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After Rathvinden’s defeat today, is it now safe to assume that Faugheen is Mullins’ number one for this race? Or is there still a possibility that Faugheen goes for the Albert Bartlett?
Red Sherlock will certainly prove hard to beat in the Neptune.
Pipe certainly has 3 nice options for the 3 novice hurdles. I was on Red Sherlock today but I’m not sure of festival credentials, and certainly no value in ante post now. I’m not sure rathvinden is a top horse to be honest (which is why I was on RS today!). There are certainly 3 Irish horses that, IMO, are at a different level to Rathvinden and are ideally suited to the middle distance; namely, Apache stronghold, the Tullow Tank and Faugheen. Briar hill will go to the 3 miler and Vautour to the Supreme.
I’d have wanted to see RS put a bit more distance between him and Rathvinden today to convince me that he’d be capable of getting the better of the aforementioned trio. Faugheen still probably the one for me…
Could we be looking at a small field race here similar to last year?
I’m struggling to see where the opposition to Faugheen is to be honest. I think it’d more likely than not that The Tullow Tank goes to the Supreme, while Apache Stronghold has had a nightmare preparation and mightn’t even make it. Which means that the likely opposition will be the Brits.
Royal Boy won well beating Josses Hill but I’m not convinced he’s up to this level. Red Sherlock on the other hand was impressive in how he battled up the hill at the weekend to beat Rathvinden and they were out with flashlights looking for the rest. He was getting 3 lbs from Rathvinden but he looked to be holding him all the way up the run in and probably had more in the tank. He might be able follow Faugheen home
If you could be certain Faugheen goes here I think 4/1 would be a very solid each way bet as he’ll probably go off under 2/1 if he wins next time out and as I’ve already said, the field could be quite small.
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After initially wanting to back Faugheen in this, I can’t ignore my instinct telling me he won’t find much off the bridle, I can’t really explain why I think this but after watching his most recent race again I just got that impression. I can see him getting tired pretty quickly once push comes to shove, going to look through the others to find a horse to take the favourite on with.
EDIT – just had a quick browse at the recent winners of the Neptune and it seems that unless the winner is the favourite it’s a horse between the 4-1 and 12-1 mark which discounts most outsiders.
Going to have to look at when the winners’ final prep runs were to determine whether the other horses at the top of the market will stay the same or whether that’s likely to have a shake-up.
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Royal Boy won well beating Josses Hill but I’m not convinced he’s up to this level. Red Sherlock on the other hand was impressive in how he battled up the hill at the weekend to beat Rathvinden and they were out with flashlights looking for the rest. He was getting 3 lbs from Rathvinden but he looked to be holding him all the way up the run in and probably had more in the tank. He might be able follow Faugheen home
Royal Boy’s win over Josses Hill was over 2m and it seems clear as day that he’s better over 2 and a half, he only started to fully pull away from JH in the final 100meters of that race, something that bodes well for the further trip of the Neptune. He has the speed to be versatile but also seemingly the staying ability to keep going til the end.
Red Sherlock did indeed look very good in his recent win, though to me he doesn’t really look fast enough and I have a sneaky feeling he’d be better over 3m, no doubt he has speed but on decent ground I have my doubts as to whether he’ll be able to keep up with the front few.
At the moment, after my quick glance through the potential runners, I like Royal Boy and Sure Reef. Though whether Sure Reef will go here is anyones guess.
After initially wanting to back Faugheen in this, I can’t ignore my instinct telling me he won’t find much off the bridle, I can’t really explain why I think this but after watching his most recent race again I just got that impression. I can see him getting tired pretty quickly once push comes to shove
If one was inclined to worry about what Faugheen finds off the bridle then worry not, he won’t come off it
Have a look at his bumper though, found plenty when asked to go clear. I generally don’t like to see horses going to Cheltenham with a string of bridle wins but this horse showed he finds last season. He was still tanking at the end of three miles last season so I don’t see him treading water in either the Neptune or Supreme. Maybe there’s something out there to beat him, The Tullow Tank and Red Sherlock are the two I fear, but he’s a worthy fav imo. Given recent comments about trouble keeping him sound, I just hope he gets there.
