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Champion Chase 2016

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Viewing 17 posts - 52 through 68 (of 132 total)
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  • #1229311
    Avatar photoMarkTT
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    • Total Posts 2939

    Surly Willie would like to win this, the Ryanair and the Gold Cup and so Vautour is unlikely to run over 2 miles ?

    #1229312
    LD73
    Participant
    • Total Posts 3186

    With the likes of Min, Douvan, Faugheen, Annie Power, Vroum Vroum Mag, Ponte Alexandre, Vautour and Djakadam – I wonder if you can get a price on Ricci being top owner?

    #1229334
    Avatar photoNathan Hughes
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    • Total Posts 32230

    The trouble Vautour will have in this race is that Ruby rides the winner UDS and Vautour gets a new pilot who isn’t as good as Ruby…… :bye:

    Blackbeard to conquer the World

    #1229348
    homersimpson
    Participant
    • Total Posts 2911

    Or vice versa if Vautour does go for this ;-)

    #1229349
    thewexfordman
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1200

    Vautour will not be in this race. It’s as straightforward as that. Riccis representative if he has one is likely to be Champagne Fever.

    #1229918
    Avatar photoKeptonsamepace
    Participant
    • Total Posts 61

    Champion Chase: 1PT EW Champagne Fever 25/1 various

    Ryanair: Sir Des Champs 1PT EW 28/1 Stan James

    #1229950
    rocky91
    Participant
    • Total Posts 439

    With price wise about ti make his pick, Just had my first decent bet on the champion chase with DODGING BULLETTS ew 9/1 nrnb with hills. Been waiting for his price to go out with a firm that’s nrnb.

    Won’t be out until February but if he retains his ability (after what nicholls saying has been a minor jnjury) it would be hard to see him out of the places, and with un de sceaux not alway getting a clean round and yet to be tested by the older genuine graded horses, it wouldn’t be impossible to see him winning again. He improved alot last season with each run and especially in comparison to his arkle form, you could argue that he’s still a young horse and it’s also possible that he can improve although I don’t think he’d need to, to be placed, as it’s the same bunch of horses he beat last year and although sprinter sacre has improved on last year’s consistency I don’t think he’s any better now than when he finished 2nd behind Dodging bullets in the Clarence house.

    I backed uds earlier in the season at 5/2 but was only £25 max bet. I also think uds is underpriced at a general 6/4 and will drift to a point where I can go back on again. Also will likely see some price boosts and specials on uds nearer the time.

    #1229966
    Avatar photoKingSprinterSacre
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    • Total Posts 423

    Matt chapman texted rich ricci live on air on his show on the line this evening to find out about Champagne Fever. Rich the good sport that he is replied. CF has had a few niggles and if he doesn’t make the champion chase will be targeted at Aintree & Punchestown.

    #1230491
    Avatar photoSteeplechasing
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    • Total Posts 6114

    UDS looked to be very clever today; just the right mix of caution and energy. He seems to prefer clearing the fence completely, rather than brushing through with back feet as many do. This makes him land as close to on all fours as you’ll get without it costing him ground. The downside of that is he will make no ground at his fences, but I suspect Ruby will leave him alone now, as he pretty much did today. Asking him up, especially very late in a race would be too big a risk.

    He’s a proper ball of muscle with a great engine, and unless Traffic Fluide finds 20 pounds between now and the Festival (he travelled like a good horse today) and skips the Ryanair, UDS is home and hosed.

    #1230497
    Avatar photoBigG
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    • Total Posts 13309

    I agree Joe that UDS looks like it’s his to lose. I would have thought that
    Gary Moore would have gone the Ryanair route with TRAFFIC FLUIDE, but he
    commented after the race……
    “I’m very pleased. He has ran a great race and a career best. He will head to
    the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury then the Champion Chase after that.”

    It will be easier to see where we stand after the Game Spirit, but it was an
    impressive return after 287 days off. UDS was obviously race fit and ran to
    his mark of 168, he may even go up a couple of lbs, but not as much as TRAFFIC
    FLUIDE who I can see going up as much as 10lbs (from 154) having run SDG (169)
    to a short head, and looking the stronger of the two at the finish.

    He will likely run off 160+ in The Game Spirit, and if he has improved for today’s
    run, and there’s every chance he will do, and were he to win there, I can see him
    going to Cheltenham rated a handful of pounds behind UDS.

    I would still rather he went the Ryanair route, I think that will be a more open
    race, as I expect Vautour to head for the Gold Cup.

