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IMPERIAL COMMANDER has been given the go-ahead to run in Thursday’s Totesport Bowl Chase over 3m1f at Aintree after delighting Nigel Twiston-Davies in a schooling session on Monday morning.
The Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero "schooled beautifully" according to his trainer, who committed Imperial Commander to Aintree after discussions with the nine-year-old’s owners.
Twiston-Davies said: "He’s running on Thursday, and seems in great form. I’ve been very keen torun because it doesn’t seem the best of races for a Grade 1 and he would appear to have a great chance.
"Perhaps he’ll be able to just have a canter round, although it rarely works out like that, of course!"
Paul Nicholls was never this brash about his horses chances and always respected the other entries, I wonder if NTD still got a hangover from the Kauto v Denman media hype.
I really can’t wait for Cheltenham to come around next year when the one trick poney will be outclassed by Kauto/Denman as order will be resumed.
Listening to NTD, you’d think he was a sheep farmer who won a racehorse in a raffle, rather than a long-established and highly successful trainer!
I can’t be having The Imp in the bowl, anyhow.
BlueSky @pghenn.bsky.social
So don't run, just like the others always do
I see nothing "brash" or "cocky" in Twiston-Davies’ statement. He has every right to be confident….Imperial Commander is a good, if not great, winner of the Gold Cup who has come out of the race very well, is bouncing at home and there’s a valuable prize on offer with an apparently sub-standard list of entries. They’d be stupid not to go for it.
As for next year’s Gold Cup, Kauto Star and Denman will both be 11. I suspect that the ever-realistic Paul Nichols will be looking at a 4th King George as Kauto’s target for next season, while Denman is going for the National and may well swerve the Gold Cup.
Given the record of Cheltenham winners at the Aintree meeting, I couldn’t share NTD’s confidence for Imperial Commander. He’s a big lay in my book. Apart from the machine that is Big Bucks, I don’t think any of the Cheltenham winners will be doubling up at Aintree.
I always thought it was a horse that went best fairly fresh, so I will be looking to What a Friend.
Imperial Commander’s record when racing after a break of 50 days or more: 1211111
Imperial Commander’s record when racing after a break of less than 50 days: 5P6413764
The race may not be the strongest Grade 1 but for a horse with such a record as identified above and also with 6/7 wins being at Cheltenham I really wouldn’t want to take a short price about him.
Imperial Commander may well get stuffed by Calgary Bay! So What! The mission for this year is well and truly accomplished,if he gets beat,he"s out to 10"s for next years Gold Cup and i will be the 1st in the Queue to take it! Anybody who thinks Kauto will get his revenge next year form another queue! reet that doesn"t include you as you have burnt your fingers already!
Confidence is often shown by trainers who’ve gone through a winning spell. After a three timer including IC on the last day at Cheltenham; he’s bound to feel confident. Paul Nicholls says the same type of thing when he’s on a good run. Nothing wrong with it.
IC has been underestimated because of the failure of the "big two" in the "match". Timeform rate Imperial Commander’s Gold Cup above Denman’s. So he should on form beat his rivals easily at Aintree. Although agree with those who say he’s not as likely to show that form (with the "best fresh angle"). Twister may be thinking IC doesn’t need to be at his best.
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Given Imperial Commander’s inabilty to string 2 decent runs together, I wouldn’t back him with someone else’s money.
Kauto Star has already won his 4th King George, btw.I’ve had £50 on Nacarat at 5s and will probably double the stake on Thursday. IMO he’s a cast-iron certainty, potentially the best horse in-training on a flat circuit with give in the ground. What A Friend is 30 lengths behind Imperial Commander on form (lines through Denman and Cooldine) and I wouldn’t even fancy him to beat Imperial Commander (taking into account Imperial Commander’s record when running without having a break).
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Imperial Commander’s only chase loss left handed was an unlucky second to Kauto at Haydock (i don’t think being fresh is gonna be a problem, when he’s run bad it’s been right handed, we’ll soon know). He isn’t up against anything like that here but the price is too short.
Twiston-Davies is right, the opposition is weak. I would imagine Nacarat as the main danger having been saved for this race.
