Anyone fancy Windsor Park for the Neptune?
Robbie MacNamara very sweet on him
Didn’t Pricewise put him up during the week?
You’re right he did i just looked it up. Also some positive vibes from any of the preview nights about him (but i don’t take that too seriously anyway) but think i will back him.
Just had a nice cut at Sire De Grugy at 7/2 NRNB with Betfair Sportsbook
He proved his wellbeing last time at Chepstow winning easily and should come on a ton for that as he’s one who thrives on racing. He put any doubts over the course firmly to bed in last years renewal and with so much pace guaranteed this year he may well get the run of the race. There are enough doubts about his rivals too that suggest to me that the 7/2 here is more than generous
Sprinter Sacre
His form coming into this is PU and 2nd to Dodging Bullets. At 3/1 or lower I am quite happy to take on any horse with such form figures coming into a Champion Chase. Obviously he had/has the natural raw ability to mug me right off here but I’m not sure even connection believe he is anything like the beast he once was.
Champagne Fever
Unlike the others this one hasn’t been trained with this in mind and he got done here by Western Warhorse last year. Western who you ask? Exactly. Clearly a classy animal on his day I think he’s more likely to set it up for someone else this time round, prone to hitting the odd fence too.
Dodging Bullets
Has excelled this year and improved no end though it has to be said that with soft campaigns for SS and SDG geared specifically for the Festival, the races DB was winning were there to be won. In doing so he’s proved himself a genuine Grade one chaser however and is a potential fly in the ointment here. A Champion Chaser however? I can’t see it. He would need all three of the above horses to run below par to have a winning chance and I just do not envisage that happening.
The Rest
Potential place market value to be had with the remainder worth another look closer to the day but if the winner doesn’t come from the 4 above mentioned I will eat my hat.
SDG in particular looks primed to run the biggest and best of the lot. I’d have him clear favourite myself closer to the 15/8,7/4 mark so the 7/2s available nrnb is an absolute steal imo.
Heading to Salthill now for my annual pre-festival pints with Barney C.
Will report back.
Maybe;)
I understand Annie power will def tun the mares hurdle. No value in that however.
Seems it will be the Ryanair for hidden cyclone
[QUOTE=“ciarancareyshurlingarmy, post: 1100760, member: 464”]I understand Annie power will def tun the mares hurdle. No value in that however.
Seems it will be the Ryanair for hidden cyclone[/QUOTE]
Listening to Rich Ricci on the final furlong podcast I wudnt be so sure.
Would recommend everyone to listen to it by the way!!!
[QUOTE=“ciarancareyshurlingarmy, post: 1100760, member: 464”]I understand Annie power will def tun the mares hurdle. No value in that however.
Seems it will be the Ryanair for hidden cyclone[/QUOTE]
Why do you say that? I think he’ll go for the Queen Mother.
[QUOTE=“manbehindthewire, post: 1100761, member: 702”]Listening to Rich Ricci on the final furlong podcast I wudnt be so sure.
Would recommend everyone to listen to it by the way!!![/QUOTE]
He’s doing a Q&A on Paddy Power’s Twitter account at the moment
Correction: He’s on a preview panel in London and he’s answering online queries
‘If Vautour was not in the same yard as UDS, does he run in the Arkle?’
RR: I don’t think so. Ruby thinks he’s a Gold Cup horse.
Big one! RR doesn’t think Vroum Vroum Mag runs at festival. Heading to Limerick just after. Could be a champion chase horse some day
RR fairly confident Don Poli runs in the RSA and that Patrick Mullins will ride Perfect Gentleman in the four miler.
Audience member asks if Annie will ‘have her day in the sun’ (taking on lads)
Ricci says likely target after Cheltenham is Aintree Hurdle.
After this he hopes she will take on the boys at Punchestown.
RR on Vautour: 'our horses all being geared towards festival. A lot of confidence. Anyone who saw him on Saturday would be impressed
Ricci asked about Vautour v Douvan.
