Coneygree

[stevecaution]

I notice even the official handicapper Phil Smith is getting carried away now rating

Coneygree

a

better Novice

than the mighty

Denman

…Lets see how many Hennesseys,Gold cups and RSA’s,this slighty over-hyped Novice does win because mark my words he wont win anything at Cheltenham in March unless its very soft.

What part of "better novice" don’t you understand Gord? How many Hennesseys and/or what either horse does/did in its second season has nothing to do with how good they can be rated as a NOVICE.
Denman’s form improved around a stone and a half

AFTER

his novice season. Phil Smith has

NOT

said he’s expecting Coneygree to make the same giant step Denman took as a second season chaser.

That’s very true Ginger but they are talking about putting Coneygree in The Gold Cup this year, rather than after another year to put in, hopefully, something similar to Denman’s second season improvement.

Denman was odds on in all four of his first season chases, in small field grade 3, grade 2, grade 2, grade 2 races before his Triumph at 6/5 fav in the RSA. He never had the chance to get more highly rated that season. I was on him off top weight in the Hennessey on his seasonal debut the following year, when he got the chance to show he was better than 161, and he didn’t half prove that he was, taking his mark to 176 in the aftermath.

I suppose comparisons with Denman this early do tend to rankle on grounds that the Nicholl’s horse became a legend and there’s a long way to go for Coneygree yet but, as Ginger says, it’s all about their novice seasons for the moment and it doesn’t mean Coneygree will prove to be as good as Denman, never mind better than him when the dust settles on Coneygree’s career.

My own feeling is that Coneygree has probably got the benefit of the doubt for winning a race where half the field had question marks coming in and where one horse proved to his trainer that he doesn’t stay the trip. Paul Nicholls has confirmed that third placed Unioniste misses Cheltenham and heads straight to Aintree for The National, stating that the horse has abundant stamina and will probably target The Grand National for the next 3 or 4 seasons. Experienced trainer translators will know that what Paul Nicholls is actually saying is:-

"Jesus Christ this Unioniste is a slow horse"

I wonder if Babelfish has a translation setting for

Trainer Speak English

to

True Meaning English

?

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[Gingertipster]

It is true Steve, that had Denman run against established chasers when still a novice, he’d have probably been able to put up a better rating than against novices (in the RSA). Indeed, Denman would’ve stood a good chance if racing as a novice in an

average

Gold Cup. However, in Denman’s novice year (unlike Coneygree’s likely opposition) Kauto Star was no average Gold Cup winner.

Denman improved and put up a Timeform rating of

180

in winning his Gold Cup. Considering the quality (or lack of it) the winner of this year’s Blue Riband is unlikely to need to run to a Timeform rating of

170

. Therefore, imo worth having a go with an above average top staying novice. Next year it could need a 175 or 180 again, so could be more difficult for Coneygree to win in 2016 than 2015.

Coneygree did not just beat Unioniste, he beat him 10 1/2 lengths, not all out, in receipt of 5 lbs (say 5 1/2 lengths beating, plus a bit for ease of victory… call it 7 lengths). Unlike the Bradstock Bruiser, Unioniste now seems fully exposed at non-marathon trips. Grand National the wise move by Nicholls.

On form, Coneygree is not yet imo good enough to place in this season’s Gold Cup. But is improving fast and only needs to maintain progression to be at least in the frame. Anyone thinking this was not a top novice performance should also look at how the time compares (by Racing Post standard times) to Newbury’s other races.

Now taken the 12/1 nrnb and 16/1 all in.

Value Is Everything

[ivanjica]

Think your form lines are very questionable Ivanjica. You’re relying a lot on the form of Houblon and Dynaste. I was at Newbury on both Hennessey and Denman days, although the official ground was soft both days, it wasn’t. Denman was run on good-soft which did not suit Houblon as well, running below form. Dynaste was also below his Kempton form at Cheltenham.

I don’t think Coneygree is as good as your form lines make out, but I agree he should go for the Gold Cup. Particularly with (favourite apart) the rest don’t look top class. A bit more improvement could see Coneygree bang there in the mix.

It’s all about opinion. You may think they are questionable, that doesn’t mean they are. Who is to say Dynaste under performed at Cheltenham? We will only know that for sure when the Gold Cup is run and Many Clouds’ performance compared to Silviniaco Conti gives us the answer.

