2017 Cross Country Chase

[Can't Catch Me]

Morning all. Been reading this forum for a while, and all of the excellent contributions so finally decided to join

Not the best race to kick start my career, but one I am interested in this year. I wondered if anyone had heard anything regarding Alelchi Inois and Boston Bob. I saw an interview with Patrick Mullins a while ago and he mentioned both would be heading down the Banks route and be targeted at this race. However, Boston Bob hasn't been sighted yet, and Alelchi Inois has been running in Graded races ever since (and running pretty well!).

Cantlow aside, it doesn't look like there is that much depth, and I thought both could run huge races if this is indeed still their target. I know connections of Alelchi Inois have always had an affinity with this race with Uncle Junior and this fella could well take over the mantle. Bit worried that Paddy Power, with their history of getting things right from this yard, are significantly longest price on Boston Bob though.

Any thoughts? Cheers

 

[ryanh97]

Ive not heard anything about the 2 youve mentioned. I will be backing Cantlow in the next couple of days as I see him going off short. However, on the day should Bless the Wings be a decent price then i'll be backing that e/w

 

[Faugheen_Machine]

I've been told this is the plan for AI by a friend of mine but his information is iffy at the best of times

 

[jono]

Have to say i'm quite a fan of the cross country races. It's a novelty race but I find the unpopularity for them slightly confusing.

I've not heard anything from the yard since that initial interview with Patrick either. Experience of the banks course is vital so i'd imagine if either of them were to line up for this race they'd be entered for the rescheduled race on trials day. So Monday 23rd(ish) you should get a gauge whether this is the intended route if the feature in the early decs.

The alternative would be the PP Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase at Punchestown a week later (5th February). So by January 30th you should know what the intended plan is at the latest. I'd be very surprised if either took in the race if they weren't to feature in these 2 races.

 

[Can't Catch Me]

Yes good point Jono. And cheers for the reply FM.

 

[paz247]

Did anybody else find it strange that only one media outlet reported Josise being out for the Season? I may have missed something but have scanned the net etc and nothing from Enda etc? I think he is out but does anyone know what and how serious the injury is

 

[jono]

Very little was said and I had looked quite thoroughly for any more details but nothing bar:

He has met with a setback and will be out for the season," said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner J P McManus.
"He won't make Cheltenham in March. He'll be back next season

So no idea what the setback was. I can only think the lack of media coverage is because how little the cross country race is thought of.

 

[Deleted member 4957]

CCM - nothing wrong with this race as a debut, banks races generally run to form so should be easier to work out (unless another idiot French pilot rocks up and ruins everything !).

This is a unique race, obstacles are different and come quicker than regulation fences so horses don't hit racing speed that often.
Horses need different skills, balance and flexibility are more important than bare speed, the twists and turns of banks courses are a million miles away from standard courses so high class horses that transfer to this sphere aren't guaranteed to do well.
Goonyella won a Midlands National and had a rating of around 150, his 2 banks races haven't been without promise but he's been beaten an aggregate of 48 lengths.
Cantlow looks to be the best around and it's taken him over a year to adapt to this code.

Look out for Auvergnat, owned by JP and trained by Enda, only a 6yo and could be a major player in this sphere in years to come...

 

[Liammet]

Agree with istabraq, Auvergnat one for the future in this code
Been a lucky race for me,tend to follow Enda Bolger blind
Think he has found the key to cantlow
Foxrock second fav for this but could be rerouted to foxhunters,been running in Irish p2ps lately
One thing to consider if it is dry leading to festival,they can't water the cross country course,it is too big

 

[jono]

I'm really hoping Auvergnat lines up in the race on trails day. He was due to run in December but the ground went against him. You'd imagine Mark Walsh would definitely ride Cantlow again but will be interesting to see if he did side with Auvergnat.

God point on the ground too. This is good news for Cantlow backers for him to get good ground. Though although that is what Edna has come out with (in terms of his best ground) he's far from been disgraced with soft going.

 

[Kevloaf]

Any Currency wasn't lucky to win last year, has he been over looked? From what I gather, the 'drugs' weren't performance enhancing and he did beat JO ... Not anyones fav horse after last year, but it wasn't the horses fault... he wasn't injecting himself with steroids or anything (difficult enough to do with hoofs even if he wanted to) .... I had a bet at 20/1 each way long beofre JO came out, but feel he might be over looked out of anger more than sense?

 

[Liammet]

I am with cantlow here at 9/2
Mark Walsh has sided with him twice this season
Barry Geraghty chooses not to ride in this and Nina is up the duff
Not sure who will ride Auvergnat but 25s each way is not a bad bet,maybe jj codd to ride

 

[jono]

It's a race that older horses can continue on and compete more so than other festival races but I just think at 14 years old Any Currency may just not have the pace for the finish in this race now when they turn and sprint to the finish. Only 1 year on of course and saying that Cantlow is 12 years old having just checked!

I get the impression Jamie Codd has a verbal agreement to ride Elliott''s horse in this (which will likely be bless the wings). Otherwise i'd say Edna would definitely look at getting him (he's rode On The Fringe in the past for him)

 

[Leman14]

Other than Cantlow and Auvergnat, do we know what else Enda has?
I must admit that I don't really follow the X-Country Trials... and as such, I do tend to follow Bolger blind...

 

[Faugheen_Machine]

Quantitativeasing is with Enda - haven't heard much about him this season though.

 

[Kevloaf]

Quantitativeasing is with Enda - haven't heard much about him this season though.

Surprised QE is only 11... thought he was much older. Not sure why, been around a while I guess in this race.

 

[jono]

Some interesting initial entries in the cross country race on trials day. They wouldn't interest me but certainly unexpected horses if they were to line up in it.

More of That
Cause of Causes
Rocky Creek
The Job is Right

 

[Kevloaf]

No way you'd resist CoC.

Balthazar King take this in before he ran in the national?

Codd on board?

 

[jono]

The CoC entry interests me a lot.

A horse I love. Up until Spring 2014 he was a very consistent horse running big races throughout the year and one i'd always be interested in in the big handicaps. Then from the 14/15 season he suddenly dropped all form throughout the season dropping his handicap mark and saving himself for Cheltenham. This culminated in winning the 4 miler the the Kim Muir in each of the last 2 years. Each of these seasons i've avoided him in any entry until the Cheltenham/Aintree as Elliott is clearly he's not asked for anything in a bid to keep his mark down.

On that basis i'll avoid him at this time of year, even if he had what is THE PERFECT jockey for the horse in Jamie Codd onboard.

However i'm unsure what this entry (if he took it up) would indicate. (Like many on here) i'm very interested in him for another handicap tilt this year at the Festival. In the past couple of seasons he's taken in all sorts of races to keep his mark down (16F chase before his Cheltenham win last year). Is this just another? Seems an odd choice to go down though.

Unless they are looking at these races now for the horse? Despite seemingly being around for years and years he's only 9 years old.

I probably shouldn't look too far into an initial declaration but it has me confused with the horse.

 

[jono]

I wondered if anyone had heard anything regarding Alelchi Inois and Boston Bob. I saw an interview with Patrick Mullins a while ago and he mentioned both would be heading down the Banks route and be targeted at this race. However, Boston Bob hasn't been sighted yet, and Alelchi Inois has been running in Graded races ever since (and running pretty well!).

Alelchi Inois could run in the trails day race. Boston Bob not declared