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Clear implied suggestion by Nick Luck today that Tap Night is a McManus plot-in-waiting.
I agree.
The question is – today or March?
Id be inclined to think March is the target but hell probably have to run a decent race to stay around the 130 mark and get into the handicaps.
What i want to know is how has his chase mark been dropped so much so quickly. Was Phil Smith having Dinner at the Mc Manus mansion when he was giving him a new mark.
Off a mark of 130 today you would think he cant afford to drop any lower,alas an eye-catching run puts his mark back up to 134 for sure…He’s a bloody Jibber imo,Poor Lucinda would know if he was a plot horse and of course anyone with access to her yard would be an ‘Outlaw’ to keep such info to themselves.
“Look at all the fish that would be in the world today – if only someone had taught them how to keep their mouths shut”. JP McManus
Tap Night has cost many punters their money in under performing in its races and don’t think will ever be as good as the trainer hoped it would be.
Then again another JP horse If in Doubt belted every fence at Doncaster today and still won a poor renewal of the Great Yorkshire so the same could yet happen with Tap Night.
Supposedly McCoy referred to Tap Night thoughout last season as ‘my Cheltenham winner’ so even he was expecting more from him last year. Not sure what he refers to him as these days
Got to say I am no fan of Lucinda Russell and I dare say the horse may have had more success elsewhere. IMO
A handicap plot….becoming a rogue to my eyes.
Whatever race he runs in at the Festival he will be priced up shorter than he should….given connections and an "eye catching" run today.
I’m not saying he won’t win but in the long run you are better off passing on these plots.
I don’t think Tap Night deserves all the stick he gets. He did well as a novice chaser as the ‘now horse’ in races against plot horses, happy to hoover up the prizes and take whatever savagery the handicapper would dish out. A ridiculous mark of 153 was the result.
He hasn’t won since, but you can hardly blame him in the circumstances. I think a few people hold grudges as he is invariably well tipped-up owing to his owner, rider and the usual swirling rumours about plots and targets. Now he’s served his time in the wilderness as a terribly handicapped horse, he’s getting competitive again. Is there any more to it than that?
Tap Night was one of my long range bets for the Festival last year. Dropped out, travels well, comes with a run, not at all knocked about in finishing 3rd; that sort of thing caught my eye. But ran as though hurting when D-Day arrived and hasn’t been the same since.
Looking at the finishing stages of last weekend’s race it might seem suspicious. Running-on with seemingly more to give at the line. But the rest of the race gives a different story. It’s not as if tenderly handled this season, so certainly been trying. Gone is the "travels well" and replaced by "under pressure some way out". This, the first time shown anything at all.
Not the type of "plot horse" in the same JP style as last season, temperament holding him back more than anything else. However, it’s been surprising headgear has not been tried before now and may be something worth keeping an eye out for. Horses with first time headgear have a very good record at recent Festivals.
If capable of returning to something like his best is clearly well handicapped, but that’s a big "IF"… And if he is a Cheltenham plot horse is in danger of missing the plot race entirely. 130 current handicap mark not good enough to get Tap Night in the last two renewals of the 2m5f handicap chase at Cheltenham.
Value Is EverythingTap Night was one of my long range bets for the Festival last year. Dropped out, travels well, comes with a run, not at all knocked about in finishing 3rd; that sort of thing caught my eye. But ran as though hurting when D-Day arrived and hasn’t been the same since.
Looking at the finishing stages of last weekend’s race it might seem suspicious. Running-on with seemingly more to give at the line. But the rest of the race gives a different story. It’s not as if tenderly handled this season, so certainly been trying. Gone is the "travels well" and replaced by "under pressure some way out". This, the first time shown anything at all.
Not the type of "plot horse" in the same JP style as last season, temperament holding him back more than anything else. However, it’s been surprising headgear has not been tried before now and may be something worth keeping an eye out for. Horses with first time headgear have a very good record at recent Festivals.
If capable of returning to something like his best is clearly well handicapped, but that’s a big "IF"… And if he is a Cheltenham plot horse is in danger of missing the plot race entirely. 130 current handicap mark not good enough to get Tap Night in the last two renewals of the 2m5f handicap chase at Cheltenham.
He’d get in the 3m handicap though surely.
Talking of Mcmanus plots though, what are your views on this weekends winner IF IN DOUBT ? the horse lost a lot of ground (back to last) after a slow jump when it moved into midfield, then got back into it turning in, came up the home straight on the bit and readily went away from an improver. A stone in hand imo.
He’d get in the 3m handicap though surely.
Talking of Mcmanus plots though, what are your views on this weekends winner IF IN DOUBT ? the horse lost a lot of ground (back to last) after a slow jump when it moved into midfield, then got back into it turning in, came up the home straight on the bit and readily went away from an improver. A stone in hand imo.
Tap Night’s running-on late in the day may be more to do with finally consenting to race rather than stamina coming in to play. Up to now has always been best around 2 1/2 miles. Feel temperament is the main issue (at whatever trip) I’d want to see headgear. However – although last year I’d have said no chance of staying 3m… When going from enthusiastic to lazy – horses tend to stay further and I think Tap Night now has a good chance of staying the longer distance on a goodish surface Strawbear.
Price/value is everything, but I’d expect to be against If In Doubt if turning up at Cheltenham in any competitive race. Am sure a lot of punters will see his display and wonder what he’s capable of once getting jumping together. True, but along with the fact he’s a McManus horse is bound to make him strong in the market too. Undoubted potential but the handicapper is going to have his say. If this was a one-off then may be you could think the novice will improve its jumping. But fact is If In Doubt has made mistakes in all previous chases and probably will again at Cheltenham – a stiffer, less compromising course is more likely to catch him out and/or mistakes severely reduce energy levels for the uphill finish. Very few poor jumpers have enough in hand of the handicapper to win at the Festival, that’s if (big IF) they get round.
Value Is EverythingHe’d get in the 3m handicap though surely.
Talking of Mcmanus plots though,
Very few poor jumpers have enough in hand of the handicapper to win at the Festival, that’s if (big IF) they get round.
Wichita Lineman
..Watch out for
Eastlake
in the Grand Annual, he’s huge at 16/1 imo.
He’d get in the 3m handicap though surely.
Talking of Mcmanus plots though,
Very few poor jumpers have enough in hand of the handicapper to win at the Festival, that’s if (big IF) they get round.
Wichita Lineman
..Watch out for
Eastlake
in the Grand Annual, he’s huge at 16/1 imo.
Strange that, he (Eastlake) wasn’t in BET365’s book for the grand annual, so i emailed them and asked for a price, they then introduced him at 16/1, i thought that was a bit short so have’nt taken any of it. He was 20/1 last year and soundly beaten, i was really taken by his run at Ascot.
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