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Though my memory is not what it was, I can’t recall a novice who jumped who jumped so slickly as Kings Palace did today – especially a staying novice. He looks to have a real appetite for the game too and I think he can go an awful long way.
I felt the same. He ran and jumped with such huge flair and enthusiasm, and hardly seemed to be out of breath. I was mightily impressed. One to watch with interest.
Well, not for the first time I find myself disagreeing with Steeplechasing.
Kings Palace looks a decent galloper and given a relatively easy time on the front end he does appear to jump hurdles pretty well. He has an economical style but I am not entirely certain how that will translate into jumping fences. That’s something for the future and who knows he may never be asked to jump a fence.
Yes, for once Pipe appears to have committed to a target but 4/1 for a Festival race having beaten a failed chaser 14 lengths? The race looked weak beforehand and even weaker in hindsight. Those behind have shown very little and the form is about as far removed from solid as you can get.
The Albert Bartlett takes shape later than the other novice events as horses sidestep the Neptune and the more unexposed types emerge.
If anyone is considering backing Kings Palace at a single figure price I would suggest that they have a little look at Racing Pulse bolting up at Newcastle. Last time I looked he was available at 33/1. He is just one horse who could prove to be a class above Kings Palace.
Kings Palace has the plus of winning two races around Cheltenham but so far he hasn’t beaten a horse who could entertain any hope of winning a novice race at the Festival.
Either way, whenever I see another Kings Theatre doing so well I bemoan the fact that he was lost at such a relatively early age
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Yeah, noticed this one slot in at a shade of odds on at the weekend. Missed the race, maybe a dark horse, not much hype about it.
Yeah, noticed this one slot in at a shade of odds on at the weekend. Missed the race, maybe a dark horse, not much hype about it.
He’s as short 4/1 for the Albert Bartlett so I don’t know about being a dark horse but he was undoubtedly impressive.
Would prefer Briar Hill at twice the price but he’s twice the price because he’s trained by Willie Won’tie!
Well, not for the first time I find myself disagreeing with Steeplechasing.
Kings Palace looks a decent galloper and given a relatively easy time on the front end he does appear to jump hurdles pretty well. He has an economical style but I am not entirely certain how that will translate into jumping fences. That’s something for the future and who knows he may never be asked to jump a fence.
Yes, for once Pipe appears to have committed to a target but 4/1 for a Festival race having beaten a failed chaser 14 lengths? The race looked weak beforehand and even weaker in hindsight. Those behind have shown very little and the form is about as far removed from solid as you can get.
The Albert Bartlett takes shape later than the other novice events as horses sidestep the Neptune and the more unexposed types emerge.
If anyone is considering backing Kings Palace at a single figure price I would suggest that they have a little look at Racing Pulse bolting up at Newcastle. Last time I looked he was available at 33/1. He is just one horse who could prove to be a class above Kings Palace.
Kings Palace has the plus of winning two races around Cheltenham but so far he hasn’t beaten a horse who could entertain any hope of winning a novice race at the Festival.
So, he beats a horse (Creepy) off levels 18 lengths who next time out wins a Grade 2 race at Cheltenham and is now rated 138. Monbeg Dude a 138 rated chaser is 2 lengths further back receiving 5lb. Aerial who wins NTO and is rated 139 over hurdles (149 over fences) is beaten 52 lengths. Previous to that he beats a horse (Kaki De La Pree) who wins both his next two races including a Class 2 hcap at Carlisle beating a useful yardstick in Trustan Times (rated 147) 22 lengths albeit receiving 20lbs.
To win an Albert Bartlett you generally need a horse rated in the 150’s. IMO Kings Palace is in that bracket now and whilst the price is skinny he has certainly got more form in the book than Racing Pulse who it has to be said has beaten diddly squat. Having said that there is no denying Racing Pulse has been visually impressive in both rules starts and I wouldn’t put you off at 33/1
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Guys, I tell you something for nothing, if you want to back King’s Palace now for Cheltenham don’t if he’s only 4/1.
The Willie Mullins horses have a huge following now over here and he will have the favourite for this race come post time, so expect a big drift on King’s Palace.
I don’t know where he’ll go but this Faugheen horse that he has is an absolute machine of a horse, he has such a high cruising speed combined with a sustained burst of speed.
That Briar Hill that you mentioned above Sir, what I can tell you I backed him the last twice in Ireland and he idles when in front. But the thing with him is when he sees another horse come to him he scampers clear and always wins by a margin. The thing about this is everyone says his style is unconvincing, but what does it matter?, he always wins.
So just to say I’d be wary of Briar Hill over a course that he loves in Cheltenham.I thought Brindisi Breeze was good with the added bonus of being a very strong staying front runner. KP is a class above him.