Vautour has the form in the book.
Handicaps.
RR says Arbre De Vie has great chance in Coral Cup. Dogora may run in the Cross Country!
RR says it’s ‘highly highly highly likely Annie Power runs in the Mares hurdle’
Because I was told so today by a man with a good line on it. Same as Annie power.
Still trying to find which Mullins bumper horse is best regarded at the stable
Andy Mac all but said last night that Hidden Cyclone was Ryanair bound. Sound bites had been that way for the last few days. Terrible decision but would say SDG has scared them off. Then again he ran a cracker in Ryanair last year but this year looks much stronger.
I have it on good authority that Gordon Elliot suffered a nervous breakdown over the weekend
Bumper.
Ricci describes Au Quart De Tour as an enigma. Willie wants to run all 8 of his stables, RR has 5. Ricci only wants to run 3 of his
Bordini his best bet but Au Quart De Tour ‘could be anything’.
We’re going chasing.
Ricci reckons Champagne Fever goes in Champion Chase despite Ryanair being the ‘obvious race’ for him.
Will Champagne Fever be held up or front running?
RR reckons Special Tiara will give CF a tow into the race. Doesn’t have to front run.
Rich Ricci reckons all the good vibes about Sprinter Sacre are to ‘scare us all off’.
Ryanair.
Ballycasey? RR says he scoped badly after Ascot. Probably runs and hopes he runs a good race. Describes him ‘very frustrating’.
Right, time for the Champion Hurdle! Faugheen v The New One! Ricci v Sam!
RR: ‘it’s Ruby’s decision, not mine. He’s not my retained jockey.’
Says IF Ruby doesn’t ride Faugheen, Paul Townend would.
Oof! Rich Ricci: ‘No disrespect to the rivals, but I think Faugheen will win no matter who rides’
‘Would Faugheen have met Hurricane Fly by now if he was trained by Noel Meade?’
Rich Ricci gives an emphatic, one word answer: yes.
Sam on The New One: devastated after last year, and hopes they didn’t leave it behind then. Loves the horse and wouldn’t swap him.
Sam says Jezki is the one who would major benefit from a pacemaker. He can’t predict how the race will be run.
World Hurdle.
Nicholls told Sam that he’d get loads of improvement from Saphir, that helped make his mind up.
Ricci says he doesn’t think Pont Alexandre will make Cheltenham then jokes that Zaidpour wins the World Hurdle easily.
Ricci reckons Annie would have a great chance if not only on seasonal reappearance, will be too keen for the World Hurdle.
Ricci asked who he would like to own, of those he doesn’t.
He says Un De Sceaux and Silviniaco Conti.
The panel are asked who would be their ONE banker. Ricci says confidently Annie Power. The rest agree.
Gold Cup.
Sam says Sam Winner ‘may lack the class of Silvi’ but seems very happy nonetheless. Staying power.
Would it be a massive shock if Conti finished behind Sam Winner?
Sam: no. He’s got loads of good form.
Djakadam. Ricci absolutely loves him. He says he’s been ‘unusually unabashed’ in his admiration for him.
Ricci thought Djakadam was fat for his Thyestes win. Thinks he’s got a great chance. Really quite bullish on this one.
On Silviniaco Conti, Ricci points out how only one horse has won the Gold Cup on a third attempt, but he’s still the one to beat.
I would have given you the money myself if it stopped you talking pony here.
It’s true jackass, sure why would i lie. I came on and had the temerity to admit my mistake in the first place sure. :rolleyes:
PM me and i’ll tell you the company if you’re interested in the truth.
Cue Card ruled out of the Ryanair
Jonjo has to run Tarquin de Seuil in the Ryanair now.
Taquin is the horse Elliott fears most in the Ryanair
the anthromorphism on this thread is disgraceful.
i propose that next person to engage in it gets an infraction