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Posted this in the main section and only after I posted I thought this would be a more suitable place for it. The Grand Annual is the handicap I most look forward to, something great about a big field tackling two miles over fences.
A couple of likely Grand Annual types have run in Ireland in the past few weeks. Ted Veale was well beaten behind Defy Logic but he had previously ran well at Cheltenham on his chasing debut. I don’t know if something was wrong with him at Leopardstown but it wouldn’t surprise if he found improvement in March. The other one is Ned Buntline. He’s always looked a bit soft for me but he pulls extremely hard in the early part of his races and that explains why he tends not to find as much as expected at the business end. Until he learns to settle we won’t see the best of him until he gets a strong pace that will help him settle and that’s why I think the Grand Annual will suit. The owner has won the race in recent years with Alderwood and Bellvano and this fellow is definitely more Bellvano! Speaking of Alderwood he’d have to have a big chance of a repeat success off a mark in the high 140s.
Another one to file under the to watch list for this is Pendra. Again, anything with two/three runs over fences in the McManus silks is worth keeping onside.
Alderwood was flagged up quite early last season as one for this and the early prices were remarkably generous. Cantlow was another McManus plot cut from the same cloth in the Plate but that was scuppered at post-time with bleeding.Got a sneaky feeling Ned Buntline could pitch up here…Meade has indicated he may go for a handicap soon and he looks to have the profile for it. No quotes as yet though.
I’d run naked around the new course on Gold cup day before backing a Meade horse of any description at Cheltenham, let alone a chaser.
Lee
Ted Veale ran a cracker behind some good horses there and will love faster ground, won’t mind the hustle and bustle of a big field handicap so 16s EW has been accepted
I think Raya Star is taylor-made for this. A strongly run 2m with an uphill finish. Ticks all the boxes for me.
Yeah, Raya Star is an interesting one. I would be incline to see how King’s yard is going at the time but the enforced break may be of benefit.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Understandable, I have been impressed by some of the early ones to come back and can’t help but think they will improve. The yard were flying earlier in the season and I think you may well find a few of their horses that ran below par a few lbs ahead of the handicapper. Can’t wait to see First Mohican run this week – I’m hoping he will be a Supreme winner!
Ted Veale has been backed with us in the past fortnight, 8s from 14s and looks to be the Irish handicap good thing already..
Anybody backing Ted Veale for this is doing so on his hurdles form, namely his County win last year.
True he could have been running over fences so far with this race in mind but he’s going to be a novice with around 10-12 by my reckoning running against a bunch of seasoned 2m handicappers – albeit, admittedly a lot of them will be fully exposed.
Strange how different people interpret form, here’s how I read his LTO run – against a bunch of horses with no standout so far.
7 runners.
1 fell (Mallowney)
1 broke a blood vessel and is out for the season (Defy Logic)That leaves 5 and where did Ted Veale finish ?
4th (btn 31L) with only the 66/1 rank outsider behind him.His Cheltenham run in November looks better on the face of it (dreadful sole other run over fences when last of 5 finishers on Boxing day), but even at Cheltenham when 3rd behind Dodging Bullets and Raya Star he still only beat 2 horses home and had barely a length to spare over the 132 rated 28/1 chance The Cockney Mackhem, with the other rag back in last place.
I’m not saying he can’t win this as his hurdles form proves he’s no mug but he’s a c. 146 rated novice as a result, who in 3 attempts over fences has beaten 3 finishers sent off at 66/1, 28/1 & 20/1 (I’m excluding Defy Logic due to injury).
and 8/1 is crazy and is a lemmings price.
Lee
He’s obtained a handicap mark with three runs. He’s also trained by Tony Martin and has continued his improvement on the Flat post hurdles campaign.
I don’t think it takes Einstein to work out the plan, much as Alderwood was really played with prior to winning this last year, although he ran in some lower grade beginners chases before running a fair second in a reasonable handicap at Fairyhouse.
I think the 12 and 10s was a fair price TBH although I wouldnt be drawn to single figure prices at this stage.Well Ted Veale won’t be winning this.
He’s now Arkle bound.
Lee
Doesnt make a great deal of sense as surely he can’t win the Arkle and a decent run would just blow his mark even further. If he’s good enough to run well in the Arkle, surely he’s good enough to win the GA off 146.
Shame as I had him at 12s, but followed Kealy in the Weekender and backed Next Sensation at 16s NRNB and have just topped up again at 10s NRNB, which if TV is absent is a very fair price.Couldn’t agree more.
Didn’t like him for the Grand Annual but he had more chance of winning that than he does the Arkle.
Lee
Well Mr Martin you can either run in a race where you go off 6/1 favourite or a 25/1 outsider? In one race you would be the worst handicap loser of the meeting, in the other race the bookmakers will not have taken a penny. And for good measure why don’t you go on loads of Festival previews and not mention a word as to what you are going to do?
You can only assume they are jobbing it for Punchestown or Fairyhouse then, get him properly stuffed in the Arkle and hope to lower his mark. Baffling.
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