The Road To The 2018 Champion Chase

He’d make a good politician. A lot of words come out without actually saying anything. Why are they being so secretive about the cause for Douvan’s setback?


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Stress fracture was the issue in the Champion Chase. His recent 'setback' isn't anything to do with that, apparently.

Mullins camp is not being secretive, I don't think - or at least, not overtly so. They genuinely can't explain what went wrong with his work before Xmas, as no physical reason for it has come to light.
 
Horses aren't machines. Sometimes you can't put a finger why everything is flat. A season off and next year Douvan could be a would beater again. Willie is the master of patience.
 
Everything has to go right and we’ve been here before with him. I’m hopeful he will make the Festival, but everything has to go right. At the moment, it is all systems go.

“He was in such good form before the Tingle Creek, we kept him busy walking, and he didn’t lose too much fitness. We won’t run him unless he is there to run a big race.

“I’d say it is 50-50 at the moment. It will be straight there or nothing.

“He will have two or three critical bits to do before the Festival, probably away at one of the racecourses in Ireland. It won’t be a big racecourse gallop and of course there is always the Leopardstown jumping thing they do two weeks before [Cheltenham].

Ricci on Douvan.
 
This is not really news ..this Ricci stuff reads like an apology in advance to me. The rumours he will make Cheltenham have been going on for weeks.

Not a lot to lose by grabbing 9/2 NRNB because of Mullins ability to get a horse there with little or no racecourse prep(Quevega/Annie)

What price if he turns up.....2/1 would be generous. 50 @ 5.5 laid back at 3 and you got over 40 quid profit or 500 for 416 quid if you have the spare cash.

No way on this planet would Douvan go off at 9/2 if he makes it
 
Tanlic said:
This is not really news ..this Ricci stuff reads like an apology in advance to me. The rumours he will make Cheltenham have been going on for weeks.

Not a lot to lose by grabbing 9/2 NRNB because of Mullins ability to get a horse there with little or no racecourse prep(Quevega/Annie)

What price if he turns up.....2/1 would be generous. 50 @ 5.5 laid back at 3 and you got over 40 quid profit or 500 for 416 quid if you have the spare cash.

No way on this planet would Douvan go off at 9/2 if he makes it
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on at 7s nrnb :ninja:

think if he's there he'll be bigger than 2s, but a lot would depend on what Altior does at Newbury and also this weekends trial across the water.
 
Yes the usual caveats and ‘sparkling piece of work’ quotes apply.

God forbid I should misquote the man. Better watch my back!


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JamesRB said:
on at 7s nrnb :ninja:

think if he's there he'll be bigger than 2s, but a lot would depend on what Altior does at Newbury and also this weekends trial across the water.
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Don't know about that as Mullins horses go off at crazy prices every day. The man has had 7 or 8 beaten favs in as many days.

There's also the factor that some of the top would be judges were saying before the injury they reckon Altior wouldn't even get him off the bridle.

All that aside what chance is there both will go off odds against........easy answer about 1 in 100 because they will not give anyone the chance to dutch them and no way will one go off at 1/4 or anything like it

For talking sake if Altior goes off at 4/6 then the best they will offer Douvan is 7/4 to a banana and the rest at 6/4

If he does turn up you got no worries at 7/1
 
Ordinary World was running a huge race on Saturday and was going to be a comfortable 2nd to Min before his shuddering mistake at the last brought him to complete standstill.
He finished 4th in the end, but prior to Yesterday He's had 7 other starts over fences (All graded races including 4 Grade 1's) and He has never been out of the first 3.
Assuming he's none the worse after yesterday, 50/1 E/W NRNB for the QMCC is a huge price. Race could still cut up to less than 8 runners and could see him sneaking into 3rd anyway. 50/1 a cracking E/W value bet.
 
I think only Sizing Europe and Sprinter Sacre 2013 managed to scare them away and only 7 or 8 ran but most years it's about 10 or 11

We could end up with 8 if Douvan turned up but then would Ordinary World go? better hope not if they 2 turn up.

That said 50/1 seems big..........any 50/1 EW going without Altior? I'd love some of that
 
Double Handful said:
Ordinary World was running a huge race on Saturday and was going to be a comfortable 2nd to Min before his shuddering mistake at the last brought him to complete standstill.
He finished 4th in the end, but prior to Yesterday He's had 7 other starts over fences (All graded races including 4 Grade 1's) and He has never been out of the first 3.
Assuming he's none the worse after yesterday, 50/1 E/W NRNB for the QMCC is a huge price. Race could still cut up to less than 8 runners and could see him sneaking into 3rd anyway. 50/1 a cracking E/W value bet.
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I agree and made the same assumption DH. I had him on my radar for the Grand Annual prior to yesterday and thought he might have a quiet one out the back in prep, but yesterday's eye-catching run will certainly have blown his mark for a handicap. Davy on top is the perfect man to ride him for a place, picking up the pieces off a usually furious Champion Chase pace.
 
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