The 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup

Valseur Lido looks to be out of the Gold Cup with an injury.

 

Imagine standing there busting and ya' can't get ya' fly down.

 

Several minutes of furious desperation. There's a horrifying rumbling sound, rapidly working it's down the lower bowel, the dam is about to be horribly breached, and the fly wont budge. Beads of sweat are breaking out on the furrowed brow, hands are trembling, the heart is pounding. A desolate sobbing whimper suddenly issues forth from within the cubicle.

 

Experienced one of these moments getting closer to the 'receptacle' on my latest carouse in Koln! Thankfully just made it as it was a delightful and well appointed 'boozer' full of very comely ladies of varying ages!

As I was in full dancing mode an unsightly stain down the front of my Levi's could not be disguised as an appreciation of the said ladies! Sorry to diminish the standard of discourse on a thread attributed to the blessed Cheltenham!

Ho-hum.

Anyway, still 'sitting' on my Thistlecrack, Native River and Djakadam vouchers!

 

Djakadam in the w/o Thistlecrack market looks incredible value - 11/2 - lump on that ew as surely wouldnt be out of the top 4 (assuming one of those ahead is Thistlecrack) and 2nd place up for grabs

 

11/2 e/w for a race in 3 months, thanks will lump on

 

Not certain Killultagh Vic is heading to Cheltenham Wooly. Punchestown is the target as far as I'm aware.

 

You not learn how to read a calendar at school?

 

Not sure if this has been mentioned previously (Apologies in advance if it has). However, has anyone thought that if different riding tactics were displayed on Djakadam this might bring about a turn of fortunes? Now i'm not saying it would win a GC and as mentioned previously he hasn't really got a turn of foot and doesn't quicken over 3 miles. But playing devils advocate here and considering I think he does have a good galloping/cruising speed. What are people's thoughts if Ruby went about trying to dictate from the front and in essence try cranking it up over the 3 or so miles and "pass me if you can" mentality?

I appreciate this may all be pie in the sky and that it appears the race is at Thistlecrack's mercy, but thought it would be good if a horse actually tried to serve it up to him.

 

Apparently Cue Card is 100% going for the Gold Cup and I agree!!

 

He has to surely. I wasn't quite understanding the logic of not going for the GC with CC. Was running a cracker in a stronger looking GC last year before falling.

Would be great to see a "donkey" winning a GC too. Make an ass of the field.

 

Just watched the races there, terrible Grade 1s on woeful ground.

Bapaume the one to take out of the Juvenile, Mega Fortune is a mudlark, will need a bog at Cheltenham. 12/1 Bapaume looks too big to me, main danger to whatever is McManus first string imo.

Bunk Off early came there going well but the race practically fell into his lap and he still got beat, Brelade is the horse id take from that race, hes been catching my eye all season and ill be backing him if he runs at Cheltenham.

Dont know what to make of the PJ Moriarty, it was 1 2 3 all the way round, the two with the best form finished 1st and 2nd with Our Duke looking like he would probably have won in a truer run race, but it was a strange race with a couple running no race at all, would still say Coney Island is the best of the the Irish in that division but Mite Bite has looked a different level of animal in last 2 runs.

A decent if uninspiring renewal of the Hennessy, an absolute shambles of a division, Gigginstown all over the shop, seems there is a couple of lengths between about 10 horses in the 3m Grade 1s in Ireland which suggest none of them are proper Gold Cup horses. Guessing game to say who of them is going to be seen in a better light in the Gold Cup.

Dont think there is an awful lot for Tizzard to be worried about tbh, Native River looks best of the plodders and Cue Card is a class above the rest with Thistlecrack another class above him.

 

Gold Cup is as open a race as there will be at Cheltenham this year. Could make a case for a good few after seeing how empty the fuel tank was on Thistlecrack against a weaker field than what he'll face in March. Make no mistake this race will have a huge field and be run at a frantic gallop, Gigginstown will throw a load in to serve it up to him and put him under all sort of pressure to break him. ANYTHING can win this race, another Lord Windermere from the clouds type result is very possible the more I think of it.

 

Native River and Thistlecrack will be 10L clear turning in, with Cue Card and Djakadam fighting for 3rd, the rest are hopelessly outclassed if truth be told.

Native River the value just now at 9/2 but Thistlecrack will be 9/4 5/2 on the day makeing it a more difficult call.

 

That's about the most sensible thing you've said on here for years. So why do you think they'll be out to lay him then, doesn't that tell you that they know fine well he'll be found out in a race like this, he simply won't get home? Let's face it Many Clouds beat him and he was out with the washing when he took in a GC, as tough and talented an animal as he was. I'm not like you and simply dissing a horse because of who trains him, I like the horse and I think Tizzards a good, straight down the line trainer who it'd be nice see achieve more success at Cheltenham than he has to date but jaysus come on, he looks a complete non stayer to me based on Trials Day? And the fact even you acknowledge he'll be laid on the day tells me you know fine well I'm right!

 

7/4 to 5/2 is hardly major

the bookies always take them on at Cheltenham, its going to be a big field, its about what price people will bet at and they will need to go a bigger than 7/4

Hes not your typical Gold Cup horse obviously with that speed but hes the best horse in the race and I think he just about stays, im leaning towards Native River just now but not ready to dismiss Thistlecrack.

 

You'd want to be getting at least 5/2 anyway, the mugs will plough in at that, after all he hasn't any chase form to justify shorter. His best piece of form is highly questionable at best, Cue Cards in a different league to what finished beside him in that King George, we all know that. After that hes won a couple of walkovers against nothing then when he was finally in a half decent race where he didn't bully the field he came up short. Lots to prove anyway, and he's hardly likely to improve the age he is. 'Just about stays' won't cut it this year, Gigginstown will ensure it's run at a serious pace to break him, you can be sure of that and test any chinks in his jumping as he's probably going to the dodgiest jumper in the field too.