Been a while since i've been able to post...good to be back but pretty shocked there's no thread up yet for THE race on the Thursday of the festival...
As expected when you get Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott stable tours out within a day of eachother, some of the others tend to get a little forgotten and I haven't heard too much made from Henry de Bromheads comments, specifically in regards to Monalee:
Now personally the idea of Monalee round Cheltenham at 2m4 sounds like his absolute ideal for me. He 100% stays 3miles, we have enough evidence of that but I do feel like he isn't an out and out stayers so will most often find one that stays the trip better and importantly it's one thing staying 3 miles, it's another thing staying the 3m2 in the Gold Cup. Add in the fact that he was soundly beaten by Presenting Percy in the RSA over the longer distance.
I was just pretty taken with HdB's comments on the horse and the trip. "wouldn't be against trying him over three miles" and he just needs to settle better to give himself the best chance" really doesn't scream Gold Cup at all imo. Certainly seems a reluctance there and though I wouldn't be surprised to see them try 3 miles at some stage of the season (personally think the King George is an ideal mid season target for him) it really doesn't sound like the Gold Cup is a race they are aiming towards at the festival this season.
I remember seeing this tweet last season
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Any worries about Monalee going in any race other than RSA are dead judging by Henry De Bromhead there. "After seeing the reaction of (the owner) to suggestion of JLT I don't think you'll be seeing him there! He's in terrific form and runs next at Leop at Christmas touch wood."</p>— Johnny Ward (@Ui_Maine) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ui_Maine/status/939870262681579520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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So it would appear the owners have a strong say on where the horse goes (do remember a few mentions about a sizeable bet on the horse for the RSA - just could be hear say so we don't really know whether it was the prestige of the RSA over JLT or other reasons that resulted in that stance)
He mentions the Down Royal race as a starting point - the 2m3f chase one by the following horses in recent years:
2017 - Disko (injured)
2016 - Sub Lieutenant (Ryanair)
2015 - Ptit Zig (injured)
2014 - Don Cossack (Ryanair)
Disko could very well of lined up in the Gold Cup last season (though still think they more than likely would have kept him and Road to Respect apart) but it is generally not a race to start a Gold Cup season on...
The potential field won't really start taking shape until after the Christmas races so it's not a race I get too involved in early on but Monalee at 16/1 still looks a fair price, even more so after those comments for me.
As expected when you get Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott stable tours out within a day of eachother, some of the others tend to get a little forgotten and I haven't heard too much made from Henry de Bromheads comments, specifically in regards to Monalee:
I’d say we’ll start him off in the second-season Grade 2 chase at Down Royal on November 3rd. We’ll see how he goes there, but I wouldn’t be against trying him over three miles again. I thought he got the trip in the RSA Chase and in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle the year before, he just needs to settle a bit better to give himself the best chance. He got two bad falls last season, but he bounced back from them well and hopefully we’ll get a clear run with him this season.
I was just pretty taken with HdB's comments on the horse and the trip. "wouldn't be against trying him over three miles" and he just needs to settle better to give himself the best chance" really doesn't scream Gold Cup at all imo. Certainly seems a reluctance there and though I wouldn't be surprised to see them try 3 miles at some stage of the season (personally think the King George is an ideal mid season target for him) it really doesn't sound like the Gold Cup is a race they are aiming towards at the festival this season.
I remember seeing this tweet last season
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Any worries about Monalee going in any race other than RSA are dead judging by Henry De Bromhead there. "After seeing the reaction of (the owner) to suggestion of JLT I don't think you'll be seeing him there! He's in terrific form and runs next at Leop at Christmas touch wood."</p>— Johnny Ward (@Ui_Maine) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ui_Maine/status/939870262681579520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
So it would appear the owners have a strong say on where the horse goes (do remember a few mentions about a sizeable bet on the horse for the RSA - just could be hear say so we don't really know whether it was the prestige of the RSA over JLT or other reasons that resulted in that stance)
He mentions the Down Royal race as a starting point - the 2m3f chase one by the following horses in recent years:
2017 - Disko (injured)
2016 - Sub Lieutenant (Ryanair)
2015 - Ptit Zig (injured)
2014 - Don Cossack (Ryanair)
Disko could very well of lined up in the Gold Cup last season (though still think they more than likely would have kept him and Road to Respect apart) but it is generally not a race to start a Gold Cup season on...
The potential field won't really start taking shape until after the Christmas races so it's not a race I get too involved in early on but Monalee at 16/1 still looks a fair price, even more so after those comments for me.
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