I'm with you 100% Oddy. He has never at any stage looked comfortable over fences for me. He is game and will battle and he'll definitely stay so the RSA contest will suit him but I still can't see him winning. He looks much to short to me and, should Grands Crus go for the Gold Cup, I would definitely be looking to take him on assuming he would then be favourite.
The extra 2 furlongs with Grands Crus do worry me. But this Gold Cup might be the one where he has the best chance. Kauto will be looking to hit the front and Long Run will be looking to outstay him. If Grands Crus can get a similar sort of passage as he got in last years World hurdle, which if you watch the replay again, was some performance to only get 2nd place! Still can't believe he didn't win, backed him that day but Big Bucks is bloody magnificent, what a horse. But the point is, if he isn't too keen early, he has the engine to run them all out of contention with his speed, he could make them all look one paced. Remember, Kauto was a speedy horse originally and he ran the legs off them in the past.
I'm with Zen I don't think the extra 2f will help him and think he is very much a King George horse, I'd expect Long Run to out stay him up the hill much in the same way Big Bucks did in the World Hurdle. I think people get carried away with a horses proximety to Big Bucks, Ruby dropped the whip so had to manouver Big Bucks close to Grand Crus after the last so he could see he was in a race and he just laughed at him and pulled away.
I'd go along with this. Though on what Long Run has shown this year 2/1 is a poor price IMO, and if he continues to kick every fence out the ground he'll struggle to get home. The smart play if wanting to back LR is to bet in-running after a howler and when 5-6 lengths off the leader when the dentist starts putting out distress signals, we know the horse will respond and stay all day but for a few golden seconds he could be 5/1 or bigger.
I'm not realy sure why people have stamina concerns about Grands Crus, look at last seasons Cleeve Hurdle on testing ground, he was tanking up the hill on the bit. I know the Gold Cup is over another 2 furlongs, but they go slower over the larger obstacles, so I wouldn't be concerned about his stamina. The only concern for Grands Crus is inexperience, will his jumping stand up. The only time he's raced at Cheltenham this year was on his chasing debut, and he did make a serious error, he won't get away with that in the GC. I'd still be prepared to take a chance and back him though, I do think if he can put in a good round of jumping then he has the engine to get the better of LR and KS
I can see Synchronised winning this - he seems to be the forgotten horse in this year's Gold Cup. please log in to view this image
well done epona! i had that phrase 'he seems to be the forgotten horse' running through my mind while i was looking at the card but i never went with it. very well predicted.
Good call Epona. Just think. You could have just stuck your £1,000 on Synchronised and won the Betting comp. What could be simpler?
Well done Epona. You know the irony of it all? A fully fit Kauto Star would probably have stolen that from the front today. Well done AP though on an outstanding ride
After the first few fences I thought that was what he was going to do. Even though I was watching a recording knowing the outcome. Couldn't watch it live.
Thanks guys Yes Toppy, it's such a shame Kauto had that schooling fall. It was a thrilling race, none the less. I was particulary thrilled for The Giant Bolster and his connections. I'd read somewhere that his trainer would have been thrilled with 5th place! He very nearly won it! Roll on next year...Woolly will have to tell us how many days to go
John Francome (who rather like my good self passes on much Wiltshire wit and wisdom) made the point at the weekend that next year there are likely to be 90 entries at the final declaration stage for the CGC as everyone, with a half decent horse who has form at any distance around 20 – 32 furlongs, is going to want a crack at the big ‘un after a purported 4 miler beat an alleged 2 and a half miler with the supposed ‘good things’ proving to be also-rans. Although 90 is, of course, an exaggeration in the main it’s a fair point as the 2012 renewal has proved that with ambition, first rate jockeyship, luck in running and poor runs from the alleged ‘leading lights’ anything is possible. Meanwhile, if only Alan King had displayed the same level of drive with Medermit, as Jonjo O’Neill and Dave Bridgewater did with their steeds, who knows what would have happened?!? Why he ran him in the Ryanair rather than the CGC I will never understand – Medermit was always only going to finish 3rd or 4th in that race as anyone could have predicted he would be done for toe after the last. The one bright chink is that at least Medermit will be stepped up to 24 furlongs+ from now on – with the ‘Betfair Bowl’ at Aintree him supposed next target.
Riverside Theatre would have won the Gold Cup I thought SBC. He stays all day and provided he was still there at the last he'd do the same as Synchronised!
Captain Chris ? Kept losing ground jumping out to the right but was finishing quicker than any of them in the Ryanair, I had plenty on him at 46/48 for the Gold Cup as well. Want to hear a brain dead story ? Silly bollocks here was against the favs, couldn't see Kauto or Long Run winning and laid accordingly but in trying to back the winner I was backing The Giant Bolster and Captain Chris for weeks as crazy prices, the Giant Bolster I ended up with a decent lump on at odds of 120 up to 260 and stood to pick up over £40k on the win, of course I didn't play the place market. Lesson for anyone backing a rag at huge prices, stick up an order at evens or 2/1 for someone to take in-running as I'm sure the horse would have gone odds on after jumping the 2nd last. Thankfully I did have a few quid each way at 66s with Tote but absolutely gutted I didn't leave an order up
It was a crazy race this, didn't even nearly pan out how I had expected. I was convinced that The Giant Bolster would be able to win the Ryanair, but would never stay the Gold Cup trip. I knew for a fact that Time for Rupert and Synchronised would be outclassed. I did have hope for Captain Chris, but he got pulled out - can't see him going back to the Ryanair next season. I was convinced that Long Run would win, and by a decent margin. So all in all it's safe to say that I'm a terrible judge! ... in all seriousness though, whilst Sychronised was a fantastic winner on the day, I'd have to say I'd fancy one of the novices/Captain Chris/Weapons Amnesty for the Gold Cup next year before any of the lot who ran last Friday. The Giant Bolster could come on to be something really impressive - look at his improvement since being comfortably held behind Time for Rupert in a graduation chase in November(around then anyway). I realised yesterday that I fancied Invictus for the RSA before his injury. I fancy the RSA horses over this year's gold cup horses - does this mean I should like the look of Invictus for next years Gold Cup?! Bit much to say given that he's had so few races, but if he looks good next time out then you never know...
