Fantastic for the owners, I love to see the "lesser lights" getting their moment in the sun. Of my four, Dell Acre ran well, possibly hampered after the third, Cheltenian came on late but unable to get to the principles and had 3rd snatched away on the line. Onwards and upwards
That really does the heart good to see the Ginge Army owners celebrating their 33/1 winner Splash Of Ginge! Great triumph for young Ryan Hatch; they just couldn't pass his horse................. Great to see Far West get up unscathed after that horrible looking fall.
If Harry Topper could jump better and the ground was very testing he'd come close in a GC in my view. His engine is unreal.
I know Oddy! Seriously though, if anyone thinks we can take that form seriously today then good luck. Harry Topper is a stayer through and through and they have ran in a bog at Newbury today. He won in softish conditions over 2m 6f at Cheltenham- a much stiffer track than today. The ground-seriously heavy- is what has beaten him. I'm also convinced that he needs Ruby Walsh on his back. Daryl doesn't seem to get him in any rhythm or get him to relax properly. Unfortunately Paul Nicholls and Daryl think the Ryanair is the right race but I am with John Hales- this horse CAN pull off a Gold Cup upset if he gets the conditions. He is a horse with cruising speed- unfortunately the ground blunted that as a weapon and so it came down purely to a slog- not many would beat Harry Topper in those conditions. Big Bucks got outstayed in exactly the same conditions- are we all going to say he doesn't stay now? Bad ground can make all sorts of horses look bad and therefore if he were mine I'd want him in a Gold Cup- conditions permitting.
He's top weighted in next week's Grand National trial at Haydock, Beefy I'd worry about him in the real thing though.
ALAIVAN ran well in sixth for a 40-1 shot. Lost his possie turning in then ran on well. Could be well handicapped for a Cheltenham Handicap Hurdle if it comes up soft.
You're missing the point a bit TC. No one's taking that as a serious form line but whichever way you see it Al Ferof will have to run against two horses that stay every stride of the CGC trip and will make it a test. We're not talking about whether he stays 3miles 2f. We're talking about whether he's capable of winning the CGC against confirmed stayers who love a gallop over a trip no one is sure he'll stay where all the evidence shows he probably will not be charging forward in the last 100yds.