The Houblon Des Obeaux form line is of course the key, but he now has solid form this season with three progressive and potentially top class chasers – Many Clouds, Coneygree and The Young Master. I am not sure what point you are making regarding the ground – Houblon’s highest ever RPR was achieved when runner up and conceding lumps of weight to The Young Master on good to soft at Ascot – Le Reve giving the form a solid look when achieving a career high figure at Sandown next time out..

As has happened in the past we may find ourselves here in a year or two bemoaning the poor crop of novice chasers in 2015 that promised so much but delivered little. However I think it prudent to consider the recent form of Houblon Des Obeaux for now, and accept that he appears a much improved performer this season. Which makes the case for running Coneygree in the Gold Cup all the more plausible.

[ivanjica]

I notice even the official handicapper Phil Smith is getting carried away now rating Coneygree a [b:b55pywzy]better Novice[/b:b55pywzy] than the mighty Denman…Lets see how many Hennesseys,Gold cups and RSA’s,this slighty over-hyped Novice does win because mark my words he wont win anything at Cheltenham in March unless its very soft.

What part of “better novice” don’t you understand Gord? How many Hennesseys and/or what either horse does/did in its second season has nothing to do with how good they can be rated as a NOVICE.
Denman’s form improved around a stone and a half [b:b55pywzy]AFTER[/b:b55pywzy] his novice season. Phil Smith has NOT said he’s expecting Coneygree to make the same giant step Denman took as a second season chaser.

That’s very true Ginger but they are talking about putting Coneygree in The Gold Cup this year, rather than after another year to put in, hopefully, something similar to Denman’s second season improvement.

Denman was odds on in all four of his first season chases, in small field grade 3, grade 2, grade 2, grade 2 races before his Triumph at 6/5 fav in the RSA. He never had the chance to get more highly rated that season. I was on him off top weight in the Hennessey on his seasonal debut the following year, when he got the chance to show he was better than 161, and he didn’t half prove that he was, taking his mark to 176 in the aftermath.

I suppose comparisons with Denman this early do tend to rankle on grounds that the Nicholl’s horse became a legend and there’s a long way to go for Coneygree yet but, as Ginger says, it’s all about their novice seasons for the moment and it doesn’t mean Coneygree will prove to be as good as Denman, never mind better than him when the dust settles on Coneygree’s career.

My own feeling is that Coneygree has probably got the benefit of the doubt for winning a race where half the field had question marks coming in and where one horse proved to his trainer that he doesn’t stay the trip. Paul Nicholls has confirmed that third placed Unioniste misses Cheltenham and heads straight to Aintree for The National, stating that the horse has abundant stamina and will probably target The Grand National for the next 3 or 4 seasons. Experienced trainer translators will know that what Paul Nicholls is actually saying is:-

“Jesus Christ this Unioniste is a slow horse”

I wonder if Babelfish has a translation setting for Trainer Speak English to True Meaning English?

You keep failing to address Houblon Des Obeaux’s improved form this term, perhaps because that doesn’t fit with your argument. He tried to match strides with Coneygree which no doubt allowed Unioniste to finish a lot closer to him than would have been the case had Coneygree not been in the contest (Nicholls’ charge’s abundant stamina kicking in). Coneygree was eased towards the finish so it is fair to say the winning distance could have been greater had Dickie wanted it to be, and he may well be better than the official mark of 166.

Unioniste came into the race off the back of a career high performance in winning at Sandown. In his novice campaign finished only 8 lengths adrift of Dynaste over an inadequate 2m 4f and 9 lengths behind a future Gold Cup winner in the RSA – both at level weights.

Using the Nicholls’ quote about Aintree is fine, however immediately following Unioniste’s Sandown win his assistant stated “the plan has always been the Grand National, but you can´t ignore a good prize like this along the way”. It seems clear to me that they clearly wanted to see if there was any merit in running Unioniste at Cheltenham by contesting the Denman Chase, and have now decided they have little chance of reversing form with Coneygree so why jeopardise possible victory in the Grand National by coming lets say 5th or 6th (or worse) in a Gold Cup. I think that is a more plausible interpretation of events than your one which, I am afraid, seems to be contrived to fit your argument.

