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Djakadam most impressive today, this is building up nicely; Don Cossack, don Poli, Coneygree, Road to Riches, Vautour, have all run + won, With Smad Place + Cue Card in the wings. Think Djakadam was the most impressive so far
Be fair I agree. Djakadam has been the most impressive of the ones you named, first with Don Cossack a close second. However I never considered Cue Card as a gold cup horse but he has been the most impressive 3 miler this year by far.
Very pleased with the news that Jonjo is giving More of That an entry in The Gold Cup. Far from certain to run, but I stuck a few quid on him at 100’s, at the weekend, so fingers crossed for that one.
He still looks ideal for The RSA in my eyes, though they have mentioned The JLT for him as well.
I was very surprised to hear JonJo mention the Gold Cup for MOT, especially in such a sparkling year, but good luck to you, Bobby. His jumping was more assured in general, although as he got tired, he was becoming prone to leaving his back legs in the fence. He didn’t look like he was running so much with the choke out – which he has done, to my eye, a few times.
You never see him with ears pricked, and I suspect he takes quite a bit out of himself without the jock having to do much. Anyway, let’s hope he stays sound. You’ll be rooting for a GC run, and Gord for an RSA!
Unrealistic maybe, but I don’t think the entry is too much of a surprise. JP hasn’t got much else and he isn’t exactly short of a bob or two.
Being nursed round in a couple of small field novice chases hasn’t really told us a great deal about what might happen to him in a bigger field and much more competitive race. Least of all as to whether he would appreciate a slog over the Gold Cup trip. If most of the other leading lights were to make it to March the least you are going to have to do is stay the trip. How do they intend finding out if he is good enough? I think to be even considering a run first and foremost you would have to be pretty much a certainty for the RSA and at this stage he isn’t.
I think he’ll end up in The RSA Joe, he certainly wouldn’t be my main hope for The Gold Cup, but a pleasant surprise to see he’s going to get an entry anyway.
Coneygree out for the season. Very unfortunate for anyone who has backed him. And for the trainers and owners . Sad news for a fan of the game
On a selfish note. My Djakadam 14/1 and don cossack at 8/1 look very good.
And my only other bet in GC to a smaller stake vautour could yet be a gold cup horse after looking in the betting like a switch to ryan air.
going to be a great king george. Although as a spectacle coneygree going to be missed dearly.Hasn’t been confirmed that Coneygree is out for the whole season yet as he has been sent to Newmarket for diagnosis but there must be a massive doubt over whether we will see him again full stop – for an 8/9 yr old to only have had 11 career NH starts, he must be extremely fragile leg wise to deal with. If he misses the rest of this season the family may not be willing to risk putting him back into training again if his legs are suspect.
It makes last years decision to go for the GC much more understandable as they may have recognised that while they had him in good form and most importantly sound it would be best to go to the big dance rather than risk waiting another year – we all hope he will be fit to defend his title given the potential horses due to line up in the race, but for a chaser, continued leg problems are a major concern and I would hate to see him have another problem mid race.
I was fortunate to see him in the flesh at Sandown last month, so fingers crossed this set back is a mere blip rather than anything long term.
Unfortunately, it seems that Coneygree falls in a similar bucket to the likes of Looks Like Trouble – i.e. very smart GC winner but fragile and I suspect even if he does come back he won’t be the same force as in 2015.
Coneygree out for season. Such a shame. Connections believe he will make a full recovery. I hope they are right.
Coneygree’s fragility suggests that connections are going to find it harder to keep him sound the older he gets. I hope we see him back somewhere near his best but I think he will struggle to reach the heights of Gold Cup day last year.
History suggests that to win a Gold Cup you have to be between 7-9 yr olds (in the last 25 years there has only been two winners over the age of 9, Cool Ground 1992 and Cool Dawn in 1998) and by the time Coneygree comes back for the Gold Cup in 2017 he will be 10 years old and I think his window would have passed.
I think the Irish battalions if they avoid injuries could be winning the next few renewals as Don Poli, Djakadam, Valseur Lido and Vautour are all 6yr olds with Don Cossack and Road To Riches being 8 year olds.
