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Just heard Time for Rupert scoped wrong so won’t run on Sat.
Disappointing news.And will ‘apparently’ head direct for the Gold Cup.
Talk about best laid plans going awry…
I considered Punchestowns the bet of the weekend
WITH
Time For Rupert running. I thought Rupert made the market for Punchy.
Anyways, I believe Punchy will come on a ton for beating Pride of Dulcote (fav for Oirish Hennessey) and is a class above these plodders.
At 2/1 he would be a fantastic price but anything around 11/8 or more is a very good bet. I’d back him at evens, frankly.
The rest are plodders and Punchy has hurdle form way above them and has yet to realise his potential over fences.
Saturday is the day we see a genuine Gold Cup contender.
C’mon lads (and Miss Massey) – get stuck in!
Zip
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Good luck Zippy””’far as I an concerned no Rupy no race/””’
None of those left would win at Chelters in their dreams
IMVHO they should go straight to thw Gold Cup not the RSA
This is one bloody goos jorseI really fancied the chances of Punchestowns in the RSA last year and, whilst there were valid excuses for the defeat, he hasn’t exactly set the chasing scene alight and is opposable at current odds.
The RSA form is not looking too shabby, but the Long Run we witnessed that day was a shadow of the one that dominated the King George, and Burton Port was ridden with no real conviction.
There are question marks surrounding the entire field, including my old friend, Tidal Bay. The highest rated horse in the race, he receives 5lb from Punchestowns.
The Racing Post spotlight describes him as an ‘enigma wrapped in a puzzle’. Connections have been blamed for campaigning him poorly, but this ‘puzzle’ has not exactly been giving away many clues.
We know how good he is. He could win tomorrow doing handstands if he felt like it. Hell, he could have even blitzed Imperial Commander if he was in the right mood.
I don’t think I’m going too OTT when I say that he could be a real danger in the Gold Cup if he put everything together – the engine is certainly there (available at 50/1 if anyone’s interested!!).
He makes this race so interesting and I’m sure he’ll give another entertaining effort.
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I’m with Zip on this, in that Punchestowns would have eaten these over hurdles, and it’s far too early to say he won’t be just as good over fences. Didn’t get chance to prove it in the RSA as he went lame during the race, and his seasonal debut can easily be forgiven as he was reported to need the run, and it was nothing like the stamina test this should provide. NH obviously thinks a lot of him, and it was always the plan to have a prep race, then just one more run before the big one.
Tidal Bay just doesn’t jump fences quick enough at this level, and his best chance (which looks unlikely) is for holding ground to slow the others down. Either way, Punchestowns should win this doing handsprings, and his Gold Cup odds should be significantly shorter tomorrow than the 20’s available this evening.Purely from a viewing perspective, how Punchestowns/Tidal Bay compete will be very interesting indeed.
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The way Punchestowns thrashed Tchico Polos after jumping badly last year tells me how good he can be. I won’t be backing him at the prices though. Probably one to watch for me, It’d be nice to see Neptune Collonges run a big race mind.
Happy i took 5/2 on Punchestowns i hope he can win.Only the weather will stop him tomorrow.
5/2 on Punchestowns is a right result! I cannot have him at close to evens because if either Tidal Bay or Neptune Collonges return to their best sort of form, they will make it a proper race. I am particularly interested in Neptune, I hope the horse has not lost confidence or heart, I would like to think it has a big race left in it.
As mentioned earlier, would love to see Tidal Bay win this – he’s going to put on a show, that’s for sure.
Had a token couple of quid on Madison. Han’t convinced this season, nor at Cheltenham, but there are question marks over everything and David Pipe’s horse could get an unchallenged lead in this small field.
Looking forward to this.
Well, a horse was given a soft lead – but it wasn’t Madison!!
That was Neptune Collanges’ Gold Cup today and he won’t get such a soft lead in March.
I knew Tiday Bay would make it entertaining and in a faster run race he will reverse that form in the Gold Cup.
Some may laugh, but Tidal Bay is no 50/1 chance for the Gold Cup.
Righty-ho, it’s the big 3m1f chase on Saturday, and here are the horses who’ve been declared at the moment.
Punchestowns – aah, Punchy. You were my pick for the RSA last year. You weren’t all that good. Still, never mind, not every horse can win all the time…and then you were spanked by Pride of Dulcote in your re-appearance. Let’s put it this way – were Big Buck’s to magically never have existed, you’d still be a damn fine staying hurdler. I’m avoiding this one.
Neptune Collonges – Two Punchestown Gold Cups. Two of them. Has run in three Cheltenham Gold Cups, finished halfway down the field as a six year old (and six year olds don’t win the Gold Cup), and then finished third and fourth behind three of the five greatest staying Chasers of the last ten years. Then he got injured, boo. Then he came back, yay. Then he got brought down early on in the Hennessey, and in his proper comeback race he didn’t do very well. BUT! Paul Nicholls brought Taranis back from a long absence to win this last year – so why shouldn’t he do the same with a better horse? The horse the filthy minded among us call The Clungemeister is HERE TO STAY. And, at 12/1, racing without a penalty, you have to love the e/w.
The Tother One – Hmm, another Nicholls horse. Not one of his best, you’d say his hurdles form far outweighs his jumps form. Frankly, he just doesn’t interest me.
Tidal Bay – oh, this ‘un’s a tricky beast. No-one can quite tell whether he’s a chaser or a hurdler. Is he eccentric, inconsistent, or just plain unlucky? Good enough to win an Arkle, yes, and good enough to come second to Imperial Commander, but just as capable of running a shocker. Still, Cheltenham seems to bring about his best…but 5/1 is a little too short, as it stands. Still, even odds-on is value, if you pick a winner!
My idea of the winner is…
Neptune Collenges.
And the horse I’ll put in with him for a £1 forecast is…
Tidal Bay.
Two points
1) Tootle-tootle-parp is the sound of me blowing my own trumpet. It’s Miles Davis time round at Chez FiveLongDays.
2) Form is temporary, class is permanent.
BlueSky @pghenn.bsky.social
So don't run, just like the others always do
Humiliating, depressing, shameful….and the rest.
What a totally crappo performance from Punchy. The trainer does not seem to have expressed any disappointment but states he needs another run?!
Hmm, c’mon
He ran too poorly to blame the trip IMHO.
Well done to those who backed Neptunes, he gave a gallant performance from the front – but surely the form is worthless?
As for Punchy, I won’t be backing him again. Be surprised if Reethard is!!
Zip
Punchestown cant jump!!!
When will the trainer realise this. Either send him off during the summer to a jumping guru, get a wind op or put him over hurdles. Just do something instead of nothing.
I can see The Clungemeister putting in a decent frontrunning performance, and I can see TB doing that ‘racing at the back, looking a bit weird and then running on late in the day to make it look closer between him and the horse in front than it was schtick’ but where they finish is anyone’s guess.
Basically, I think there are a good eight or nine horses that would have to pull out before we could realistically look at either of those two as winners, but Stranger Things Have Happened.
Still, at least does Punchestowns actually running where it should’ve been expected he’d run to stop all this Pride of ‘Two Chases. Just Two Chases, one of which was against two other horses, the other was against three’ Dulcote gubbins?
FLD
BlueSky @pghenn.bsky.social
So don't run, just like the others always do
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