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gutted
I don’t know what I can say about that, I thought you were practically over the line. So sorry mate
How many bad runs can you forgive? Bobs Worth has now run two shockers out of his last three. The air of invincibility around Cheltenham has gone. He was all over the place on the run in behind three horses who on all known evidence were vastly inferior. I find it very hard to believe that after 15 runs Barry Geraghty doesn’t know what ground suits him best. It strikes me he is clutching at straws.
The form of the RSA from last year looked absolutely dire prior to yesterday’s race so it might be a bit premature to write off this year’s crop.
I thought the JLT looked a strong renewal and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that race produced one or more challengers for next year’s Gold Cup.
Think it just goes to show what an extra special horse you have to be to win 2 Gold Cups. I thought BW probably would win today but at the price would not touch it. Had SC to win and OHO ew. Jumping the last I thought SC may just win but keeping a close eye on BW up the hill. The allegiance soon changed and feel gutted for Casey/Mullins although you have to be pleased for Culloty, 10 years since BM’s final win and Russell, who remains a great jockey despite losing his job at the start of the year. Can BW do a Kauto and regain next year?
agree, about having to be extra special to win back to back gold cups, it took years since arkle , then best mate came along, and kauto star regained a gold cup
it shows its not easy,, and is why I said to my family once they’ve won a gold cup I doubt you will see them win another gold cup
vf
I think bobs worth had a really hard race in last years gold cup and it has left a lasting effect on him and also it seems this years gold cup seemed to suit the real stayers in the race
Copy of my post from the Horse Racing page:
You don’t go into a championship race with two horses around 180 – trained to the minute – and come out of it with a field full of 160ish horses – it just doesn’t happen imo.
The rails were moved yesterday morning "between 7 and 11 yards on the inside of the ‘chase course" (Simon Claisse), offering a strip of ground that had not been raced on for a year. Given that the year also saw an unprecedented amount of water falling on it, and that most of the field raced on that strip for most of the race – except the finish where the first three came up on older ground – could that have something to do with the result?
The going announced was for the whole track – I wonder if Mr Claisse used his stick on that fresh strip? I’d be very interested to see a stick reading from it.
An unusual pace can, of course, throw up a strange result. But Geraghty reported that he thought they were going a stride to fast for BW throughout; the winner could not go the pace at all until turning in for the last time. And yet the time was nothing special. The Gold Cup time was less than seven seconds faster than The Foxhunters, run 40 minutes or so after the big race.
Yesterday was Lord Windermere’s first win on ground without soft in the official description (Timeform gave it as Good, Good to Soft in places). Bobs Worth’s connections have always insisted he is a better horse on decent ground – there’s insufficient evidence in the formbook to form a solid objective assessment of that claim.
Anyway, it’s nothing more than a theory on what was a very strange day at Cheltenham, all in all. Bobs Worth’s poor run at Haydock and the general form of the Henderson yard could also be seen as casting some doubt on his running. But I’m not having it that Silv Conti didn’t get the trip after bottomless stamina won him the King George. That race, of course, might have left a mark on him, so the front two could conceivably have run well below form. Whatever happened, seven minutes didn’t turn two horses with a ratings advantage of between 16/19lbs and 25/28lbs into a pair of donkeys.
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gutted
I don’t know what I can say about that, I thought you were practically over the line. So sorry mate
It looked that way going into the straight didn’t it, seemed the perfect finish between Sil Conti and Bobs Worth!
Have re-watched the race loads of times and just can’t figure it out, never have I watched a race (especially a ‘big’ one like a Gold Cup) and been so confused/dumbfounded afterwards! I guess it was just one of those races, horses are animals after all.
On any normal lines of form that result shouldn’t have happened. As was said before the run of the giant bolster shows it wasn’t as strange as at first glance. It could well be simply that the change in the going transformed a few horses and didn’t suit others. Last instalment was struggling a long way out which suggests that even with the watering it was good ground. Only the jockeys of lw and tgb seemed to realise the way the race was going and ohos jockey realised maybe a little too late that he had a great chance of winning. I’m sure we can’t rely on this form come aintree or punchestown but should it be good at either venue the front three will be there or thereabouts. Connections of cue card must be wandering what if their horse hadn’t been injured. Possibly one of the most exciting races I’ve ever seen and so pleased for Davy Russell. Hopefully gigginstown will now see the error they made and reinstate him at least until Bryan cooper is back.
Hypothetical question.
Could / Would one of the two Grand National hopefuls Long Run or Tidal Bay have won this?
Hypothetical question.
Could / Would one of the two Grand National hopefuls Long Run or Tidal Bay have won this?
That’s a good question Danny. I have been a huge fan of Long Run and think he gets a lot of unfair stick over the past couple of years, but I have to concede that in his last two runs I think his appetite has gone for racing. Although even not as good as he was, it was a strange Gold Cup and he wouldn’t have been far away but I think another running on one pace 4th or 5th would have been more likely.
I most certainly think, with the way the race was run, Tidal Bay would have had a cracking chance, in fact I think he would have passed the three that battled it out going up the hill. I bet the connections are thinking the same thing now. Consolation for him will be winning the National (or Seabass) in my opinion. If he wins he will become a legend, just about the most popular horse in training at the moment.
Hypothetical question.
Could / Would one of the two Grand National hopefuls Long Run or Tidal Bay have won this?
Probably not. TB would have probably got a furlong behind half a mile from home but run on to finish 3rd
LR sadly isn’t good enough anymore for a GC placing, never mind win. Another horse affected by its 1st GC win.Hypothetical question.
Could / Would one of the two Grand National hopefuls Long Run or Tidal Bay have won this?
Probably not. TB would have probably got a furlong behind half a mile from home but run on to finish 3rd
LR sadly isn’t good enough anymore for a GC placing, never mind win. Another horse affected by its 1st GC win.I agree with you Homer on Long Run, but I can’t see why after beating Lord Windermere last time out by 17 lengths at level weights over 3m in the Hennesy Gold Cup at Leopardstown, that the extra 2 1/2 furlongs, and with an uphill finish, that he wouldn’t find it even easier to beat him in the GC.
I think the GC this year is one that got away from Tidal Bay. That’s with hindsight, as before the race I would have agreed that the National was the obvious choice, and at the end of the day it won’t matter a jot if he goes on and wins that, as I think he will.
You do have a point but still believe the GC is too short for TB. 4 1/2 miles may be just right and hope to see another Neptune Collonges, running on, winning in the final stride and then retirement. Who will be riding the horse now, guessing that Sam T-D will be on one of his Dad’s
Hypothetical question.
Could / Would one of the two Grand National hopefuls Long Run or Tidal Bay have won this?
I think on the bare form (second giving weight to BW in The Hennessy, before winning the Lexus) that TB would have had a cracking chance in
last
season’s GC.
Obviously he was ruled out last year through injury, but I was absolutely staggered when I read that connections were only intending to target the World Hurdle with him rather than the GC.
You do have a point but still believe the GC is too short for TB. 4 1/2 miles may be just right and hope to see another Neptune Collonges, running on, winning in the final stride and then retirement. Who will be riding the horse now, guessing that Sam T-D will be on one of his Dad’s
With Daryl Jacob out of action I would expect Nick Schofield to take the ride. Both he and Ryan Mahon have ridden Tidal Bay in the past but with Scofield being the most experienced of the Nicholl’s reserves, I would imagine he will get the leg up.
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