For that race Boston Bob had an official rating of 151 and started 6-5 fav. Bobs Worth was 15-8. Wichita Lineman 11/8. All with questions to answer regarding jumping / ground / trip.If King’s Palace retains form and fitness he isn’t starting at 4-1
Steeplechaser is also an excellent judge of a horses ability
What makes the flat so difficult for me; when you see a novice hurdling so slickly and clearly loving it out there, it’s hard not to fall in love with such an animal.
Staggered if he doesn’t win the Albert Bartlett, irrespective of Briar Hill.
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The race on Saturday was one race, It now has to show consistent form next time out.
It is a chaser in the making watching the replay, I dislike his large size for hurdling. Prefer the nippy smaller types Briar Hill and Faugheen for March.
Should be a very good horse over fences though.
One race ?! The form of it’s October win is excellent, having been franked several times :
18 lengths second – won a Grade 2 next time
20 lengths third – won one Grade 3 chase and performed well in another
The horse he beat on his seasonal debut has won twice since and they were 15 lengths clear of the third who won next time out !Those were very good horses trailing in it’s wake at the weekend. Think the 3rd and 4th will win top class races
Absolutely bomb proof form this season.`
King’s Palace and Briar’s Hill has echoes of The New One v Pont Alexandre.
Pont Alexandre, the Wullins Mullins hotpot, was considered by many nigh unbeatable at Cheltenham after a couple of facile wins in Ireland.
Similarly, King’s Palace, like The New One; an impressive young staying hurdler from England and still improving.At this stage, if both met over 2 and a half miles, I’d definitely want to be one King’s Palace, and I’ll tell you why. The David Pipe trained horse is a quick, economical hurdler, whereas Briar’s Hill’s hurdling looks very laboured and deliberate – very novicey in fact.
Both possess speed but the superior hurdling technique of King’s Palace would win the day – in my humble opinion.
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MarkTT – thanks for the kind comments, Mark.
Here’s Ben Linfoot’s piece from yesterday (Sportinglife.com)
Finally, in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Kings Palace put up an excellent effort to string his field out and win by an impressive 14 lengths. Raised 10lb from 146 to 156 on the back of that, that new rating already puts him at a level good enough to have won every single renewal of the Albert Bartlett at the Festival (when looking at the ratings the winners achieved in that race.) His slick hurdling is an obvious asset, and though the Irish are bound to have a worthy challenger or three in the race, you would think it will take a very good one to beat David Pipe’s charge if he can repeat, or even improve upon this form.
Obviously there’s still three months til the festival but if KP lines up in the same form as he did last weekend then it will take a truly exceptional performance to beat him.
Faugheen / Briar Hill : neither has proved themselves in a good quality 3 mile hurdle yet, although both won points. I’d even suggest that Briar Hill might be the more doubtful stayer and be aimed at the Neptune.
Henderson has some catching up to do with the novice hurdlers this season.
Just revisted Kings Palace’s form to see if I was missing something.
He made his seasonal debut at Fontwell and beat Kaki De La Pree a length at levels. That horse has shown himself to be a progressive handicapper but no more than that. Last time out he did beat Trustan Times easily but that horse faded away very tamely and at the moment is simply not the force of old and clearly not a very reliable yardstick. The Pipe stable are not usually ones to miss a trick on the gambling front and for me the most interesting aspect of this win was the fact a pretty ordinary nine-race maiden started odds on favourite to beat him.
I would agree that the first Cheltenham win had slightly more substance than the second but again it is not too difficult to pick holes in the value. Creepy is a horse who races pretty freely and on all known form is better over a shorter trip. The next four places were filled by 25/1 12/1 25/1 and 50/1 shots and then you get to Aerial who went on to win a nothing race at odds on. Monbeg Dude was just having what was essentially a pipe-opener for a chasing campaign. Again Kings Palace didn’t even start favourite.
Saturday’s race was ridiculously uncompetitive for the Grade and I doubt very much the opposition will be doing much to bolster the form.
I maintain 4/1 is a shocking price. As an example you could have got 12/1 Brindisi Breeze after his Haydock win and the race was just around the corner. It will be a huge ask to try to dominate a much bigger and better field. In all likelihood he will not get an easy lead. The match-up probably isn’t going to happen but if it did I would be firmly in the Briar Hill swamping him for speed camp.
As for Racing Pulse it doesn’t really matter too much as he was so superior but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the two who finished behind show themselves to be well above average.
The form of Racing Pulse’s bumper and hurdle races is shocking.
Sir Mangan seems to have a breathing problem. The best form i can see of any of those in behind is a 4th to Spirit Of Shankly.
Not difficult to pick holes when all there is is one great big hole
KP is hammering good horses who have established themselves around the 130-135 mark
It’s sensible to look for value in a race that’s three months away but caveats aside, Kings Palace is a worthy favourite and has one target. Others in the market seem to have options.
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