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I have to think Potato is on the windup on here sometimes but he’s a character that’s for sure. Makes for amusing reading.
Here’s my thoughts on the race..
It’s Bellshill and Road To Respect each way for me. And a few quid on Thistlecrack at some big prices on the machine.
I may have a bit on Presenting Percy at some point too.
I couldn’t have Native River unless it came up heavy. Same with Elegant Escape. Might Bite was my antepost fancy until the Betfair chase and he looked all wrong. Have written that bet off. Bristol De Mai is a Haydock specialist whilst I think ABP isn’t for me. Clan Des Obeaux and Kemboy (and even Frodon) are all clearly improving but I couldn’t fancy any of them really.
Overall… Presenting Percy is the most likely winner but is quite short. I think there’s each way value to be had with Bellshill and RTR who are solid horses with consistency and class. Both should stay fine. It’s an open race but if PP can pick up horses down the hill like he did in the RSA, he will probably win.
I dont see what’s funny?
You have a horse who has never ran outside of novice company over fences running in about 6 weeks time in the best chase race in the calendar.
The novice form was potentially weak, Monalee probably didnt truly stay 3m on very soft ground at Cheltenham, same for the youngster al boum photo, Elegant Escape wasn’t physically developed enough.
Even at 20/1 it’s hardly overly tempting on any known form.
He only improved 2lb on his hurdles race from last season. If he has only improved 2lb on his chase form as well then he isnt good enough to place in the gold cup.
PP was rated 158 going into the RSA last year and 169 coming out of it. Might Bite was rated 169 going into the Gold Cup last year; Native River 166. If PP has only matured and improved by 2lb since passing the post in his RSA then he is well entitled to be up there; even if you think that RSA and thus his rating is inflated a bit.
On the subject of Might Bite- what did you think of his price for the King George last season? He started 6/4F, despite his only prior start in open company being a 4 runner intermediate chase affair against decent handicappers, who weren’t good enough to put his jumping, mettle or stamina under any pressure at all. It may as well have been a grade 2 hurdle for all it told us about him.
Elegant Escape wasn’t physically developed enough.
Yet you were saying he couldn’t lose…
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
This thread is just utter nonsense now.
And 50% of it is about a horse (elegant escape) that won’t even finish top 5 unless it’s very soft ground.
I’m with MoM’s assessment of the race; except for some reason I’m not overly keen on Road to Respect for this. Logically I should be. He’s 8 years old- in his prime. He put up a very decent performance in it last year on ground that didn’t suit. Unless there’s an utter deluge this year the ground should be much more to his liking. He breezed up at Down Royal and was unlucky in the Lexus.
I dunno…trainer in the past has said he needs plenty of time between races (I think it was after he was beaten in the JNwine last season) and I got the impression that he thought the horse may not stand much racing…but cotton wool wrapping is not Giggi’s modus operandi. If he gets a tough race this weekend it might go against him for the GC, more so than some of the others.
I think Clan Des Obeaux has the beating of the field. His manner of victory in the King George made the likes of Thistlecrack look ordinary. His jockey (CDO) was extremely confident and was only hands and heels after the last to draw away from Thistlecrack. Also in the early part of the race Clan Des Obeaux was switched off beautifully and when needed response was immediate. Clan Des Obeaux is coming into the Gold Cup in the form of his life.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.Elegant Escape wasn’t physically developed enough.
Yet you were saying he couldn’t lose…
Correct but I only had the english horses to.compare him against. I was right he was the best of the english and he beat them all. Perhaps with Black Corton being such a small horse I never noticed (they met each other at least twice pre rsa) how underdeveloped he was.
When he stood next to presenting percy as they lined up for the rsa it was clear he was not as physically developed as him. PP looked an older and more mature horse which of course he was. When they stand next to each other pre gold cup it wont look like that. EE has really filled out and is a beast of a racehorse now.
It is however indisputable that PP is horrifically priced.
If he was 20/1 plus then he would perhaps be worth a speculative punt on the hope that he has improved enough to win a gold cup but at the moment he has done nothing to justify being favourite for the gold cup.I dont see what’s funny?
You have a horse who has never ran outside of novice company over fences running in about 6 weeks time in the best chase race in the calendar.
The novice form was potentially weak, Monalee probably didnt truly stay 3m on very soft ground at Cheltenham, same for the youngster al boum photo, Elegant Escape wasn’t physically developed enough.
Even at 20/1 it’s hardly overly tempting on any known form.
Potato you should offer up 10/1 for the forum members only. You’d rake in a lot of turnover.
You say improve “enough” and that the novice form is potentially weak?
Monalee finished 2nd in an open G1 last time out. Elegant Escape (lucky third) 14Ls back has won a Welsh National, and finished 3/4L away from Frodon. Frodon is best priced 20s for this. On that formline alone, PP isn’t a 20s shot. ABP who he’d have beaten at least 6Ls depending on your view of him staying on past Monalee or being beaten when falling would’ve won at Punchestown + beat Total Recall easy giving 10pds- Total Recall without a fall wasn’t finishing worse than 7th in the GC last year. More formlines.
Whether Monalee stayed 3miles on very soft ground or not, it doesn’t matter he finished 2nd over Xmas in an open 3mile race. So he stays it to a very decent level regardless. ABP stays 3miles no problem Potato, i suggest you have a look at the horse. EE as well, and he doesn’t really come in the same parish at he was 14ls back.
I am not a PP fanboy, in fact i’ve not a penny on him, but Potato you come out with comments that don’t actually bear any resemblence to the form.
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!Problem I’m finding with Bellshill is that he’s never won going left handed.