[stevecaution]

You keep failing to address Houblon Des Obeaux’s improved form this term, perhaps because that doesn’t fit with your argument. He tried to match strides with Coneygree which no doubt allowed Unioniste to finish a lot closer to him than would have been the case had Coneygree not been in the contest (Nicholls’ charge’s abundant stamina kicking in). Coneygree was eased towards the finish so it is fair to say the winning distance could have been greater had Dickie wanted it to be, and he may well be better than the official mark of 166.

Unioniste came into the race off the back of a career high performance in winning at Sandown. In his novice campaign finished only 8 lengths adrift of Dynaste over an inadequate 2m 4f and 9 lengths behind a future Gold Cup winner in the RSA – both at level weights.

Using the Nicholls’ quote about Aintree is fine, however immediately following Unioniste’s Sandown win his assistant stated “the plan has always been the Grand National, but you can´t ignore a good prize like this along the way”. It seems clear to me that they clearly wanted to see if there was any merit in running Unioniste at Cheltenham by contesting the Denman Chase, and have now decided they have little chance of reversing form with Coneygree so why jeopardise possible victory in the Grand National by coming lets say 5th or 6th (or worse) in a Gold Cup. I think that is a more plausible interpretation of events than your one which, I am afraid, seems to be contrived to fit your argument.

There is nothing contrived about it. It is simply my opinion.

You can read these form lines different ways. They are only ever a guide, because horses rarely run to their best race after race.

Houblon Des Obeaux was a 50/1 shot in the Hennessey, which told its own story. As I have already said, it rode more like a Grand National trial than a Gold Cup one. The placed horses have been contesting Welsh Nationals and more than half the field were pulled up on the day.

You can consider your theory more plausible than mine if it makes you feel any better. My opinion is that Unioniste is not, never was, and never will be a Gold Cup horse and he looked painfully slow last Saturday. Double Ross and Harry Topper are woefully out of sorts, Taquin De Seuil was pulled up the time before, didn’t settle very well and has been declared a non-stayer by his trainer. That leaves you hanging your argument on how good Houblon Des Obeaux is and I’m not willing to trust the race full stop.

You mention Houblon Des Obeaux’s improved form this term but I’m not seeing where you are getting that from. He went up four pounds for running behind Many Clouds, but as I have already said, more than half the field were pulled up that day, he then got raised one pound for being second to The Young Master. He has now gone down a pound for being second to Coneygree, leaving him 4lbs higher than when he started, so it’s hardly a meteoric rise through the ranks and with Many Clouds having gone up 10 lbs for his Hennessey win and Coneygree having gone up 13lbs for his win on Saturday, there is always the possibility that Houblon Des Obeaux has piggy-backed his way to his rating.

It is a preference of mine to see horses win their way to a rating, rather than get there on the coat-tails of another horse’s performance. That’s just my own way of thinking. It is nothing whatsoever to do with “contriving” anything and I find your assertion that it is, to be something of an overreaction to what is just an expression of a personal opinion.

I have already read and heard of Coneygree being a freak who is another Arkle in the making. There always seems to be a section of the racing following who can’t wait for it to actually happen but, instead, need to be in there early getting a prediction in before they’ve even weighed in, seemingly for the purpose of being able to say “You heard it here first” or “I told you”, once their prediction comes to pass. Sadly, despite the amount of people getting a milk bottle in their trousers about a horse, the new Arkle has not, like the second coming of Jesus, been born in a stable near Cheltenham thus far.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[The Young Fella]

Surely a horse being 50/1 before running in a race doesn’t "tell its own story" about the result at all.

It just tells a story about the way the oddsmakers and punters evaluated its chance beforehand, rather than the actual merits of the performance.

[stevecaution]

Surely a horse being 50/1 before running in a race doesn’t "tell its own story" about the result at all.

It just tells a story about the way the oddsmakers and punters evaluated its chance, rather than the actual merits of the performance.

So you don’t think it matters when big outsiders finish in unexpected places?

There has to be a reason for a horse going off big odds and when it then runs above expectations it seems sensible to ask why?

My point was that more than half the field were pulled up and that always concerns me. How many horses in the race actually ran to form when conditions were such that ten of them were too tired to finish?

