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2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup

Gutted to see TC out. Could it be the time for the people's horse Cue Card?
 
I was avoiding it, but with Thistlecrack out, I think staying becomes bigger.

So I've gone in on Don Poli. I have a problem, please help.

I wish I knew how to quit you
 
Jonnymac05 said:
Or the freshest horse in the race, step forward Djakadam, this has to be his best chance at winning a Gold Cup
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I agree Jonny, looks to be ticking all the boxes on trends and loving the angle of backing a fresh horse in this. Right now, it's Djakadam for me. My antepost outlook on this is bleak as I was all over Valseur Lido at tasty prices back in the autumn. Wiped those losses off and ready to have another go at the GC now.
 
robith said:
I was avoiding it, but with Thistlecrack out, I think staying becomes bigger.

So I've gone in on Don Poli. I have a problem, please help.

I wish I knew how to quit you
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I think I have the same problem!

I might not be looking at this most objectively but i'd much rather have him at 16/1 than Native River at his short price. Take out the GC last year where he was given a terrible ride and the first run for Gordon and I think his form looks pretty solid, certainly better than a 16/1 shot anyway.
 
finch said:
I agree Jonny, looks to be ticking all the boxes on trends and loving the angle of backing a fresh horse in this. Right now, it's Djakadam for me. My antepost outlook on this is bleak as I was all over Valseur Lido at tasty prices back in the autumn. Wiped those losses off and ready to have another go at the GC now.
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As of right now my money would be on Djakadam best price 11/2, cant have Cue Card just because of his age, but in saying that i wouldnt be disappointed if he won- such a servant to the game and would be nice to land the big one for him.

But money looks to be going on Djak.
 
I was all over Thistlecrack at 7s,gutted
Pain a little muted by getting my money back from PP
Did the same with faugheen to be fair
Interesting if any of the others follow suit
 
Possibly be foolish to rule out outlander.... good run last time out, would seem to stay a trip as well
 
Awful news about Thistlecrack but at least it allows me to lay Djakadam at a very short price, and he'll probably continue to get shorter.
 
I've been out today and only heard about Thistlecrack just now, a huge blow to the race, the festival and racing in general.
You have to feel for connections who were willing to pit their start hurdler against the best chasers around in his novice year, a rare approach and one which should be applauded, but will sadly not be rewarded with the games biggest prize.

So the consensus appears to be focussing on Djakadam, a horse who has won one of his last six outings and carries Cheltenham form of F 2 F 2.

I've heard various people crabbing what Native River has achieved, find that strange.
Cue Card would be a monster trends buster but he has to go on the shortlist given his form this year (ignoring King George).
Don Poli at 16/1 still offers some value, but if people are making a case for Djakadam given his jumping issues round these undulations and inability to win may races, I'll throw Minella Rocco out there who can still be backed at a price almost fives times that of Djakadam, and (albeit a young career) does all his winning in Feb/March and had the likes of Native River and Vieux Leon Rouge behind when landing last years 4 miler...
 
Probably a little harsh on Djakadams falls. One was in heavy ground the other as a novice, his only 2 runs at the festival outside of novice company have resulted in 2 2nds against arguably better opposition than this line up now Thistlecrack is out.

Cue Card has also unseated and fallen (notably in last year's Gold Cup) too and he is shorter in price than Djakadam.
 
The comparison CorD was with Minella Rocco who's had his jumping issues yet he is 25/1.
Djakadam has a terrible racing record for a potential Gold Cup winner, 1 win in 7 and just 3 wins from last 12 (over 3 years) doesn't scream Gold Cup winner to me despite it being a weak renewal.

And I do have Djakadam in a £400k yankee at 14/1....
 
Djakadam is one of the most overrated horses in training for me, along with VVM
 
Faugheen_Machine said:
Awful news about Thistlecrack but at least it allows me to lay Djakadam at a very short price, and he'll probably continue to get shorter.
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Having been very bullish about how ridiculous Djakadams price was at both 16s and 12s, I'll probably be laying him now too...but I feel we're doing it for totally different reasons :highly_amused:

I think he is easy to latch on to now, having placed in the race twice. I'll let the dust settle before making any bold statements about who I now fancy.