At the start of the season trainer said it’s possible he’s better going right handed.Your posts are a bit contradictive at times Potato but I do like your enthusiasm for your horse
twice at Cheltenham now he has finished behind non stayers in Monalee and Froden but in his favour the Gold Cup will be run at a killer tempo you’d assume so his stamina will be a player and jumping at pace will help.
I think a back to his best Might Bite would beat him hands down but that looks unlikely judging by his runs this season. Plenty of young guns in the running this year so tricky to nail one with confidence for me. I’ve a little on Presenting Percy after last year but even if he won it wouldn’t cover the loss on Might Bite so not fussed either way. Good luckGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Potato you should offer up 10/1 for the forum members only. You’d rake in a lot of turnover.
You say improve “enough” and that the novice form is potentially weak?
Monalee finished 2nd in an open G1 last time out. Elegant Escape (lucky third) 14Ls back has won a Welsh National, and finished 3/4L away from Frodon. Frodon is best priced 20s for this. On that formline alone, PP isn’t a 20s shot. ABP who he’d have beaten at least 6Ls depending on your view of him staying on past Monalee or being beaten when falling would’ve won at Punchestown + beat Total Recall easy giving 10pds- Total Recall without a fall wasn’t finishing worse than 7th in the GC last year. More formlines.
Whether Monalee stayed 3miles on very soft ground or not, it doesn’t matter he finished 2nd over Xmas in an open 3mile race. So he stays it to a very decent level regardless. ABP stays 3miles no problem Potato, i suggest you have a look at the horse. EE as well, and he doesn’t really come in the same parish at he was 14ls back.
I am not a PP fanboy, in fact i’ve not a penny on him, but Potato you come out with comments that don’t actually bear any resemblence to the form.
Staying 3 miles in a leopardstown race ran at a crawl isnt a great example as it’s an easy track. He wouldn’t stay in a stronglyran 3mile race especially at a testing track.
Alpha Boum Photo fell because he was tired.
What you are struggling to realise is novice form is often unreliable for the simple reason the novices are developing at different rates.
The tallest kid in the school aged 12 probably wont be the tallest kid in school aged 16. He was merely an early developer.PP was clearly more developed and mature than EE last year.
What EE has done this season is because he has grown up, developed and improved.
This does not in any way Frank the form of the rsa as it’s to do with EE growing up. How can that be franking PPs form?You will all be made to bow at the hooves of the great legend himself ELEGANT ESCAPE on March 15th.
THE CHAMP IS READY
THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
SET A GENTLE PACE
Throw in the letter T and the annagram of the horse becomes as above.
Named this way because a gentle pace is the only way this horse can be stopped.
The T stands for TNT because this horse is dynamite.
Now wordplay aside IF and it is an if but IF Elegant Escape pings every single fence and puts in a faultless round of jumping do you believe he could win?
Because I believe he would be unstoppable with a perfect round of jumping in this race. Thats right I used the word UNSTOPPABLE and that is on any ground.
The welsh national was ran at an incredibly fast pace, this is the race where he jumped better than in any other race he has ever ran in.
The gold cup will be ran even faster and therefor his jumping will be even better.YOU DONT WANT TO DOUBT THIS HORSE IN THE GOLD CUP. BELIEVE ME.
If Elegant Escape has improved bundles this season as you say, how the hell was he 10L behind Sizing Tennessee?
That horse would need to start now to win a GC.Everything you’re saying is not backed up by the form book.
I think most people here agree that Percy is too short not at around 3s, but that doesn’t mean we don’t agree that he’s definitely the most likely winner.
Please, stop stooping to this tattie and get this thread back on it’s normal path
Its already been covered Kev. EE was on the bounce when he was 2nd to Sizing.
The welsh national win proved that.
Up to OR 162 now for the champ. He just keeps on improving.
He will.improve ONCE AGAIN in the gold cup. He will improve 1 stone in the gold cup due to the way the race will be ran.
Also Sizing Tennese has much stronger chase form in the book than Presenting Percy. That’s a fact.
176 performance coming right up.
Keep watching.
Staying 3 miles in a leopardstown race ran at a crawl isnt a great example as it’s an easy track. He wouldn’t stay in a stronglyran 3mile race especially at a testing track.
So lemme get this straight- your argument for Monalee losing last year is because he doesn’t stay 3miles on soft ground that well. Yet you say “Staying 3 miles in a leopardstown race ran at a crawl isnt a great example as it’s an easy track. He wouldn’t stay in a strongly ran 3mile race especially at a testing track.”. He has ran second in a open G1 this year vs a strong field, even if he didn’t stay that well last year, he wasn’t winning then was he? So it’s a form boost for PP- he has ran 2nd in an open G1 regardless of whether the track will have suited him better or not?
ABP fell because he was tired, yet was doing ok over 3miles at Punchestown. That’s your view/opinion, i know for a fact a lot haven’t that opinion. He could well have stayed on past Monalee, you don’t know.
Your view on him being more developed than EE- where have you worked this out from? Will development make up for the thrashing he got last year? On EE’s form this year i’d suggest absolutely not.
The form has been franked by ABP, Monalee + EE on the formbook.
I am not struggling to realise anything- you are the one making points off the bat, that have no actual evidence. “he was an early developer” based on what? You don’t know that, and his form has not backed your “guess” up.Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!Also Sizing Tennese has much stronger chase form in the book than Presenting Percy. That’s a fact.
Not a fact. PP won the RSA rated 158, propelling him to 169. ST won the Hennessy off 148, he’s now 163.
PP also won the 3m 5F OPEN handicap off 145 with his head in his chest, just to confirm his form is solid both in and out of novice company.
Only a tattie could come up with this stuff.
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