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He has got this Moises Has A Boat from France too. I have no idea of how good he is or if he could be campaigned for a Champion Hurdle but they didn't hang about in buying him by all accounts after his win in France.
 
The continued drought could have a big say with plenty on how soon they run and whether they go chasing or not. If we don't get significant rain then I can see a lot being held back until very late. Hendo especially won't risk them. Plenty to ponder.
 
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The Jukebox Man misses the first half of the season.

Jimmy de Seuil may have first run in the Hattons Grace. Long term target the Stayers Hurdle.

@RoadToCheltenham on X.

Also Johnny's Jury will probably make his chasing debut at Sandown. Trainer thinks he'll make a proper chaser.
 
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Bad luck for Jukebox. Had his fair share of injuries already.

Good news re Jimmy. I know several on here are on him already for The Stayers.
 
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Istabraq said:
Does Kabral have the speed for an Arkle ?
Far be it from me to question Skelton's judgement but 150 yards from the lollipop he was winning a Stayers Hurdle as a 6yo, a year older and physically stronger I'd say that race is more likely to suit than a speedy Arkle.
I think it was My Way de Solzen who did the double some years ago so it can be done, but you have to be some horse to have the stamina to win over 3 and the speed to win over 2, especially at HQ.
As for MyPaddyDaddy, I get the hype but there is a danger that a few Skelton horses will be underpriced this season just because they're with Skelton, I thought he was beat fair and square at Aintree by a horse with less hurdling experience, for me if there's any value in the Champion Hurdle market it's the 33s for Idaho Sun...
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Saw on X yesterday Harry Fry interview saying Idaho very well, hurdling campaign the plan this season (although novice chasing not off the table if Hurdles dont go well), mentioned the comparison with MDP being second fav for CH, Greatwood an option early doors, mentioned Alexei comparison from 130’s rating last year

No price change in markets which surprised me

Lossie is a monster but 33/1 Idaho surely the value at the moment…….
 
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Trainer nominated Royal Bond as early season target for Cheltenham Bumper winner The Mourne Rambler

Schooling described as "Very, very good"
 
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Lobos said:
Trainer nominated Royal Bond as early season target for Cheltenham Bumper winner The Mourne Rambler

Schooling described as "Very, very good"
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I guess there's nowhere else for them to go but I would expect him to step up in trip as the season progresses but good to hear his schooling has gone well...
 
Istabraq said:
I guess there's nowhere else for them to go but I would expect him to step up in trip as the season progresses but good to hear his schooling has gone well...
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Possibly but Meade does have a soft spot for the Supreme
 
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Benjy23 said:
Interesting that his schooling is very very good but he's also felt the need to say they could revert to running on the flat if hurdling doesn't go to plan...
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He's good friends with Nicky Henderson
 
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few other interesting updates today

cristal destruval going chasing and le frimuer staying hurling and seems likely to head down 3m route. yard says that jasmins target wont affect his
 
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fatherjohn said:
few other interesting updates today

cristal destruval going chasing and le frimuer staying hurling and seems likely to head down 3m route. yard says that jasmins target wont affect his
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Cristal is very interesting. That Warwick win on debut has stacked up nicely with Baron Noir & Bossman Jack both in behind that day.

50/1 for the Arkle could be a big price come March, that said he looks as though he could get further too. Rated 139 as a hurdler, which looks to be on the lenient side.
 
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Worth noting Harry Derham's comments in last years One Jump Ahead, clearly thought the horse had a bright future:

CRISTAL D’ESTRUVAL (IRE) 4 b g Crystal Ocean – Aurore D’Estruval (FR)
He really took my eye at the Cheltenham Festival Sale in March – I loved him. Trained in Ireland
by Colin Bowe, he won his only point-to-point in bottomless ground. Despite that, the time was
very good and he jumped well bar the last. Well built, he was bought to be a high-class horse
who will jump fences eventually. He is similar to Mossy Fen Road – a beautiful physical model
and we start with a blank canvas. In all likelihood, he will go straight over hurdles and will start
off over two and a half miles at a good track.
 
ComplyOrDie said:
Cristal is very interesting. That Warwick win on debut has stacked up nicely with Baron Noir & Bossman Jack both in behind that day.