*No one actually rates Djakadam that highly FM? Saying you can't see a horse out of the places in a race he's done it before in, at 8YO isn't over rating him.... On literally all known form he is better than Don Poli.... Don Poli is Over Rated! *prods you and runs for cover* :highly_amused:
 
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Kevloaf said:
Having been very bullish about how ridiculous Djakadams price was at both 16s and 12s, I'll probably be laying him now too...but I feel we're doing it for totally different reasons :highly_amused:

I think he is easy to latch on to now, having placed in the race twice. I'll let the dust settle before making any bold statements about who I now fancy.
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I think we are Kev. I'd love to swap my position on the race for yours but I'm convinced Djakadam can't/won't win and will hopefully profit as a result. I can imagine I'll be getting twitchy with 3 to jump. :highly_amused:
 
Haha :highly_amused: I don't think we disagree very often ... so maybe I'll let Djakadam ride and you can know it is my money you're taking :p

Maybe you should wait until 3 out before laying him? :devilish:
 
Minella Rocco is unbeaten in February and March and pretty rubbish at other times looking through his form. Some of the time form boys talking about Jonjo coming back into form as an excuse to back More of that but maybe MR a better outsider. Had a wind op too I believe.

Just have to get over the FU as most recent form figures.:D
 
Maybe I am wrong, but I believe Native River has maybe improved massively since the 4m last year, so good luck with anyone backing MR. Just want the normal bit of Friday rain and its a great end of festival for me!!
 
I'd LOVE to see Cue Card win this but it'll be a huge huge ask at 11 years old. I was taken back by his Betfair Chase win in November and I even went and said he could be as good as ever a few days after however looking back it maybe doesn't look SO impressive with what happened to Coneygree not being quite right and injured soon after. His race at the weekend was very good but the horses in the lineup were poor and we've seen horses win impressively in that race before and it have little effect come the festivals - Silvinaco Conti last year for instance. Excuses can be made now in the King George perhaps but for me the horse has now had 2 below par runs and 2 good runs this season. Add his age into it and it makes me concerned about backing him. He defied his age in winning the bumper at 4 years old though..it wouldn't be unlike him to defy his age again and take the biggest festival prize there is.

ziggym said:
Maybe I am wrong, but I believe Native River has maybe improved massively since the 4m last year, so good luck with anyone backing MR. Just want the normal bit of Friday rain and its a great end of festival for me!!
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Completely agree. Think it took them a while to realise how best to ride NR and Johnson helped do that at Aintree and since then they haven't looked back. He's the most likely winner for me and deserves to be fav 100%. I think Djakadam is a fantastic each way play in the race but struggle to see him winning it, like mentioned above his form over the last few seasons just hasn't been up to scratch in terms of his win ratio.

I'm not fully convinced by Minella Rocco for this year but through a line with Le Mercury this season at Aintree against Native River at Newbury there's probably wouldn't have been much difference. For anyone backing MR the saving grace from his last run is that although he unseated, it wasn't a fall so wouldn't have effected the horse much if at all. After such a horror fall at Aintree it could have left it's mark and another fall I think you could have written him off entirely.

It'll likely be a choice on the day between Native River and Cue Card. I will be backing Don Poli come the day each way too, I just can't let that go.

The only other at a big price is Blaklion - a lucky winner perhaps of the RSA but he holds impressive course form of 121FPU12 (the F he arguably was the most likely winner 3 out) He actually ran well for a long way in the Hennessy behind Native River until about 4 out. Has since had a wind op/tinkered with and ran like his old self at the weekend in second off top weight to Vieux Lion Rouge. The National seems to be the plan but NTD may just fancy his chances with the news about Thistlecrack. If back to his old self he'll stay and dig in up the hill that's for sure. Probably not quite high enough on my list to warrant a bet but at 50/1 it would not suprise me at all if he ran well on the day and nicked a place.
 
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