King George 2013

[stevecaution]

If we had been talking about this based solely on Cue Card’s effort in the race last year and without ever seeing him in the Betfair, it would have been much less of a surprise, if any at all for some pundits, to see Cue Card tire dramatically in the closing stages. Because of his Betfair win most people seemed to believe that the horse had proved beyond any doubt that he is a thorough stayer at 3 miles plus.

I said right after the Betfair that I thought there was a stage where Cue Card looked like he might be vulnerable to Dynaste and Sivianaco Conti who both looked to be coming with what looked well timed and promising finishes. In the end both horses faltered and it seems to me there is a question mark regarding Dynaste now and we also now know that Silvianaco Conti was purposely left short of fitness by his trainer going into the Betfair because he didn’t believe he could win the King George if he had him cherry ripe for the earlier race.

Paul Nicholls set out to deliberately make sure that Cue Card didn’t have an easy time of it in front, opining that his rival had had a soft lead in the Betfair. Sivianaco Conti kept the pressure on Cue Card most of the way, meaning that Joe Tizz was always going a little bit harder out in front than he probably wanted to.

It is very easy for us to criticize the jockey but he wasn’t far away from pulling it off again and he can’t have known that his mount would go from 5th gear to 2nd in about two strides.

Having to take Silvi on again over further at Cheltenham and having to face a Bobs Worth who seemed very much back into form and who will relish his beloved track are reasons enough for me to point Cue Card at a race that will play to his strengths. If he makes all and comes up the hill in the Gold Cup it would be a remarkable feat but it seems more likely they would have run the guts out of him before then.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[MarkTT]

I think they should have used the King George as an opportunity to test Cue Card for the Gold Cup. Just hang on to him for longer. Give him a breather down the back straight second time round.

Racing like that in cold, damp conditions has to be different to racing in similar fashion on decent ground in the Spring. Not all about distances and finishing straights.

Will need to be smarter if they go all in come the festival.

[Steeplechasing]

I see that discussing the race in today’s RP, R Johnson describes the ground that day as ‘desperate’. AP also called it heavy ground after MTOY won and other jocks commented on how tiring it was. All this despite the time guys saying that this is not borne out by results.

Official going was soft. Timeform have it good to soft

If the jocks are right, we must wait and see how CC and SC come out of it. After the 2012 race, I had a suspicion it would leave a permanent mark on Long Run, but he came out and ran pretty well at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

However, I’ve no doubt that a desperately hard race can finish a horse for good.

[The Ante-Post King]

Joe went too fast

Absolutely Joe but I’ll repeat my own

First Impression after the race

.

Cue Card

from a mile out was in total control of the race and nothing from behind was ever going to pass him,

Silvianaco Conti

doesn’t travel with the ease of the Tizzard horse nor jump as extravagantly but he thrives on testing ground and has the stamina to go round again,however had ‘Cue Card’ not gone from positively cantering on what visually looked like a full tank to not just emptying but if he was a car the Petrol tank had literally fallen off.I in 30 yrs of studying Horseracing has never seen a horse stop like that in a Grade 1 race with form to suggest he should have at least got home.What would have helped massively this week for yourself was that he was a sick horse,alas No,or if he does have a virus its not showing itself so the dilemma as to where he goes to at the festival is up in the air.You know as well as me ‘Cue Card’ could line up in a Gold cup and win it,particularly on faster ground,he’s a horse who pulls on the bridle and looks like there’s speed to burn.I thought my horse

First Lieutenant

ran flat in the Ryanair as I watched the race unfold but he didn’t, ‘Cue Card’ just had that more speed.I always remember putting

Imperial Commander

up on here at 25/1 and 34’s on the machine for the Gold cup straight after he got beat in the King george,he too had won the previous years Ryanair! Do you still have the confidence in

your horse

bouncing back and winning a Gold Cup after that though? No difference to ‘Imperials’ dislike for going right handed.

[Steeplechasing]

Gord, I just don’t know if he can win this Gold Cup. Before the KG, I was very confident he could. If I decided to take the view he was amiss at Kempton, that belief would return.

But much as I love the horse, I always try to be objective about any race – it can be costly otherwise, as you know. There just isn’t the evidence to draw a firm conclusion the horse was amiss at Kempton – I wish there was.

I’ve backed him for the GC at 25s. I’ve backed Bobs Worth at 9/2 (he’d be a big winner for me).

After seeing the way BW won at Leopardstown, I think that even a Cue Card at the top of his game would struggle to beat a horse who relishes that hill like nothing else I’ve seen.

After CC won the Ryanair, I backed him at 16s for the 2014 Champion Chase on the off chance something went wrong with SS (though I’d never wish it on him or any other horse)

My Gold Cup and QM bets on CC are NRFB with Betvictor. My ideal scenario from a profit viewpoint should SS not turn up at Cheltenham, would be CC going for the QM. But if he goes for the Gold Cup and is battling it out with BW on the run in, I’ll be shouting him on.

[The Ante-Post King]

Gord, I just don’t know if he can win this Gold Cup. But if he goes for the Gold Cup and is battling it out with BW on the run in, I’ll be shouting him on.

Joe the bookmakers have basically forgiven

Cue Cards

KG run already,Bet365 go a ridiculously short 6/1 for the Gold Cup.If I was a fan of the horse I’d have taken the 16’s on the machine straight after the Kempton run and blamed the whole thing on him hating going right handed and very soft ground.My idea of the Gold Cup winner has always been

First Lieutenant

and his collateral form joins all the big guns together but like you say we all have to get past the horse who wears the Crown and around Cheltenhams 31/4m its tough,my fellow is guaranteed a place and will stay all day he might just get 2nd place but if your horse travels like he did at Kempton and gets to the last in the same vein I’d expect you to run past me.

Bobs Worth

will take a bit more passing mind.If connections do take the Gold cup route we have to admire their belief in ‘Cue Card’.Exciting times ahead.

[Author]

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