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I don’t know what the handicapper will make of Cue Cards fabulous effort in getting within 5 lengths of Sprinter Sacre with the rest a fence behind. For me both posted career best efforts. If Cue Card lines up in the Ryanair only Simonsig has any chance of beating him but needs to improve a lot. At 5/1 Cue Card is amazing value
Al Ferof
‘s Paddy Power win and novice form stacked up quite well alongside what Cue Card achieved as a novice. If he is able to come back fully from his injury, I think he will be the main danger to Cue Card. There must be some question of him being aimed at The Gold Cup, but Paul Nicholls always seems to maintain that this horse isn’t a pure stayer.
Cue Card has a very strong chance, imo, of winning the King George (take as much of the 8/1 as you can get). If he does so, and does it in style, his connections will be tempted to go for the Gold Cup.
If Bobs Worth, for some reason, did not turn up at Cheltenham, I think the Tizzards would probably aim him at the GC, assuming he lands the King George. Cue Card is my favourite horse in training and I’ve had a decent saver at 25s for the Gold Cup, but Bobs Worth is an exceptional horse. He had the speed to beat Cue Card over arguably CC’s best trip of 20f at Newbury, albeit in receipt of half a stone.
Cue Card has improved since then and the Tizzards might well take the view that at level weights they’d have every chance. At this stage, on the stamina front, you’d favour BW. But the ace the BW holds against CC is his much more consistent jumping technique.
Cue Card has won me a lot of money but my heartrate does tend to go up each time he approaches a fence. He has his own way of getting from one side to the other or, at least, staying on his feet (touch wood) but in the Gold Cup he’ll have 5 fences more to jump than in the Ryanair – that’s the clincher for me and I think it might prove that way for connections. I’d love to see him win a Gold Cup – he’s a massively talented horse with the comparative misfortune of sharing a generation with Sprinter Sacre at the speed end and Bobs Worth at the stamina end.
Cue Card is Seve to Bobs Worth’s Jack Nicklaus.
Roll on the new season!
Cue Card won’t win a Gold Cup.
I’ve argued on here about CC’s best distance being 2 1/2 and i think he should stay there.
The way the Henderson camp were raving about Simonsig before he won the Neptune and that they couldn’t wait to see him over fences, was similar to how they were raving about Sprinter Sacre when he was going over fences. Obviously that horse is on another planet, but the vibes were similar about both of them going over fences. Admittedly, Simonsig only scrambled home in the arkle, but he looks as though a step up in trip would be ideal. He hosed up in the Neptune and over the same trip in the Ryanair, I think he could well be up to beating the very good Cue Card if they go that route with him. I can’t see anything else getting anywhere near these two with Simonsig just getting the better of Cue Card. A long way to go, but would make for a great race.
Speaking of this trip 2m 5f, Henderson said it’s a shame there was no Ryanair over hurdles for Oscar Whisky. If he can jump a fence the 10/1 about the Jewson is a great price. He was virtually unbeatable over 2 and half over hurdles, if he’s as good over fences, it would take a good one lower his colours.
Simonsig – Ryanair – 5/1
Oscar Whisky – Jewson – 10/1Harvey, Simonsig might end up back over hurdles. He is not a natural jumper of fences as he cannot bend his back properly (to my eye). If the cause of that was an ailment, he might have a chance of making the top over fences. But I suspect it is just the way he is made.
Unbeaten over fences. One mistake in the Arkle despite pulling like a train.
I’ll agree he doesn’t have the scope of some other chasers but he’s such a brilliant horse.
McCain made me laugh during last seasons Betfair Cheltenham Preview night when he was trying to knock Simsonsig’s form, like he had the previous season with Sprinter Sacre.
Keep trying, Donald.
By all accounts he’s definitely going over fences, and because we’ve seen he’s good, and they think he’s special, he could yet be as good as Cue Card, if not better. Time will tell, but an exciting clash in prospect nonetheless.
I’m really looking forward to seeing OW over fences. Should be really smart and maybe better over two miles.
