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I cannot believe some of the comments about the performance of Al Ferof this week end!
For Ruby to jump off and say he was delighted and then Mr Nicholls agree and also state he has saved planty for the Arkle should be enough for anyone to back him
You can then add to that his course form and the fact he will enjoy the ground and sit in behind Sprinter Sacre and Peddlers Cross and swoop late on 
What a great prospect of a race we have
I cannot understand the enthusiam for Al Ferof’s chances in the Arkle. He was under pressure 2 or 3 fences out and stayed on at the one pace, this is hardly the form I would expect of an Arkle winner. Somersby beat him 5 lengths or so and Somersby is a plodder. On that basis you’d also be very keen on Somersby’s chance of winning the Arkle if he were allowed to run in it again.
It’s a 2 horse race between Sprinter Sacre and Peddlars Cross with the rest nowhere.Peddlers has dissappointed me twice this year and i have lost confidence in him. Al ferof will relish the hill we all know that. Will sprinter??? I am not convinced.
Somersby nearly beat szing europe in the arkle so to call him a plodder is absolutely ludicrous. Furthermore i am convinced he would have placed in last years champion only until he clattered the third. Yet still plugged on gamely for a decent 5th place, most horses would empty quickly after such a smash, he has heart and class. Where do the haters of somersby get ther material.
Reality is the race is between 4 horses on known form, cue card i don’t trust, Peddlers has ran a couple of stinkers since the festival last year and has lost my support.
5-2 about sprinter who could well be a superstar but could also do another supreme from last year and fade when challenged.
OR
7-1 about a very pleasing third in a decent renewal of the vc chase who has proven he can handle the hill at cheltenham and has definitely got that all important stamina. The odds on offer now have to bet on him.
Fairdos if you got on sprinter at 12s that is a great bet. I intend on playing this race with £100 on Alferof and £50 on Sprinters. I can’t see it going to any other horse but will settle for breaking even on sprinter.
Peddlers has dissappointed me twice this year and i have lost confidence in him. Al ferof will relish the hill we all know that. Will sprinter??? I am not convinced.
Somersby nearly beat szing europe in the arkle so to call him a plodder is absolutely ludicrous.
SS will be so far clear by the time the hill comes into focus that it won’t matter. Think One Man in his QM.
Somersby was well held in SE’s Arkle, the latter was prone to idling in his novice days.
Good luck to those with the fancy 12s and bigger for Sprinter Sacre, hope you are on EW
The price he is now though he must be a ‘lay’ as the doubt over the hill and Mr Henderson’s ‘not so good’ record in novice chases at the festival means he is far too short.
Add to that he will be taken on for the lead and the race looks very interesting indeed
Probably a bit harsh on Somersby over the last page or so imo. Idling or no idling, finishing 3/4 length second to Sizing Europe is a fair effort.
Totally agree with you GDC I can see it going either way between him and Al Ferof with different qualities matching up.
Al Ferof will be finishing well enough it is just a case of will he become outpaced, i suspect not too much and the climb to the line will help him no end.
Sprinter should be turning the screw turning in and it is a case of how frantic they go early on that will decide it. I would love 12s on him but 5-2???
Although i wrote off Peddlers I am still concerned about him too, he has an engine and I like the fact that he kept closing the gap on Sprinter and Whacked the first pretty hard too. It is not too much to think that wasn’t his true running and he could have easily winded himself and yet still ran ok on a track that suited sprinter to a tea.
Can’t however argue that Sprinter took a length out of him every jump and looks to have a monster future. I for one will be following Sprinter and Al Ferof blindly after this race and it is the race I am personally looking most forward to. I think they will both prosper going over further and Sprinter, Al Ferof show down against Long Run in the King George next year, I’d have either of them.
Sprinter has some good 2m5- 3m horses in his family which does concern me about my theory that Alferof’s stamina is a major asset, if sprinter shows a decent stamina level too he wins. One thing we know is that alferof will run to the line in frantic race and has won it before, handled the hill and got past a tired sprinter last year. However Sprinter hit the second last in the supreme and emptied soon after, i suspect he will be cleaner over his fences and if so may just get away from them.
Can’t call it but can’t bloody wait either!!!
It could be a case of the stamina beating front horse like last years arkle and my way de solzen – Al Ferof win
Or just the monster 2miler – Masterminded, azertiyoup, moscow style stamping a new hoof on the scene and win for Sprinter.
Fascinating.
PS, SE win over somersby was being closed all the way in the arkle and held on!!!
However, Sizing Europe this year loks nailed on and is the banker of the meeting with the usual quevega.
Think posters are forgetting Al Ferof only had two runs over fences prior to the VC. Absolute masterclass in training from PN to ensure he will be right on his A game come March. Whether or not he’s simply good enough to beat SS is the question, but Nicholls has done the job to give him the best possible chance. I think Hendo has copied his thinking by having a look at the Game Spirit, albeit a lesser grade race, and is looking over his shoulder very nervously at AF.
Well the Game Spirit also makes sense because he’ll have nothing to race against & he’ll pick up easy prize money in the battle for the Trainers’ Championship. There are simply no other Grade 1 2m chasers around. Hold Fast could run, Menorah and Cue Card also possibilities, but otherwise it’ll just be a joke. Even Ashley Brook coming out of retirement would make it more interesting.
Think posters are forgetting Al Ferof only had two runs over fences prior to the VC. Absolute masterclass in training from PN to ensure he will be right on his A game come March. Whether or not he’s simply good enough to beat SS is the question, but Nicholls has done the job to give him the best possible chance. I think Hendo has copied his thinking by having a look at the Game Spirit, albeit a lesser grade race, and is looking over his shoulder very nervously at AF.
There was talk of the Game Spirit well before Al Ferof was declared for the VC.
However, i do think Henderson needs to improve on race programmes.
Well the Game Spirit also makes sense because he’ll have nothing to race against & he’ll pick up easy prize money in the battle for the Trainers’ Championship. There are simply no other Grade 1 2m chasers around. Hold Fast could run, Menorah and Cue Card also possibilities, but otherwise it’ll just be a joke. Even Ashley Brook coming out of retirement would make it more interesting.
Which is why he should have a few runners in the race like Nicholls often does. and Pipe did before him.
Easy money, as it were, and ensures a test for the star horse
I have been rethinking the peddlers situation and I am actually a little worried I am showing him too little respect. The last race is fair to ignore in my opinion, he smashed the first and was always just not going right and making up ground. I think he could still be a big danger. Has a monster engine, wins at the festival and place in the champion. If you ignore the last race which was a disaster but still showed good guts to keep going where a lesser horse would throw in the towel i just think he might be more of a contender than i ruthlessly assessed. I am abandonding the race and just hope al ferof does the job and places atleast. I think any of the top three could win and will look forward to see it unfold and hope they all get clear runs. No excuses.
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