Cheltenham Open Meeting (Sunday)

Daraa

Whats Saldier being aimed for this year? Champion Hurdle again?

AnniePowwa

Coneygree wrote: »

Last season must have ripped the soul out of Defi. At least he has to be brought back up to 2.5

Stuffed by chacun pour soi, stuffed by politologue and now stuffed again he's pure hype and always has been

RivetingRoger

Saint Roi will have a lovely view of Epatantes big arse in March

supremenovice

Defi might be finished but JP has Le Richebourg to come in as a super sub for the Champion Chase

Slattsy

supremenovice wrote: »

Defi might be finished but JP has Le Richebourg to come in as a super sub for the Champion Chase

Good point. Lot to prove though before you'd think of backing him.

Dr. Bre

Defi de pig

Coneygree

AnniePowwa wrote: »

Stuffed by chacun pour soi, stuffed by politologue and now stuffed again he's pure hype and always has been

Ah come on now, multiple grade 1 winner over hurdles and fences, twice winner at the festival. If he's always been just pure hype then there must be only a handful of great horses ever. Don't kick the toys out of the pram.

lemush

Bar a veteran UDS, you would struggle to name one genuine top class two miler that he has beaten over fences.

Pogue eile

Coneygree wrote: »

Ah come on now, multiple grade 1 winner over hurdles and fences, twice winner at the festival. If he's always been just pure hype then there must be only a handful of great horses ever. Don't kick the toys out of the pram.

If you can find a post where Annie is complementary of any horse you'd be doing well, they are all rubbish, pigs, donkeys etc.

Francie Barrett

Shambles at Fontwell.

Johner

RivetingRoger wrote: »

Strange comment considering he literally just battled to win a tight race

He is a very good horse and I think he’ll be seen to good effect in a Champion Hurdle with a strong pace and he will travel well but I get the feeling something will always out battle him up the hill. Saint Roi did everything wrong today and still finished very close to him.

RivetingRoger

Johner wrote: »

He is a very good horse and I think he’ll be seen to good effect in a Champion Hurdle with a strong pace and he will travel well but I get the feeling something will always out battle him up the hill. Saint Roi did everything wrong today and still finished very close to him.

He did exactly that today..........
There is this social media group think love in with Saint Roi, its mad stuff
Abacadabras did exactly today, what everyone said he couldn't do, ie Scrap and fight out a win.

If Abacadabras lapped Saint Roi, came back, threw SR up on his back and carried him home, some would still say Saint Roi was the one to take from the race

NaiveMelodies

Anyone think Latest Exhibitions run wasn't too bad?
He's a fine jumper of a fence and probably didn't need it that heavy today.
Wins the RSA. No question about it.

IAMAMORON

I think todays and yesterdays results at Punchestown need to be taken into context with the ground, it looked very heavy and sticky. I would not be using it as a rock solid form guide for these horses in the spring. Saint Roi still has it too prove, although that is not the first time I have seen Mark Walsh give a good horse a bad ride.

I don't think it is fair for punters to be giving Abacadabras much stick either, he won the race fair and square. I don't think it was a vintage renewal but he did show improvement from the last time at Down Royal. If you take away the underperformance the last time the only horses to have beaten him are Envoi Allen, Shiskin and Colreavy. He is a good racehorse.

I think the ground caught out Latest Exhibition and I would not lose faith in him either.

Gavin "shels"

Gavin shels wrote: »

Fancy Chavi Artist in the opener in Punch, 10/1.

Hope someone backed it... Completely forgot to myself given the poxy day that was in it for Shels my eyes were off the horse racing

Slattsy

NaiveMelodies wrote: »

Anyone think Latest Exhibitions run wasn't too bad?
He's a fine jumper of a fence and probably didn't need it that heavy today.
Wins the RSA. No question about it.

Slightly. As I thought he'd win tbh. But he wants a trip and better ground. Wouldn't be writing him off. Thought he jumped really well the whole way around.

That said, I'd still have Monkfish to beat him in the RSA.

akelly02

AnniePowwa wrote: »

Stuffed by chacun pour soi, stuffed by politologue and now stuffed again he's pure hype and always has been

haha five grade 1s including a tingle creek, beating lostintranslation twice


yea hes useless sure.

just because hes finished now doesnt mean he easnt ever any good.

best juvenile hurdler around the year he won the triumph, and was awesome in his jlt win.

great horse.

RivetingRoger

akelly02 wrote: »

haha five grade 1s including a tingle creek, beating lostintranslation twice


yea hes useless sure.

just because hes finished now doesnt mean he easnt ever any good.

best juvenile hurdler around the year he won the triumph, and was awesome in his jlt win.

great horse.

That Annie character is a bit like the horse herself
. Not to be trusted

akelly02

RivetingRoger wrote: »

That Annie character is a bit like the horse herself
. Not to be trusted

dont put down the great annie power like that

IAMAMORON

AnniePowwa wrote: »

Stuffed by chacun pour soi, stuffed by politologue and now stuffed again he's pure hype and always has been

I respect that you are entitled to an opinion, but calling a seven time Grade 1 winner over hyped will just get other posters assuming you're full a shight, not good.

