Champion chase 2011

ste2010

Been looking at cheltenham ante-post! This time every year I begin to feel like a kid an the build up to christmas. Got there for 1st time last yr and looking likely I won't be there this year!
Looking at champ chase and big zeb is screaming out at me again this year...however..disregarding his Cheltenham form golden silver e/w? Any negatives on that..I think masterminded may be past it..what's peoples opinion on somersby?

HigginsJ

Golden Silver wont win. Wouldnt say Master Minded is past it as he is unbeaten this year. I agree Big Zeb will go close. Think they are aiming Sizing Europe at this. He would be the one for me.

"disregarding his Cheltenham form", I know what you're saying, but Golden Silver just doesnt perform there. Somersby is too slow, Big Zeb a worthy challenger(and champion of course), but on both a financial and emotional level I think, hope and honestly expect that MM gets the hat-trick. I dont really buy the French-bred= over the hill early schtick. MM is only 8 and I think he might even be the first quadruple winner"

ste2010

Sizing Europe is definitely interesting.. I honestly think big zeb would have beaten mm the year before if he hadn't of fell. punchestown in April again if he didnt plough through the last fence would suggest that. Looks like his jumping is in good order now big zeb that is..I think unless he has disimproved and stays on his hooves :-) mm won't beat him. Mm certainly looks like he isn't as clear cut as the incredible stuff he was 2 seasons ago but that's not to say he's not a classy horse. Only thing about golden silver that gets me is he looks like an improver on last yr. Forpady 6l behind big zeb in chelt, gs beat forpady in punchestown following that then beats big zeb in punchestown..at 10\1 I think could be a place . Definitely another interesting festival ahead

Think MM gets 2 miles dead , no more, any more hes running on fumes. However he is a class clear of the rest. Moscow Flyer, Badsworth Boy level we're talking here. All about opinions of course, but just watched the 2008 QMCC again. His fencing was something I dont think I've ever seen the equal of. I'll bow out of this thread as I would be lying if I said I had an open mind on this race.Good luck with your bets.

mdwexford

Any basis for thinking Master Minded is past it or is it just a random thought that popped into your head??

The French breds peaking early is a reasonably solid thing to go by imo.

Apart from that one freak run in his first Champion Chase which was never repeated and possibly dare i say over rated in hindsight, his form this season has been close to as good as ever.

He just needs a bit of cut to show his best, on good to soft he will win by 8 lengths+ i think.

RichieLawlor

Deleted User wrote: »

Think MM gets 2 miles dead , no more, any more hes running on fumes. However he is a class clear of the rest. Moscow Flyer, Badsworth Boy level we're talking here. All about opinions of course, but just watched the 2008 QMCC again. His fencing was something I dont think I've ever seen the equal of. I'll bow out of this thread as I would be lying if I said I had an open mind on this race.Good luck with your bets.

He has won over 2 and a half miles and 2m3f so that argument is a non starter.

minty16

MM is top class. No doubting it. However I think it's becoming clearer and clearer that his career best run was overrated. Unless there are significant fallers I don't think he has a hope of winning by 8L. All previous form with Big Zeb on his feet proves that he is able to match MM a lot closer than that. A lot of people not reading too much into BZ's defeat by Golden Silver last time out but I would be a little worried by it myself. For me Golden Silver wants a bog, and despite the fact that I wouldn't rule soft ground out for Cheltenham, and the fact that he is a very good horse, I don't think he is a betting proposition due do Cheltenham form (or lack of) as well as the class of the top 2 in the betting. Sizing Europe however is clearly a very classy animal, and he deserves to take his chance if he runs. I would rather be on Sizing Europe than Golden Silver at the prices.
Is it looking likely that Sizing will run? I'd have my doubts about that. If he does run I think it would be of benefit for him to make the running, or close to it. Would really set up a fascinating race.

premierstone

Right where to start :-) There has now been two comments that the 2008 performance is over-rated can I please ask the two posters to name a better performance by any chaser over two miles, it was perfection and has never and I suspect will never be equaled.

There is also an assumption here that BZ has 'definitely' sorted out he's jumping, I have my doubts tbh, and two of the last three time they have gone the pace they will go here he's jumping has been he's achilles heel.

minty16

Whats in behind him? VPU beat him by 18 lenghts over 2m4f next time out and has never put in a performance anything like that since. (we now know he was suffering problems). Apart from that it's a field of donks that he was perfectly entitled to destroy. He was 4/11 for the 08 CC. There is no way he was entitled to a mark of 186.

RichieLawlor

minty16 wrote: »

There is no way he was entitled to a mark of 186.

He was. He beat VPU 19l and was eased on the run in. VPU was 16l in front of Fair Along, another 10 back to Schindlers Hunt and Newmill and a further 8 to Twist Magic.

You could actually argue on a line through a few of these that he could have got
190+. It was simply an awesome performance that may never be replicated but that doesn't mean much. On that day, in that race, he WAS that good

UrbanSea

I'm surprised so many fancy Sizing Europe. I'm sad to see he didn't go for the Ryanair.

mdwexford

premierstone wrote: »

Right where to start :-) There has now been two comments that the 2008 performance is over-rated can I please ask the two posters to name a better performance by any chaser over two miles, it was perfection and has never and I suspect will never be equaled.

There is also an assumption here that BZ has 'definitely' sorted out he's jumping, I have my doubts tbh, and two of the last three time they have gone the pace they will go here he's jumping has been he's achilles heel.

I think Moscow Flyers 2005 win was a better performance.

It bothers me MM has never gotten to within 10lbs of that mark.

Visually yes it was the most impressive Grade 1 winner ive ever seen at the festival, with Hors La Loi III's Sup Nov win a close second.

Morgans

I dont think Cardinal Hill was done with in Hors La Loi's race. Best Mate, although overrated in general looked as good as any staying chaser ever looked in his second Gold Cup. Cant remember any race that was effectively over so far away from home.

UrbanSea

I wasn't sure what thread to put this in,but forpaddy is out of Cheltenham.

http://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?racing_irish=another-leading-irish-chance-set-to-miss-cheltenham-festival

hucklebuck

I saw Eddie Harty being interviewed and he said Cee Bee was in good form and they are giving him the same prep as they did for the Supreme.