The Road to the 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup

Jessie re Sizing John a few minutes ago

"I have decided to take SIZING JOHN out of Leopardstown over Christmas because I’ve been unable to get a suitable gallop into him on the grass because of all the previous dry weather we had.

He’s around 15kg heavier than his usual racing weight and if he’d had a run already this season I wouldn’t mind running him but it will be a tough ask first time out so we will instead give him a little more time and look at bringing him back in something like the Kinloch Brae, which he won in 2017, in Thurles next month.


Everything is absolutely fine with him, but I took the decision to take him out so I wouldn’t be tempted to run!"
 
The forecast into next week is looking fairly dry. This change in going that the NH stables are praying for still seems to be some way off.
 
Not around here Art.
Cork racecourse has been under water continually since the last meeting there.
Plenty of rain to the weekend and beyond.
A lot of rain is flowing off the surface as ground is not poached so is quite decent underneath.
 
Wish I had earlier, thinking of pushing the button on Road To Respect. I can't have Presenting Percy, and I don't think Native is the animal it was last year. Might Bite clearly finished, CDO won't stay, more I think more I'm talking myself into it.
 
I th8nk the gold cup took a lot out of mite bite and native river.
But i must say Mite Bite looked outstanding before the race.im not an expert but he looks a beaut8ful horse.
 
PlaceBacker said:
Interesting to see Clan Des Obeaux in the race

As trust me this young horse could be another Champion for Nicholls.
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Managed to have a small each way play at 50-1 before the King George, so fingers crossed the horse stays safe and sound till 15th March
 
Latest Irish chase ORs:

169 Road To Respect
169 Sizing John

168 Bellshill
168 Un De Sceaux

167 Anibale Fly
167 Douvan
167 Kemboy
167 Min
167 Presenting Percy

165 Footpad

I presume UK figures issued tomorrow.
 
Diamond Geezer said:
Bristol De Mai up to 173, could play havoc with the GN handicap if he's entered :whistle:
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I imagine the air in the T-D household will be blue this morning.

CDO has also been raised to 173. It looks like the handicapper has assumed that because BDM beat CDO at Haydock, but didn't complete at Kempton, that he's entitled to be rated at least the equal of CDO?

Weird thinking, that.

Then again, I did warn to expect some strange stuff when DG-H was appointed senior handicapper...
 
Total Recall returns at Tramore today.
Lar Byrne was realistic last week hoping his horse is up to Gold Cup class but fearing he may be a little short.
" We are sitting at the top table, whether we are entitled to be here is another question "
Wishing him well.
 
Tough ask for ABP to give weight all round first time up but he’s up to it if WPM has him ready


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edgt said:
Total Recall returns at Tramore today.
Lar Byrne was realistic last week hoping his horse is up to Gold Cup class but fearing he may be a little short.
" We are sitting at the top table, whether we are entitled to be here is another question "
Wishing him well.
Click to expand...

I wasn't too keen on this fella in the early part of last season or I was at least suspicious of his form. As the season went on he grew on me and I thought him a pretty decent sort the problem with him though was he seemed to get keener and keener with every race. IMO opinion if he started showing that again I'd be very tempted to drop him back in trip at the earliest opportunity. He may well have the engine for a Gold Cup but he won't win one running with the choke out imo. Ryan Air Chase a serious possibility of a festival winner though.
 
It's all academic anyway because very few of those over 165 will be seen in a handicap in the foreseeable future. However, I think that the marks for the Gold Cup have skewed everything. While you can argue that it's the most meaningful race and all horses would be fully primed, the ground was so bad that it emphasised qualities that would not normally be so prominent. Because Native River was 176 and Might Bite 172 they gave Anibale Fly 167 which is too high.
There followed Haydock and Kempton which saw the top two beaten because they didn't run to their marks rather than their conquerors improving vastly. I wouldn't have thought that anything has run much better than 170 this season so far.
 
edgt said:
Total Recall returns at Tramore today.
Lar Byrne was realistic last week hoping his horse is up to Gold Cup class but fearing he may be a little short.
" We are sitting at the top table, whether we are entitled to be here is another question "
Wishing him well.
Click to expand...

Best race run at Tramore in 40 years.
 
Latest BHA ratings:

173 Bristol De Mai
173 Clan Des Obeaux
173 Native River

170 Thistlecrack

169 Might Bite

Makes you think that the UK and Irish scales are, indeed, about 4lb different.

Thought Al Boum Photo was impressive today.
 
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archie said:
Makes you think that the UK and Irish scales are, indeed, about 4lb different.
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My understanding is that the ratings of those above 150 are agreed upon by both handicappers.

Below that the differential in recent years has been about 6lbs.
 
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