One person said "the horse will get his comeuppance", what exactly did he do wrong?
note; Please no one back What A Friend. You’re giving money away.
Imperial Commander may well get stuffed by Calgary Bay! So What! The mission for this year is well and truly accomplished,if he gets beat,he"s out to 10"s for next years Gold Cup and i will be the 1st in the Queue to take it! Anybody who thinks Kauto will get his revenge next year form another queue! reet that doesn"t include you as you have burnt your fingers already!
Itl all be academic next year after somersby win the Gold cup
His wording in print this time does come across as being very cocky but i think it was probably said tongue in cheek. He knows only too well it isnt going to be a stroll in the park.
That said, I remember thinking after the GC how Twiston-Davies immediate reaction seemed to be more showing his anger people had made it all about Denman/KS with the scarves etc rather than showing his delight Imperial had actually won.
Perhaps he just likes being in the limelight.
Imperial Commander may well get stuffed by Calgary Bay! So What! The mission for this year is well and truly accomplished,if he gets beat,he"s out to 10"s for next years Gold Cup and i will be the 1st in the Queue to take it! Anybody who thinks Kauto will get his revenge next year form another queue! reet that doesn"t include you as you have burnt your fingers already!
Itl all be academic next year after somersby win the Gold cup
Lets hope he stays first!
First of all, let me declare something of an interest. I think NTD is an underestimated trainer who’s reputation has yet to catch up with his achievements. I’m also a bit more biased having spent a morning down at his yard the other day where he kindly spent a couple of hours chatting to me for my own website. (Don’t want to plug site in case it’s spamming, but it’s a blog rather than a forum so not a competitor to TRF!
, if you’re keen to find it Boycies Beting and Blog feature prominently in the URL)
I found him to be modest, courteous and totally unaffected. As the yard went about its business there was no hint at all of arrogance or self satisfaction from anyone there despite the terrific Cheltenham they’d just enjoyed. While I was there another journalist rang requesting time for an interview with the trainer and his son the following day and received the same ‘sure, no problem’ response that I too had received.The original poster quotes NTD as saying;
"it doesn’t seem the best of races for a Grade 1 and he would appear to have a great chance."Perhaps he’ll be able to just have a canter round, although it rarely works out like that, of course!"
The exclamation mark is the journalist’s attempt to convey the spirit in which that phrase is uttered. It’s jovial, it’s tongue in cheek. It’s maybe slightly irreverent and unconventional but it fully acknowledges that there are no real ‘penalty kicks’. It is I would have thought clearly totally inoffensive. There’s nothing brash or cocky about it at all the way I read it.
As for the horse ‘getting his comeuppance’ I’m assuming that’s some kind of slip of the tongue as otherwise it’s a pretty bizarre thing to say isn’t it? Did IC commit some kind of sin by trouncing Denman et al?
As for the horse and his chance I take the point re freshness and his track record. But, prior to the Betfair race, you could make exactly the same point about his form every time he was tried over further than 2m 5f.
NTD told doubters like me that there was a reason for every long distance flop and time has proved him right. He also says the talk of the horse needing to be fresh is ‘a lot of bollocks’. I don’t know whether he’s right or not and I guess we’ll find out but NTD proved me wrong over the horse’s stamina and there’s every chance he’ll be correct re the horse’s freshness. I do know the horse is 100%, has schooled great and that the owners were only willing to run if the horse was absolutely A1.
We can all have, and back or lay, our opinion tomorrow and that’s fair game (I’m on at 3.1+ on Betfair and v happy with that) but I think the stick the trainer has had in some quarters is very strange indeed and totally unwarranted.
NTD hates being in the limelight imo [remember all the years when he didn’t give interviews at all]. I’ve followed the exploits of the fat/thin farmer on Kim Baileys blog for years and have now discovered Bronwyns blog on the NTD website which is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. NTD is a breath of fresh air and long may his success continue [although I do still fear for IC at Aintree and hope he comes back in one piece].
, if you’re keen to find it Boycies Beting and Blog feature prominently in the URL)
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