Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Wesley Ward’s hamster… :D
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view4/1183975/family-guy-buff-hamster-o-s.gif
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
First bet for me is Goonyella at 20s – would need rain that week as he needs it soft
I adore Goonyella – he’s so honest and admirable, jumps well and does possess that bit of quality. You’ve heard the saying ‘stays longer than the mother-in-law’, the problem is that Goonyella moves about as fast as the old bird :D
Would love to see him run a big race.
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
Bos’ certainly has a little sweet tooth
1 Morning Assembly
2 Holywell
3 Rule The WorldThis guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
Upon hearing this news, Frankel no doubt gave Cirrus des Aigles a nod of respect in his direction ;)
A true rags to riches story on both an equine and human scale, made all the better by the clear devotion between trainer and horse. Forget the field, this horse is moving into the family home!
Tough, talented, brilliant, and superb longevity. Happy retirement, CDA
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
I think it is Des’ destiny to keel over in the commentary box – he get’s very animated
“And as they come to the last, Uranus is ten lengths clear, Donkey Punch is weakening in second and he’s a distance clear of the remainder, but this is so exciting and…I…uh…argh…Uranus has fallen into a hole…argh…argh…Donkey…Punch chins him on the…urrrrghhhh…line…”
Was surely a head-bobber?
*Winning distance – 2L
LMFAO
I think Donkey Punch got it by a neck…This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
I think it is Des’ destiny to keel over in the commentary box – he get’s very animated
“And as they come to the last, Uranus is ten lengths clear, Donkey Punch is weakening in second and he’s a distance clear of the remainder, but this is so exciting and…I…uh…argh…Uranus has fallen into a hole…argh…argh…Donkey…Punch chins him on the…urrrrghhhh…line…”
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
I’ve been a fan of Morning Assembly during his relatively short career. He was a Grade 1 winning novice hurdler, but always had the build of a chaser. Pat Fahy’s charge duly beat Don Cossack in the Florida Pearl, and was placed in three Grade 1 events, including the RSA, during his freshman chase campaign. Connections were even considering a crack at the Punchestown Gold Cup after his Festival third that year.
He missed last season, but has returned this term with three solid efforts, including a fine fourth in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last week. Davy Russell gave him a quiet ride, with one eye clearly on Aintree, and connections are again hoping he will be in the saddle.
Morning Assembly travels, jumps, stays well and is arguably the ‘right age’. His dam sire, Montelimar, also sired Grand National winners Hedgehunter and Monty’s Pass.
Holywell has to go well off his weight, while Rule The World could have been anything had injury not intervened. He found only The New One too good in the Neptune as a novice hurdler, and showed his potential over marathon trips when second in the Irish National last season.
On a lighter note, how can I not resist a crack at the Spring Double, courtesy of the aptly named duo Lord Of The Land (Lincoln) and Rule The World (Grand National)
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
The Robin, You neglect to mention a couple of factors (perhaps you’r not aware of them).
Silv Conti – fine stayer though he is – has a lousy record at Cheltenham
Cue Card has a fine record at Cheltenham and has never stopped up that ‘blasted hill’, winning a Ryanair by 9 lengths running away and the Bumper in even easier fashion by 8l from Al Ferof.
Cue Card was not outstayed by SC in the King George – he stopped as though shot & the conclusion now of connections plus vets is that the the trapped epiglottis for which he had such transformative surgery was to blame (J Tizzard described it as like having a golf ball in your throat).
Any horse who wins a KG run at such a fierce pace as the 2015 one, on that ground, will not have an issue with the GC trip.
Finally, I’m not into the breeding side, but I’m told Cue Card’s dam stayed 4 miles.
Silviniaco Conti has a lousy record at Cheltenham because on three of his four visits to Prestbury Park he has competed in the Gold Cup. It is a unique test that is completely unparalleled in the demands that many top class three mile chasers encounter during their career. There was nothing wrong with his International Hurdle performance during the embryonic stages of his career, nor the way he travelled in two of his three Gold Cup attempts. It was only the combination of those extra two furlongs and the hill that proved his undoing – and would have done so in 2103 had he not fallen. Talking of lousy Cheltenham records, Don Cossack and Djakadam’s combined form figures at Cheltenham prior to last Friday were F2FF3. Of course, those figures didn’t tell the whole story under less than closer examination.