Again, it’s personal opinion about how you read these things and I just don’t see Houblon Des Obeaux as a true Gold Cup contender. We shall all see in March.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[The Young Fella]

It depends on the individual horses and the context. You can’t just sweepingly say that a 50/1 shot making the frame drags down the merits of the form. Sometimes it is pertinent, granted, but I doubt that this is one of those cases.

To me, it seems obvious the Houblon Des Obeaux has improved this season. After looking exposed, he has split all sorts of well-handicapped horses in two very competitive chases. Handicap snip The Young Master, subsequent Pillar winner Many Clouds, subsequent winner Le Reve, big race winners Unioniste and Djakadam…he’s been right in the thick of all of them. His rating has climbed from 158 to 162 as well.

Many of Venetia Williams’ horses have landed big handicaps or run well despite being outsiders – Something Wells (33/1), Carrickboy (50/1), Stan (25/1), Idole First (33/1) and Mon Mome (100/1) are some that immediately spring to mind. Her yard seems adept at improving your seemingly exposed Houblon Des Obeaux types, a talent which will naturally lead to horses running well at big prices.

[Zamorston]

Dont think there is anything wrong with the Hennessy form personally…..just think they went a bit quick and many needed the run….Many Clouds, Djakadam, Unioniste, Annacotty and Le Reve all won on their next start and Houblon Des Obeaux and Smad place both ran excellent 2nds on their next starts…

Coneygree has done everything that has been asked…improved on every starr. Time he ran at Kempton in comparison with the King George…on only his 2nd start over fences, a race he could quite easily have bounced in shows he’s a serious chaser in the making. In my opinion he stepped up again when beating Houblon, a horse who had ran two solid races previous..

We could all pick holes and question what horses have beat…you could argue the King George form of Silviniaco Conti…how reliable were the runnings of Cue Card who doesnt look the same these days, and questionable non stayers Champagne Fever and Al Ferof….

The way Coneygree is jumping fences and running whats up against him into the ground you’ve got to be impressed. He leaves me the impression there is plenty left aswell and can go right to the very top. I will strongly believe that until I see him beaten.

[seldomseenkid]

Coneygree will probably run in the Gold Cup, but if you like the horse you might fancy 4/1 NRNB with Boylesports for the RSA. Anybody trying to second guess the connections’ intentions might like to bear in mind that they are not gamblers. Their main consideration will be the the going and the fact that they have an 8-y-o who is as well as can be and on strict form has a better chance than most of landing the big one. He’s 7 wins from 9 races, having had a wind op after his first defeat and in the second lost to At Fishers Cross & The New One, with Whisper behind. Since then, he has won a Berkshire Novices’ Chase (Denman, Bobs Worth), a Feltham Novices Chase (Long Run) and a Denman Chase (Kauto Star, Denman, Long Run, Silviniaco Conti). It is not the horse’s fault that he hasn’t seen much of the opposition at the races: he can only beat what turns up. Come next month, if he "turns up", it will take a good un to pass him, whichever race he runs in.

[stevecaution]

Dont think there is anything wrong with the Hennessy form personally…..just think they went a bit quick and many needed the run….Many Clouds, Djakadam, Unioniste, Annacotty and Le Reve all won on their next start and Houblon Des Obeaux and Smad place both ran excellent 2nds on their next starts…

That is my point. The subsequent form is better, but how many ran to their best in The Hennessey?

The soft ground, the pace and the lack of fitness certainly contributed to some of the horses not getting home. My point is not about what horses did next time when they were fitter, ran on better ground, or raced in more suitable races.

My point is that Houblon Des Obeaux faced them in the Hennessey, when none of the latter conditions were in place, and those same horses clearly didn’t run to their best in the Hennessey.

For example, Djakadam was deemed to have run to 145 in The Hennessey before winning from that mark in the Thyestes. Djakadam is now rated 157 and is improving but it’s clear he didn’t run at his best in The Hennessey when he was warm favourite. The handicapper still has Houblon Des Obeaux 4 lbs clear of Djakadam but it is clear from their relative positions in The Gold Cup betting that the Mullins horse is the one who would be warm favourite in a match at level weights.

Houblon Des Obeaux has gone up the weights four pounds but I don’t see that as enough to make a case for another horse potentially headed for Gold Cup glory. It’s just my opinion.

Coneygree could be a seriously good horse but he’s not there yet. Many punters follow horses until they are beaten, sometimes with success and sometimes with failure. If I was convinced by Coneygree’s achievements, I might do the same but I have chosen to take the more sceptical view for now.