Can’t wait.
It would be madness to send Cue Card for the Gold Cup, he won’t get home and just isn’t good enough! I really hope they stick to the Ryanair where he has an excellent chance although if Captain Conan turns up watch out
After his win today surely it is very likely Cue Card will go for the Gold Cup, that makes this race a little more open.
I’ve just backed Sizing Europe at 16s, he’s not getting any younger admittedly but will surely avoid the Champion if Sprinter Sacre turns up and doesn’t have the stamina for the Gold Cup so here looks his likely destination come March. His record at the festival is good and I don’t think he’ll be 16s come raceday.
The Henderson pair of Simonsig and Capt Conan will be obvious dangers but other than them, were are the other likely dangers?
I know some people won’t want to hear me say it but with Cue Card looking likely for the Gold Cup, First Lieutenant would win this
Sizing Europe sounds like a great shout, Danny. Although not a real stayer, he makes a great fist of every run at 3 miles. The Ryanair should not be a problem.
Age does not seem to have slowed him down yet. I hope he runs here.
This could be the most interesting race of the meeting from an ante post viewpoint.
Cue Card is as short as 2s but looks more likely to go for Gold or even the QM if SS is ruled out.
Sir Des Champs injury means that First Lieutenant looks Gold Cup bound and it will strengthen the case in J Hales’s mind to send Al Ferof there too.
Dynaste has been removed from the market with some firms, having returned sore from Kempton. Flemenstar is out for the season. Sizing Europe looked a shadow of his former self last time.
If the above pans out as written, there are very few left, making Festival Winner Benefficient appear excellent value to my eye at 10s with Ladbrokes. Tony Martin mentioned this as his main option with the QM under consideration ‘if it turned soft’ – but, again, if the scenario outlined above transpires, he’d be crazy not to go for this, where he’d probably start favourite.
There’s an element of risk, of course, but 10s seems to make that worthwhile.
This could be the most interesting race of the meeting from an ante post viewpoint.
Cue Card is as short as 2s but looks more likely to go for Gold or even the QM if SS is ruled out.
Sir Des Champs injury means that First Lieutenant looks Gold Cup bound and it will strengthen the case in J Hales’s mind to send Al Ferof there too.
Dynaste has been removed from the market with some firms, having returned sore from Kempton. Flemenstar is out for the season. Sizing Europe looked a shadow of his former self last time.
If the above pans out as written, there are very few left, making Festival Winner Benefficient appear excellent value to my eye at 10s with Ladbrokes. Tony Martin mentioned this as his main option with the QM under consideration ‘if it turned soft’ – but, again, if the scenario outlined above transpires, he’d be crazy not to go for this, where he’d probably start favourite.
There’s an element of risk, of course, but 10s seems to make that worthwhile.
Good call, I’m a big fan of the horse and of Tony Martin.
Marito is the joker in the pack here. Mullins might look to get back in focus into Gold Cup reckoning with SDC out and Marito is ideally suited to the middle distance race. Marito travels, jumps, stays and has the acceleration required to take on the likes of cue card etc.
10/1 about Benefficient seems fair enough Joe but I’d say he’ll probably still be 5 or 6/1 come the day so I’ve looked elsewhere.
Cue Card and First Lieutenant seem more likely to go for the Gold Cup, meaning there is value to be had here if you know what’s going to be targeted at the race.
I had thought Benefficient was a decent price before he won at Leopardstown but I wouldn’t be tempted now at a general 8/1 (standout 10/1 with Ladbrokes). Particularly as I think he may have been beaten in the Jewson but for a rival falling at the second last.
I agree with Pointer about Willie Mullins’
Marito
. He would surely have gone very close that day in the Jewson and I reckon he’ll be the Closutton representative in this race. He’s been in good form this season, following up on a fine second to Hurricane Fly with a smooth victory over Roi Du Mee. He travelled powerfully that day, looking as if he’ll have no trouble stepping up in class.
Considering the doubts about a number of representatives near the head of the market, I think Marito is worth a poke at 20/1.
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