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I’m still with Grandouet for this. Admittedly he has looked disappointing so far, but he ran well enough I thought second time up against Hinterland. Settled better and jumped ok. It seems Henderson is trying to school him quite extensively in public to get some match practice into him.
Apparently against Dodging Bullets he ran a stone below his run against Hinterland, so wasn’t his true running for whatever reason. But at 20/1 now, a stronger pace and perhaps better ground conditions, he is the one that can canter at chanpionship pace, and if his jumping holds out, must surely make the first three in the arkle.
Only an opinion obviously, but with that in mind, here’s my ante post trixie…Grandouet – 20/1 – Arkle – will canter at championship pace…
Oscar Whisky – 9/1 Jewson – class horse over hurdles at this distance, another who will go better with a faster pace.
Silviniaco Conti – 7/2 – Gold Cup – Hardly inspiring at the prices now, but already took 10/1 in various other ante post bets….was still tanking along last year, Nicholls had him spot on for the King George and will do for March….with another 2f only Bobs Worth will live with him.My three main bets for the meeting…
Years ago, I had often thought that the BBC struggled to compete with Channel 4 for it’s racing coverage, especially with Willie Carson cackling away. But it seems Channel 4 managed to get rid of that competition, and then replaced it’s tried and trusted format with the very same people it had put out of business.
Who in their right mind would replace a winning team with parts of the one that couldn’t compete with it in the first place?
Claire Balding seems to be flavour of the month after her Olympics presentation, but seriously she’s everywhere, and I’m tired of seeing her on tv full stop, let alone interviewing every tom, dick and harry, instead of focusing on the horses. She is irritating.
Rishi Persad is an affable sports presenter in general, but to condense him onto a racing presenter doesn’t work. He’s very out of place in this field for me.
Mick Fitzgerald, as knowledgable as he is, is not presenter material, awful booming voice and the accent is difficult at times. His tipping only stretches as far as the Henderson stable, so why have a biased presenter?
Nick Luck and Graham Cunningham, boring as hell, and Jim McGrath looks so uncomfortable, it’s like he knows how unpopular and boring the whole thing has become. Emma Spencer? Why? Is it supposed to be glamour?
As for the adverts…well……
Needless to say I spend my Saturday afternoons in betting shops, rather than the comfort of my own living room….talk about the whole thing going full circle. There was a time I would rather not go to a bookies for many reasons, and stay at home to enjoy the covergae from C4, but now all I get to see is the racing and see the horses going to post….and some coloueful characters obviously!
Channel 4 had the winning team and the format only needed slight adjustment….it’s a shame it will never be seen again.Can’t see Long Run winning this, surely this is another stepping stone to his main target on Boxing day. After his below par run, it looks as though they need another prep before the King George.
I can see Silviniaco Conti winning this, I really think he would have won the gold cup had he not fallen, was going by far the best, and although Bobs Worth outstayed the rest, it would have been too late to catch S Conti.
He won this race impressively last year, may well take the King George as he will be favourite if beating Dynaste and Long Run convincingly, before going off favourite for the Gold Cup and winning that.
Take the prices now I reckon…..5/2 for this…..6/1 for the KG and 8/1 for the Gold Cup.Don’t understand how the bookies price him and Bobs Worth at nearly the same price for this 9/4 – 5/2, yet SC is a lot bigger for the GC.
Simlarly, SC 5/2 for this and Dynaste 6/1, yet Dynaste slightly shorted for the KG???I wouldn’t be too negative regarding Grandouet’s performance. Ok he unseated at the last and appeared to have been put off somewhat by Hinterland. But he travelled well enough, pulled a fair bit early, didn’t seem to be 100%, and when asked to make ground on Hinterland in between the last two, did so easily. I’m sure if he didn’t unseat, his speed would have seen him go past Hinterland fairly easily after the last.
The main reason why I wouldn’t be too negative is it seems a fair majority of Henderson’s seem to be needing their first run.
And a stronger run race you’ll see a very different horse.
