The Two Mile Chase thread

His form is strong from last year and trip/course really suit tomorrow. I don't get the softness but at all to be honest.
 
Seriously good weight-carrying performance by Sire De Grugy at Ascot today. I'm not sure if it puts him back in the QMCC picture necessarily, but it is certainly worthy of a mention, as not may horses can win quite so easily off a mark of 160, giving weight all-round.
 
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i was blown away by him..what a performance..that race alone puts the NH game in to perspective..a horse that is like a pet to us all as he has been around so long..lumping top weight at his age and in such a manner..race of the day for me
 
That Chris Dixon from RUK was made to look such a fool as he considered SDG to be an 160 chaser even when he won the CC!! of course that was before racing started and he felt good that Vaniteux will be too good. That would be like saying a 150 hurdler won a CH. Its not possible, SDG proved today he was an 170 chaser at his best and when everything is right for him he can perform close to that, like he did in last year's Tingle Creek.
 
Grasshopper said:
Seriously good weight-carrying performance by Sire De Grugy at Ascot today. I'm not sure if it puts him back in the QMCC picture necessarily, but it is certainly worthy of a mention, as not may horses can win quite so easily off a mark of 160, giving weight all-round.
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But he's not a 160 horse when on song Grassy. Wasn't that long ago Sprinter was all out to beat him and he was rated 169.

If punters had thought he was going to be in that kind of form he'd have gone off at evens in that race.

Not even sure if the second deserves his 143 but that aside Sire De Grugy was entitled to beat hi at the weights.

A good performance but hardly a seriously good one imo.
 
Not sure if this means he is in the cc picture but that was just a great run by sdg. Without sprinter sacre it's wide open and if he gets to march in that form then he should be in the shake up. I'd love to see him do it as he is one of my absolute favourite chasers.
 
I'm sorry but where have you been? Wide open? If Douvan runs he will be 1/10 fav and win by a fence. It's only wide open if Mullins doesn't have a runner IMO
 
One has to think SDG will struggle in the CC unless it turns out soft . It was an excellent performance on Saturday however- he travelled well and jumped as well as he has done for some time .
 
Tanlic said:
But he's not a 160 horse when on song Grassy. Wasn't that long ago Sprinter was all out to beat him and he was rated 169.

If punters had thought he was going to be in that kind of form he'd have gone off at evens in that race.

Not even sure if the second deserves his 143 but that aside Sire De Grugy was entitled to beat hi at the weights.

A good performance but hardly a seriously good one imo.
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SDG had given zero indication in any of his 4 subsequent runs (beaten a combined total of 114L) that he was the same horse that ran Sacre so close last December, and anyone expecting him to be Even money on Saturday on the back of that profile, would be practically certifiable (though I realise you largely qualify on this measure anyway ;)).

In my view, if a badly out-of-form 10yo lugs 11-12 to win a competitive 2m handicap chase from a mark of 160, giving weight all-round to younger and more progressive rivals, it qualifies as seriously good performance. Poncing about wondering whether the second was really worth a 143-rating, is just wasting time better spent on other matters, as far as I'm concerned. :cool:
 
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Fox Norton has to be the value ew for the QMCC. He'll be 4/6 to be in the first three on the day assuming he gets there.

Worth including in ew multiples
 
it'll definitely be the e/w race of the meeting if you can get good antepost terms. similar to the arkle last year we could be looking at only 5 or 6 runners.
 
The thing about SDG is it been too easy to say he's finished and he keeps putting in these odd brilliant performances. He ran SS to 3/4 length next thing he gets beat by the same horse by 67 lengths.....every reason as Grassy points out to downgrade him but he comes back with a bang and looks as good as ever.

Lets assume Douvan did go elsewhere then backing something like UDS Special Tiara or SDG ew could pay well.......Personally I doubt fox norton will be good enough to match the old timers.

We saw a good horse the other day in Seeyouatmidnight try to step up against a king George and Gold Cup winner and he couldn't even keep tabs on them.

