Champagne Fever is still available at 7/1 at Ladbrokes for the Arkle - backed him last night Dec'd to run on Saturday, get on now !!!!
Update 18th November: Champagne Fever made his long-awaited chase debut at Punchestown over the weekend and was pretty flawless at his fences, winning with the choke out as he liked, Hard to tell what he beat but a very accomplished debut and he remains unchanged at the head of the market. One who has shortened up with the layers is Paul Nicholls Dodging Bullets who put up a very impressive display to win the Grade 2 Arkle Trial on the Sunday of Cheltenham's Open Meeting, going away nicely up the hill from Raya Star to win by 5 lengths and he is now a best-priced 16/1 for the Arkle. Also in Ireland, Graham Wylie's Felix Yonger won a Grade 2 Novice Chase from Defy Logic and appears at the head of the Arkle market. Taquin De Seuil beat Oscar Whiskey in the Steel Plate and Sections Novice Chase, which has been won down the years by some very smart animals. Although the race is over 2m4f, they went no pace early on and it developed into a sprint. The way TDS stuck on up the hilll to outpoint OW was most taking and for me he looks every inch an Arkle sort. Current prices with Bet 365: Champagne Fever 4 Grandouet 10 Taquin De Seuil, Felix Yonger, Chatterbox, Far West 14 Oscar Whisky, Dodging Bullets, River Maigue, Puffin Billy 16 20/1 bar
Can't believe Grandouet is still 10's even now. It fell more than once over hurdles, low and behold unseated LTO over fences. Unless Henderson has got magic hands(and i'm sure Sir Barney Chuckles will tell me he has) and turns him into Pegasus and he starts to fly over fences, then i couldn't have him even at more than double the price. Couldn't help but be impressed by Dodging Bullets last weekend, will need to continue to improve, but Nicholls did say he has unlocked him now with regards to training him and found the best way to train him. Massive fan of Champagne Fever, has 2 big Cheltenham wins under his belt, bit short for me though considering 1 run over fences.
Walsh said: "I was very impressed with Champagne. Rogue Angel kept me honest. "We went a really good gallop and he kept taking me on. I loved the way Champagne Fever went about his business. Even when he made a mistake, or got a fence wrong, he went to the next one and attacked it. "He loves what he is doing, he has a huge cruising speed, is a long-striding horse and would be better going left-handed. "He is a horse I like a lot and I have a soft spot for him, but of all my mounts over the weekend Faugheen was the most impressive. "For a horse having his first run over hurdles, he was quite keen and I only got him settled when I was turning in but I was very impressed with the way he did it."
Grandouet is a hype horse he will never live up to his promise he's not a bad horse but will always find one or two too good I wouldn't touch that 10/1 he would have to be double that to tempt me in an ew price
Cor blimey I see the Grandouet knockers are out again! What has he done to some of you lot?!? Trod on your toes as he made his way into the paddock?!? I’ve already spoken about how top a hurdler he was whilst as for his chasing debut it was nothing other than perfectly adequate. To review once again Grandouet was upsides a 148 rated chaser (whose next race will be a Grade 1) at the last when coming down. Being conservative that run would have entitled Grandouet had he stayed up (pedantics will say he didn’t but he was only one leap from doing so) to a perch of 145 and how many horses do you think run up to that level on their fencing bows – the answer you can count on one hand each season. From such a rating to win an average Arkle Grandouet only needs to improve no more than a stone from this base rating. And is there anyone alive who doesn’t believe that Mr Henderson’s ‘magic hands’ can’t achieve this?!? He does it every year dozens of times improving horses such an amount, and often considerably more, from debut to their chosen, and specific target, later in the campaign. So Exotic, old boy, Mr Henderson doesn't need to turn Grandouet into Pegasus for him to win the Arkle simply he needs to do what he does with every other horse! Grandouet’s leaping does need to be improved but he is in the right hands for this to be achieved. And I would far rather have a horse with proven ability and a proper engine as such traits can not be taught but proficient jumping can. And in the case of Grandouet I’m sure will be. A point re Champagne Fever how can anyone back him for the Arkle at 5/1 or shorter when he is just as likely to contest the Jewsons at the Festival for which he is as low as 6/1?!?
