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No surprise he’s not running. Aside from his age, the short time between races and the fact that he could win multiple gold cups, JP must have Synchronised at the back of his mind.
Scratchings looking like (taken from a Facebook page)…
Envoi Allen
Inothewayurthinkin
Gentlemansgame
Monty’s Star
The Real Whacker
Galvin
Trelawne
Limerick Lace
Pinkerton
Git Maker
Gericault RoqueThat guarantees runs for all three entries on 10-7; so Meetingofthewaters, Velvet Elvis and Minella Drama.
Confirmed scratchings racing post
Envoi Allen
Inothewayurthinkin
Gentlemansgame
Monty’s Star
The Real Whacker
Galvin
Trelawne
Limerick Lace
Pinkerton
Git Maker
Gericault RoqueNot qualified
French Dynamite
Zanahiyr
PlacenetVF x
A couple of the free bets now NRs, added another one (Senior Chief)…
Intense Raffles 25-1 ew 5 places
Minella Cocooner 25-1 ew 5 places
Iroko 25-1 ew 5 places
Perceval Legallois 20-1 free bet
Nick Rockett 20-1 free bet
Stumptown 20-1 free bet
Vanillier 20-1 free bet
Kandoo Kid 25-1 free bet
Beauport 33-1 free bet
Senior Chief 40-1 free betI’ve got 3 upto now in this.
Hewick 22s NRNB
Stumptown 14s
Duffle Coat 117s NRNB
all ewI’ve also done Duffle Coat in the Irish National at 50s ew
Not sure where Duffle Coat will turn up, probably Irish, but he was unlucky at Cheltenham when brought down 2 out.
I’m currently on two.
Twig 75’s
Kandoo Kid 25’sI had backed Surrey quest also but he’s not gonna get in.
Meeting of the waters and Iroko are the other two I’ll play later today when I’m in town.
Iroko must have a serious chance looking at his form. He will probably be my main bet. Not ideal that I’m taking 8’s given the fancy prices around months ago. But the form lines have been boosted all over in the meantime.
Couple of others on the day and I’ll have my usual book of 8/9 come the drop of the flag.
I’ve made one bad decision, and one good decision so far.
I’m pleased that I left Corach Rambler, but my 50-1 on Desertmore House doesn’t look so good now. If he did sneak into the field, which I think is unlikely, I would have to have a few more pounds on.
I’ve bet Duffle Coat in the Irish national, but I’ve covered him at Aintree at 100-1 each way. The beauty of that one is its non runner no bet
I’ve also bet Perceval Legallois at 14-1 this morning. He’s now my main hope, and he’s certainly ahead of Desertmore House
Sara Bradstock unhappy that Mr Vango won’t get in, suggesting a cap on the number any trainer can run.
Mr Vango is exactly the sort of horse who should get in. But the real reason he isn’t going to get in hasn’t been mentioned at all yet by the ever-stodgy media. That is, the stupidly early tradition that needs scrapping, the early weights.
Vango is up nine lbs to 152 after winning at Uttoxeter. He should be in, no question. But he’s left at 143, which won’t get him in. It’s as if he is being penalised for a campaign which mean he will improve to his peak in April, instead of barely running and maintaining a high handicap rating from last season (like Shake Em Up Harry, Farouk D’Alene and Mr Incredible, who is going to be an utter waste of a place off an absurd rating of 150.)
Now I’m happy to be told I am wrong here, but why on earth do we need to set the weights months, yes months, in advance? The GN weights take absolutely no notice of the Cheltenham Festival, for crying out loud. But nobody utters a squeak about it!!
If the weights need to be known in advance, then announce them on the Monday after the Festival. That’s three or four weeks before the GN is run – surely that is plenty of time? And no contender will be running after that date, so you can be sure all horses will be in the race on their true handicap merits.
Afterall, at the Festival, everyone will be trying, so performances in the Gold Cup, Ultima and Kim Muir can be considered too, as well as the GN Trial at Haydock, the Midlands National and many other races that occur in March.
Some will cry “tradition” but really, that’s not a good enough reason to maintain this archaic early weights nonsense.
(No, I haven’t backed Mr Vango, but I’d love to see him get his chance).
Mr Vango can have a try next year. Didn’t get high enough in the weights to get in by the time the weights came out. The trainers know when the weights are out so it’s not as if it’s a shock to them.
As for announcing them on the Monday after the Festival, it’s a dinner event with trainers and media attending, don’t see the Irish trainers wanting to come over so soon after the Festival. An argument for it can be made if they done away with the dinner event but it’s been the norm in recent years.Some win and your in races would be good, those mentioned by Quelle Farce seem to be a good starting point.
If four races guaranteed the winner a place in the line up, that leaves another thirty up for grabs. This may force a few Irish potential entries to show their hand in order to be sure of a run.
Something like this could have solved the Mr Vango issue as it does seem unfair.
Famous Bridge wins the Grand National trial and is 64 on the list. Whats the point of having a trial race..
‘Win and your’e in’ races are an option. Not sure how the ratings would work though as he might be a mid 130s horse by the time the National comes round and a horse mid 140s might go down the pecking order and miss out. Does a higher rated horse deserve to miss out?
Years ago foreign horses with no form for the handicapper to judge was given automatic top weight of 12 stone. Horses with form on the course was given special treatment to get in. Now they race on their ability at weights day. The field is much more compact come the business end of the race.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.
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