Right line of thinking though as David Pipe and his shrewd booking of Jamie Codd paid dividends there.
I feel robbed - badly checked twice when coming into contention and then finished like a train to be beaten just half a length. That interference definitely cost him the race.
Landed biggest bet of the day with the pipe/codd combo on the line,other than that slim picking after decent day yesterday.oh the joys of racing
Backed him at 33/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after he won the John Durkan. That money down the drain when they decided to send him to the fecking Ryanair. Then I backed him in the Ryanair and Cooper had a ****ing nightmare on him, had the width of the track at the 2nd last and decided to try and squeeze between 2 horses then I left him alone the last 2 days not been my luckiest of horses this season Don Cossack
Bloody Bellshill, would have won a fortune on multiples had he got up at Aintree but couldnt battle past the winner. Now he dots up here! Frustratingly on the runner up but fair play to the horse he looks the best novice hurdler that we have seen for Mullins for next year.
George ****ing Formby would've got a better tune out of him mate Should've been in the Gold Cup, ****ing O'Leary pissing around with the Ryanair just because he sponsors it. Not sure Don would've beaten Coneygree though.
Don Cossack ran in the Ryanair because his form from last season may have indicated that he didn't stay 3m+ well. Though in hindsight it was just that he was knowhere near as good a horse last year compared with this year. It's very impressive how much improvement Gordon Elliot has got out of him in a year. He was a decent novice, but you wouldn't have thought he'd go onto do what he's done this season. He's probably been the best horse over fences this season in the UK and Ireland
Arminia Bielefeld 0 - Wolfsburg 4 Well, at least I got something ****ing well right today! So, it's Wolfsburg vs. Dortmund in the German Cup Final. Should be a fair old game.
Some statement when we have had the first novice for 40 years winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and also the Hennessy winner going on to lift the Grand National. Up until today Don Cossack hadn't beaten anything of note this season and it is arguable whether Djakadam and Road To Riches left their season behind at Cheltenham.
Just because he is a novice it doesn't make his form any better. Don Cossack has put up 2 performances that read a lot better on ratings in my view. He beat Djakadam and Road To Riches far easier than Coneygree did so wether you say they left their race at Cheltenham or not, I don't think there is any indication of that, as they both ran good races today. They where just beaten by a horse who'd won a G1 LTO by 26 lengths, so no disgrace in that. You also seem to be forgetting that Don Cossack has had a busy period himself running at Aintree in between Cheltenham, so I don't think you can use that as an excuse for the beaten pair today. It's been 7 weeks since Cheltenham, that's plenty of time to get over a race. As for the Hennessy and Grand National winner. He won those off marks of 151 and 160 respectively. Hardly outstanding form!
Interesting that the form of the Punchestown Festival end of season afterthought race can rank as superior to winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup....hmmmmmmmm
Don Cossack was good today and it was a good race, first of the meeting, but none of those horses were trained for the race and what the form will be worth in a Gold Cup at Cheltenham next year I dont know, id still prefer the other Gigginstown Don for that I think.
Cheltenham is a very, very different ball game, especially if there is a monster jumping out front (or even two- we could see Vautour and Coneygree heading up a Gold Cup field). Don Cossack is a flat track monster, but twice he has been to Cheltenham, twice it hasn't worked out. It isn't often they buck the trend. King George featuring Vautour and Don Cossack would be a terrific watch though!
It isn't an end of season afterthought race if your from Ireland though stick. Are you saying horses can only run to their best once a year at Cheltenham? Look at the bare form of the race, he beat Djakadam and Road To Riches far easier. So whatever way you want to dress it up you have to say the form is superior from a ratings perspective
Let me put it simply Shergs. 95 per cent of Grade One National Hunt horses are trained with one thing in mind and that is winning at the Cheltenham Festival. The othe 5 per cent don't handle the track. Its as simple as that! Its always pretty hard to crab Cheltenham form because more often than not the races are run at a true pace and on perfect ground.
and if you feel that you can compare the form of the two can I just say......Don Poli.....Bellshill....one performed at Cheltenham but not Punchestown and vice versa!
If this years Gold Cup had been run on 'perfect' ground you can bet your last dollar Coneygree wouldn't have won it though!
