I was on Cue Card and am chuffed to bits. Here's my opinion for what it's worth. Vatour doesn't respond to pressure, looks like a bridle horse and will piss races if unchallenged, he won't get that in Gold Cup so should go Ryanair. Don Cossack was coming back and had me really worried before the fall and in my humble opinion would have won that race. Cheltenham is a completely different kettle of fish and the gold cup is wide open. I'll more than likely keep the faith and stick with Cue Card but it's far from a confident bet. Hope Don Cossack is OK was a pretty heavy fall
Don't mean to be ignorant stick but how many times are people going to make excuses for TNO over 2m? Hes 0 from what 6 or 7 attempts at 2m? Will we be hearing excuses when it's 0/10? He mighnt have been fully primed today but i suspect Faugheen will be fitter in March too. I'd roll the dice, run him in that race New Year's day over 2m4 or 2m5 at Cheltenham then take it from there. With Thistlecrack around the divisions not as weak as it lookes but surely but surely there's a point they accept theres a reason he keeps getting beat over 2m at the top table.
Massive well-done to my old Cue Card, and to all those connected with him, and all you guys who backed him. What a race. I do not think Don Cossack would have beaten the first two even if he had he stayed on his feet. Great ride, fine training performance, the lot. I'm off to bed, hope I can get to sleep. It's late.
When you put it like that it does sound a bit worrying topclass! But, if he can get round that 12s might look very big when they're coming up the hill
Compare Cue Card's finish there to 2 years ago. Just shows what a difference being able to breathe makes after 3 miles on soft ground.
Not ignorant at fella but ill informed. He will never beat Faugheen...his chance was two years ago! Good to see what an astute judge STD is though when picking his rides!
Well done Cue Carders by the way. Glad he won to make up the great robbery of 2 years ago. Far classier horse than Conti. Well done all winners. Im off to pretend the last 20 yards of that race didnt really happen.
Fair play to Cue Card, a gutsy effort to get up on the line. Things didn't really go according to plan for Don Cossack, jumping is clearly his achillies heel and it cost him once again today. And it wasn't the fall at the 2nd last that really cost him the race, it was the error about 6 out that put him further back than he needed to be, and he was then forced to use up a lot of gas trying to get back into it. This then put more pressure on his jumping at the business end as he was trying to make up ground, which caused the fall. Wether he still could have won had he jumped the 2nd last, who knows, but he shouldn't have needed to be under that much pressure turning in. I know jumping is the aim of the game, so not making excuses but I do think when he puts it all together he's the best staying chaser around these days. So I wouldn't be in any hurry to dismiss him for Cheltenham as he's still a big contender
Fair play to Colin Tizzard, always had faith in the horse's ability and it looks like that wind op has done the trick. Also a good decision to put Paddy Brennan up this season, seems to get on really well with the horse. So the 1 million bonus is well and truly alive for them, they must be well chuffed. I've made just shy of a grand profit on the horses during my 10 days in hospital (mainly due to Mr Tizzard's pair of Thistlecrack and Cue Card) - I should do this more often
I thought the best horse did win? I can't see how anyone can crab his performance today. Poor jump at the last still didn't deny CC - breathing op has done him the world of good.
