Yea it is good, we all deserve some. After all we are the number 1 tipping site lol Thats right toppy!!
A very enouraging debut from Cue Card, jumped well and will only get better off a stronger pace. I think that's all you can say about today's race, run at a crawl for the most part but the 3 prinipals all jumped pretty well (Michael Flips took off early at a couple) but I would say those are 3 horses which will prove to be decent novice chasers this term.
I thought it was a satisfactory debut from Cue Card, though the muddling farcical pace of the race means it is hard to weigh up any form and in fact I'd forget the form completely. Silviniano Conti was not fully wound up Nicholls said in his column yesterday. Cue Card jumped pretty well on the whole and I think with a better pace will be fluent enough. He did seem to have a lot of speed but that wasn't helped by the fact he had to set the pace, so he was a bit excitable. Betfairs ridiculous reaction is that he is now trading at 13s for the Arkle. Ridiculous.
Racing Post reaction: Cue Card makes winning start to chase career By Paul Eacott 4:17PM 8 OCT 2011 Report: Chepstow, Saturday Bet At bluesq.com On Your Mobile Novices' Chase 2m3½f, 4yo+ CUE CARD put in an impressive debut over fences as he proved to be in a different league to his rivals to register a resounding victory. RELATED LINKS Full result Arkle betting RSA Chase betting Free bets The Colin Tizzard-trained five-year-old raced in a prominent position throughout before pulling away in the concluding stages of the race, finishing three and a half lengths clear of Micheal Flips. Silviniaco Conti finished third of the four. Joe Tizzard was happy cruising along upsides Nick Scholfield and Micheal Flips on the 2010 Champion Bumper winner before Cue Card put in some huge leaps at the fences down the home straight as Tizzard decided to up the pace dramatically on the 10-11 favourite. The winning jockey said: "Basically when we got to the start I thought that I would make it. "I was confident that he would jump well and he had his ears pricked all the way. There were a couple down the back where he got in a bit tight but when he got to two out he just danced at it. He has always been a good jumper and he is a top-class horse." Although it's only the early stages of the season, the bookmakers were clearly impressed with Bet365 and Victor Chandler making him just 10-1 for the Arkle. Coral went a best-priced 16-1, although they also cut him to 14-1 (from 25) for the longer RSA Chase. While unsure as to where the Supreme Novices' Hurdle fourth will go next, his trainer suggested he is likely to face a tougher task. "He's been jumping brilliantly at home," he said. "It was good that he got in tight to one because then he was very safe. When he quickened up he jumped really well. "I'm not sure where we'll go next, but we'll look at the bigger tracks. I think he's a better horse this season. He had a hard time of it lastyear and I don't think he was right."
"I'm not sure where we'll go next, but we'll look at the bigger tracks. I think he's a better horse this season. He had a hard time of it lastyear and I don't think he was right." So now they don't think he was right presumably because he struggled to win when upped in company but now that he's won his chase debut (against an unfit Silviniaco Conti) the world is at peace again and the horse is right...... sounds like a load of rubbish to me.
Have to agree Rounders- he was just beaten by 4 excellent horses last season in Menorah, Al Ferof, Spirit Son, and Sprinter Sacre. Not at all disgraced either, so why Tizzard rushes to his defence is a bit beyond me. With regards to his trip this season, he handled the 2m 3f with ease yesterday despite being a bit keen all the way around. However, he did show a lot of speed too, so what next- down in trip or up in trip? Personally I would want to see him upped in trip. If they could settle him early, his jumping looked really good when he quickened and if he increased the temp over half a mile out in a 3m chase, I'd fancy him to have a few in trouble in the home straight. But we'll see.
Only just seen this so apologies for late response. Excellent write up Top, and very little to disagree with. I always had my doubts about the horse and was a firm layer in the Supreme, I think 2 things led to me that conclusion, firstly the fact I got so badly burnt on Dunguib the previous year and also the way Menorah went past CC at Cheltenham when CC was getting lumps of weight. The fact the horse has proved himself to be short of top class over timber makes me understand why the twisters are sending him chasing, they've clearly looked around and seen the likes of H Fly and Big Bucks and thought we won't get in front of them so we'll take our chance over fences, and the fact they're unsure what his best trip is compounds the problem. ''I remember a lot of debate about his trainer last season, with one remark particulary tickling me âIf he wasnât trained by those Tizzard farmer b******s he might stand half a chanceâ- How far might that be true?'' Whilst no-one likes to be critical of a Gold Cup winning trainer with countless other notable wins this could turn out to be an unbelievably accurate statement....
CUE CARD may have halved in price for the Arkle Chase after his winning debut over fences at Chepstow on Saturday, but punters were warned on Sunday to think twice about backing him. The 2010 Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner is quoted at odds as short as 10-1 by some firms, but trainer Colin Tizzard is far from convinced that his star will prove best at two mile. "I wouldn't encourage anyone to back him for the Arkle yet because he might not run in that," said Tizzard. "There is a two-and-a-half-mile novice and the RSA is only three - you can justsee him going round there on the bridle, quickening up off the last bend and leaving them for dead. Colin Tizzard trainer "The few times we have stepped him up to two and a half, he has looked mighty impressive. There is an awful long way to go and I don't know what trip he really wants. He could be effective from two miles to three miles, but I can't see any pointin going to three miles yet as he has so much pace." Cue Card could get an early sight of the Cheltenham fences in a 2m novice chase at the Open meeting next month. Tizzard added: "He is a horse we like taking to Cheltenham so there is a distinct possibility that will be the one but it wouldn't hurt him to have a bit more match practice in little novice chases. "No doubt we will wait for Cheltenham but if there was something a week before which was valuable we might have a look at it." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I really think he is a Jewson horse, lets hope they are brave and go down that route rather than the Arkle/RSA routes. I thought he was impressive enough yesterday, he did what was needed and was in control of a fair early season field. I also thought the second was one to be with next time out as he also jumped with some fluency.