TAPK has been watching horses race for over 30yrs and just from what I contribute to this forum its blatantly obvious I was gifted in the ‘How the hell does he do it’ department.My strike rate for Cheltenham Gold cups is just one reason I am a legend and having put up the winner on here Ante-Post every 2nd yr it works out that 2016 is my turn to win again.We saw the Gold cup winner today at Haydock in Cue Card a horse everyone has questioned the mental/physical/Training/Jockey permutations of a thousand times.Joe (Steeplechasing) was the first to say Colin Tizzards horse was brilliant a few years ago but its took to today for me to finally agree.I have missed the fancy prices 190’s down but have had £100 e/w at 14/1 with William hill today for March Glory and £200 win at 5/1 with Ladbrokes for the King George..I am in the process of backing him for the double too such was the impact of todays performance……Move over ‘Vautour’ you are beatable at trips beyond 21/2m.
Cheers Joe,I owe you a few drinks after todays King George battle.
Well, they don’t call you TAPK for nothing! Congratulations. I think you will allow though that, given the difference in age and experience, my other super horse ran a mighty race today, and he will still be the one to beat come March, given normal improvement.
I have mixed feelings/expectations about the Gold Cup and one reason for you to be afraid is that I backed Cue Card to land the Million at 125/1, then after the Betfair, again at 33/1, plus the Million to be landed by any horse at 16s. Also backed him at 14s at your urging last time, so I have a fair bit sitting on CC, thus you can bet your bottom dollar (if you can find yours, as I know it’s right at the foot of a huge pile), that CC will either get nutted on the line or just fail to get up.
Well, they don’t call you TAPK for nothing! Congratulations. I think you will allow though that, given the difference in age and experience, my other super horse ran a mighty race today, and he will still be the one to beat come March, given normal improvement.
I have mixed feelings/expectations about the Gold Cup and one reason for you to be afraid is that I backed Cue Card to land the Million at 125/1, then after the Betfair, again at 33/1, plus the Million to be landed by any horse at 16s. Also backed him at 14s at your urging last time, so I have a fair bit sitting on CC, thus you can bet your bottom dollar (if you can find yours, as I know it’s right at the foot of a huge pile), that CC will either get nutted on the line or just fail to get up.
Joe,when you’ve been in this game as long as we have you get a feeling about not just horses,Jockeys and trainers but punters too.I remember when you first joined this forum I was adamant you were a Green party member but whatever your politics were you proved what a good judge of a horse you are.When I study a race I always consider certain others opinions on here,its an excellent point of reference and I have to say from the moment I saw Cue Card entered to run in the Charlie Hall off bottom weight I thought of you.Sadly I failed to get you to play the loyalty card but at least when he wins the Gold cup you will get your just reward.Today proved without doubt he’ll get home at Cheltenham and he’ll give Paddy a unique Ryanair/GC double.’Vautour’ looked awesome today and I have no doubt he’ll improve another 5-6lb before Cheltenham but Rich Ricci will definitely let him run them ragged in the QMCC a race far more prestigious than the Ryanair,he wont think twice about taking on Willies UDS.If I was you I would back ‘Vautour’ for next years GC as another year on this fellows back can only see further improvemnent.Should ‘Vautour’ and ‘CC’ battle up the cheltenham hill in March would I be right in saying your old loyalty will be for the Tizzard horse?
Head to head up the hill, Gord, my heart would be with CC all the way, and he’s my best result financially now too. But after Kempton 2013, I will always be waiting for his breathing to go pop again. I hope it doesn’t happen, but reportedly these operations offer no guarantee of permanence.
His much lower head carriage now suggests that he might have had a breathing issue all his career: shows you what kind of engine is pulsing in there.
But I do believe Vautour is being written off far too soon. He might not find much under pressure, but Ruby only needs to get his fractions right, and without Coneygree he’ll have a much better chance of doing that, to win the Gold Cup in similar style to his JLT victory. A crucial aspect of the Cheltenham layout is that breathers are much easier to fit in than they are at Kempton. At no point could he fill up today – none of them could, and that might well have had something to do with the performance of Don Cossack, and maybe even Silv Conti.
Anyway, I know you’re hoping he’ll reroute to the QM (and I’ve backed him NRNB there just in case), but I hope he takes his chance in the Gold Cup. I’m sorry Coneygree won’t be there; the main thing I’d been looking forward to this season – all betting aside – was witnessing the best Gold Cup in the history of the race. It could still be an absolute cracker.
Djakadam came second last year by a length as an under the radar 6 year old, and other than Cue Card he has been the most impressive this year. It’s hard to know what Don Cossack will show up or more importantly what Bryan Cooper turns up. He will probably have to choose between Don Cossack and Don Poli, whichever he chooses it means the other has a better chance.
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