50/1 for the Arkle could be a big price come March, that said he looks as though he could get further too. Rated 139 as a hurdler, which looks to be on the lenient side.
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yes I like his potential a lot. clearly well thought of and like you say form stacks up. facile winner of his second race. we have no idea what he could be but I dont think we have an altior or douvan this year in 2m novice chase division so I dont mind taking a chance on one with a bit of unknown ceiling
 
Harry D winning both the Arkle and the Stayers. That would be quite something!

Nice priced double though at 1070/1 !!!!
 
Cristal is one I had in mind a long way out. Just been and backed him on the way home. I think that form with Baron Noir will turn out to be very good form. This could be a big year for Harry Derham. He has some expensive stock on his hands from last season. Be interesting to see how they progress this time around
 
in lets talk racing podcast - pierre boulard mentions 4 young horses he is excited about

nirvana star
interstellar
momentum of love
legend du lemu (sp?)

Last year gave selma du vary and proactiv
 
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The drift on timeforshowcasing at the curragh today is pretty strange. Theres always a chance somebody knows something and theres good reason for the drift, but at face value 11/1 is way overpriced.

This time yesterday she was about 5/1, which i thought was fair enough on the back of her previous run, and standout piece of form at that point, when a close third in france, beaten just over 2l behind aventure, and only just behind diamond necklace. You could argue 5/1 was even overpriced at that point. But since then, her form got another major boost, when the two horses she split in a German group one, hotazhell and Wimbledon hawkeye, went on to finish first and second in the champion stakes.

At that point, I thought 5/1 is definitely a bit overpriced, but staggeringly she's doubled in price overnight and today, with no obvious reason why. Trip is perfect, ground is good/yielding in places. Her German run was good ground, french run was testing ground, so seems fine on both. She's second top rated in the field, 4lb behind thundering on, who she receives 3lb from. Thundering got her rating from the oaks win, the form of which looks poor at the moment.

Its the sort of drift that makes me think there must be something that I dont know, like she's not fully fit or something, but maybe not. I've had a good each way bet on her anyway.
 
O'Shea hatches bold Cheltenham plan for hunter chase star Barton Snow.
The irrepressible trainer wants his stable star to have a crack at the big boys.........

Cheshire point-to-point trainer Joe O’Shea has hatched an audacious plan to stun the best at Cheltenham next March by aiming his star hunter chaser Barton Snow at the Queen Mother Champion Chase or maybe even the Champion Hurdle.

O’Shea sent the nine-year-old out of his small Nantwich yard to land a famous double last season, winning both showpiece races in his sphere at Cheltenham and Aintree.

Now the irrepressible O’Shea is telling the gelding’s owners, the MMI Partnership, to “dream big” and send him from the pointing fields to tackle the best in either the Champion Hurdle or the Champion Chase.

“The owners have been on to me and said where do you want to go this season so I said let’s go and win the Champion Hurdle,” said O’Shea. “I’ll win a couple of point-to-points and a Hunter Chase and send him into training 15 days before.

“We would send him to Laura Morgan, win the Champion Hurdle. If he gets beat I’ll have him back for Aintree. And if not the Champion Hurdle then we will go for the Champion Chase – one of those two.”

Asked for the reaction of the owners to the season’s masterplan, O’Shea admitted they “just started laughing”, but he has assured them he is deadly serious and in any case believes they have the Hunter Chase at the Festival already sewn up with a stablemate.

“I have told the owners we’ve got the Cheltenham winner in Boley Bob. ‘You are going to win it anyway’ I told them as it’s the same owners. That or be second to Barton Snow (if they send him there).

“But I’m telling you this is a flying machine. He is unbelievable. An absolutely amazing horse and we see it every day.”

Barton Snow has just started cantering as he builds towards a first point-to-point of two in late October or early November before taking in a Hunter Chase at Haydock and then being readied for the Festival.

“He looks better than ever,” said the trainer, who trains 14 pointers at his Cheshire yard. “We’ve just upped him a gear this week, but you ain’t seen nothing yet. He has never failed to surprise me. He is only a little horse, but he has matured and the five months he has had off have done him the world of good.

“He hasn’t got bigger, but he’s got stronger and we are absolutely over the moon with him. We have just moved up and done his trotting and now he has started cantering and away we go.”

As a point-to-point trainer only, O’Shea cannot train Barton Snow for either of the two ambitious Cheltenham targets, but can receive him back in time to oversee him for a defence of his Foxhunters’ crown over the Grand National fences.

Unless he wins or is placed in either of the championship races which would rule out Aintree. If he does that, you suspect O’Shea will be quite happy to formulate a Plan B.
 
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