The leap between what Fox norton has done compared to what UDS and co have is enormous. He's a nice horse in his own class but when he steps up like he did last season in the Arkle he's get thrashed trust me........I shall await the eggs to the face in March :0)
 
tbh i'd fancy the current Fox Norton to give UDS a race..UDS should have stuck to hurdles..would have been interesting....against Douvan though..its a no contest..even our cat has spotted that Douvan is something pretty spesh

UDS is not a natural jumper..and that is what is currently holding him back from being a horse that might get within 5 lengths of Douvan if the jumping stutters could be equated to extra lengths

i think the the thing about Cue Card now is that those early day jumping errors have now been converted into his real superiority over the rest..they were costing him lengths..now he is a different horse ability wise..he was bloody good with the mistakes..remove them..he is a monster..if they ever get UDS to jump naturally..which looks very difficult..he would also be a lot better than he has shown.
 
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WPM said he'll keep UDS and Douvan separated until the festival. Hopefully now with Sprinter retired UDS owners can force him for the CC, it'd be a shame to let a hype scare you all the way in another country.
 
I'm a big fan of UDS Aughex..but he is not a natural jumper..and even if thats ironed out...I think Douvan will hand him his arse on a plate with chips and peas:)

the only hype there is the chips and peas bit:)
 
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you keep denigrating horses you're a fan of. I'm a fan of quality horses, Douvan included, but I haven't seen anything so special in him like many have. To me he's just an above average novice. He's way lower on my scale of Altior or Faugheen who looked great as novice hurdlers. I hope UDS owners have some sense and realize they have a big shot of winning the CC, they had even with SS around as that one wasn't getting any younger. Why would they run scared in another country for fears of a novice who hasn't encountered a serious animal in his career?
 
Aughex said:
you keep denigrating horses you're a fan of. I'm a fan of quality horses, Douvan included, but I haven't seen anything so special in him like many have. To me he's just an above average novice. He's way lower on my scale of Altior or Faugheen who looked great as novice hurdlers. I hope UDS owners have some sense and realize they have a big shot of winning the CC, they had even with SS around as that one wasn't getting any younger. Why would they run scared in another country for fears of a novice who hasn't encountered a serious animal in his career?
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i wouldn't call it denigrating..and i don't really do fandom re horses..its usually tits and arses i save that for...to me its about pecking order..and that is based on ratings..people who ignore ratings could argue all day if X is better than Y..whereas when a number is put on a perfomance..in your own scheme of things..it throws a light on abilities

without ratings..G1 winner is just that..a G1 winner..well Frankel was a G1 winner..and so was Seas The stars..the ratings tell me one is far superior to the other..the non rating person will see them as..bloody good winners..and might even say they both the same

UDS was a dam good hurdler in my rating world...that they have tried to make a chaser out of..the one thing that holds back him reflecting the same level over twigs is..he thinks about jumping..a good jumper don't think about jumping..he just does it

thats not denigrating to me..its lets get real..this is a very good chaser..but no way is he fulfilling his true potential..that imo..was over hurdles..he doesn't excite me over twigs..Douvan..though does..in a similar way to SS..and thats one hell of a level to achieve

to me..SS is more than just a ratings buster..he went beyond that..Douvan..at this time..is a rating buster..but has not shown the character that SS did..or reached his actual lofty heights..but seeing as SS was way above what we comprehend as possible..Douvan is on the edge of that world

when SS was in his pomp..he produced magic..a visual magic that most folk thought had finished with Arkle...he brought the past to right now..awesome in every sense of the word..thats a higher level than brilliant..i have a rating for brilliant..and one for out of this world..only two horses have entered the ..out of this world... band in my ratings world.....Frankel..+ Sprinter Sacre
 
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Aughex said:
you keep denigrating horses you're a fan of. I'm a fan of quality horses, Douvan included, but I haven't seen anything so special in him like many have. To me he's just an above average novice. He's way lower on my scale of Altior or Faugheen who looked great as novice hurdlers. I hope UDS owners have some sense and realize they have a big shot of winning the CC, they had even with SS around as that one wasn't getting any younger. Why would they run scared in another country for fears of a novice who hasn't encountered a serious animal in his career?
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Sprinter may not have been getting any younger but his year off meant he had fewer miles on the clock than many a 10 year old and Moscow Flyer won the Tingle Creek at 10 rising 11 and the Champion Chase at 11. Indeed, Sprinter's performance at Sandown was his best of the year and he seemed to be getting closer to his old form .

I think they were wise with UDS to say they would avoid Sprinter . I suspect Douvan would have found him much harder to crack than the betting suggested .
 
Fox Norton ruled out of Tingle Creek after a setback. A cut he sustained during his last win will keep him sidelined until the new year.


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