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I should be a bookie as I just want to take on all the favourites
I actually think it will be a bloodbath this year, the last few festivals have seen the dawn of the “superbankers”, seemingly unbeatable horses who have caused the bookies nightmares, a lot of them trained by mullins… I can’t name one favourite this year that looks bombproof. Take apples jade for example- yes she’s done nothing wrong, but a tiny little mare around 3 miles at cheltenham a banker? no thanks.
With footpad I’m just thinking about the price… it’s 15/8 after winning a couple of soft races in Ireland… for a race two months away… you’ll get bigger than that in-running on the day
Forget about the opposition my friend, look at the times, sectionals, jumping consistency, jumping of final 2 fences in both races, decent Chelt form. This is the last horse I’d be taking on to be honest.
I wouldn’t take on any of 3 bankers so far.
if yanworth can beat him who isn’t a chaser.
why isn’t yanworth a chaser? jumped pretty well last time for a novice, imo.
Unless you’ve heard she’s going for the Stayers Race, Judge; Mares Race is 2m4f.
Value Is EverythingI agree with you actually that I might be wrong with footpad. I was looking through the race earlier and it looked a dire renewal. Just at the back of my mind I just think the horse can hardly be compared to Altoir, who had already won a supreme impressively, while Footpad got well beat on his previous two tries at cheltenham (and altoir didn’t win the arkle as easily as some thought.)
i think a lot of taking on bankers depends on the opposition against it. for example in the albert bartlett last year death duty had quite a deep field to contend with; the likes of monalee, etc. So even if the horse had run well (it didn’t) it would have had a job winning.
In my view there are four bankers of the festival at this stage:
Apples Jade – Mares
Samcro – Any Race (Probably Ballymore)
Apples Shakira – Triumph
Altior – Champion ChaseOnes I want to take on:
Might Bite – Gold Cup
Footpad – Arkle (albeit an awful renewal)Arguably the only real banker on the day is apples jade, is 5/4 value? It probably is, the day of she really could be an extremely short price, she argubaly should be odds on right now, literally nothing has came to in the market that can challenege her
Shes the one who you would struggle to find an angle against atm and it makes her the most likely “banker” if there is such a thing
I’ll take on 99% of the short priced fav’s at the fez probably as that’s just the way I bet. The only horses I think are rock solid and hard to oppose –
Buveur D’air
Apple’s Jade
SamcroRest all have doubts, big and small and will happily take them all on.
Altior (with a run), Footpad (at the prices) and Yanworth would be my trio right now.
Bound to be a JP horse sent off way too short for a handicap too – Movewiththetimes perhaps.
i dont get the samcro angle yet, hes a deserved favourite, but hes far from a banker as of now, i suppose its a difference of opinion what constitutes a banker,
Proven at the trip/course or A previous winner of the race, still young enough to improve or atleast maintain their form, head and shoulders above everything in the market and more importantly proven against everything in the race, samcro doesnt fit any of that for me, he does LOOK the best novice so far, has he done enough to fall into the “banker” category? Not really.
Not for me, not yet anyway… if your on the bigger prices then fantastic. Green out lol
That being said, its hard to say any novice is a banker under what ive said so maybe im being too skeptical.
Whole point of a “banker” is it’s thought by the punter a “value” bet albeit at a short price?
I don’t think value comes into too much when talking about a banker, any price would be value as a banker is a horse you cannot see getting beat and lump on with ultra confidence
in my experience only to see it end up running like a pig and get beat a dist…….
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Altior (with a run), Footpad (at the prices) and Yanworth would be my trio right now.
Bound to be a JP horse sent off way too short for a handicap too – Movewiththetimes perhaps.
Good point about JP, can envisage Charli Parcs or something going off a ridiculously short price for the County Hurdle. Mick Jazz may have ruined his chance to win it the other day..
If I knew they were going to put him away for definite, I’d say Movewiththetimes is a knocking each way bet at 16/1 for the Close Brothers.
Re. taking on horses – Might Bite and Altior probably the only two considered bankers I’d be keen to take on at the moment. Maybe Apples Shakira at the prices.
Apples Jade 11/10 and Buveur D’air 4/6 is value to me at the moment.
Why do so many people think/doubt that Altior won’t run in the Game Spirit before the CC? Genuinely puzzled on that.
Henderson said he was fit before the wind op. He’s already been back cantering for the last two weeks and the Game Spirit is another five weeks away. This is plenty of time to get him in decent shape for the Game Spirit.
Of course Altior along with every other horse has to stay sound between now and Cheltenham/a prep run, he is no different to any other horse in that respect.
There are no bankers…what’s that quote about those who fail to learn from history?
Might Bite is well worth taking on given the kind of nursing through a race the yard thinks he needs. While I don’t think he’ll have stamina problems, he’ll almost certainly go there unproven in that department. Gold Cups are hard enough to win without adding a menu of requirements for your horse.
Even Buveur D’Air (at odds on) will be worth opposing on his hurdling style alone. That slick millimetre accurate hurdling is a massive asset, but the downside is you only need to be a couple of inches out in one jump and disaster awaits.
I love Altior but, if Nicky sends him straight there, he too will be worth laying. He’ll be coming back after a long time off in a race at championship pace which will test his jumping after so long, not to mention his wind surgery.
It will be harder to find an angle against Apple’s Jade, but, as ever, there are hurdles to jump and off days to consider.
The more I write here, the more I’m talking myself into becoming a bookie :)
Why do so many people think/doubt that Altior won’t run in the Game Spirit before the CC?
I think the 1st run from horses after having had a wind op tend to be the best or more chance things going wrong in the 2nd/3rd run etc. I haven’t any stats on this just going off the top of my head. I’d prefer him not to run in the Game Spirit and just get as race fit as possible as he can pros and cons either way they do it but he’s in good hands with Henderson who will do what is best for Altior
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
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