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Champion Chase 2027

opatcho said:
I’m speculating, but the local track of Kopeks owners is cork, Hilly Way being next race? making this a prep with big run expected next time out for owners

??
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I think you have cracked it Columbo.

They mentioned in the stable tour about all the owners having a day out at Cork. I reckon that is nailed on.

So he wasn't fit, they did a public schooling, and his season starts next out. Might have a bit of the 8s just to top up the roll up I have.
 
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Willie just chatting now on some of his runners today.
The Kopek bit was funny.
His face when told about Townends comments was telling IMO.
He said he'll likely run again over fences at xmas.
I'd suggest that'll be last chance saloon.
 
Reckon with all the other Favs at Naas winning, both Willie and Paul took backhanders from the bookies.
 
Lobos said:
Reckon with all the other Favs at Naas winning, both Willie and Paul took backhanders from the bookies.
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Wonder how many tried pinching on the odds on fav acca, only to be let down by an unfit 1-4 shot being schooled in public… 😝
 
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This is Mullins. He won't give up that easily. He will try over 2 1/2m first before going back to hurdles I reckon.
 
While Willie Mullins was disappointed to see Kopek Des Bordes suffer another defeat, he feels there were positives to take from his performance.

He said: “Looking at them in the parade ring, I thought the winner probably pulled out sharper than we did and I hope we’ve got a lot of improvement to do.

“I was much happier with the way he jumped. It was still not perfect, but I think a better pace and once he gets more confidence in his own jumping he’ll be good.

“I’m keen to stay over fences. Some people are saying go down the Champion Hurdle route, but I’m always keen to keep going down the chase route until you have to stop. He’ll run again over fences, possibly at Christmas.”
 
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Stubborn old git. Happy with that though and hoping he'll be a lot better next time. He'll definitely need to be !
 
Looking at the market Marine Nationale looks a great EW bet at 14/1, he should be shorter than a few in here. Only issue for betting purposes is I wont be surprised to see him beaten first time up, trainer only really seems to focus on the big day and getting them right for that.
 
Weird run but I wouldn't give up on Kopek. Bit of a headcase down to the start, clearly unfit. Went out from like 1/5 to 2/7 ish too maybe told the story?

His jumping is strange. You can't even say he's a bad jumper as he's been superb over them at times, he was brilliant in the arkle until the last - maybe a lack of confidence after the fall. I've said it a few times and I know a few disagree but he needs to be ridden from the front imo. He's quick but he's high cruising speed quick, I don't think he's really got much of a turn of foot, he tends to burn them off by going that quickly at a comfortable pace for him. Christmas will tell us more but I wouldn't be switching him to hurdles yet
 
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Quevega said:
Thing is, if he does revert, you know he'll be kept at 2 miles until at least the Spring.
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Yeah, likely.

So the 7's represents some sort value if you are of the belief (not you specifically, just generalising) comes out and wins over Xmas?
 
ComplyOrDie said:
Yeah, likely.

So the 7's represents some sort value if you are of the belief (not you specifically, just generalising) comes out and wins over Xmas?
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I watched him back and he looked like a handicapper but yeah...... I'm tempted 😁
 
ComplyOrDie said:
Yeah, likely.

So the 7's represents some sort value if you are of the belief (not you specifically, just generalising) comes out and wins over Xmas?
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I'd say a win today might be a better option.
He's still only won a beginners chase.
Backing for the champion chase carries obvious risks and 7's is only fair, unless you're one of those that think he'd have won the arkle.
It may depend on which race he runs in next time out and the opposition of course.
But if it's competitive enough for him to be evens or bigger then you'd expect you'd get better than 7's.
Obviously he could shorten prior to racing again for some reason (absentees)
Mullins mentioned hurdling yesterday so they'll be tempted to go that route if he's beat again. And almost certainly if he doesn't complete, or somethings happened to Lossie.
Mullins will certainly not gift a champion hurdle to Alexei or MDP.
 
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….P Mullins;

“It was obviously disappointing to be beaten but we weren’t going up there thinking that it would be a disaster if we didn’t win. We’ve got him out earlier than a lot of our horses because he needs the experience. He had an interrupted preparation last year, finished on a fall, and we thought we’d use this race for his confidence,” the assistant trainer told Sporting Life.

“We were happy with how he settled, happy with how he jumped and while disappointed with the result, we’re certainly not panicking. His main targets are still five months away."
 
"... and we thought we’d use this race for his confidence."


Another way of saying "Schooling in Public"?
 
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Stablemate Il Etait Temps missed his intended return at Clonmel earlier in the week and Mullins admits it’s not guaranteed that he’ll head to Sandown to defend his Betfair Tingle Creek crown.

“If you were getting back to the Tingle Creek you’d like to get a run into him before you go there but his programme was brought forward a bit to get him ready for that race so he would have been more ahead of where Kopek was for Sunday, for example. It’s disappointing and it does make life more difficult if we do go for the Tingle Creek but, look, is the ground going to be on the quick side for that race too? They didn’t run over fences there on Sunday, so we’ll have to play it by ear.”
 
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Lobos said:
"... and we thought we’d use this race for his confidence."


Another way of saying "Schooling in Public"?
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Is it just me that has no issue with this? We've spent years talking about racecourse gallops left right and centre, I've no issue with trainers using a race as a starting point and the horse improving throughout the season.

If you are taking the wellbeing and fitness of a horse on seasonal reappearance (especially when they're 1/5) I'd say you've got bigger issues.
 
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