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2014 Gold Cup

Boston Bob over hurdles this week. Does that mean that Willie is happy enough to just have Rubi Ball for this if Boston Bob wins easily over hurdles or is it just another confidence booster before he tries him over fences before March?
 
The noises on Boston Bob a bit more mixed than they were but if judging/guessing Mullins on what he is doing - campaigning him over hurdles - you would say he is going the World Hurdle route
 
Mullins quoted as saying hope to get Rubi Ball to Gold Cup Cut by the NRNB firms to 16s - Ruby factor
 
Dynaste goes straight to Gold Cup or Ryanair. I'd be interested in shorter race being the forgiving type :p
 
Donn

It was great to see Last Instalment returned to the racecourse, and finishing a close-up third behind Texas Jack and Baily Green in the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles on Thursday.

There was a lot of encouragement to be gleaned from this performance. His jumping was really good for a horse who had been so short of recent match practice, and he travelled well to the second last fence over a distance that should have been shorter than ideal, before lack of peak fitness seemed to tell. Even so, he did really well to finish as close as he did to two talented rivals who were probably competing over their optimum trip, with the front three clear.

Remarkably, this was the first time that the Philip Fenton-trained horse had been beaten over fences. In his novice year, he won his beginners’ chase at Galway in October before going on to land the Florida Pearl Chase, the Fort Leney Chase and the PJ Moriarty Chase, a Grade 2 and two Grade 1s. He was one of the big Irish hopes for the 2012 Cheltenham Festival before his injury got in the way.

Oftentimes they don’t come back from tendon injuries, but you could not have been more encouraged by Thursday’s performance, and his trainer reported him well yesterday morning and on track for the Hennessy next month. He will have to step forward again there if he is to mark himself down as a live Cheltenham Gold Cup candidate, but that is more than possible.
 
Lydia on what Ruby said

Walsh rides French import Rubi Ball in this race and was pleased with how well he jumped at Leopardstown because chasers from that country have a tendency to "jump low and flat". He believes he is a better horse going left-handed but conceded that the Gold Cup is a match between Bobs Worth and Silviniaco Conti, whom he used to ride for Paul Nicholls.

During the Half-Term Report, there was a repeated out-of-vision tableau of Walsh going into physical paroxysms of self-loathing whenever the clip being shown happened to include a horse that he was riding making a mistake or falling.

When he could bear to look at last year's Gold Cup, he acknowledged he'd rethought his immediate reaction that Silviniaco Conti might not have stayed, given how he finished off the King George. He recalled the horse had been keen early on at Cheltenham. He also said he wouldn't be worried about the fences, even though the tricky downhill third-last had caught them out then.

He added that he had been disappointed with Al Ferof's Kempton effort.
 
No Rubi Ball in this weeks Irish Hennessy. Any point in backing anyone ante post for the Gold Cup before this Sunday? If First Lieutenant wins he might shorten up a small bit but perhaps the greater gamble could be something small on Lyreen Legend or Last Instalment who are 50s each for the Gold cup and 33s and 25s respectively for the Ryanair.
 
I'm on Lyreen Legend for the Hennessy and have also taken the big prices for the Gold Cup/Ryanair NRNB. I'd have been happier if Tidal Bay stayed at home at the weekend though. Dessie and Mouse are two trainers I have a lot of time for.
 
In new ATR section

Defending champion Bobs Worth and King George winner Silviniaco Conti are solid-looking market leaders but unlikely to be much shorter on the day so the challenge from a long-range perspective is to find a bit of each-way value.

Pick of the class options in my view is AL FEROF, who was probably beaten by the desperate ground rather than the trip when finishing third behind his stablemate and Cue Card in the Boxing Day showpiece.

The grey's pedigree suggests that three miles-plus ought to suit him and the way he stormed up the hill under a big weight to land last season's Paddy Power Gold Cup over 2m5f in soft ground would appear to lend some credence to that view.

Al Ferof, who gets another chance to test his staying credentials in the Denman Chase at Newbury this Saturday, can hardly be faulted on his Cheltenham record which also includes victory in the red-hot 2011 Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

AL FEROF CAN HARDLY BE FAULTED ON HIS CHELTENHAM RECORD WHICH ALSO INCLUDES VICTORY IN THE RED-HOT 2011 SUPREME NOVICES' HURDLE.
That course/festival form entitles him to loads of respect in whichever race he turns up in and while a switch to the Ryanair remains a possibility, victory at Newbury (for which he's a very warm 6-4 favourite) would make the Gold Cup hard to resist, for owner John Hales in particular.

HARRY TOPPER is officially rated 12lb below Al Ferof, and the best part of two stone behind Bobs Worth, but this dour stayer is just the type to make the frame at big odds in a race that often includes a surprise packet among the placed horses.

Kim Bailey's gelding is also Newbury-bound this weekend where the forceast heavy ground will play to his strengths, even if the flat three miles doesn't.

An extra quarter-mile round Cheltenham is sure to bring his stamina into play, especially if the ground remains testing, and he got in some valuable match practice at the track when third to The Giant Bolster (runner-up in the 2012 Gold Cup) in the Argento.

Harry Topper would have snatched second in another stride or two and was giving the winner 10lb, so emerges from that race as the best horse at the weights - some achievement considering he lost ground at quite a few obstacles through slow jumping.

Bailey will need to sharpen up the seven-year-old's technique but stamina and a never-say-die attitude can take you a long way in the Gold Cup and it's not too difficult seeing him outrun his current huge odds.

GARY'S RECOMMENDED BETS
BETFRED CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP (FRIDAY 14 MARCH)
1pt each-way AL FEROF (12-1 general)
0.5pt each-way HARRY TOPPER (50-1 general)
 
I'll do two laps of that square in front on the queens hotel in y-fronts if Harry Topper ever gets placed in a Gold Cup.:o
 
:o they have a few more fences at Cheltenham
 
mayo said:
I'll do two laps of that square in front on the queens hotel in y-fronts if Harry Topper ever gets placed in a Gold Cup.:o
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You will be needing these :)

images


Where Al Ferof goes after today i have no clue.
 
Seriously impressive from Last Installment there. hope he is OK in the morning.
 
Got a bit on betfair at 12 s and a nice chunk with Stan James ew at 10/1. Think I have this covered unless Harry feckin Stopper wins.
 
Not had a bet in this race yet think i may wait until a week until before the festival, just watched harry topper from yesterday obviously needs a bog but he impressed me and i am edging towards him ew last installment seriously impressive there..first lieutenant ryanair along with al ferof?
 
Did the last installment gold cup first lieutenant Ryanair double with skybet at 120/1
 
mayo said:
Did the last installment gold cup first lieutenant Ryanair double with skybet at 120/1
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I see where you are coming from but don't think First Lieutenant had his ground today. Without Last Installment it was almost a rerun of the 2012 Lexus.
 
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