Albertas Run won an RSA Chase over an extended three miles, and a Ryanair Chase two years later – powering away up the hill to beat a well established Cheltenham specialist. He would later add a second, nearly a third, but sandwiched in-between those Festival triumphs was a dreadful effort in the Gold Cup. Albertas Run was a course specialist, stayed three miles, but couldn’t cut the mustard in the Gold Cup against established staying chasers. Perhaps my Albertas Run reference isn’t bombproof, but my point is that you can win the Ryanair going away, have proven yourself time and time again at the track but, again, those extra two furlongs and the hill make a huge difference – just ask One Man and Don Cossack, albeit for different reasons!
I wouldn’t make any comparisons between respective efforts in the King George and Gold Cup. It says an awful lot that only Kauto Star has managed to complete the double on more than one occasion, and plenty have tried. I remember One Man – again the quintessential example – winning his first King George at Sandown in soft ground by a huge margin (a tough course that places emphasis on stamina). He came there cruising at the distance in the Gold Cup and stopped to a walk. It was Desert Orchid’s owner, Richard Burridge, who said that the King George rewards class, the Gold Cup rewards courage. Many will use the terms ‘three mile chaser and staying chaser’ hand in hand. I beg to differ. Many top class three mile chasers have an enviable record in the King George, but a less than inspiring one in the Gold Cup.
As for the trapped epiglottis. Connections are at a loss to explain when it was trapped. When Silviniaco Conti beat Cue Card in the King George it came only four weeks after Cue Card beat Dynaste to win his first Betfair Chase on just his second start at three miles. His first attempt came in the previous renewal of King George where, after a couple of early mistakes, he was close enough if good enough approaching the business end of the race, only to weaken in very testing conditions.
Cue Card is a very good three mile chaser, but there is no evidence to suggest that he would have maintained a forward surge had he stayed on his feet last week. Conversely, there is enough evidence for me to suggest he may well have struggled to maintain it. The trapped epiglottis, I would suggest, affected him last season where an aggregate defeat of 82 lengths in five outings does not accurately portray a horse of his ability. He has had a stellar career, but I think there are more than enough chapters in the Cue Card book of excuses, although not a patch on The New One’s equivalent of War And Peace!
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
We have seen many horses turning into that most demanding of straights in the Gold Cup, travelling like the winner, looking certain of glory, only to wither up the hill.
Indeed, the image of One Man – barely climbing over the last fence in 1996 and 1997 – is indelibly etched in most memories, and has become the quintessential image of how that trusty left-right combination of those final extended two furlongs and stamina-sapping hill can knockout even the truest of champions. The Gold Cup doesn’t reward class, it rewards courage and endurance.
One Man certainly boasted greater staying credentials than Cue Card. A Hennessy hero over the Gold Cup trip – albeit off a featherweight – he also won the Cotswold Chase over a mere furlong shorter. Come March, however, competing in a championship race with championship pace, the extra furlong and that blasted hill, it was all too much and broke his heart.
More recently, we have enjoyed the clashes of Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti. The current scoreline, anyone? You need only cast you mind back three years to remember how well Silviniaco Conti was travelling in the Gold Cup when falling – like Cue Card – at the third last. How many punters felt hard done by, and how many neutrals believed him to be unlucky? One year later, and after outstaying Cue Card in the King George, Silviniaco Conti would head to Cheltenham with a leading chance – the chance to right the wrong of twelve months earlier. He jumped well, travelled into the straight full of running, led jumping the last, called on everything he had and…he didn’t even make the frame. The unknown territory and that blasted hill claims another victim.