Some French breds get over the top and lose appetite a year or so earlier than Irish or UK breds, it happens as they start earlier. This horse has had issues in 2018 and I am sure there are current issues now. But he is not over hyped.

His scalps include

Un des Sceax, Politilogue, Lost in Translation ( twice) , Topofthegame ,etc etc.

Furthermore quoting Chacun Por Soi as been the next Moscow Flyer really gets up my nerves, the chunt has only run 4 phucking times and has beaten a few stablemates out for jogs and the only time he had a race got stuffed by A Plus Tard. He might turn out to win a lot more races, but until he turns up on track and starts winning biggies I won't be writing any superlatives for the time being. As it stands the only horse he has beaten is one you reckon is overhyped in a novice chase late season 2 years ago. He has simply an awful lot to prove and just because you might drink pints in Carla town, Borris or Leighlinbridge and hear pub spoofers spitting out names of overpriced French imports that are going to burn the track up, I would advise you to watch the races for a change.

akelly02

this brings me back to my point that , at the moment, Altior is still king in the 2 mile division

and after he mops up another tingle creek, the 8/1 on offer for the champion chase will look even tastier

Pogue eile

I think that it is safe to say that the 2m Chase division is not the strongest, there are question marks over all those at the head of the market - age, injuries, depth to form etc.

With the foregoing in mind it might be wise to look a little further down the betting for some value, Notebook and Grenateen jump out to me as being potentially overpriced. Very open division.

IAMAMORON

I agree, I would be looking at decent novices from last year. Personally I think Put the Kettle On is a gutsy mare, she will do for me. Won last years Arkle handy enough and did nothing wrong yesterday. I don't back Ante Post but given she is twice the price of Chacun Pour Soi I know what I fancy.

Fakir D'Oudaires is entitled to improve also and anyone doubting Joseph O'Brien abilities as a trainer at this stage needs their heads examined.

Coneygree

Fakir and Notebook are the two I'm most interested in and I'm warming to the idea of backing Altior before the Tingle Creek. Chacun could easily get injured again and Altior has to be favourite then, especially seeing as he'll be minded even more so this year.

supremenovice

Speaking of weak divisons, both the Champion and Stayers hurdle divisions are weak, this year and last. It seems most of the big guns (Mullins, Elliott, Tizzard and Nicholls) are all focused on the Gold Cup and even the glory of a Champion Hurdle seems to be an afterthought these days (Id put Abacadabras in this column. Elliott doesnt really see him as a long term hurdler).
Henderson is the only one who seems to have a number of top class hurdlers year in, year out and loves the race. Mullins has had Hurricane Fly and Faugheen but if he has a good novice hurdler past couple years, he's going over fences. Maybe its pressure from owners hungry for Gold Cup or Grand National glory?

RivetingRoger

supremenovice wrote: »

Speaking of weak divisons, both the Champion and Stayers hurdle divisions are weak, this year and last. It seems most of the big guns (Mullins, Elliott, Tizzard and Nicholls) are all focused on the Gold Cup and even the glory of a Champion Hurdle seems to be an afterthought these days (Id put Abacadabras in this column. Elliott doesnt really see him as a long term hurdler).
Henderson is the only one who seems to have a number of top class hurdlers year in, year out and loves the race. Mullins has had Hurricane Fly and Faugheen but if he has a good novice hurdler past couple years, he's going over fences. Maybe its pressure from owners hungry for Gold Cup or Grand National glory?

Disagree ré CH
Some top horses in the betting. Could be a belter of a race. Mullins will have Saint Roi, Sharjah, possibly Saldier, maybe even Beni?
Gordon has Abacadabras who will love the spring ground
Moore has Goshen, Nicky has 2 of the the last 3 winners...
. Stayers Hurdle is not the race it was.
I'd say the Ryanair is a bigger race these days on the Thursday.
Re the race itself, Thyme Hill is my pick. Made for it.
Might WPM redirect Beni? Isn't there talk of Thistlecrack going that way?. Controversial opinion.... I'd love to see Might Bite have a crack at it

stretchaq

Reckon fakir dds is a great be for Ryanair reckon he heads that way not good enough over two miles

Coneygree

stretchaq wrote: »

Reckon fakir dds is a great be for Ryanair reckon he heads that way not good enough over two miles

I dunno there's definitely improvement in him, and I love how he skips over his fences even though he let himself down in the Arkle. With Defi stepping up in trip then Fakir might be their 2 miler. I've him backed for the CC anyway. Ryanair looks a cracking race on paper but it'll be interesting to see what actually turns up.

Stayers looks a muck of a race. I've Thistlecrack backed for sentiment but I genuinely think he's an outside chance if he's healthy. I like Thyme Hill but also McFabulous who I think is a real interesting horse.