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EDG beat them fair and square today didn’t he?
If so 6/1 seems an absolute gift here, especially if you are an e/w thief.
The fly in the ointment could be Blue Lord but he’s got a big task to turn the form around with Edwardstone, let alone the other two.
I’ve bit my lip long enough , Blue Lord got destroyed in the Arkle last year , this season he was all out to beat Tornado at 2 4 then beat Captain Guinness , who hasn’t beaten captain guinness …. I know some of you will say he still improving but in my eyes the Mullins factor is def effecting his price , I doubt he’ll be here , surely more likely to go to the ryanair
“EDG beat them fair and square today didn’t he?”
Only because Edwardstone was patently ridden to beat Energumene. By the time Tom Cannon realised EDG wasn’t stopping, his horse had seven or eight lengths to find and the effort of making up so much ground between the last two fences told close home.
I’d be confident that Edwardstone will finish ahead of EDG in March. The questions are, did Energumene simply have an off day yesterday or has he been overrated? And is Blue Lord a viable threat?
I thought the result threw the whole division wide open but not necessarily because there are loads of good horses in it.
EDG is an improver but this is still a horse who got beat in handicaps on both his last two starts on the old course, I know he got a questionable ride in the race in October but he’s surely not a Champion Chase winner off that is he? It was only a few months ago.
Enurgemene must have been miles off it yesterday for whatever reason and even Edwardstone I’ve come away with questions over now, a faller at Kempton, he headed EDG and I didn’t like his appetite for the battle personally although there is some credit attached there to the winner and the ride he got.
Never really liked Blue Lord so its a big shoulder shrug from me its anyones game.
“The questions are, did Energumene simply have an off day yesterday or has he been overrated?”
When winning the Champion Chase, Energumene beat Funambule Sivola by an easy eight and a half lengths.
Funambule Sivola was 23 lengths behind Edwardstone at Sandown Park, 36 lengths behind Editeur Du Gite at Kempton Park and 21 lengths behind Editeur Du Gite at Cheltenham yesterday, 15 lengths behind Energumene on this occasion.
I’ve never quite bought the idea that Energumene was in a zone of his own on form – in fact, I backed Edwardstone yesterday and at various stages of the season I’ve taken on Energumene ante-post for the Champion Chase with Gentleman Du Mee (16/1), Greaneteen (20/1) – the less said there the better! – but, potentially more fruitfully, Edwardstone (16/1) and Editeur Du Gite (33/1).
Unlike the lazy racing media, I don’t put racing until contrived fake boxes like “divisions” – horses can drop back or step up in trip or even switch between chasing and hurdling.
Nor do I deplore an unclear picture – it creates betting opportunities.
A fascinating renewal awaits.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“Only because Edwardstone was patently ridden to beat Energumene. By the time Tom Cannon realised EDG wasn’t stopping, his horse had seven or eight lengths to find and the effort of making up so much ground between the last two fences told close home.”
Given the above, would it be fair to say that EDG would have beaten Edwardstone at Kempton as well considering he was held up even further off the pace that day? If so, it seems mad that Edwardstone is such a significantly shorter price for the CC than a horse that has beaten him twice in the last month.
I’m not saying Edwardstone can’t win in March but I wouldn’t want to be piling in at 2/1 to find out!
EDG has now beaten all the top UK challengers bar Greaneteen (if you can even consider him a top contender) and the best Irish horse as well.
TTM makes a valid point about being beaten in handicaps but I think there were valid excuses for those, big weight and bottomless ground in the Grand Annual where he still wasn’t beaten far and the change of tactics in October which clearly didn’t work and took the horses best asset away.
It’s wide open and any of the front four in the betting could potentially win in March but I just feel the market is still underestimating him.
Not sure about the Edwardstone excuse about being too far back as he took it up and then the other horse fought back. And the old course is less stiff so Edwardstone may get further back than he did yesterday. EDG looked a different animal the last twice. Energumene will probably be ridden different in March as well probably. And Blue Lord may put his hat in the ring. All to play for with result unknown.
“Not sure about the Edwardstone excuse about being too far back as he took it up and then the other horse fought back.”
It’s about efficient use of energy, Mike. The horse has used up a lot of energy in a short amount of time to make up the ground, because the jockey was focusing on the favourite.
That massive effort left Edwardstone with nothing in the last fifty yards.
Energumene isn’t overly overrated imo.
I think the battle with Shishkin last year may have caught up with him. All his wins have been easy enough, perhaps he thinks twice when asked for extra.Blackbeard to conquer the World
“EDG is an improver but this is still a horse who got beat in handicaps on both his last two starts on the old course”.
That is the key point, to my mind. Even if he has improved, is he really a better horse than Edwardstone – an Arkle and Tingle Creek winner.
“Even if he has improved, is he really a better horse than Edwardstone – an Arkle and Tingle Creek winner.”
Quite possibly. If someone told me Edwardstone would win an Arkle and Tingle Creek after failing to win grade 3 handicap hurdles i would be wondering what tablets they were taking ;o)
Much though I deplore what Alan King said, he comments surely give a clue that he hadn’t done much with Edwardstone since Kempton Park and, Grade 1 or not, King was using it as part of the horse’s Champion Chase preparation.
I hope Editeur Du Gite wins again – I’ve got 33/1 him and 16s Edwardstone to the same stake, both win only as usual – but I think Edwardstone was ridden to beat Energumene, still came and basically won the race, but blew up near the line.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I read on RTV’s site:
“Mullins felt Energumene’s performance was affected by the white trim on the fences at Cheltenham, which have been changed from orange since his Festival success of last term,
‘It was his first time going to England and jumping the new white fences, even though he had jumped them at home, and he just baulked at the first. It was definitely a useful exercise for us and I’d say it’s something a lot of Irish horses are going to have to prepare for because if you miss the first at Cheltenham, your race could be gone.’”
I am not sure how Mullins can be so certain that Energumene was put off by the white boards – but if he is right, it will be interesting to see if any other Irish horses are similarly affected at the festival and their connections use it as an excuse.
That seems like the biggest load of cow manure iv ever read to me from
The fences were the wrong colour
One of the worst excuses iv ever heard, next he’ll be telling us the grass was too green
Right up there with Sir Alex Ferguson’s “wrong colour shirts” excuse when his team got a pasting away at Southampton…absolute codswallop.
He even says the horse has jumped the same fences at home so he’s clasping at straws with that one I’m afraid.
Only watched yesterday’s racing on my phone. Back home now with a chance to see it on a bigger screen, and although I’ve backed Edwardstone for the Queen Mother, as well as small bets on EDG, a combination of keenness and running slightly in snatches – not in the conventional way; more like he gets a touch outpaced at times, Cannon needs to let go his head to get back on terms, but he keeps accelerating and Cannon must take a pull once more. For a horse with so much apparently left in the tank, he was noticeably outpaced turning in yesterday, and, as Cannon wound him up going to 2 out he hung left, and did so again after the last.
That’s the first close finish he’s been in over fences, and the experience might serve him better on the big day than him sluicing in yesterday. Finally, he is not a natural jumper, and between that and his keen style, he’ll always be burning energy as he cannot settle to a rhythm. Very talented horse who seems better than ever, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the return of headgear, perhaps in the Game Spirit.
Edwardstone recovering from a setback…
“Edwardstone was unfortunately lame for most of last week. I’m pleased to say he has a shoe back on now but he had a bruised foot after his run in the Clarence House at Cheltenham.
It took five or six days to get him back sound. We did some x-rays which were all clear and provided there are no further problems then it’s not a concern. We’ve had a little niggle with him but he’s got plenty of time.”
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