- This topic has 87 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 2 hours, 20 minutes ago by
.
- Posts
I saw a picture of him on instagram being hosed down after the GC. What a magnificent beast he is.
I would have him at least on 175 alongside Fact To File – he pulled to hard when second to that horse in the Irish Gold Cup so I think his performance there whilst commendable wasn’t one to take wholly at face value.
I do hope we see them both clash again at some point…..maybe Punchestown for their Gold Cup as I am pretty sure thry will ensure the ground is soft enough for JP/Mullins taste to let FTF run and we know that GW handles all ground types and you would hope that his Gold Cup run wouldn’t have take as much out of him given he barely came off the bridle.
LD, what kind of ground do you think he prefers the most? I’m inclined to think that anything with the word ‘good’in it suits him much better than the winter ground at Leopardstown or so.
And if I had to to choose between the KG and Gold Cup double I’d take that rather than going for a Savill’s and Irish GC one.
If it wouldn’t be for Kitz, I’d say Kempton should be his Christmas target. You get more fast ground KGs than Savills’.Willie once observed that 3-mile chasing is hard on a horse, so he may consider the Tramore route with GW
so he may consider the Tramore route with GW
I think this could come a bit premature with GW. Ricci senses the possibilities and he’ll be chasing a mid-season G1, imo.He does quite like Tramore, though. On his only visit to the Waterford track, he won by a mere 86 lengths!
He lapped the stragglers pulling up after the line that day…
Leopardstown Gaelic Warrior is something like 1/4 or 1/5 the 1 being the Liffy Handicap
Fact to File will swerve Kempton surely so will go Savills
Mullins could go Warrior for the KG but could run Kitz there or maybe both
GW will be another year older so the Tramore race wouldn’t be out of the question.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Ruby – I am not sure he really has a specific preference one way or the other but according to his RP stats page, the ground he has won most on is soft (3 from 5 with two 2nds), but then he has a perfect record on soft to heavy (1 from 1) and heavy (2 from 2) but he has also won twice on both good to soft and yielding and once on good ground at Sandown in April (in a time almost 4 seconds faster than standard).
Given that he is a German bred horse it is not overly surprising that he does well on proper winter ground but he seems a very adaptable horse regardless of the ground conditions and that is a very good string to have to your bow and will surely negate any of the kind of shenanigans we saw with Fact To File being pulled out due to the ground.
I could see GW coming back and having the same campaign as this season but it really wouldn’t surprise me if he went to the Savills instead of the King George which I would have thought would be the ideal race for Kitzbuhel (who incidentally has also won on good, good to soft, soft, soft to heavy and heavy ground in his short career) and is also two years younger than GW, so likely to be the horse for the future going forward. Could Kitzbuhel actually come over for the Charlie Hall before Kempton if Willie wanted to try to keep them apart somewhat, especially as he will be in his first year out of novice company?
Fingers crossed they all stay healthy.
Agree with you LD, I see it quite similar when it comes to German pedigrees. They rather thrive in the soft, but this fellow is quite special in his own way. Trip, ground, track….he seems quite versatile nowadays.
Fingers crossed they all stay healthy.
Most important thing. More than ever….
“What price it doesn’t make 20 …”
Just put your 50p e/w on The Slow Lion against him.
100+ pages guaranteed
I’d like to repeat myself, but GW could get an OR of 180. Especially if you look at the entire picture.
Next season, I’d go John Durkan followed by King George then straight to the Gold Cup if he was mine.
If he won two Gold Cups, that’s when I’d go Tramore then straight to the Gold Cup for a shot at the 3rd.
I still believe Willie cost Galopin a 3rd Gold Cup with such a tough campaign before Cheltenham last season.
That performance had shades of Kauto Star when he hosed up by 36 lengths in the King George and a rating of 183 seems pretty fair to me.
There’s nothing bar illness or injury or bad luck that should stop him doubling up next year , but he will be 10 if he gets to attempt a triple and that age stat is a big one. But let’s enjoy him next season- he didn’t really fire at Kempton and isn’t at his best round Leopardstown so I won’t be too surprised at an easy mid-season campaign, like the Tramore race as some have suggested.
As for Inowtheway, a very disappointing season with just one decent performance in the Gold Cup. Definitely a Lord Windermere , as i thought early on, so difficult to know what to do with him now.
All the three mile novices both sides of the Irish sea have proved fallible so Jango Baie and The Jukebox Man probably the strongest challengers next March – Old Park Star and Bossman Jack might be the ones in 2028
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.