Silviniaco Conti comprehensively beat Cue Card in the 2013 King George – their only clash where stamina was at an absolute premium, and clearly the deciding factor. Alas, Cue Card looked the likely winner turning into the straight before wilting approaching the last fence – he went from cruising to well beaten in the blink of an eye. With that in mind, how is it possible that Cue Card would’ve fared better than Silviniaco Conti over those extended two furlongs, tackling the hill?
In my opinion, Don Cossack was a worthy winner.
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
GARDE LA VICTOIRE (Black Hercules)
WESTREN WARRIOR & SADDLERS ENCORE
VIBRATO VALTAT (Valseur Lido)
COLE HARDEN (Saphir Du Rheu)
KINGS LAD *NAP* (Fingal Bay)
SMART TALK (Limini)
KNOCK HOUSE (Lost Legend)This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
Yanworth (Yorkhill)
No More Heroes (Vyta Du Roc)
Theinval NAP & Politologue
Un De Sceaux (Dodging Bullets)
Third Intention (Josies Orders)
Romain De Senam (Diego Du Charmil)
Ballyandy (Couer Blimey)This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
1.30 ALTIOR (Buveur D’Air)
2.10 SIZING JOHN (Douvan)
2.50 MORNING ASSEMBLY & REGAL ENCORE
3.30 CAMPING GROUND (Nichols Canyon)
4.10 POLLY PEACHUM (Vroum Vroum Mag)
4.50 VICENTE (Definitely Red)
5.30 DOUBLE SHUFFLE NAP (Bouvreuil)This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
I remember Ruby Walsh being asked what the main difference was between Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls. He said that Paul Nicholls laid out a programme for his horses, whereas Mullins was constantly changing his mind.
Make no mistake, this is poor PR from connections. Rich Ricci made the comment just recently that Vautour was being aimed at the Gold Cup, but Mullins came on The Morning Line today and said that he preferred the Ryanair but kept it to himself. Now, before anyone can say that we all know the risks of antepost gambling, the conflicting reports about his homework – last week he was working well, today we were told ‘he wasn’t pulling up any trees’ – and Mullins not keeping the public informed is reprehensible.
I don’t remember Paul Nicholls being this haphazard when he had Kauto Star, Denman, Big Bucks, Master Minded et al.
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
David Pipe-trained horses travelling well before finding zilch was a common theme over the three days.
Add ‘Batavir’ to the already growing list on this thread. Look at it this way – there will be a number of well handicapped horses for the future that have represented Pond House this weekend
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
He’s baaack…
If Sprinter Sacre is in that type of form come March, Un De Sceaux could have his ass handed to him.
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
A lot of guys get excited at the mention of Double D’s, and I’m hoping Devilment and Days Of Heaven can go well here.
Garde La Victoire took this off a big weight last year, and Devilment has a fighting chance off following in his hoofprints. I think he has taken progressive steps since his Triumph fourth, and he may not have reached his ceiling just yet. Goes well in soft ground and has battling experience of the hill.
Days Of Heaven is better than his Aintree effort at the end of last season. He won the Dovecote at Kempton last term, and was initially thought of an Arkle contender for this campaign. He comes with risks attached, but travels well and has a bit of class, and it’s interesting that connection have kept him over the smaller obstacles for the time being.
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
It was great to see Annacotty come right back to his best, an Buywise will certainly enjoy his day in the sun.
The standout performance came from Sound Investment off 159. I mentioned in my earlier post that one 150-rated horse has reached the frame in recent years, but this was as good a performance as any considering the quality and depth this renewal offered. Three horses competed off the 150 mark or greater last year, yesterdays race boasted ten and the average rating of the field was 5lb higher.
If you take into consideration his Old Roan success and Paddy Power effort, that puts him right there as a potential Ryanair contender, particularly with a lack of apparently top class chasers over the intermediate trip. Paul Nicholls mooted the Grand Sefton as a target prior to yesterday, but this 7YO is clearly improving and I hope he is campaigned as a potential high class chaser.
Well done to Bozlike for finding the winner
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
I think Donkey Punch got it by a neck…
