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Howard Johnson is fretting over running Tidal Bay because it is a right handed track.He’ll act on one but won’t be at his best.
If the ground is good/g/sft I think he’ll give it a shot.
If its soft he will probably go elsewhere and wait for another day.
IMO that is the right thing to do.Great star though Kauto has been he is in decline and will be vulnerable but there isn’t much depth to the race is there?In fact there is generally a distinct lack of depth in the chasing ranks fullstop this season
I’d have thought Henderson will run either Trabolgan or Barbers Shop. He’s been mentioning Trabolgan for Saturday for a few weeks now, so I think Barbers Shop will run. (A pity about Jack The Giant.)
Also, if Hobbs Hill is a non-runner on Saturday, I’d think he’d be in the King George field as well.
It all adds to the colour.
Lets just hope it goes ahead.Oh, I forgot the question I was going to ask. For either Barbers Shop or Imperial Commander to be regarded as serious contenders for the GC, do they have to win the KG, or would a place be sufficient?
Henderson has already said Barbers Shop will go for either the old Pillar Chase or the Aon next to establish if he is a true Gold Cup horse and it would be a huge ask to pitch Trabolgan straight into a race like that first time back, especially when the handicapper has been kind enough to give him his Hennessy winning mark. I would also be very surprised if Hobbs Hill turned up there either. Its very rare nowadays for second season novices to tackle conditions races straight away unless they are restricted in some way. To be honest the race is good enough as it is and there is plenty of depth and intrigue. If you end up with too big a field this early in the season it only prevents them from taking each other on later on or even ends up seeing one or two of them off for the season.
As for the King George being easier than the Gold Cup, for some horses it certainly is, but I doubt Denman would ever be able to win it, not least because its right handed, though I bet if he tried going that way he might just surprise Mr Nicholls and co, but also because its a sharp 3m which does not play on his strengths which are stamina and its harder to get into a rhythm as the fences come a bit quicker than at Cheltenham or Newbury.
Were the Gold Cup only 3m, there are a few King George winners who would have have had the stamina to win it at that trip but not the extra 500 yards or so. Not getting a trip does not make you any less of a horse and sometimes people place the Gold Cup a too high a pedistal in my view. There have been plenty of very average GC winners who slogged there way to the win when better horses simply ran out of juice. That just makes them better stayers, not better horses in my book. I know its totally different sphere of racing, but was High Chapparel (who I backed and loved by the way) a better horse than Hawkwing because he got home the better that wet Epsom afternoon? The answer is not conclusive in that case, but Timeform and the handicapper ultimately said no, though cynics will always try to crab the latter’s Lockinge win. The point is the conditions and distance suited one more than the other and had it been a mile race of 10f, the result would probably have been different, but the two horses involved are the same. Anyway, back to KG v GC, I think both are worthy races and both take a lot of beating, though with the Lexus now meaning many good Irish horses (and some British ones) now go to Leopardstown, the field is not always as deep as it once was, but its the field that makes a race, not the race itself and if you get 5 or 6 good horses taking part, it makes any race the better for it, regardless of where it is.Oh and on Tidal Bay, I’m guessing part of the thinking of Wetherby over Kempton is because it would be an easier race for him and after a tough race last time and the fact he’s trying the trip for the first time, they felt it was better to leave a bit left for the rest of the season, than fail at Kempton and be season over.
I think it could be a very interesting race on Boxing Day but for something at a bigger price, I’d be very interested if Tamarinbleu turned out.
Stays 3 miles on an easy track and is very tough.
A point on Denman and the King george I totally disagree with anyone who thinks he does not have he speed or ability to win one.
The only horse I know that would probably beat him is Kauto Sar because of his awsome turn of foot when on song.
But make no mistake the only think stoppin him running is the agreement to cut up the races between owners on the lead up to the Gold Cup
If Kauto wasn’t there and Denman was for he would go so fast round Kempton the rest would think the were on a roundabout.
I would love to know which horse these doubters think could go with Denman and go past him even round Kempton………geez you would think he was some slow coach or something
He had everything off their feet after 2 1/2 miles in the Gold Cup. Why not at Kempton?
