Garde Champetre V L'Ami

Warper

While not the glamour race of the meeting - this should be a cracker. It was wrecking my head this morning who to pick but i have backed Garde Champetre @ 7-2 (L'ami is 3-1). Reason being is this horse loves Cheltenham and won the race last year easily carrying 10-13 while this year he has 11-12 with L'ami carrying 11-09.

I am not really concerned about any other horse in this race as Enda Bolger is streets ahead of the pack (though he is planning on running 4). Bolger said that L'ami is his classiest horse but Cheltenham is unique especially the cross country track and past form on it is a major plus. Thus i will be hoping to see Nina's arse passing the winning line in first place next week.

mike65

Glenfarclas Cross-Country is the race for those wondering.

jimjackson

garde champetre is entered in the grand national at a good price can nina carberry be the first female jock to win....who knows :rolleyes:

mr.jingle

I'm with Garde Champetre on this one. Dix Villez could come into it too with his win earlier in the season(although there will be no cutting corners this time) and P.Nolan fancies him to run a big race whereas L'Ami has never appealed to me in this race don't know why just don't fancy him

bit of a bogey

This is nearly one of my favourite races of the festival! I personally think Enda Bolger is a cert to win the X-country again. Im favouring Garde Champetre but L'ami is definitly improving over the banks. Id have it between the two. With L'ami getting 3lbs, I think the handicapper is spot on and it could be a blanket finish! I'd love to hear wat Enda Bolger thinks is his best chance?(although Ive seen him give nothin away in the past!).

What maybe edging me a bit closer to L'ami is that apparently Frank Berry nominated L'ami for his charity bet at a cheltenham preview night! I say they're expecting a massive run from him and he'll definitly get a harder ride than last year!

Diggy78

Love this race also, . If pressed I'd plump for Garde Champetre, however, I've taken the cowards way out of this and backed them both large at a shade above evens. Could be wrong but I see nothing else involved.

corny

Garde Champetre will win it. L'ami always seems one paced a couple of furlongs out over the cross country distance. Unless Garde is run legless and has nothing left he'll quicken up and leave them trailing.

finbarrk

I'd side with L'ami here. JT didn't ask him for a long one at the last which probably cost him the race in Dec. As someone else here said F Berry gave him as his nap also.

MrDap

I think the ride he got in December was with a view to March and they weren't overly pushed if he won or not. He be spot on now and I'm certain he'll reverse form and take the prize.

premierstone

MrDap wrote: »

I think the ride he got in December was with a view to March and they weren't overly pushed if he won or not. He be spot on now and I'm certain he'll reverse form and take the prize.

You've hit the nail on the head there Dap if he had have been ridden to win that race he would have won it comfortably and he has the more scope for improvement over the banks imo

Bluetonic

L'Ami is my NAP of the meeting. I didn't take the 4/1 as pointed out here, will back it early morning on the day as it could go off either side of 2s

finbarrk

Yeah, even the 3/1 thats available now should be taken if you fancy him because you won't get it next Tue.

finbarrk

Also heard that E.B. said that he is the classiest horse that he ever had and he is a cert as far as he is concerned.

NewApproach

FWIW Frank Berry (JP's Racing Manager) gave L'Ami as his NAP of the week...

Whyno

Whatever JP puts his money on will win...Be careful of the false move buildinthe price of the other.
Lami is best horse by miles....his class alone will see him home.

NewApproach

Whyno wrote: »

Whatever JP puts his money on will win...Be careful of the false move buildinthe price of the other.
Lami is best horse by miles....his class alone will see him home.

In fairness it's not exactly like Garde Champetre is devoid of class. He was a top novice hurdler in his earlier days.

Whyno

He won decent race in aintree and went wrong after being bought for collosal money after that race....Couldnt win an egg an spoon race til he came to EB who transformed him into a lunatic that would run and jump any sort of contraption ya`d call a fence and has won 4 times for him.After the race in aintree he only won once and was 2nd a bunch o times.
Lami has more class in his left leg...:) The horse was 2nd to Kauto star in a top class race beaten a head...Thats enough for me.
Again when it comes to these races anythin can happen but EB can work miracles with these horses and has turned lami into another cross country specialist.
Still though i stick by whatever JP backs will win...Has he a 3rd horse in it :eek:

TomD101

This is proving a real sticky one to figure out. I saw L'Ami scrape home in a point down in Kilsheelan in October and he looked finished. Allowing for the fact that EB is excellent at getting horses back enjoying themselves and his performances so far in XC's I'm willing to write off what I saw in the p-t-p. Mick Fitz was very sweet on him in the National last year and his 2nd in the Will Hill last year is good enough form for this class of race. I still can't convince myself to back him carrying 11-9 though. Heads on the Ground carried 10-2 when he won, Garde Champetre carried 10-13 and even Native Jack carried 10-8 the year he beat Spot. I can't really see either of the winning if carrying 11-9 or top weight over that distance.

Whyno

Fair play to Nina and GC..Great ride..
Lami has no excuse.Some race in fariness.
A jp 1-2-3...

Aidric

Nina gave it a great ride alright, up there with AP McCoy for ride of the day.

fr wishy washy

Masterful the way Nina brought G C wide entering the straight thus not giving L'ami a tow.

corny

Unless Garde Champetre was giving more than stone to L'ami you'd get the same result every time imo. GC just has a turn of foot that will leave L'ami in trouble evry time. Great race. Well done Nina, saved me today.