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After initially wanting to back Faugheen in this, I can’t ignore my instinct telling me he won’t find much off the bridle, I can’t really explain why I think this but after watching his most recent race again I just got that impression. I can see him getting tired pretty quickly once push comes to shove
If one was inclined to worry about what Faugheen finds off the bridle then worry not, he won’t come off it
Have a look at his bumper though, found plenty when asked to go clear. I generally don’t like to see horses going to Cheltenham with a string of bridle wins but this horse showed he finds last season. He was still tanking at the end of three miles last season so I don’t see him treading water in either the Neptune or Supreme. Maybe there’s something out there to beat him, The Tullow Tank and Red Sherlock are the two I fear, but he’s a worthy fav imo. Given recent comments about trouble keeping him sound, I just hope he gets there.
I agree he is the worthy favourite and has definitely looked the most impressive this season. However I try not to take bumper form into account when making selections for races (especially Cheltenham). The jumps take a lot more out of certain horses than they do others and it’s often hard to tell which until they’re asked!
Diamond King:
I’ve long been a fan of this horse, but was disappointed to learn (from Mark Howard Diary 17th Feb) that Mark had spoken with Donald McCain and was advised that DK banged a joint at Doncaster and was unlikely to make it in time for the festival. However, i’ve just been reading McCain’s stable tour in the Weekender and he says it’s all systems go for the Neptune. I appreciate that the Weekender visit could have been prior to Mark’s phone call, but i don’t understand how, if the horse banged a joint at Doncaster on 8th January, there are mixed messages now coming from DM
Anyone heard anything about the horse’s wellfare?
I fell for the "Peddlars Cross work is good, it’s always good" before he completely bombed in the Jewson and don’t wish to fall for this again!
Any news would be appreciated.
Diamond King:
I’ve long been a fan of this horse, but was disappointed to learn (from Mark Howard Diary 17th Feb) that Mark had spoken with Donald McCain and was advised that DK banged a joint at Doncaster and was unlikely to make it in time for the festival. However, i’ve just been reading McCain’s stable tour in the Weekender and he says it’s all systems go for the Neptune. I appreciate that the Weekender visit could have been prior to Mark’s phone call, but i don’t understand how, if the horse banged a joint at Doncaster on 8th January, there are mixed messages now coming from DM
Anyone heard anything about the horse’s wellfare?
I fell for the "Peddlars Cross work is good, it’s always good" before he completely bombed in the Jewson and don’t wish to fall for this again!
Any news would be appreciated.
I would trust Mark Howard’s info rather than the spin to mainstream press from the Chip man. MH has a good relationship with him so can’t see any reason to doubt what he’d published other than a miraculous recovery by the horse !
He’s trading longer on Betfair than the bookies if thats anything to go by.
If one was inclined to worry about what Faugheen finds off the bridle then worry not, he won’t come off it
Now that would make a very good signature…….
Blackbeard to conquer the World
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I’m wandering what on earth has happened to Regal Encore, hopefully he’ll run!
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double post
If one was inclined to worry about what Faugheen finds off the bridle then worry not, he won’t come off it
Now that would make a very good signature…….
It certainly would if that’s the case
Mullins is reported from his press day as having been not too happy with him recently and last night started to change his feed, but still all systems go for the Neptune.
I’m wandering what on earth has happened to Regal Encore, hopefully he’ll run!
Coral Cup bound BH.
Hi Shack & Ben,
I think Regal Encore may also have an entry in the Imperial Cup at Sandown the week before Cheltenham. I read Honeyball wasn’t sure he’d get into the handicap at Cheltenham off 130. I expect a big run from him wherever he goes. I think the way he has been ridden this season (educating him to settle off the pace) was geared to running in the decent handicaps for JP.
If one was inclined to worry about what Faugheen finds off the bridle then worry not, he won’t come off it
Now that would make a very good signature…….
Done Nathan, he’d want to win now!
The Tullow Tank withdrawn by the owner re ongoing drugs case of the trainer.
Good news for Faugheen fans (bad news for racing in general), must’ve clicked on at the time it was put up on RP site as managed to snaffle some 7/2 with Racebets and 10/3 Stan James.
Faugheen is now a poor price considering that, behind him in the market, there are some very talented horses with umpteen 1’s next to their name available at double figure prices
His hurdles form isn’t of the calibre of King’s Palace and yet Faugheen is a shorter price in a stronger looking race.
5-6 year olds have dominated the race but then the vast majority of horses competing will be of that age. There can’t be many 7 year olds with the profile of
Royal Boy
. I think it also reflects favourably on this horse that Captain Cutter would seem destined for the Albert Bartlett despite having top form at this distance.
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