He’s too classy to dismiss him after his first attempt over fences.I think the 16/1 about Finians Rainbow providing it’s good ground could represent some value. Ok he has questions to answer, but if another wind op, and better ground in his favour, he’s far too classy to ignore at 10lb below his peak.
Connection must fancy he’s back to somewhere near his best as he could easily take up the Schloer the next day off a much more favourable weight instead of conceding weight in the Paddy Power.If he does run then a saver on Colour Squadron at the other end of the weights at 14/1. He’s promised much but not quite delivered, has also come down the weights, and surely has a big race in him off this mark.
Grandouet for me. Still tanking along in the Champion hurdle before he fell, and if he takes to fences, will be a real class addition to chasing.
Champagne Fever won’t roll over lightly, but like last year, it’s anyone’s guess as to what his target at the festival will actually be.Followed Grandouet off a cliff for two years, would be foolish to stop now.[/quote
Hope you haven’t done too much ante post for the champion hurdle as it seems he’s definitely going chasing. Might be worth clawing some back on the Arkle….just took 10/1. If he can jump a fence this could be a great price come March.
I have already put Hadrians Approach up for this, but on hearing the news about Invictus coming back from injury and being aimed at this, might make me think otherwise. Will be a very interesting runner, having beaten Bobs Worth on his final start. Bobs Worth went on to take the RSA and Hennessy, so you’d think Invictus would have every bit of a chance if anywhere near back to his best. Anyone any ideas what kind of mark he would return on after a season off?
I fully understand your point, and agree about St Nicolas Abbey. But he won weak group 1’s and a lot of prize money as an older horse….
Sky Lantern is only beating what is there, and although the form might be crabbed, to me it doesn’t matter what "dross" is left behind, the best horse keeps winning these races. Next year we will see if she is worth mentioning in the history books as great filly. The comparisons to older horses is premature until she becomes one herself. I just think she is an exceptional filly, and like previous posts on here….name one better in the last decade…I was just saying that your assessment of what Sky Lantern has beaten, isn’t as bad as you make it out to be. And a couple of hiccups aside….keeps winning….group 1’s…..
Forgive me for being so "silly"! But has Elusive Kate won 4 group 1’s and is an older horse? Has La Collina won a couple? Is integral a lame duck? Just the Judge was beaten in the 1000 then won the Irish version. May have gone off the boil since but still won a group 1 fairly easily. Studying pure lateral form is the fast way to the poorhouse, just ask the bookies. Bottom line is, if Elusive Kate hadn’t hung and Hughes rode a better race in the Nassau, the form, no matter how you try and add it up, is top class and there haven’t been as good a filly for quite some time. Bosra Sham springs to mind, and she wasn’t unbeaten.
Your post wasn’t invisible….I was agreeing with you….I don’t get the knocking of the horse.
I think, without going over the top, but surely you can only beat what’s in front of you. A few of Frankel’s races were against "average" group one performers, yet is the best horse on the planet. (That’s not up for debate or crabbing his form by the way). It’s not Sky Lantern’s fault the form doesn’t seem that strong. Al Kazeem mopped up a couple of average group 1’s in my eyes, yet has still been lauded as an excellent horse, but has been found wanting the last twice.
Sky Lantern can’t be placed in the same breath as Goldikova or Moonlight Cloud yet for two reasons. One she hasn’t raced against the boys yet, and the aforementioned two probably reached their peak as older horses. Sky Lantern is still only a three year old, yet still producing good performance after good performance.
If she meets the boys this year, it will be interesting to see, but I think you will see an even better horse next year, and based on what she has already achieved surely must be something to look forward to.
Whatever the diversity, she must be classed already as an already exceptional filly, and will probably reach the heights as Goldikova and Moonlight Cloud as an older horse.I’ll be keeping an eye out for Hadrians Approach for this. May not be a Bob’s Worth, but has pretty decent form as a novice, and the 3m2f could be exactly what it needs. Had Same Difference and Our Father behind when not quite reeling in Unioniste over 3m. Would have been closer at Cheltenham if it wasn’t for so many jumping errors, didn’t stay 3m5f next time, but if the jumping is sorted out, could well give a decent run for the money if it lines up.