I always admit when I have got one wrong and congratulate those who stayed with a horse I was against, and I’ll be one of the first to salute the horse, and his fans, if he proves that I misjudged him.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[Gingertipster]

Think your form lines are very questionable Ivanjica. You’re relying a lot on the form of Houblon and Dynaste. I was at Newbury on both Hennessey and Denman days, although the official ground was soft both days, it wasn’t. Denman was run on good-soft which did not suit Houblon as well, running below form. Dynaste was also below his Kempton form at Cheltenham.

I don’t think Coneygree is as good as your form lines make out, but I agree he should go for the Gold Cup. Particularly with (favourite apart) the rest don’t look top class. A bit more improvement could see Coneygree bang there in the mix.

It’s all about opinion. You may think they are questionable, that doesn’t mean they are. Who is to say Dynaste under performed at Cheltenham? We will only know that for sure when the Gold Cup is run and Many Clouds’ performance compared to Silviniaco Conti gives us the answer.

The Houblon Des Obeaux form line is of course the key, but he now has solid form this season with three progressive and potentially top class chasers – Many Clouds, Coneygree and The Young Master. I am not sure what point you are making regarding the ground – Houblon’s highest ever RPR was achieved when runner up and conceding lumps of weight to The Young Master on good to soft at Ascot – Le Reve giving the form a solid look when achieving a career high figure at Sandown next time out..

As has happened in the past we may find ourselves here in a year or two bemoaning the poor crop of novice chasers in 2015 that promised so much but delivered little. However I think it prudent to consider the recent form of Houblon Des Obeaux for now, and accept that he appears a much improved performer this season. Which makes the case for running Coneygree in the Gold Cup all the more plausible.

As far as Dynaste is concerned, I don’t think we will “know” when comparing Many Clouds with Silvi. Sherwood horse has proven to be progressive and fully expect to see more improvement again in the Gold Cup.

Your first sentence is right Ivanjica, “it’s all about opinion”, so why call Steve’s opinion “contrived”?

Yes, (imo) Houblon is an improved performer this season and could progress again given the right conditions. if it came up bottomless ground (real stamina test) in the Gold Cup I’ll be interested backing him at a big price.

Good though it was, I’d have Houblon’s Ascot form a couple of pounds below the Hennessey myself. Disagree with RPR. Don’t pay much attention to official going reports. As I said, from my personal experience of Newbury on the two days – Denman day not anywhere near as soft as it was for the Hennessey. If you take a look at how the horses were finishing at Newbury (Denman day) compared to Ascot (and times produced) I believe Newbury’s Denman ground was not as soft as Ascot. Not as stamina sapping, but I could be wrong. As I said, Houblon on his toes in the paddock, so whether that had anything to do with a below par effort – not sure. It is “all about opinions”. Houblon did not run badly against Coneygree, just in my opinion not as well as the Hennessey.

Not knocking the form too much Ivanjica (trying to keep a level head) like it enough to have backed Coneygree for the Gold Cup myself!

Value Is Everything

[stevecaution]

Just as a footnote to Houblon Des Obeaux and whether he ran to his best behind Coneygree.

The Venetia Williams stable is 0 from 34 over the past fifteen days and is on the Cold Trainers list on the Paddy Power website.

That is the fact of the matter and readers can make of it what they wish.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[Seven Towers]

I don’t think we’ll see the best of Houblon Des Obeaux until he tries marathon trips. 3m is nowhere near enough so his 2nd to Coneygree at 3m is a big run considering in my opinion he needs at least another half a mile to be at his best. Not sure what this bearing this has on Coneygree. I think as he is 8 that Coneygree should go straight for the Gold Cup.

[stevecaution]

I don’t think we’ll see the best of Houblon Des Obeaux until he tries marathon trips. 3m is nowhere near enough so his 2nd to Coneygree at 3m is a big run considering in my opinion he needs at least another half a mile to be at his best. Not sure what this bearing this has on Coneygree. I think as he is 8 that Coneygree should go straight for the Gold Cup.

In the earlier posts it was questioned whether Houblon Des Obeaux had run to his best behind Coneygree last time. It surely has a bearing on Coneygree’s new handicap rating whether he beat horses who had run to their rating on the day.

