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Bit disappointed not to see Cold March entered, I e-mailed Venetia the other day stating my case but obviously her internet is down :D
I’m sure we can all agree upon the winner. Pretty easy, right?
Nearly identical entries to the 2016 race! Tea for Two certainly has good claims, but I’m willing to forgive Thomas Brown for a lacklustre effort in this last year, and also last time out at Cheltenham. Harry Fry tends to target this race and obviously Opening Batsman is a standing dish here, but TB has always promised that he can bag one of these decent prizes.
20 stand their ground for this, and I’m struggling to pick one out at this stage, and might just wait till final decs.
The 1, 2, 3, 4 from last year, Theatre Guide, Opening Batsman, Roc D’Apsis, and Ballykan all re-appear, and they all make some appeal. I’d be swaying towards Theatre Guide at this stage, just off the back of the mannner of his victory last year, and also the fact that the 4lb rise for his last win doesn’t look too prohibitive. I’m happy to put a line through his Welsh National run, as I thought that seemed a strange choice for him. Admittedly it’s still a high enough mark for him, but it doesn’t look a strong renewal, and he might just get away with this.
No surprise to see Opening Batsman make the frame, and I can almost see this being the season target for him, he likes it here, and just can’t be dismissed. Ballykan looks to have been kept fresh for this, after being a busy boy last season, and I can easily see him making the frame also. If he runs like he did in The Badger Ales he’d have no chance, his jumping was desperate, but it was a bit better from Roc D’Apsis last time, and this may just be the track for him, not to mention that very much like Opening Batsman, this might have been the plan all along.
Those are the 3 that stand out, though Tea For Two, back here at a track he performs so well at, looks a worthy favourite, and is another who should be in the firing line.
Venetia can turn them around quickly, though she’ll have to work wonders with her impressive Ascot winner Tenor Nivernais, if he’s to go in again here just a week later. Double Shuffle is another who catches the eye, having won here last time, and like Roc D’Apsis, he’s from a yard who clearly take this race seriously.
Definitely no bet for the timebeing though, but gun to my head, it would be Theatre Guide 10’s at this stage to win, with possibly Roc D’Apsis ew at 20’s 4 places.
Bit disappointed not to see Cold March entered, I e-mailed Venetia the other day stating my case but obviously her internet is down
I’m sure we can all agree upon the winner. Pretty easy, right?
That’s the Chase Course at Fontwell and two cups of tea. How romantic it must be to drink tea at Fontwell! Nice one
Aso and Theatre Guide rarely run without some investment from myself, though i feel the handicapper might have hold of the former for now; the latter looks like having a realistic chance. Obviously not nearly as well handicapped as last year which was as close to a 14/1 forgone conclusion as I’d ever seen. Might find things a little tougher this year.
One that really catches the eye at the weights is Triolo D’Alene. 3lbs lower than his Hennessy win a few years ago and has been dropped 4lbs for his underwhelming run last time. I reckon that run was too bad to be true and i can easily see him turning up in a race like this and trouncing them.
I like double shuffle, winning c and d off top weight on his first attempt at the trip, hopefully open to improvement. Also roc d’ has a pull on the weights with many of the runners so could go well.
Good luck Tigers, I really like Roc D’Apsis as well, and he still looks big to me at 20’s, surprised that is holding.
I’ll keep this brief as my laptop is away getting fixed this week and I hate using my phone, I never realised my fingers were so big
I fancy the chances of Three Musketeers at 10/1 with totesport 
I have watched Irish saint for a couple of years now and I never thought he’d be a 3m horse but who am I to say.I reckon Paul Nicholls has had this race in mind all season for him so the 10/1 has been snaffled by me,e/w of course.
ANNACOTTY 25/1 e w loves the course , 2 from 2 over cd negative is still rated 3lb above last win but well worth an interest at available odds 5 times that of tea for two who nevertheless is a worthy fav
Final Decs, and a field of 13…………
Double Shuffle
Irish Saint
Three Musketeers
Theatre Guide
Viva Steve
Ballykan
Fingerontheswitch
Aso
Opening Batsman
Cocktails at Dawn
Annacotty
Triolo D’Alene
Pilgrims BayHappy to see Theatre Guide in there, and happy to take the 8’s now he’s declared, while happy to save a few quid with Roc D’Apsis not making it. I’ll jump ship now to Opening Batsman as my backup, and a few quid each way at the 16’s with Stan James, that looks big for a horse who probably has his season geared around this race.
The 3 that worry me most have already been mentioned in Irish Saint, Triolo D’Alene, and Annacotty, and I’ll add one of them to the forecasts on Saturday.
Theatre Guide win 8’s
Opening Batsman ew 16’sI can easily see Theatre Guide (8/1) becoming the first horse since Docklands Express (1991,92) to win this back to back. I think he’s shown he can be competitive of his mark and this doesn’t seem a noticeably better race than last year. But at double the odds I fancy Cocktails At Dawn who is now back down to his last winning mark and the drying conditions will help him more than others so at 16/1 I feel he’s a fair each-way bet.
When TAPK has a setback…’Taquin’ failing by a neck for a place and ‘Blaklion’s weight beating him last week he comes back with both guns blazing,one is Irish Saint winning this at 10’s down to 5’s e/w to the tune of £150 and the other barrels loaded with ‘Out Sam at 16/1 and 12/1 e/w again for the Eider,that will do for this week.
I fancy two in this DOUBLE SHUFFLE and THREE MUSKETEERS but I am sooooooooooooooo out of form!!
I do have everything crossed though!!
I fancy the chances of Three Musketeers at 10/1 with totesport 
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