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First of all, apologies if this has already been covered, but have been trying to get a hold on where all of Willie’s fancied team will feature come March.
Was wondering where everyone thinks they will end up at the festival and if that differs from where they think they should go!
There are a few obvious ones (Douvan, Faugheen etc) but a few others that are not so.
Will Annie Power go for the Mares’ Hdl? Should she go for the World Hurdle?
Not that we should be telling Willie what to do, but thought it would give some idea of how it might pan out.E.g.
Horse———–Willie will go————Should goAnnie Power………Mares…………….. World
Killultagh Vic…….JLT………………. RSA
Vautour…………Gold Cup……………RyanairThoughts?
With Paddy Power pushing Annie Power out and shortening up Vroum Vroum Mag for the Mares hurdle, does it look like Annie Power will head to the World hurdle after having a race tomorrow? All season Mullins has said she will go for the mares race, but could now go World hurdle if she has a prep.
It could well be Annie Power saves the bookies a fortune again, but this time by just not running in those Mullins 1st day acca’s…..hmmm…..Ricci said World Hurdle becomes viable if AP has a prep run beforehand – assuming she blows the cobwebs away and dots up tomorrow, likely she goes down the World Hurdle route as at this stage in their respective careers she probably has the better chance of winning it than VVM does.
VVM can sub for AP in the Mares Hurdle with little problem as we pretty much know they are currently the best two mares in training by the proverbial country mile so whoever shows up and puts in a clean round wins. Just a case of swapping VVM in for AP on your accumulators.
A bit late now when you have fancy prices about the other three with Annie Power already….
Yeah it does look like AP will be heading to the a World Hurdle if all goes to plan.
To be fair to WM he has said for a long time that he’d consider World Hdl should he get a prep run. But not much consolation for those with ante-post tickets!
It certainly makes the World Hurdle interesting.
Really thought Thistlecrack had it nailed until now.
On another score, surely Thistlecrack isn’t great value anymore either.
Annie Power may have shortened recently but Thistlecrack’s price has stayed the same, despite the fact his task just got a lot harder!Don’t think the (now likely) looking switch will be ideal and I can see them both getting turned over….Vroum Vroum Mag has been on a real rollercoaster hasn’t she…..was looking certain to go the World Hurdle route but then maybe Thistlecrack has made them sit up and realise she still has two stone to find to challenge that….then when that threat became really apparent she was then gonna run in and win the Ryanair….she’s definitely staying over hurdles says Mr Ricci…then for a good week or so she looks like she’s going back over fences…
Then there’s (Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Mare, Annie) looking less and less likely to get a run in they kept saying, then all of a sudden she’s down to get the prep run in….will all end in tears for both I tell thee!
Kilultagh Vic – there is no decision to be made as she’s out injured for the season…
Vautour – Is the easiest decision they will ever have….he’s the Gold Cup winner…it’s written all over him so why on earth would they run him in the Ryanair?
Another interesting angle in was last night listening to Graham Wylie….I thought there was a bit of a general feeling Nicholls Canyon would sidestep the champion hurdle for either the world hurdle or even straight to Aintree….certain to run in the champion hurdle though according to the owner….and the old Bellshill and Yorkhill debate…from listening last night does it look like Bellshill for the supreme and Yorkhill for the Neptune? That’s how I took it..
I think you could be right Zamorston but though it may appear their prep has been a bit up in the air due to the uncertainty it probably hasn’t been the case really.
AP getting a prep run is an improvement on the last few years as well.
Think she will need to be at her very best to beat Thistlecrack but that mares’ allowance could be quite handy.VVM looked very good at Ascot too. What would you take her on with looking at those in behind?
Glad you mentioned Bellshill and Yorkhill.
Didn’t hear that.VVM has been in her box not giving a monkeys while her connections decide on what race to go for – hurdles or fences seem to come alike to her and barring a fall those that oppose her in the Mares race are way inferior to her. She was always more likely to go in the race AP missed although I think she would have been interesting in the Ryanair but that is another story.
AP has got most on her plate if heading for the World Hurdle (interesting to note she will run in a hood tomorrow to get her to settle better, which is what cost her against More of That imho) but I don’t think there is much between her and Thistlecrack on good ground (she would have a better turn of foot) – however, if it came up soft and turned into a real stamina test then the ball swings massively in Thistlecrack’s favour.
Re Vautour – wouldn’t surprise me if he was the last horse off the bridle like he was in the KG but I am still of the mind that his tank is likely to empty pretty quickly once he comes off it (visions of One Man’s two Gold Cup attempts keep spring to mind). The KG told me that the neither off the first two wanted to go another 2F (and that was on a flat track) and I see this years Gold Cup being run similar to last year, which won’t help the suspect stayers.
From the Wylie interview, I got the opposite feeling that Yorkhill will head for the Supreme (where quicker ground will help being by the stallion Presenting) and Bellshill for the Neptune as he was inclined to ignore Bellshill woeful Leopardstown run due to Ruby saying that he was holding on to nothing from as far as 7F out – he wasn’t even quick enough to beat Barters Hill over 2m1f at Aintree on good to soft either.
The betting would also suggest that for Bellshill and Yorkhill but the way I took it is it will end up being a Ruby call…
Wylie said one will go supreme and one Neptune…he mentioned each race had a strong favourite and they were unsure which way to play it….for me Ruby will decide which one he wants to ride and which one he will miss due to riding Min…
Wylie reckons Yorkhill is his best chance of a winner…surely Ruby would prefer to ride Yorkhill against Yanworth rather than Bellshill and miss riding Yorkhill…There is Long Dog in the Neptune who I really fancy but current odds suggest it’s not that fancied considering its form…
http://wpmullins.com/stable-tour-20152016/
What chance do punters have when he quite clearly states Annie Power’s season long target is the Mare’s race?
I expect the emergence of VVM as a live contender for Cheltenham was rather unexpected.
Yep, fair point, but even up until a few weeks ago they implied AP would still go for the mares, and it was a question of whether they stay over hurdles or revert to fences with VVM.
Pitfalls of ante post I know….Ricci was very open when interviewed on RUK – kept saying if AP had a prep the World Hurdle would be a bigger consideration, think the Mares race was the fall back position based on the assumption that like last year she wouldn’t be ready in time to have a prep race.
Logical assumption is that regardless of whether it is Yorkhill or Bellshill in the Supreme, Ruby will be on Min with Townend likely to be on Yorkhill – you have to ignore Bellshill’s last run and with that he is a good price in the Neptune, also remember the ground is very likely to be much faster so there may be many horses that will leave their soft/heavy ground winter form behind to the extent that of all the odds on shots, Yanworth for me might be the one to come unstuck.
Is Black Hercules at this stage definatly going the 4 miler do we think….?
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
You’d like to think so but after last weeks fall, Mullins kept reiterating he had the pace for the RSA so who knows…
How about Annie Power in the Champion Hurdle,
Vroum Vroum Mag in the World Hurdle and Vautor now definitely going for the Ryanair?
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