If it comes up soft (which is currently looking most likely) I probably need a new plan here. Anything sired by Alflora running?
Getting weight from most of them too. Looking through the field Mullins suddenly seems mob-handed ........... hmmm
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?
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
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.
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.
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...
Gordon Elliott has come out and said whatever the ground Samcro goes Ballymore and they don't care too much about the ground...
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.
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?
I see they have supplemented Donnas Diamond for the Stayers Hurdles - nice day out for the owners at least