Was well beaten last year when facing the very best and absolutely no reason to think that won't be the case again. He won the festival bumper easily,and was obviously forward at a young age re NH racing,but his peers are catching up now. His jockey is a negative for me as well.
To be fair to connections they always maintained he is a chaser and anything over hurdles would be a bonus. On breeding he will never live with Hurricane Fly or the likes. Personally I would like to see him upped to 3 miles and maybe aimed at the Feltham on Boxing day. He is a great traveller and on first evidence a sound jumper, to me you can forget the Arkle as he showed over hurdles he doesn't have the turn of foot to live with the very best. 17s for the RSA with Betfair might be worth a tenner e/w
RSA is a gruelling race OddDog, generally only won by out and out stayers. Personally if that was the route he is to take I'd need to see some proper staying form in his book, 3m at Kempton would tell me nothing other than the fact he still has 4 legs and he'd need to have proved his stamina in true races around tough tracks. I like the idea of him tackling the Feltham as an easy introduction to staying chases but he would need a run between Kempton and Cheltenham over a stiff 3m+
As others have already suggested, i think he is something of an enigma. I must admit to being massively against him in the Supreme. I was also massively against Menorah in the Champion Hurdle and the reason for that is Silviniaco Conti is a horse that i really like. Now this might sound a little foolish since they both beat him in the International Hurdle but let me explain. I think Silviniaco Conti is a top class staying chaser in the making. He jumped very well on Saturday, and was the only one of the three principles to look 100% assured throughout. However, i think he wants a fast pace and a good test of stamina to be seen to best effect. In no way is he the potential Champion Hurdler that he was touted as early last season. To my eye the worry was how close he was able to stay to both Menorah and Cue Card over 2m in the international Hurdle. I was expecting them to pull away from him quite convincingly but they didn't. Menorah was a convincing winner, but i didn't think he had any form that entitled him to be anywhere near the head of the Champion market, and i thought Cue Card was overrated, and so it proved. The second thing i didn't like about him was how he folded up the hill, and he did exactly the same thing in the Supreme. It might just be that when push comes to shove, there are others who are more willing to throw in the kitchen sink. I have just watched the Supreme again and Sprinter Sacre travelled the best and Al Ferof finished by far the best. To my mind Cue Card just looks a little half hearted when the chips are down. It might just be that he likes to dominate in his races, which is not a luxury he gets when facing the very best. A similar story was evident at Aintree where he travelled strongly into the straight, but when Spirit Son quickened up he had absolutely nothing to offer in response and looked decidedly flat footed as that rival bounded clear in impressive fashion. That is not to say that Cue Card is not a smart chasing prospect, because he most definitely is. He jumped well enough at the weekend without being spectacular. He was novicey and a little uncoordinated in places, but that seems sure to improve with time. The question mark for him is the trip. I don't think the 2m route is the correct one. On all the evidence we have seen thus far he looks to lack the necessary change of gear required to win at the top level at the minimum trip. But is 3 miles round Cheltenham in the RSA necessarily the best question to ask of an inexperienced horse with a promising future. If you ask me, the Jewson looks to be the race for him. I don't think either the Arkle or the RSA will provide the necessary challenge to see him in his best light at this stage in his career. Personally i just think that he has looked to be a very good horse without that little bit extra that would mark him out as a true champion. And for that reason i would think that, at least at this stage, there are a few others who would rank above him in the Novice chase pecking order. I think Silviniaco Conti will be a threat to all over 3m, and he would be my bet for the RSA at this stage. You can safely draw a line through the race at the weekend because he wasn't fit, the trip was inadequate and the race was not run to suit. He will be seen to better effect in strongly run races over further. The one positive was that he did jump very proficiently. Peddlers Cross will win the Arkle, simple as that.
2 and a half miles seems a sensible trip for him at the moment. He has the speed to be a big player in those races and has never showen any stamina problems so far. The Jewson would be a good choice IMO. But until they try him over 3, who knows. Maybe 2 and a half miles is the right thing this season, and they can try 3m later down the line? I do think Silviniano Conti will get a lot better as the season progresses. How do we feel about setting up an Ante-Post bets thread within the next couple of weeks?
I was impressed with his jumping at the weekend. Nicholls seems able to get them to jump very quickly and very well right from the word go. I think it is sometimes the case that his horses almost jump too well so then when things go wrong they are a little thrown by it. Once he faces a trip off a strong gallop i really think he will come into his own. If you compare his jumping to Cue Card's the difference is apparent. Cue Card was adequate but still looked vulnerable in places where as Silviniaco Conti never looked like making a mistake at any stage of the race.
