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Only seen it the once at the cours but Some good analysis here.however for me dc’s fall was a tired fall and I really can’t believe that he had it in him to get up
I think Silviniaco Conti was somewhere near his best at Haydock, just Cue Card showed his true colours. Form of the last two King Georges over-rated, including by yours truly.
Nicholls was giving out poor signals about Silvi for today, blinkers were even considered. Didn’t seem at all confident reading between the lines. Apart from a couple of winners last week still appears to be struggling, with quite a few runners disappointing. Am almost certain he’s got a virus in the yard and that is probably the reason for Silvi’s poor display.
All today, amongst others.
Bagad Bihoue 13/8 fav 31 lengths 7th of 8
Southfield Vic 4/6 fav 3 1/4 lengths 2nd of 4
Alcala 9/4 fav 5 lengths 6th of 10
Sirabad, As De Mee and Old Guard all disappointed too.Of 11 horses today imo only Keltus ran well.
Nicholls and Silvi will be back.
Value Is EverythingOnly seen it the once at the cours but Some good analysis here.however for me dc’s fall was a tired fall and I really can’t believe that he had it in him to get up
Impossible to say Clive, but Don Cossack was thought much more a stayer than either Cue Card or Vautour beforehand. So although didn’t seem to me as though he was moving as well as Cue Card when falling; may well have found more than the other two in the closing stages.
Value Is EverythingThey should all of known Ruby was kidding them on when he said that the Ascot fences ‘edge left’ DC was on the outside of Vautour a length or whatever behind and when Vautour jumped out to the left he and others followed, any jockey with half a brain would of been on the inside of Vautour. Brennan switched CC to the inside latter in the race for the very reason and I think it put DC off from the start.
Blackbeard to conquer the World
The form of this seems a lot stronger than the previous two runnings which in retrospect look a bit weak.Fine efforts from the first two. I get the impression Don Cossack is a guessy jumper under pressure. He may find it easier at Cheltenham where they don
t take much jumping apart from the trappy one at the top of the hill. I think Al Ferof ran better this year and has benefitted from the stable switch although he cant do it in this company. It seemed an opportunity wasted for Smad Place, too conservative a ride, King stressing he didn`t want to be the hare.Despite emptying close home I thought Vautour took a huge step forward. I think it would be easier to get a breather into him in a Gold Cup
I am sure that I heard on RUK that Djakadam misses the Lexus and will wait until the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham – most people under rate him but after today, in a Gold Cup I would happily take him over Vautour.
It looks like that will be the case LD, the owner, Rich Ricci, stated
“I can’t see him runing in the Lexus. Unless something happens to the
other horses or cuts up, I just can’t see it. The Lexus is a difficult
race – heavy ground at Leopardstown – it is a brutal race.”As you rightly mentioned, he is more likely to be aimed at the Cotswold
Chase at the end of next month. It’s a pity as I was looking forward to
seeing him on Monday.Having backed Vautour that finish was agonising. Even 50 yards out Vautour looked like he would cling on.
I thought the ground was pretty good today so can’t see the Gold Cup being run on anything quicker. With the extra two furlongs, uphill finish and likely strong pace I can’t see Vautour staying the trip even with hold up tactics.
It was interesting that in the immediate aftermath of the race that messrs Mellish and Hislop on RUK felt that Don Cossack was the horse to take out of the race for the Gold Cup. He was level with Cue Card when he came down and was staying on at the time so it would have been fascinating to see how the race would have finished had he stood up.
I would be delighted to see Cue Card win a Gold Cup but just feel that one of the younger horses will have his measure.
It was disappointing to see the dual winner Silvianaco Conti pull up and it seems that Alan King is determined that Smad Place is not a front runner. It wasn’t the plan in the Hennessy but worked so well that I find it strange that it wasn’t the plan today.
For me this race has clouded the Gold Cup picture, creating more questions than answers. But maybe we should be enjoying a fantastic race and worrying about the GC later.
Just a fantastic race. Vautour was amazing and ran a great race. DC was my heaviest bet. Think the pace of the race caught up with him but wish he had stayed on his feet just to see if he could make the frame. CC is a legend. Backed him straight after the Betfair for this and although I will not leave Djackadam unbacked for the gold cup I had to take the 7s for CC.
I personally would still go the Gold Cup route with Vautour. I think left handed and especially at Cheltenham in the spring he is an absolute monster. Long as the ground is decent he would be bang there in my opinion. Also he must have expended a fair bit of energy at kempton constantly trying to pull left at the fences.I think he will stay the trip. I’d still have Vautour, Djakadam and Don Poli to finish in front of Don Cossack and cue card in the GC anyway.
I love Cue Card, but if they meet again I’d expect Vautour to have improved past him, esp on a left-handed track
Me too mate. Also look at Vautours history at Cheltenham in March. 2 outstanding displays. Xmas last year he was atrocious only to come to life at Cheltenham. I think if they go for the Gold Cup he might just do it. Although I fear if Djakadam wins the Cotswold chase on the bridle then it will be Ryanair.
Huge Vautour fan (the most naturally talented chaser around) but the fact that he excels at Cheltenham has no bearing on his ability to stay 3m2f – I also don’t think that he will make as big a jump (fitness wise) from Kempton to Cheltenham (assuming he doesn’t run again beforehand) as he did from Ascot to Kempton.
Watching the race again neither he nor Cue Card were crying out for another 2f (even on on flat course like Kempton) and as I have said in other posts a lot of great KG horses have palpably failed to get home in the Gold Cup. Yes it may be slightly easier for Ruby to get breathers into him at Cheltenham (though I am not entirely convinced about that fact) and his slick jumping will help but all the other jockeys know stamina is a major issue and some know it is a major plus for their mounts so as a result if he does run they will not sit back and let Ruby dictate his own fractions.
Would be interesting to see if they run him again before the big one as I think the Denman Chase would be a good opportunity to test his stamina being a big galloping left handed track that is a good jumping test.
At this stage the wise thing to do is to leave him in everything as you never know what can happen between now and Cheltenham but I would only run him (reluctantly) in the Gold Cup if Djakadam doesn’t make it – likewise the QMCC (but not reluctantly) if UDS no shows.
Though interestingly Imperial commander was outstayed at haydock park by Kauto Star but when you put that horse around Cheltenham he seemed to be a different animal. I just think the fact of spring, course he’s excelled at before will mean a different horse. Does Ruby have to dictate the sections tho? If he got the horse into a good rythm and got a tow into the race it might work just as well. I think there are too many “what ifs” still to totally put a line through the Gold Cup. But also if Djakadam wins the Cotswold chase in a canter then Ryanair for Vautour would then be a certainty. There is only 1 Gold Cup tho.
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