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How many horses each year even start at less than 10-1 in the National? It would have to be at least that price…
Think it was around 16 this year on Big Blue before the historical revisionists came to the rescue.
…and when Kauto Star beats Ollie Magern and Knowhere in the Betfair, I will feast on that packet of scratchings…
Lough Derg is being schooled over National fences at Pond House as we speak!
You took the words right out of my mouth David
Charles Darwin to conquer the World
Findlay in today’s paper says he has "no interest" in the bonus and Nicholls says "The changes make it unlikely to the point of being practically impossible to win" before adding that Denman and Kauto definitely won’t be aimed at the Million.
Betfair have shot themselves in the foot with this one.
Findlay in today’s paper says he has "no interest" in the bonus and Nicholls says "The changes make it unlikely to the point of being practically impossible to win" before adding that Denman and Kauto definitely won’t be aimed at the Million.
Betfair have shot themselves in the foot with this one.
Why? I wouldn’t believe all you read, of course Findlay & Nicholls would prefer the previous races as they would be a lot more likely to win it and wouldn’t need to run him in the National, maybe Betfair could just give them the million instead
Now the temptation is there if they qualify in the first 2 races and other horses could be brought into the equation rather than it just being a one horse race.If I owned Kauto or Denman I wouldn’t be remotely tempted to go for the bonus and I believe Nicholls and Findlay that they won’t alter their plans on teh back of this.
In the unlikely event that it is won next year then it will be by a Cloudy Lane type horse imo – 3rd in Betfair, 2nd in Gold Cup, win National – in which case there is a large element of "so what?" about the whole thing…..I think it’s clear that Betfair want to reduce the chances of having to pay the bonus although there’s still at least a fair chance that there will be something running in the National with a chance of landing it and there would be plenty of publicity in it for them on the day should that be the case.
I think Findlay’s comments leave a sour taste. It’s only a few weeks ago that he was talking seriously about running Denman in next year’s National. He’s clearly been talked out of that (which is fair enough) but it’s a bit rich now to sneer at the very idea.
I think it’s clear that Betfair want to reduce the chances of having to pay the bonus although there’s still at least a fair chance that there will be something running in the National with a chance of landing it and there would be plenty of publicity in it for them on the day should that be the case.
.Really? If Kauto and Denman aren’t going for it, you probably have the 2nd and 3rd in the Betfair Chase who then need to win or come 2nd at Cheltenham (v hard in Gold Cup and presumably would be handicapped to hilt in WH) and then be aimed at the National. I wouldn’t be holding my breath tbh.
I understand what you’re saying, TDK, and that’s why I used the word "fair". It’s not too hard to construct an alternative scenario in which Kauto Star is on the wane and Denman suffers an injury as a result of which someone unexpectedly finds himself owning a horse with a chance of landing the bonus and can’t resist a tilt at it.
betfair are either trying to atempt to get either Denman or Kauto to run in the grand national or atempting to keep the million for themselves.
Charles Darwin to conquer the World
It’s quite likely without this initiative the Betfair Chase would be 3 or 4 runner non event with a nice school round for Denman but who wants to see that apart from Nicholls & Findlay? At least we will be guaranteed some runners now, why would you not want to enter the first 3 home in the National if you owned them for starters?
I don’t agree yeats.
If Nicholls thinks it is virtually impossible to win then there is no way that other horses that have the National as a long term aim will target it. The quickest way to screw your National chance is to finish too close to some 180 horse in a Haydock Graded chase.
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