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The King George is the first major target for the season, but not heard anything other than many people don’t think he will stay the gold cup trip, so could possibly be routed to the Ryanair.
The way Quevega just managed to win last year, tells me Annie Power would slaughter her based on that performance.
She might slaughter that Quevegea, but would she slaughter the one that romped home in Punchestown? The Mares’ Hurdle has only been a prep for Punchestown in recent years but this year I’d say she’ll strip fitter.
That’s a good question, but my answer to that would be, you can’t tell as that race is also over three miles. She hasn’t been that far yet. So I would say, yes she would be Quevega at 2 and a half, but at three? Can’t honestly say.
I’m not denying that potentially she’s a superstar, but the reason I’m opposing is because of a couple of things. One….she’s not beaten a a true stayer yet, hasn’t raced over three miles, so it’s only conjucture that she stays.
Secondly, I honestly believe she has only ended up in this race so that Mullins can try and go down in history with Quevega and Hurricane Fly. The way Quevega just managed to win last year, tells me Annie Power would slaughter her based on that performance. If she really is as good as everyone say she is, then why oh why is she not running in the champion hurdle?
Champion Hurdle or Mares Hurdle are the distances she has raced over to date, so why step her up to three miles first time in a Grade 1 championship race to find out if she stays?
Could easily break her, Big Bucks could easily break her heart at the end of the race.
Nicholls has said all along, there’s only one race that matters for this horse, and I don’t think he’s any mug when he says things like that. Look at Kauto Star for instance. Everyone wrote him off before he came back to win the Betfair and the King George. I still cannot fathom why she’s ahead of him in the market. The price based on potential alone over a gruelling 3 miles? Not for me.Has to be Annie Power all day long for the World Hurdle. She could be the next best thing since Sprinter Sacre, but really, what justifies her price at the head of the market for the world hurdle?
Surely, the horse that has won it four times and going for a fifth should head the market? I laugh when people make these grade 1 races two horse affairs. Look at the betting. If it’s just a race between BB and AP, how come the rest of the field aren’t at least 10/1 chances? It’s a grade 1 with grade 1 horses, and it really wouldn’t surprise me if neither of the big two won the race. But at the prices, Annie Power is the absolute lay of the meeting. Apart from Zarkandar.. (who will be a different proposition on faster ground) what has she beat? If Doyly Carte beats Quevega on day 1, I could be eating my words!!I wouldn’t want to back her, let alone call her one of the Chelt bankers of all time.
If Big Bucks runs to his best form, its Annie Power whom has it to prove over C&D.
I’m gutted Solwhit isn’t there, would have got a cracking price on him with AP and BB in the field.
I wholeheartedly agree. She hasn’t even run over 3 miles yet, and is shorter in the betting than one of best staying hurdlers in history! Ok he still has a bit to prove after his comeback, but knowhere near as much as a horse who hasn’t run over the distance before, let alone race against a genuine Grade 1, specialist 3 miler. She could well hose up, but how can anyone say she is banker material against a horse of Big Bucks calibre? There’s also a few other horses in there that are no mugs, so banker? Don’t see it myself.
He’ll run if the ground is no worse than Good to Soft.
Cheers. Praying for sunshine, he kickstarts most of my bets at 20/1….hope he runs, sure he will place at the very least.
APPARENTLY Henderson told the Dunraven Preview Night audience that Grandouet did not work well on Friday ( this coming after describing him a week ago as in the best form of the season )
Does this mean Grandouet looking like a non runner??
Does anyone know if Newbury is called off tomorrow, will the Betfair Hurdle be run another day?
I was half expecting to see Henderson’s 5lb claimer declared to ride Rolling Star. Ok, so he’s not as good as Harry Derham, but surely if no horse has carried 11st 12 since Persian War, then why not take a bit of weight off like Nicholls has done with Far West.
Obviously Geraghty is different gravy to any claimer, but just thought they might take that route, bearing in mind the stat about top weights and how heavy the going will be.That was a very strange run from Goodwood Mirage and ride as well at the weekend. Will JJ Oneill still aim for the Triumph now? After all, he convinced the owners to shell out a fortune for the horse as he said it would win the triumph? Not looking such a good investment now.
Big Bucks, Celestial Halo, Salubrious, all in the same ownership. Why wouldn’t Nicholls run a fourth in Zarkandar? Surely it’s up to the owners, and by all accounts they have been considering upping in trip since last year. just because the Stewarts have three, why would that stop a completely different owner?
Although Pricewise had tipped him up,I had already backed Rolling Star at 16/1 for the Betfair. Funnily enough I backed Irish Saint Friday night at 12/1 before Pricewise put him up Saturday for the Ascot handicap, and because of the form that ties these two horses in from their novice form from last year, I’m sitting on a very handsome double indeed. These were, after all, the best of the younger brigade last year, this side of the water, until the Triumph at least…anyway, here’s to hoping form holds up….Rolling Star should beat Irish Saint, but this Irving could be anything…
It does seem a bit strange to make all this public, and although Nicholls says he’s not knocking Jacob, it very much sounds like he is.
Either way, is it not possible that Jacob has said, well you want a jockey for both the Cleeve and the World Hurdle, I’d rather be on Zarkandar anwyay? I don’t want to be the jockey to get beat on Big Bucks, but maybe be the jockey to beat Big Bucks.
He would be a fool to turn down the ride if Big Bucks wins both, but wouldn’t Jacob be privy to how both the horses are going at the moment?
It sounds like he was only hesitant…must be more to it than that. It all seems a very funny situation with the yard’s No 1 jockey not on one the best horses of a generation, not on the King George winner, but rides the rest of the owners horses…..
I’m sure Paul Nicholls knows what he’s doing….Apparently at the start of the season Paul Nicholls said the owners wanted to try him over three miles this season. What are they waiting for? Won’t beat TNO over 2m and won’t beat Annie Power over 2.5m, so may as well see how he copes with 3m….may even bring about some improvement, and if it does, he’d be a player for the world hurdle I’m sure.