As I said earlier in the thread, half the field were coming into the race out of sorts and needing to bounce back. We were told by Jonjo that Taquin De Seuil didn’t stay. Unioniste was badly outpaced and is National bound and I had already opined that The Hennessey might have been run more like a National trial. Houblon Des Obeaux seemed the best horse to base as big a rise as Coneygree received on. I ask whether he ran his best with the stable in the middle of a winner-less patch at the time of the race.

If we add in your own view that Houblon Des Obeaux needs Marathon trips then it surely leaves Coneygree being able to beat two slow horses, a non-stayer and two totally out of sort runners as something less exciting of an achievement?

It depends on how much faith you have in the horse. Some see him as the next best thing but I take the view that he might not have beaten a lot. That’s the nature of the game and what makes for discussion. Nobody will be sure until the race is run which view was the one we should all have taken.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[Gingertipster]

In the earlier posts it was questioned whether Houblon Des Obeaux had run to his best behind Coneygree last time. It surely has a bearing on Coneygree’s new handicap rating whether he beat horses who had run to their rating on the day.

As I said earlier in the thread, half the field were coming into the race out of sorts and needing to bounce back. We were told by Jonjo that Taquin De Seuil didn’t stay. Unioniste was badly outpaced and is National bound and I had already opined that The Hennessey might have been run more like a National trial. Houblon Des Obeaux seemed the best horse to base as big a rise as Coneygree received on. I ask whether he ran his best with the stable in the middle of a winner-less patch at the time of the race.

If we add in your own view that Houblon Des Obeaux needs Marathon trips then it surely leaves Coneygree being able to beat two slow horses, a non-stayer and two totally out of sort runners as something less exciting of an achievement?

It depends on how much faith you have in the horse. Some see him as the next best thing but I take the view that he might not have beaten a lot. That’s the nature of the game and what makes for discussion. Nobody will be sure until the race is run which view was the one we should all have taken.

Houblon Des Obeaux may be able to improve at extreme trips, but has not run over that far yet. The form in the book is at 3m and 3m2f110yrds; so what HDO might be able to do over extremes does not come in to it when considering how good Coneygree is.

Some of us do not believe HDO ran to form in the Denman Steve, but still think the form shown by Coneygree is good enough to rate a top class novice and worth backing for the Gold Cup at the price. ie likely to improve again given a greater test of stamina. If you think the form is so bad, how do you explain the time? It would be impossible unless Coneygree is a top class novice.

As always, not saying Coneygree will win it, just "value to win". So even if the horse is 5th or 6th, does not prove connections wrong in taking part.

Value Is Everything

[stevecaution]

Houblon Des Obeaux may be able to improve at extreme trips, but has not run over that far yet. The form in the book is at 3m and 3m2f110yrds; so what HDO might be able to do over extremes does not come in to it when considering how good Coneygree is.

I do not believe HDO ran to form in the Denman Steve, but I still think the form shown by Coneygree is good enough to rate a top class novice and worth backing for the Gold Cup at the price. ie likely to improve again given a greater test of stamina. The time produced would also have been impossible unless Coneygree is a top class novice.

As always, not saying Coneygree will win it, just "value to win".

I think you are picking me up slightly wrong Ginger. I’m not saying that what Houblon Des Obeaux is able to do when upped to Grand National trips has any bearing on Coneygree. It has no relevancy other than proving that perhaps the horse is more about stamina than speed.

My point was that, perhaps the Hennessey rode more like a race over further than the actual trip.

Houblon was racing over 2f less in the Denman and I’m asking if that was a race best suited for him to show his best form compared to the Hennessey. He had run in The Gold Cup as a 50/1 shot last year and had recent odds-on failure Teaforthree in front of him that day. He’s a best priced 50/1 for the race this year and makes no appeal to me at those odds, far less at the lowest quote of 25/1, which I find laughable to be honest.

Value is always a matter of personal opinion but I share the logic that a 20/1 winner gives you a lot more occasions where you can afford to be wrong than a 6/4 winner does, although you will always land more of those backed at the latter price.

I like the idea of a smaller name coming through and hitting the top. It would be a refreshing change and a good boost to those living the dream of topping the Mullins, Nicholls and Hendersons for a change. I wish Coneygree the best of luck but think it’s a case of too much, too soon after a race I am dubious about.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

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