Argento Chase

hucklebuck

Holy shizzle this could be the hottest race of the year..

Grands Crus
Diamond Harry
Time For Rupert
Captain Chris
The Minack
Tidal Bay
Master Of The Hall
Carruthers

and others.

Looking like Gold Cup is Grands Crus target.

Huntey

Grands Crus could beat that field by 10 lengths and still not win the Gold Cup. Should have sent him to the AON to get a real test of where he stands.

Certainly not near the hottest race of the year in my books though.

RichieLawlor

hucklebuck wrote: »

Holy shizzle this could be the hottest race of the year..

Grands Crus
Diamond Harry
Time For Rupert
Captain Chris
The Minack
Tidal Bay
Master Of The Hall
Carruthers

and others.

Looking like Gold Cup is Grands Crus target.

A novice, a strong traveling dog, a suspect stayer, a couple of handicappers and a mental case.

Hottest race of the year it is not

Hulk Hands

Huntey wrote: »

Grands Crus could beat that field by 10 lengths and still not win the Gold Cup. Should have sent him to the AON to get a real test of where he stands.

Certainly not near the hottest race of the year in my books though.

He'd want to beat that field by 10 lenghts to consider him in the Gold Cup.

Hopefully it's a strongly run race. Will be very interested to see how he stays

Colonel Sanders

Great weekends racing ahead.

Victor Chandler have already seen some cash for Captain Chris.

Hulk Hands

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

Great weekends racing ahead.

Victor Chandler have already seen some cash for Captain Chris.

I agree. Big Bucks available at 3/10 atm? Is Mourad even likely to travel? Seems too big

hucklebuck

RichieLawlor wrote: »

A novice, a strong traveling dog, a suspect stayer, a couple of handicappers and a mental case.

Hottest race of the year it is not

Lol, which one is the mental case.

I think it is a very competitive race, sure Grands Crus should hack up, Master Of The Hall could be decent, Time For Rupert might be a rejuvinated horse after his recent win and back at Chelt, hopefully Diamond Harry comes back close to what he was promising to be, The Minack is improving.

It could be a very interesting race, looking forward to it.

RichieLawlor

Hulk Hands wrote: »

I agree. Big Bucks available at 3/10 atm? Is Mourad even likely to travel? Seems too big

Doesn't matter if Mourad travels over or not, he wouldn't beat BB if he joined in with a mile to run.

3/10 is like finding money in the street

Huntey

hucklebuck wrote: »

Lol, which one is the mental case.

I think it is a very competitive race, sure Grands Crus should hack up, Master Of The Hall could be decent, Time For Rupert might be a rejuvinated horse after his recent win and back at Chelt, hopefully Diamond Harry comes back close to what he was promising to be, The Minack is improving.

It could be a very interesting race, looking forward to it.

Probably Tidal Bay.

Might be interesting but piss poor quality.

mdwexford

People are being way over critical.

Diamond Harry has only had one run since his impressive Hennessy win and after a year off he can surely be given some leeway for underperforming.

Time For Rupert looks below Gold Cup winning standard but hes good round Cheltenham when on song and certainly has place claims in the GC.

Captain Chris is pretty much only one race out of novice company and is still open to improvement.

Grands Crus is the new up and comer but if he destroys that lot it will be a good performance.

NaiveMelodies

Grand Crus 9/4 opened 5/2 earlier. Big Big price, obviously the bookies see it as a hot enough race too!

Firmly believe Grand Crus is a great Gold Cup prospect, Saturday should reveal alot.

Morgans

A test for Grand Cru, and if Diamond Harry makes it, he is a proper horse, and not completely out of running a big race in the Gold Cup itself. Captain Chris is interesting, unexposed, and needs to see if he can stay this far at Cheltenham. Time for Rupert has done nothing over fences to justify the esteem in which he is held.

Oscars Well.

Grands Crus out.
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/david-pipe-cheltenham-festival-cheltenham-cheltenham-grands-crus-ruled-out-of-argento-chase/980596/

hucklebuck

Time For Rupert is appealling after his bloodless win over Giant Bolster and now back at his favourite track.

That said The Minack is appealing and seems to be heading in the right direction.

Hope they all run well and become some decent competition for the Gold Cup

mdwexford

Disappointing news, if he goes straight to the Gold Cup its madness.

Colonel Sanders

mdwexford wrote: »

Disappointing news, if he goes straight to the Gold Cup its madness.

If the Gold Cup is the plan for GC I'm stunned they're not running here.

Captain Chris is the fly in the ointment here but if GC couldn't beat the others he has no business lining up on the 16th of March. This really says to me that he'll end up in the RSA

mdwexford

Yeah it looks very likely.

Only 7, sensible decision to keep him to novice races this season I think.

UrbanSea

I think Captain Chris looks like a great lay here.

Huntey

UrbanSea wrote: »

I think Captain Chris looks like a great lay here.

What makes you think he is a great lay?

He is the only one in the field who isn't exposed.

UrbanSea

Because I don't think he wants an extended three miles at Cheltenham.

In fact I don't think he wants three miles at all

Huntey

UrbanSea wrote: »

Because I don't think he wants an extended three miles at Cheltenham.

