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Ireland’s second best 2 mile chaser vs Britain’s second best 2 mile chaser.
Un De Sceaux and Fox Norton: both stepping back in trip and both in the form of their lives.
Can Norton outFox the Un-De-Featable Sceaux?
Think the ground will be key for UDS – just like in last years QMCC he is more vunerable on goodish ground and it is currently good/good to yielding in places so any rain would be welcome.
Coming back to 2m will also mean that Ruby won’t have to try and hold onto him like he tried to do early on at Cheltenham but any race he is in will always be exciting as you know UDS is only a hairs breath away from being out of control.
UDS and Fox Norton look very solid in this, but at 16’s, I’ve got to have a bit each way on Sir Valentino.
Did me proud in The Haldon Gold Cup & The Champion Chase this year, and though just short of top class, he’s decent enough, and the inclusion of his stablemate God’s Own, takes a wee bit of attention away from him, and I think he’s a tad overpriced.
I don’t UDS is as neutralised by good ground as some people think. He just happened to bump into a certain Sprinter Sacre, with Special Tiara franking the form of that Champion Chase. I think UDS will win, but I like the chances of stablemate Ballycasey at 25/1. He’s in great form at the moment, including his recent victory over useful chaser Ball D’Arc over 17F. Think he will travel strongly , hopefully he has the speed to finish in the places.
You’d definitely want to be against UDS at the prices I think. True – he ‘bumped into’ Sprinter Sacre when forced to race on good ground at 2m last year, but with Special Tiara and Dodging Bullets snapping at his heels in those two races he was only able to post mid-high 160s performances. The way those races played out, it was hardly a case of Sprinter Sacre ‘breaking’ him and the horses behind being flattered, either.
If UDS can run 167 tomorrow, there’s a strong chance he’ll still win but I think it’s worth looking elsewhere with plenty of other low/mid 160s horses up against him. UDS did give himself an extremely hard race in the Ryanair too.
I’m inclined to forgive God’s Own for his last couple of runs. Despite never really showing his best left-handed, he was in the mix when blundering away his chance at Cheltenham. Though he was effectively gifted the Melling Chase last year, he came unstuck in a bigger field at Aintree this time. Back in a small field and going right-handed at the track where he beat Vautour last year, he’s worth another spin at 5/1 or bigger. Heskin prefers him to Sir Valentino.
I like the Sir Valentino shout too VTC – think he’s a low 160s horse too and 16/1 is way too big from an each-way angle. I just fear you can’t quite take the Kempton run against Special Tiara literally and the Champion Chase is exactly as good as he is. He certainly deserves to be shorter than Rock The World since he has three or four performances in the books far superior to anything Jessie’s horse has done.
Fox Norton isn’t really a two-miler but nearly managed to reel in Special Tiara at Cheltenham. The small field isn’t ideal for his style and his price feels about right.
Ballycasey surprised me by beating The Game Changer last time but you’d be a bit confused if he could beat these. Name your price the other pair.
Gods own for me already backed at 7/1 ew 1/5
2 wins from 2 at punchestown.
A terrible run at aintree has to be forgiven but that came close to cheltenham and on a left handed track.
I thought he was in with every chance coming to the 2nd last in the champion chase before a jumping error.He loves it round punchestown and hes crying out for some decent ground and a right handed track once again although not really sure what last seasons form ammounted to with vautour running over 2 miles and Simonsig running after a very long layoff with neither completing a race since.
I wish I took a price on Fox norton tbh. But i diddnt think he would turn up here after going up in trip at Aintree.
I could never back until de sceaux on the likely ground at that price although obviously he’s a likely winner.
I was slightly tempted by Ballycasey who is in very good heart at the moment dropping back in trip but it’s unlikely he would have a chance of winning in this class.
The market has had a little bit of a changeround in the last 24 hours with Un De Sceaux easing from 4/6 to 10/11 and Fox Norton shortening from 4/1 into a general 11/4 with 3/1 still available in places.
I’m assuming the drop back to 2 miles will suit UDS a lot more than Fox Norton and fully expect Mullins’ Ryanair winner to come out on top as you’d have to imagine he would have won the Champion Chase and has the added benefit of not running at Aintree. You’d be unlikely to see any better than current odds of 10/11 and I wouldn’t put anyone off taking the price.
I’ve gone for Un de Sceaux at 11/10. I’ve rewatched the QM Champion Chase and Fox Norton didn’t make any mistakes or got stuck. He was outpaced before staying on again. Un des Sceaux produced two superb runs this season over 2 miles and I think he would certainly have won the Champion Chase.
Also gone for a EW bet at 33/1 for Ballycasey, who is showing some good form lately. Generous price.
I can’t go against UDS as althought he had a hard race at Cheltenham, he has been given a nice break since whilst the other threats (Sir Valentino aside) have all been on to Aintree in the meantime and that may have taken the slight edge off them.
The final bit of good news is that as of today the current ground conditions are now reading as good to yielding (our equivalent to good to soft) with watering been done to maintain that, any doubts I may have had are now gone.
Wow 11/10 UDS. Betfair Sportsbook losing their mind and their shirts again. As Charles Olney said, you’d have thought 10/11 would have been pretty competitive!
Not surprised at the support for Fox Norton. Wish I had looked at the entries a bit earlier. I think the Ryanair was the most overrated performance of the Festival and unless this comes too soon after Aintree I would expect Fox Norton to show that he is the better horse.
Last years winner Gods Own for me , perhaps the forgotten horse in the race , good value at 15/2
Had to follow Fox Norton in again,after a bit of heartbreak at Cheltenham I was just so impressed with him at Aintree.
UDS,although a very good animal obviously,nicked that Ryanair due to a superb ride from Ruby and hopefully he will go roaring off again to give Foxy a good pace to aim at.
Had to follow Fox Norton in again,after a bit of heartbreak at Cheltenham I was just so impressed with him at Aintree.
UDS,although a very good animal obviously,nicked that Ryanair due to a superb ride from Ruby and hopefully he will go roaring off again to give Foxy a good pace to aim at.
I’d have to disagree with your assessment of the Ryanair. Ruby said himself he was a passenger. The plan was to put him to sleep but the horse was having none of it.
UDS has proved time and time again what a top class racehorse he is, and I can’t understand how people constantly doubt him.
I have always said and will continue to say Fox Norton is a two and a half miler at best!! Personally I think he will get outpaced and then stay on to finish second or third.
That brings me to think that if he wont win what will?
I have gone for Gods Own each way at 6/1 but with not a lot of confidence taking into account his last two runs but spring form and going the right way round may help him!!
We could end up with UDS running them ragged here but even 11/10 doesn’t seem great value to me on ground that may be quicker than he likes!!
I’d have to disagree with your assessment of the Ryanair. Ruby said himself he was a passenger. The plan was to put him to sleep but the horse was having none of it.
UDS has proved time and time again what a top class racehorse he is, and I can’t understand how people constantly doubt him.
Not trying to knock UDS at all,as I say he is very good and his record proves that.
I just happen to like Foxy a lot as well,people seem to doubt him constantly too,and was just putting a case forward for him winning today.
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