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Sorry to hear that, HDLG. My sincere condolences even though I never met you or your Dad.
I kind of got the ball rolling on this when asking if GDC was the best since Arkle. Not only the best Irish trained NH horse, but generally the best. It’s a great discussion though.
Absolutely nothing mentioned in here would get near GDC, will retire as the best ever 3m+ chaser
That was just class to watch today. He finds another gear when challenged. Love the horse and hope to see him destroy them from the front next month. Undoubtedly the best since Kauto Star.
Ham I reckon Arkle would beat him …. giving him weight
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Dont know how many times ive said it when people compare horses from an age where the level was far before what it is now as a whole, greats of their time no doubt, but the greats of now would absolutely bury them, GDC, ive no doubt will retire as the GOAT 3m+ chaser. Ive no desire to argue a point about it, i stood in leopardstown today and witnessed it, the crowd made it all the more special
I had a nightmare with saint lucie, GDC got me out, as he always does.
Sorry to hear about your dad HDLG, puts everything else into perspective. Glad Racing brings you some comfort. It isn’t called “The Great Triviality” for nothing.
Value Is EverythingAs for this stuff about “the greatest since”…
Was I the only one to be a touch disappointed in the actual merit of performance? Maybe it’s because I’ve had a lofty opinion of GDC since his first Cheltenham Gold Cup. But he hasn’t done anything since to actually better that performance.
GDC has today beaten the 9 year old Grangecare West by 4 3/4 lengths. with the non-stayer Fact To File just behind him. Fact To File’s performance was imo a little inferior to last time in the Savills.
GDC’s performance today was nowhere near his best and – as has already been said about Best Mate – beating vastly inferior stayers shouldn’t get too many accolades.
I suspect that a top form Gerri Colombe (running to the form of his Cheltenham second) could have won today’s race equally as easily. That said, there has to be a doubt whether Gerri will ever produce his best again.
Don’t get me wrong, GDC should be odds-on for a third Cheltenham Gold Cup, but only on the basis of his brilliant previous Prestbury Park successes, not today’s.Value Is EverythingAmazing; pins his ears back and goes for home, always hits the line hard. Seems to have been around forever, but still a great champion. Shame that the days of the great champions competing in handicaps seem to be over. As good as Kauto Star, tho wouldn’t have KS’s versatility
I have always thought that Grangeclare West was a very smart horse ever since he absolutely laughed at Corbetts Cross in the G1 3m Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting in 2023. Today’s run shows a marked improvement in the 3 races he has had since that win and it maybe that he is now just starting to show that ability but having said that I don’t disagree that the overall form of the race is not jumping off the page.
Turning for home I was quite worried that Townend hadn’t actually gone fast enough given the number of horses (5) that were still in contention and still travelling well. Looking at the replay again though, Townend has only picked his whip up after the last and gave him one light smack (in the backhand position) and then just waved it at him as he drew away, so I don’t think in retrospect that he has had an overly hard race to win and that is why I wouldn’t be concerned about him having done too much before Cheltenham.
Fact To File has actually finished closer today (4¾L) than he did in the Savills Chase (beaten 7½L) and the same with Inothewayurthinkin (7¼L compared to 15½L in the Savills) but today’s race (on yielding ground) was 3.1sec slower than the Savills (run on good to yielding ground) so with another 2½F up Cheltenham’s hill I only see that as being in GDC’s favour.
With regards to Gerri Colombe, clearly from Elliott’s comments he wasn’t where he wanted him to be to enable him to run today (even though it has been 3 months since his Down Royal seasonal debut) and they have mentioned either a possible hurdle prep or going straight to the Gold Cup, to me neither of those options are ideal as they went to Cheltenham last year straight from the Savills and he clearly wasn’t good enough to beat GDC off of that prep.
Cheltenham could end up being just his 3rd race since last year’s Gold Cup and considering in his novice season he had managed 3 runs before the Brown Advisory/RSA, whilst last season that went down to just two runs before the Gold Cup and this season it is looking likely that he will have run only once before Cheltenham, so it begs the question of is there some sort of issue with the horse as he seems to be getting more fragile with each passing season?
The problem Ham is akin to Best Mates , he’s never had a truely great horse to beat , he’s been beaten plenty times to , as I’ve said unless something goes wrong he’ll win another GC , I wonder if Mullins would take him to Aintree as he hits 10/11
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
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