I believe that John Butlers last ever runner goes in the 8.10 at Chelmsford. Come of Dave is 7/4 and has the blinkers back on. Might be a decent way of swelling final day coffers so you can back the pants off Ned Buntline in the finale tomorrow.
So your dismissing Bobs Worths form because it was his first run of the season and it was at Newbury? Is this the same Bobs Worth who won a Hennessy Gold Cup on his seasonal debut the following season. As far as it not being Bobs Worths trip, it is true he was better over further, but he wasn't slow, he beat Rock On Ruby in a 2 and a half mile hurdle race after all. Cue Card also conceded 7 pounds that day, so don't ignore that fact. You normally know your onions when it comes to the horses, but I think your judgement is clouded when it comes to Sprinter Sacre. You dismissed him as a novice chaser, so you won't give the horse any credit. Don't just take a line through Cue Card in that Arkle, Menorah was beat 29 lengths and Al Ferof was beat by 33. It was without doubt one of the hottest Arkles in living memory, and it was billed that way for months beforehand. I also don't agree that 2 and half was Cue Cards best trip, Cue Card would have been an Arkle and Champion Chase winner had it not been for Sprinter Sacre. So I think Cue Cards best trip was always 2 miles, he just went up in trip to face easier opposition, as he knew he had no hope of stopping Sprinter Sacre.
Just watching today's replays and I must say, having lumped on Don Cossack for the Ryanair I feel a little hard done by. Having pecked on landing at the end of the back straight he was just coming back into it towards 2 out and got completely sandwiched between Johns Spirit and Hidden Cyclone. Cooper almost had to pull him up yet he still ran on well for 3rd. Given a good clear jump 2 out I'm sure he would've been challengine Uxizandre over the last. Ah well, that's the rub of the green. Delighted for AP that he got a winner.
You misunderstood. I'm not dismissing Bobs Worth's form at all. It was a terrific run over an inadequate trip, on seasonal reappearance. In the circumstances you'd expect Cue Card to win, no? I'm a Cue Card fan but it's clear he didn't produce his top runs till after the Arkle. Nothing wrong with that. He's still class in my eyes. I backed Sprinter Sacre for the Arkle at 12/1 so I certainly didn't dismiss him BUT I definitely expected Peddlers Cross to be able to beat him. Got it totally wrong and it hurt financially at the time even with finding the winner at 12's. I love Sprinter as well at his best. Have no time for him now though if I'm totally honest.
I agree Oddy, if Don Cossack had jumped a little better he would have won. I did Zarkandar aswell today, so bad jumping has cost me big today. But hey jumping is the aim of the game
So beating Menorah and Al Ferof 22 and 25 lengths respectively in the Arkle is not good form? Cue Card ran right up to his very best in the Arkle, he just had the highest rated chaser since Arkle infront of him making him appear ordinary.
Okay, he showed his best form in the Arkle and thereafter. That's a little pedantic Shergs. Again, it doesn't detract from my original point that Valseur and Apache are both grade one novice chase winners before the Arkle so their form is superior, at the moment, to what Cue Card produced. They did lose by 15ls today as well as opposed to Cue Card's 7length beating by Sprinter. So, not only has Vautour beaten grade one novice chase winners in his Arkle he's done it by 15 lengths. That's unbelievable form and certainly worth the superlatives we've thrown around today.
Was at the parade ring when AP came back in, what an atmosphere definitely highlight of the day. Hope he does the big 1 tomorrow on Carlingford
That is a very simplistic way of looking at things, just because it is classed as a G1 it doesn't make the form automatically superior to all lower grade races. Sprinter Sacre wasn't even a G1 winning chaser before that Arkle as he hadn't run in any. However Al Ferof was, and he was beat 32 lengths by SS in the race. There are also a lot more G1 novice events in Ireland than there are over here, and that's where those G1s where won. You can't compare distances over different trips, as obviously the further they go the further the distances are likely to be. However you can compare how much authority they showed over there rivals, and how good there rivals where. SS won his Arkle far easier than the 7 lengths suggest, he didn't come off the bridle, and the whip was not needed. He could have won by a lot further than he did. As the commentator said, with distain he wins the Arkle. Vautour today won a lower quality of race, (the Arkle or The JLT?) and was whipped numerous times. Had SS been in that race, he would have breezed past him pulling a cart. Don't get me wrong I like Vautour a lot, and he won me a few quid today, but comparing him to SS is laughable
Vautour being whipped has nothing to do with relative ability but okay, I can't be arsed. If that's what you think then fine.
In evaluating Sprinter Sacre's Arkle victory, it should be remembered that Al Ferof absolutely belted the open ditch at the end of the back straight (I know because I backed him). Put paid to any chance he had.
So why are you using distances to prove your point then, Vautour was flat out to win his race as impressively as he did today, where as SS was still pulling a cart as he crossed the line in his. He didn't even come out of 2nd gear. The distances are meaningless, when one horse clearly has so much in hand, and is just laughing at the opposition. Distances only tell you so much, they don't tell the full story
Al Ferof would have at best been 3rd had he not banked the fence. That was the hottest Arkle ever run. I recall us all discussing that it was going to be the race of the festival even as early as October
I've geniunely never had a week like it, my Mullins accas have paid off very handsomely It's hard to comprehend the masterful job he's done this week. To manage to just keep sound and fit these superstar animals and then to perform at the Festival at ABSOLUTE concert pitch the way he has is unbelievable. He's got the owners with the chequebook, we all know that, but to consistently buy the right types time and again and then absolutely prime them consistently for Cheltenham...Different gravy! Vautour blew my mind today. To absolutely destroy the strongest novice field assembled this season like that was sublime.
Well done on your successful week Beefy, I've not had a bad one but knowhere as good as yours. Annie Power cost me a little on Tuesday whilst I was annoyed I didn't back Don Poli, I can't believe in hindsight I backed that rogue Kings Palace The other 4 Mullins bankers I was on though, so hats off to him for making us all a few quid. Are you with him in tomorrow's Gold Cup? I don't fancy Djakadam on the form book and think his price is becoming far to short, I think Many Clouds will get the job done if the rain that is forecast comes
Agreed on Mullins, that is simply stunning what he has done this week. Annie falling did me out of €1000 but in the grand scheme of things I've had a profitable week and she got up from the fall, which is the main thing.
