look on his face and the tone of his voice, when he said that no mare had ever won two Champion Hurdles. They just didn't sound like the words of a man relishing the challenge of upsetting that particular statistic - not to me, at any rate.
 
Back
Top