    From a betting perspective, you and I are covered for both races, but I’d rather
    he won the Ryanair than come second in the Champion Chase.

    Either way he is an exciting prospect and I’m looking forward to seeing him at
    The Festival.

    I’m doubly excited today, as my tickets arrived for Gold Cup day at The Festival.
    I know it’s ridiculous at my age, but I feel like a kid the night before Christmas :yahoo:

    #1230512
    Avatar photoSteeplechasing
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    • Total Posts 6114

    You’ll have an unforgettable day watching Vautour romp home in the Gold Cup :)

    Yes, I just posted on the CHouse thread that I saw that Moore says he goes for the QM. Looking back at his quotes, he missed the festival last year as Moore said he wasn’t ready mentally and he’d rather wait as he thought him very special.

    20s for the QM looks far too high to me: quite how they make the ageing SDG half that price on ground that almost certainly will not favour him, I don’t know

    #1230527
    Avatar photoNathan Hughes
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    • Total Posts 32230

    UDS looked to be very clever today; just the right mix of caution and energy. He seems to prefer clearing the fence completely, rather than brushing through with back feet as many do. This makes him land as close to on all fours as you’ll get without it costing him ground. The downside of that is he will make no ground at his fences, but I suspect Ruby will leave him alone now, as he pretty much did today. Asking him up, especially very late in a race would be too big a risk.

    He’s a proper ball of muscle with a great engine, and unless Traffic Fluide finds 20 pounds between now and the Festival (he travelled like a good horse today) and skips the Ryanair, UDS is home and hosed.

    I think today he wasn’t as attacking at his fences as he can be but I’m sure the last thing they would have wanted to do was for him to go down again and used his engine and speed as the main weapon today, if they have to I’m sure he can be ridden much more aggressively.

    Here’s a lovely slow mo doing the rounds from Cheltenham last year of UDS in the Arkle.

    [link taken down]

    Blackbeard to conquer the World

    #1230539
    Avatar photoIan
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    • Total Posts 525

    I think a fresh Sprinter Sacre at Cheltenham can beat Un De Seaux. Unless the likes of Vibrato Voltat and Simply Ned have suddenly improved over half a stone on their best form Un De Seaux didn’t do anything at Ascot anywhere near what Sprinter did at his best. He is beatable.

    #1230548
    Andy4Fingers
    Participant
    • Total Posts 20

    As this is my first post I thought I’d start by saying I’ve lurked for a few months and what a quality forum this seems – there’s some great knowledge on here.

    With regards to UDS I think the Champion Chase is his to lose. Looking at the form through Sire De Grugy and Vibrato Valtat it would take some decent improvement from Sprinter Sacre to beat him. Having said that I understand the point IBRacing makes above that a peak form SS would probably take it but I think it’s clear that SS isn’t the force he once was.

    Hopefully it isn’t my pocket distorting my view because I’m on UDS, but I think at this stage a fall is the most likely thing to stop him winning.

    #1230552
    Avatar photoSteeplechasing
    Participant
    • Total Posts 6114

    Welcome Andy (I won’t ask about the 4 fingers; I suspect there’s story in it!)

    Just watched the Clarence House again and the only crossed lines for Ruby and UDS were three out. I thought yesterday, at first watching, he’d been leaving the horse alone, but he was helping at each jump with getting that stride adjustment right, and the horse was spot on, bar 3 out, where he guessed, but had the energy and athleticism not to be troubled by it.

    QM tactics will be fascinating. My guess would still be that Ruby will ride him as he did yesterday, not asking for anything fancy. The horse has the flat speed to put things to bed after the last, especially if he’s not expending energy on flying leaps.

    #1230553
    Avatar photoSteeplechasing
    Participant
    • Total Posts 6114

    BTW Nathan, that link is broken (for me at least). I’d like to have seen that.

    Finally, I think SS is probably better than SDG, but not by that much, and I wouldn’t think he’ll trouble UDS. We’ve come, as we always do, to another changing of the guard in the top two-milers.

    #1230561
    Avatar photoNathan Hughes
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    • Total Posts 32230

    If you search Un De Sceaux on Twitter Joe and scroll down the news you should come across it. It’s him jumping a couple fences, one early in the race and one at the end.

    edit

    The link worked for me but I’ve taken it down, as I just wanted it to come up as normal like the youtube ones do but perhaps it’s copyrighted or something.

    Check out twitter Joe, or if I come across it on Facebook I’ll tag you.

    Blackbeard to conquer the World

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