The Totegoldtrophy/Betfred trophy/Betfair Hurdle

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Tanlic said:
I don't get what you mean Soldatino 1lb out of the weights he's off 148 like he was last year.
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My mistake. I looked up his form and could have sworn I saw his rating as 138 rather than 148. :whistle:

I did a bit of work on Alarazi before he went back into training and can confirm that this has been his target for quite a while now. He gets in off 10st which is obviously ideal.
 
Zarkander won first time out quite close to Cheltenham last year then pissed it at the Festival.

The Tote trophy is obviously a different level but he did this pattern last year
 
Zenyatta said:
My mistake. I looked up his form and could have sworn I saw his rating as 138 rather than 148. :whistle:

I did a bit of work on Alarazi before he went back into training and can confirm that this has been his target for quite a while now. He gets in off 10st which is obviously ideal.
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I see the penny has finally dropped that Soldatino might just be the stables number 1 and not Darlan. There's been 5 times more money traded on him than Darlan in the last 24 hours probably because Barry opened the bag and let them have a peek by mentioning he had been working and settling really well at home.

I obviously hope Soldatino wins having secured the best possible odds on several occasions now but it would be great to see someone like Lucy pull off a traditional Schweppes style touch.

I managed to get 25/1 ew but would you believe a certain silly Billy offered me 14/1 and on only half my bet" They now got a closed account and had the neck to contact me and ask why.

I told the gentleman that all my bets were now going through Capt Ryan Price and he asked who is he? :lol: I said well he was God but he's now retired and hung up..don't think they'll be bothereing me again. So if neither wins at least I had a laugh along the way.
 
Good news everyone!

"The horse had his racecourse gallop this week, and went very nicely. So Newbury is now very much the plan".

Looks like we will finally get to see what Zarkandar is made of.
 
I notice Barry said he settled really well which he seemed pleased about.

I'm not overly concerend about Zarkander he's a Triumph Hurdle winner not a Supreme winner and not many of them turn out to be CH horses and his Aintree form basically sucks.

I find it surprising Paul Nichols would throw him in here if he really thought he could win the Champion Hurdle. I know he'd be thrown in weight wise if that was the case but to give a horse a hard race first time out with the Champion Hurdle only weeks later seems nuts to me.


I know Nicky sent Punjabi for the race but he wasn't his first string for the big one and Martin Pipe sent Make a Stand for it but it has to be said it was probaly the worst renewal in the races history that year and at the time he wasn't a serious CH player

Two Truimph Hurdle winner going head to head should be intersting.

Most would argue last years was a better race but how on earth the young Soldatino found the strength to cut back the deficit and catch Barizan still amazes me.

I believe he was still feeling the affects of that last year and hopefully he'll be all the better for another long lay off and he'll be a much better horse this year.

He wasn't beat far last year in this so with a few pound improvement Zarkandar will have to be good to beat him IMO
 
Tanlic said:
I find it surprising Paul Nichols would throw him in here if he really thought he could win the Champion Hurdle. I know he'd be thrown in weight wise if that was the case but to give a horse a hard race first time out with the Champion Hurdle only weeks later seems nuts to me.
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It makes perfect sense to me. If he is good enough to win a Champion, as Nicholls clearly thinks, then he isn't going to have a hard race off a mark of 151. It is a very valuable prize so it seems perfectly logical to run him in this en route to the Festival. He had his prep two weeks later last year, and if he missed this then the Kingwell would seem the next alternative. That is a week later, he would probably face Grandouet, and it is worth well under half what the Betfair is.

The Betfair looks by far the best choice IMO.
 
Your point about the Kingwell is valid but The Betfair is hardly what I would describe as a normal prep race, I've never seen an easy Schweppes/Tote that I can remember. I wouldn't question his 151 as it may well be as good as he is as his form to date is nothing special

Last year he took the Adonis and you may remember what was second., Molotov and he was as weak as a kitten when he contested that race. Zarkandar went off at 8/1 a huge price for a PN horse thought to be any good.

He won the Triumph well but this seasons Nickys number one concern for Grandouet was had he strengthened up enough to get up the hill. A it truned out he wasn't and because of that the race fell apart right in front of Zakandar. Back on a flat track at Aintree Grandouet looked very much like turning the tables in him until he was brought down.

Zarkandar ended up beating Kumbushwar 1 1/4 who was a 133 going into the Fred Winter and came out of after being beaten into 2nd with a 141 rating.