Actually, Harry Findlay has said that Denman will never run in a King George or any top race on a right-handed track.
That goes back to his runs in novice hurdles at Wincanton (hung left on the run-in) and his chasing debut at Exeter (hung left approaching the last).
LADBROKES were offering 50/1 about "Albertas run" for the King George!
too big a price for us loyal supporters to ignore, he will be sent off at 20/1
so long as the ground doesn"t soften too much! You can still get 33/1 !!
Should be a cracking race anyway!Interesting market on Stan James – 7/2 for Kauto to win by more than 4L, 7/2 for Kauto to win by less than 4L.
7/4 coupled I believe?
Marginally better than the 5/4 & 11/8 on offer for Kauto to win at the mo if anyones interested
RICK RICK RICK RICK RICK!
Unless he wins by exactly four lengths?
I’m lost.
Haha, what seems to be the confusion here?
A point on Denman and the King george I totally disagree with anyone who thinks he does not have he speed or ability to win one.
The only horse I know that would probably beat him is Kauto Sar because of his awsome turn of foot when on song.
But make no mistake the only think stoppin him running is the agreement to cut up the races between owners on the lead up to the Gold Cup
If Kauto wasn’t there and Denman was for he would go so fast round Kempton the rest would think the were on a roundabout.
I would love to know which horse these doubters think could go with Denman and go past him even round Kempton………geez you would think he was some slow coach or something
He had everything off their feet after 2 1/2 miles in the Gold Cup. Why not at Kempton?
It’s something I’ve never understood tbh.
I can’t help but feel that Denmans pace is being severely underestimated and stamina, over overestimated. I’m damn sure Kauto stays further than Denman and equally as sure that Denman would eat Kauto in a King George or even a race over shorter distance – But WTF do I know?
LADBROKES were offering 50/1 about "Albertas run" for the King George!
too big a price for us loyal supporters to ignore, he will be sent off at 20/1
so long as the ground doesn"t soften too much! You can still get 33/1 !!
Should be a cracking race anyway!
!!!!!!! 
A point on Denman and the King george I totally disagree with anyone who thinks he does not have he speed or ability to win one.
The only horse I know that would probably beat him is Kauto Sar because of his awsome turn of foot when on song.
But make no mistake the only think stoppin him running is the agreement to cut up the races between owners on the lead up to the Gold Cup
If Kauto wasn’t there and Denman was for he would go so fast round Kempton the rest would think the were on a roundabout.
I would love to know which horse these doubters think could go with Denman and go past him even round Kempton………geez you would think he was some slow coach or something
He had everything off their feet after 2 1/2 miles in the Gold Cup. Why not at Kempton?
It’s something I’ve never understood tbh.
I can’t help but feel that Denmans pace is being severely underestimated and stamina, over overestimated. I’m damn sure Kauto stays further than Denman and equally as sure that Denman would eat Kauto in a King George or even a race over shorter distance – But WTF do I know?
You could be more right on Denman than you realise……..There is no doubting he was out on his feet after the last in the Gold Cup and wandering about like a horse coming to the end of his tether………combine that with the fact Ruby said they weren’t going that fast and perhaps Denman’s limit is 3m2f at Cheltenham but that’s a great limit to have.
Maybe one day he might run in the National but you don’t have to be stayer to win the National as Gay Trip proved many years ago……He was a 2m4f horse and won the National in canter….the explanation is horses get a second wind and can run really well in it, in his case win it….Blowing Wind an Imperial Gold Cup winner at 2 miles was another who nearly pulled it off in recent years……Denman could do the same even if he has stamina limitations. Soreally nomatter whathe does in the future his stamina deson’t really come into it us such.
I too agree that Denman’s stamina is overrated and his speed is underated. However, I’d take an on form Kauto Star over an on form Denman any day of the week from 2m-3m (unless it came up a bog).
The Gold Cup on the other hand is Denman’s race. The distance/conditions are tailor made for him imo. It would take an epic performance for anything to beat him there.
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