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Hurrah – decent national hunt racing is back tomorrow with a good, but tricky looking card at Chepstow. As last year, Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh look to have good chances of winning at least a couple of races. Does anyone have any good fancies?
Looked a weak renewal this year. The winner looks the sort to do well over fences when he is sent over them.
What an impressive performance from Gullible Gordon!
Clearly a natural over fences and didn’t he look to be enjoying it?
Called a few names last year, he had his ears pricked during the first circuit, but when asked to do a bit more on the second, his ears went back and he continued to jumped well.
He looked straight-forward to me.
I know one of the biggest criticisms about NH racing is that, even at this stage of the season, everything revolves around Cheltenham, but he looks a potential RSA winner to me.
A victory at Chepstow – left-handed and undulating – proves Cheltenham should hold no fears for him, either.
He was impressive but in relation to winning a Sun Alliance I don’t think today’s race indicated anything more than he jumps very well.
Gullible Gordon didn’t impress me on looks and I thought he was a false price!
Certainly impressed during the race, seeming to enjoy the experience and jumping well throughout; don’t think he beat a lot but he certainly made them look like trees.
James De Vassy is a chasing type and will progress but he was receiving quite a bit of weight here.
Tom George’s Olofi, who won the juvenile hurdle, is a nice type.
Colin
I do not see Gullible Gordon as a potential RSA winner. His breeding does not suit the profile of a likely RSA champion. Although jumping impressively at Chepstow he did take a chance at a couple of fences, not something he will want to be doing at Prestbury Park.
Regards
Ben
Gullible Gordon was mightily impressive, didn’t put a hoof wrong. However, he had everything his own way and wasn’t taken on or put under any pressure. Whilst he’s clearly talented talks of the RSA are in my opinion somewhat premature.
Any talk about Cheltenham is premature at this stage, but it was his enthusiasm for the job and his jumping that stood out.
This wasn’t some small track with soft fences. Chepstow is a galloping, undulating course that takes some jumping. He made the job look easy and the fences tiny.
To prove that you can jump (yes, there will be a time when it’s put under pressure), stay three miles and handle a big, galloping and undulating left-handed course are too huge positives at this early stage of the season.
His hurdle form wasn’t too shabby, either, and it will be interesting too see how he progresses over the coming months.
Gullible Gordon was my main bet of the day yesterday ( sorry about after timing, but only just caught this thread ) – I was surprised at just how easily he won. Ruby Walsh never had a moment’s worry and the horse jumped flawlessly throughout.
I wouldn’t get carried away at this stage, for he will certainly face much stiffer tasks in future, but he is definitely one to follow in the meantime.
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Think Paul Nicholls may have plenty of fire power for the RSA so maybe the 4m could be ideal for a horse like this.
Think Paul Nicholls may have plenty of fire power for the RSA so maybe the 4m could be ideal for a horse like this.
That race always escapes me, Neil!
Without doubt an option.
Big Fella Thanks made his chase debut over three miles at Chepstow last season and it wouldn’t surprise me if GG followed a similar programme before connections identify an end of season target.
The 4 miler is an excellent shout.
Much more suited to that race than the RSA.
Early days yet but goes in the ‘Festival 4 miler notebook’….
Agree with all the above. The race couldn’t have fallen any better for Gullible Gordon really, with the three previous winners not looking up to defying penalties in better company, Bradley Boy not as forward after a huge absence as some such Twiston-Davies horses can be, and Theatrical Moment throwing in a stinker at this meeting for the second season in three.
Nevertheless, it was as impressive a display of running and jumping as it was possible to put up in the circumstances, and additionally proved effectiveness to a point on the soundest surface he had yet encountered.
I can’t believe there won’t be far better than him waiting in the wings at Ditcheat, to be honest, and I’d share the view of Neil and some others here that the four-miler may be the better bet long term. In the first instance, though, I’d like to see them put the gun to his head in a 3m+ novice at the Open Meeting (and I’m sure there’s at least one), to give him the chance to prove better still against likely more robust opposition.
Also agree with the general points about the quality of this year’s renewal of the Free Hurdle. Not exactly up there with Crack Away Jack last term, was it? Nevertheless, it was a solid performance off what looked a testing enough initial mark in handicaps from James De Vassy, and again he’s opened options ground-wise after running on only soft or worse hitherto. Not that Classic Swain was ever likely to prove the heartier of the two in battle, mind…
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Chasers and Hurdlers points out in the essay on Big Fella Thanks that Nicholls isn’t afraid to run his novices that are below top-class in handicaps, as the successes of I’msingingtheblues and Big Fella Thanks shows. Given how well this horse jumped, no surprise to see if a similar path is chosen for him.
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