There are plenty of reasons to say that Captain Chris won’t win but I don’t think he’s not good enough is a valid one. Is rated 172, is a triple Grade 1 winner, a former Festival scorer, just over a year ago was pipped in a ‘King George VI’ (by a former CGC winner) and has won his last 2 races (a Listed and Grade 1 event) by a combined total of 42 lengths! That’s the CV of a top notcher, methinks.
Captain Chris has stamina concerns to my mind. Has tried a trip of 3m or longer thrice and has failed to win,despite running well when mugged close home by the Forum's favourite in the KG. Makes little appeal if all the current contenders get to post safely.
He was rated 172 for his run in the Ascot Chase, at his favourite course, in the mud. Before that he was top rated at 169 on what, 5 occasions? Enough to suggest that, given he's 10 and not likely to be getting any better, he's in reality just shy of being 170 horse. So if he is good enough to win a Gold Cup, it'll have to be a substandard one. He's top notcher round Ascot in the mud.
Don’t forget that Captain Chris was a very late maturing type and didn’t have his first run until he was a 6YO and has had ‘problems’ in the past which now appear to have been ironed out. I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility, in his case, to suggest that he’s showing the best form of his career as a 10YO. I’m not saying, for one second, that Captain Chris is going to romp home next month and can see that his ‘cons’ are many (for me the trip, as Dex highlights, is the main concern) but for me he’s the intriguing runner in the race. Will his gremlins grab get hold of him come ‘tapes up’ or will, despite what he has shown in the past, we see a revitalised and straightforward horse at Cheltenham???
At 25/1 it won't cost you much to find out. Not for me, though. The 8/1 about Cue Card appeals more as an e/w price, despite a similar legion of doubts.
Well yeah, on his Kempton form he won't get it in a horse box. But by all accounts he has bags of stamina in his pedigree, and old man Tizzard was talking about a virus around Christmas time. The list of chasers who won the GC despite doubts about the distance is at least as long as the list of those who came up short.
I wouldn't be too worried about the trip, except they seem to want to ride him from the front and force things, and it takes a special performance to do that at Cheltenham. I don't recall a Gold Cup that has been run at a tactically slow speed, it would take a brilliant judge of pace to pull it off, and they have Tizzard jnr riding!!
Barry Connell announces neither of his Fenton trained horses will run at Cheltenham because of adjourned legal proceedings. An adjournment Fenton's team requested. That, to my eye, is a damning verdict from one of the sports biggest owners. The Tullow Tank does not take his chance at the festival.
Pretty much every bookie now refunding stakes on The Tullow Tank. I know because I've got mine in the old account. A successful Cheltenham Festival and it's a month off!
no chance with that heutevent. also what kind of a ride was carberry giving the favourite over at clonmel at 3.15 too? extremely strange I thought! Lovely shout on Eastern Rules in the first at Meydan MOG ! I'll back string theory again in the next...backed it last time out so hoping for one better this time!
Didn't have much on it Wooly. Small each way for the Supreme. Vautour is sure to be an Irish plunge now. 13/8 on the day is my guess.
And yet Eddie O'Leary from Giggenstown publicly gave Fenton their unequivocal backing. That was,however,before the hearing.Be interesting to see what their stance is now,if it has changed. Very strange to have totally different reactions from two major owners over an issue such as this.
It might just be Connell being ultra cautious and wanting to avoid any controversy or have a tainted Festival win. I've no idea really.
