Altior destroyed Politogue on the snaff, embarrassing for those that thought the Nichols horse would have any chance at Cheltenham. Min should be able to keep the Hendo horse honest anyway. Looks like it will be some week for the Seven Barrows handler, Champion Hurdle, Champ Chase and Gold Cup looking nailed on? Fair bet possibly for the weeks top trainer, currently third in the betting for it behind Elliott and Mullins. Seems big...
Told you he couldn’t jump but was given an alrite ride! Howver was still taken to the outside of the field. But boy he did well to run in to the places! Will be keeping faith with him again, one day he will come good at a big price and Today wasn’t bad!
You can't do anymore then beat what's in front of you and I think he was very impressive yesterday...historically it's a good trial for the gold cup too and he won the race by about 20 odd lengths ..more impressive than last season. In an open gold cup he looks the likely winner to me especially if it rains gold cup day which in a way I hope it doesn't as I 'll be attending but if on native river you 'll be hoping for the rain....
Not saying he wasn't impressive but one three runner race where he was able to run it to suit wouldn't be an ideal prep in my book. Historically it has been a good trail but historically it hasn't been a three runner race. I don't look at this years renewal of the Gold Cup and think it will anything like last year's. Almost all of last year's contenders will run again plus the likes of Might Bite, Road To Respect, Kiltuagh Vic, Our Duke, Edwulf, etc. make it a he'll of a lot stronger than last year. He has to step up markedly on last year's effort. He'll have to put in a Denman like performance to make all in thi year's race.
If you read and understand what they have been trying to do with Native River this season then it went perfectly. Last season he had already finished second in the West Yorkshire Hurdle and then won the Hennessy and Welsh National prior to winning the Denman Chase. He then went on to finish third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The plan for this season has always been around the second half of the season, the plan was always to run him on the Denman Chase to get him race fit for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and thereafter possibly at tilt at the Grand National. Executed to perfection - he won yesterday and will be cherry ripe for the Gold Cup.
That may have been the plan but would you prefer for a Gold Cup contender to have been thoroughly tested or win a Mickey Mouse race?
I’d prefer to see him fresh. He’s been thoroughly tested enough in the past and hard races can and do leave their mark. If he were mine I’d be delighted with that as a prep run.
Thoroughly tested can easily mean bottomed out. I’d much rather have an easier time of it. He set his own fractions yesterday and had to extend to pull away before cruising when it was won. That’s a terrific prep in my book. My immediate thoughts post race yesterday was that was the equal of anything we’ve seen this year. He was only a couple of lengths off the win last year. A repeat could be sufficient to win this time if Might Bite doesn’t find up the hill.
Sorry to burst the bubble but there isn't enough top class staying chasers to warrant having as many grade 1/2 races in Britain. There's two big grade one's in Ireland (Lexus/IGC) and both attached dept in their field. Having the King George, Cotswold and Denman is just too many for the amount of top stayers in Britain.
I think the horse may well have improved from last season (still relatively young) and after a long campaign last season still finished 3rd. I think if it comes up soft as others have said on here he is the likely winner. Even good to soft or good I still think I will be backing him on the day...he even looked as if he had filled out in his frame a little unless I m seeing things..I can see him running a coneygree type race and galloping them all in to submission..