Fair point on Grandouet Sir Barney, I think we have been spoiled in recent years with Sprinter Sacre and Simonsig, who just came out and demolished their fields every race in their novice seasons. Grandouet remains a live contender for the Arkle but I would want to be sure the fall hasn't affected his confidence before risking any hard-earned. Not one for me ante post anyway, he will be a decent price on the day.
Might be wrong on this but don't Taquin De Seuil and Dodging Bullets have the same owners. If so would imagine DB will stay at 2m for the Arkle and TDS going up in trip for the Jewson.
They do indeed and McCoy alluded to this fact after Taquin’s win at Chletenham last Friday. The O’Neill camp, it seems, wanted to go for the Grade 2 that Mr Nicholl's Dodging Bullets won but the owner steered him to the race against Oscar Whisky instead. McCoy made the sarky comment in his after race TV interview, with the Plunkett mare, about ‘Paul having more say over running plans’.
Update 27th December: Despite losing his unbeaten record over fences in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown yesterday, Champagne Fever remains a solid favourite for the Arkle at a general 4/1 (eased a point after defeat yesterday). His conqueror at Leopardstown, Defy Logic, was the big market mover from 25/1 down to 8/1 second favourite. The race itself was a thrilling spectacle, with Defy Logic and Champagne Fever locked in battle and pinging their fences almost in unison down the back straight. Mark Walsh on Defy Logic seemed intent on keeping upsides Champagne Fever, pushing his mount along after a couple of slower jumps to go back upsides the Mullins horse. Whether he wanted to deny Champagne Fever an uncontested lead, or was trying to worry him into a mistake, he succeeded at the second last where Champagne Fever took off too early and didn't get high enough, giving the fence a real clout. Defy Logic took full advantage and scooted clear, with Trifolium grabbing 2nd from Champagne Fever up the home straight. Mark Walsh got the tactics spot on and this seems to key to beating Champagne Fever - take him on for the lead. The pair are likely to reoppose in the Irish Arkle next time out. Over in England, the main Arkle contenders at the moment appear to be a clutch of former classy hurdlers - Grandouet, Hinterland, Dodging Bullets, Oscar Whiskey and Rock On Ruby all have chase victories to their names and feature prominently in the Arkle betting. Grandouet and Dodging Bullets meet at Kempton later today but with the going very testing it may not prove a conclusive guide to their respective merits. After the exploits of Defy Logic yesterday, the Arkle is suddenly looking a little more open today.
Champagne Fever looks a stayer allover, To me against Defy Logic who hassled him all the way down the back it was as though everything was happening too quickly for him. The Jewson should be his aim with the Gold Cup the target the year after - Nicholls holds the key to this race with Dodging Bullets he wins, Proven course form and absolutely destroyed Grandouet last time impressively, Jumps very assured for a novice and as plenty of toe. Looking at the race the main threat may even come from within the same stable in the shape of Hinterland...
I'd be a bit concerned at how poor DB was in the supreme last year... Did any reasons come out after that race that I missed?
He's had a wind op and they've recauterised his pallet (Whatever that is) according to Paul Nicholls who claims hes a different horse since. The same happened with Sprinter Sacre the year Al Ferof won the Supreme, They tinkered with his wind and look what he went on to do, Obviously Im not saying hes the next Sacre but I think he as a great chance in the Arkle based on what we've seen...
If anyone can be arsed looking for it I did say Champagne Fever is highly likely to underperform at some point before the Festival. He's a Cheltenham specialist to my eye. I'd forget about what he does before March. He'll be a different horse then.
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Champagne Fever scratched from Irish Arkle this Sunday. Looks set instead for the PJ Morarity over 2m5f on Irish Hennessey day. Probably best to rip those Arkle tickets up.
You never quite know Beefy. It depends whether Mullins sees him as a genuine long-term Gold Cup prospect. If he does, I suspect he goes the Jewson route before stepping up next season to 3m open company. Didn't Champagne Fever put in an atrocious performance over 2 and a half miles last season prior to hitting form and dropping back to win the Supreme Novice?