In fact I don't think he wants three miles at all

Did you think he didn't get the trip last time?

UrbanSea

Not particularly no.

To finish nearly 20 lengths behind Kauto isn't good enough form to warrant being favourite tomorrow. And Kempton is a notoriously easier three miles than an extended 3 at Cheltenham

Huntey

UrbanSea wrote: »

Not particularly no.

In what sense? He was staying on fine until he jumped the last, which is understandable considering he was off the bridle for about a mile. You mustn't forget he was a sick horse before that so probably blew up more than anything.

UrbanSea wrote: »

To finish nearly 20 lengths behind Kauto isn't good enough form to warrant being favourite tomorrow. And Kempton is a notoriously easier three miles than an extended 3 at Cheltenham

Captain Chris is more of a galloper than speed horse so I would think Cheltenham will actually favour him more than anything, he almost ran out on one of the sharp bends in Kempton.

What do you think warrants favouritism in that field?

UrbanSea

Fair enough.


Probably Diamond Harry, but there isn't a horse there I'd particularly place a whole lot of faith in.

Huntey

UrbanSea wrote: »

Probably Diamond Harry, but there isn't a horse there I'd particularly place a whole lot of faith in.

Captain Chris lost to Kauto Star by 18 and a half lengths which you said didn't deserve to be favouritism. However, Diamond Harry loses by 18 lengths on a track that would have favoured him more than tomorrow and that is enough for him to be fav?

I won't be betting but on a whole CC looks like a dangerous lay. DH is probably a better lay given how bad he is around Cheltenham.

mr.jingle

Since i'm a bit of a mental case at times myself i think i'll be backing the so called 'Mental Case' Tiday Bay tomorrow each way at 6/1. Ran a nice race over hurdles on New Year's Day also has some good form around the course and can somehow see him staying off a fast pace set by Midnight Chase and The Sawyer cutting each other's throats whilst Tidal Bay struggles out the back for a mile before staying on well up the hill and run into at least a place just like he did last year.

UrbanSea

Huntey wrote: »

Captain Chris lost to Kauto Star by 18 and a half lengths which you said didn't deserve to be favouritism. However, Diamond Harry loses by 18 lengths on a track that would have favoured him more than tomorrow and that is enough for him to be fav?

I won't be betting but on a whole CC looks like a dangerous lay. DH is probably a better lay given how bad he is around Cheltenham.

Apart from that run he's generally very consistent and he has no question over stamina.

He's won twice at Cheltenham over hurdles,so I wouldn't attribute it to Cheltenham itself,

mr.jingle

Huntey wrote: »

Captain Chris lost to Kauto Star by 18 and a half lengths which you said didn't deserve to be favouritism. However, Diamond Harry loses by 18 lengths on a track that would have favoured him more than tomorrow and that is enough for him to be fav?

I won't be betting but on a whole CC looks like a dangerous lay. DH is probably a better lay given how bad he is around Cheltenham.

He's won 2 from 4 races at Cheltenham albeit hurdles form but form nonetheless and also a 3rd to Mikael D'Haguenot in the Ballymore in 09' and was pulled up on his only chase around there after a big blunder. Yes it was his only chase around Cheltenham and he flopped but you can hardly say his form around there is terrible over 1 run which he proved all wrong by beating Burton Port in the Hennessey

Huntey

Apologies I think I have got the wrong horse in my head but can't figure out who or why.

UrbanSea

Happens me too

hucklebuck

Quite a disappointing race after all my hype:P

Must be something amiss with Captain Chris the way he was jumping right, pehaps a rib injury like Masterminded had?

I think the only hope for Time For Rupert is a tongue tie, he seemed to have his tongue out a fair bit of the way and this may be why he ran so poorly.

Not sure what is going on with Diamond Harry, I hope it was just a bounce and he runs better next time out.

If Tidal Bay ran to his mark, Midnight Chase will be well worth an ew for the Gold Cup.

Slozer

hucklebuck wrote: »

If Tidal Bay ran to his mark, Midnight Chase will be well worth an ew for the Gold Cup.

Both ran to their marks as Midnight Chase finished 8 lenghts ahead of Tidal Bay in last years gold cup off level weights. Provided both Long Run and Kauto Star dont fall I think the best you could hope for Midnight Chase is a 3rd in the GC.

Huntey

As most predicted it was a pig race. Only confirms that it is most definitely a two horse race come March barring injury.

I think it was clear there was something wrong with Captain Chris, be it physically or mentally.

Colonel Sanders

Huntey wrote: »

I think it was clear there was something wrong with Captain Chris, be it physically or mentally.

Some people would argue it was clear before the race started. That was a very "odorous" drift when you see how Captain Chris' race panned out

hucklebuck

Slozer wrote: »

Both ran to their marks as Midnight Chase finished 8 lenghts ahead of Tidal Bay in last years gold cup off level weights. Provided both Long Run and Kauto Star dont fall I think the best you could hope for Midnight Chase is a 3rd in the GC.

Tidal Bay was rated higher than Midnight before the race, if Tidal ran to his mark then Midnight ran a 168 race, Kauto ran 173 in last years Gold Cup so it should be tight for second if Midnight runs like that again.