That doesn't really justify a 151 rating in anyones' book so overall his from is questionable.

Of course we all expect he will improve but to be the suggested good thing he's going to have to improved 7lbs + without having seen a racecourse and then improve another 11lbs to be a leading player in the Champion Hurdle.

I'd say there's every chance he is going to have a very hard race if he turns up.

Wierd situation really 1st and 2nd fav near enough and none has seen a racecourse this season. We know that has always been the plan for Soldatnino but I would have thought PN would have wanted at least one run for his before trying to win a tough race like this.
 
:Didn't know Paul Nichols had a sister she must be slow if Paul beat her the weight he's carrying:lol:

I've already won a watch in this race as I have greened up because the vibes aren't as good as they were a week ago. Took my stakes back so win or lose I'm going to be in pocket. Will cost me a few quid if he wins but that's life.
 
I don't know how you can say Zarkandar's form is nothing special. He's won what was probably the strongest Triumph in years and he pissed it. Pretty much everything that's behind him and has run since has won, including Grade 1 winner Unaccompanied, Grandouet who's won three times (should really be 4), including a Bula impressively where he thrashed the likes of Overturn and Menorah and the Grade 1 at Punchestown. Sailors Warn's a proven mid 140s animal, as is Third Intention and Local Hero. Brampour's won a Greatwood, Smad Place won the Holloway's Hurdle at Ascot the other day impressively, Molotof's won three this season including a Grade 2 at Ascot, Houblon Des Obeaux won a handicap on New Year's Day, First Fandango recently pissed up at Leicester with top weight and even the likes of Tillahow, High Ransom and Aikideau who were strung all over Prestbury Park behind Zarkandar have won their races. He also won the race in the quickest time for years and there's no way of telling Grandouet would've won at Aintree. I don't think he would have. Grandouet's certainly improved this year, too, but there's no reason Zarkandar hasn't done so just as much.
 
The reason I said it Simon is there nothing easier to beat at the Festival than a big gangly baby or basically an immature horse who finds the undulations of Cheltenham too much for him to handle. Year after year good horses get beaten in races like the Supreme and the Trumph because they're a year short of being mature enough to handle it all.

The 4yo Binocular wouldn't be a bad example of that and and even better one would be Sprinter Sacre. He left Al Ferof standing like a tree when he changed gear at the top of the hill in the Supreme only to stop like shot when he hit the rising ground. It's not just the hill those undualtions and changes of pace that can play havock with an immature horses


I doubt if Al Ferof would get within 5-10 lengths of him now he's much more mature.... Time will tell.
 
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5 day declarations for the Betfair Handicap Hurdle have been announced. Below are the current runners and their best prices as of now (in betting order):

2. Zarkander 10-3f
7. Darlan 8-1
15. Raya Star 9-1
6. Soldatino 12-1
10. Sire De Grugy 12-1
4. Final Approach 14-1
13. Empire Levant 14-1
18. Olofi 14-1
3. Get Me Out Of Here 16-1
12. Third Intention 16-1
17. Ciceron 20-1
1. Brampour 25-1
8. Via Galilei 25-1
9. Sailors Warn 25-1
14. Alarazi 25-1
16. Ubi Ace 25-1
19. Rigidity 33-1
20. Ericht 33-1
21. Abergavenny 33-1
23. Attaglance 33-1
24. Double Ross 33-1
5. Marsh Warbler 40-1
11. Desert Cry 40-1
22. Orzare 40-1

Any thoughts for a winner on the race any good each way priced horses.
 
I'm on Zarkandar at 9/2 and have had a bit of a saver on Empire Levant at 18/1.

Also Ruby will be available to ride after the Grade 1 Scilly Isles was added to the card.
 
Zenyatta said:
I'm on Zarkandar at 9/2 and have had a bit of a saver on Empire Levant at 18/1.

Also Ruby will be available to ride after the Grade 1 Scilly Isles was added to the card.
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He may be available but will he ride? If I were the owner I'd want whoever's riding him in the CH on board which I would assume is going to be Daryl Jacob, this would probably leave Ruby with a decent ride on Empire Levant. Much like they did with Denman and AP on this day 2010.

I agree with Sunybay though, looking at the forecast it has to be doubtful whether the meeting will go ahead.
 
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Well, I was wrong. PN just confirmed on Twitter Ruby rides Zarkandar and DJ on Empire Levant. Not sure what that says about how serious connections consider Zarkandar's CH chances.
 
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