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Cheltenham 2018: Antepost Thread

Discussion in 'Horse Racing' started by DreverSpur, Mar 20, 2017.

  1. stick

    stick Bumper King

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    HOLLOWGRAPHIC out of the bumper!
     
    #601
  2. OddDog

    OddDog Mild mannered janitor
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    If it comes up soft (which is currently looking most likely) I probably need a new plan here. Anything sired by Alflora running?
     
    #602
  3. stick

    stick Bumper King

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    No, but there is one MILAN in the line-up!
     
    #603
  4. OddDog

    OddDog Mild mannered janitor
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    Getting weight from most of them too. Looking through the field Mullins suddenly seems mob-handed ........... hmmm
     
    #604
  5. Archers Road

    Archers Road Urban Spaceman

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    Lots of real horses have got beat in the Supreme though. The list of 2nds and 3rds in that race is a real who's who of subsequent Champions. Remember when Cue Card was the 6/4 fav who would not be beat?
     
    #605
  6. stick

    stick Bumper King

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    Surprise, surprise, its official...Waiting Patiently to miss the Festival
     
    #606
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  7. redcgull

    redcgull Well-Known Member

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    Waiting Patiently could step up to three miles and a furlong for the first time at Aintree next month after trainer Ruth Jefferson confirmed he will not run in the Ryanair Chase at next week's Cheltenham Festival.

    The seven-year-old extended his unbeaten record over fences to six with a tremendous display in last month's Betfair Ascot Chase, comfortably seeing off the admirable Cue Card, who was bidding for his third victory in the race.

    Waiting Patiently was immediately installed as second-favourite for the two-mile-five-furlong Ryanair Chase behind last year's winner Un De Sceaux, but Jefferson immediately admitted to having doubts about his suitability for the undulations of Prestbury Park.

    However, in the end, the key factor in the decision not to run at the Festival is Jefferson feels her charge is not at his sparkling best at home and she will not take any chances with her stable star.

    She said: "We're taking him out of the Ryanair today. He came back from Ascot fine, but then when we started riding him again the weight dropped off.

    "We'd love to have a Cheltenham Festival winner, obviously, so it is disappointing in some ways, but we can't take the horse if he's not 100 per cent. If I took him to Cheltenham looking light and he ran badly, I'd look pretty stupid.

    "I've backed him off and he's already starting to look a bit better. He'll have another easy week next week and we've still got a few weeks to get him ready for Aintree."

    Waiting Patiently is likely to be given entries in the Betway Bowl and the JLT Melling Chase on Merseyside and Jefferson is currently favouring the former.

    A potential appearance at the Punchestown Festival is also in the melting pot.

    "If the ground comes up good to soft or soft, we might run him in the Bowl. He'll get an entry in the Melling, but we're probably favouring him trying him over three miles as it will help us plan for next season," the Norton-based trainer added.

    "There isn't just Aintree. If we felt the ground was too quick there's Ireland (Punchestown) as well, so we'll see."

    Taken from ATR
     
    #607
  8. Bostonbob

    Bostonbob Well-Known Member

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    His race LTO was the best performance of the season on the clock apparently so you can understand why it's left a little mark. The right decision not to run him if he's not in top shape.
     
    #608
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  9. tward07

    tward07 Well-Known Member

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    Really feeling that this years Ryanair is now incredibly weak. UDS jumped superbly last year but the form of the race has been stinking this year and a soft ground 2mile would be spot on for him but that’s another story.
    Without waiting Patiently I would have fancied Top Notch who has strong course form but he’s another that isn’t making it. It almost is falling into the hands of Cue Card here which I’m sure everyone would love.
     
    #609
  10. OddDog

    OddDog Mild mannered janitor
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    O‘Leary might be keeping his dosh this year
     
    #610

  11. Chaninbar

    Chaninbar The Crafty Cockney

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    Let's hope not. I hope Cue Card gives us a Sprinter Sacre type moment in the winners enclosure.
     
    #611
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  12. CaptainPops

    CaptainPops Well-Known Member

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    Yep confirmed earlier in the week by Brian Hughes at one of the preview evenings...looks a fairly weak race now as others have said.It would jusrbe fantastic if cue card were to win it...
     
    #612
  13. DreverSpur

    DreverSpur Well-Known Member

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    Samcro might be going Supreme after all <laugh>

    219DB25A-E627-4289-B25F-815C4596DE2F.png
     
    #613
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  14. Talal El

    Talal El Well-Known Member

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    ELEGANT ESCAPE goes for the RSA. A shame as he had an ideal profile for the NH chase
     
    #614
  15. CaptainPops

    CaptainPops Well-Known Member

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    Gordon Elliott has come out and said whatever the ground Samcro goes Ballymore and they don't care too much about the ground...
     
    #615
  16. OddDog

    OddDog Mild mannered janitor
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    In all seriousness I would have supplemented Samcro for the Champion Hurdle. On that ground with his engine I could see him romping it. Lack of ambition from connections.
     
    #616
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  17. DreverSpur

    DreverSpur Well-Known Member

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    Got a link CP?

    All I’m reading is conflicting views - O’Leary says not even thinking about Supreme and Elliot saying Supreme if soft at previews?
     
    #617
  18. DreverSpur

    DreverSpur Well-Known Member

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    Just seen ITV CP <cheers>
     
    #618
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  19. woolcombe-folly007

    woolcombe-folly007 Well-Known Member

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    I see they have supplemented Donnas Diamond for the Stayers Hurdles - nice day out for the owners at least <laugh>
     
    #619
  20. tward07

    tward07 Well-Known Member

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    American supplemented for the Gold Cup. Wouldnt be without a chance either
     
    #620

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