Time to cover Champ for this after trainer comments this morning. 14 nrnb.
I’d want 14/1 for him to complete tbh, fair enough game of opinions and all that but there must be plenty in the lively outsider bracket that are better bets at bigger prices I’d be thinking
He's probably a NRNB player, as he'd surely only run if winning his prep race. He's got one or two pieces of form that give him a decent chance to be fair. But comes with a hell of a lot of risk as well.
Struggle to get last year's effort out of my head.
Do you think he’s a player?
Since 2016, the Gold Cup has attracted a field of between 9 - 16 runners; so this year what sort of filed are we expecting?
A Plus Tard
Al Boum Photo
Asterion Forlonge
Aye Right
Champ
Chantry House
Delta Work
Eklat de Rire
Fiddlerontheroof
Galvin
Lostintranslation
Melon
Minella Indo
Mount Ida
Protektorat
Santini
Tornado Flyer
I have discounted the other entries which IMO have either more likely alternative targets or have been entered without a recent run and therefore unlikely to be primed and fit for a Gold Cup run by mid March.
Of the above, there are still doubts over Asterion Forlonge, Aye Right, Champ, Melon & Mount Ida concerning their target so are we looking at a field of 12 max?
Aye Right is a solid handicapper and probably nothing more but when will the connections ever have another shot at the Gold Cup - around the 80/1 mark
Melon - still unexposed at the trip and up until last year an excellent Festival record - around 80/1
Mount Ida - an interesting one. Has been running predominantly in Mares only races but did the same last year before running a remarkable race in the Kim Muir. Unexposed at the extended trip. owners surely dreaming big. Stablemate of Galvin who is surely the yards number one. Is the Mares Chase more winnable?
Do any of the bigger priced runners warrant a closer look? Or are most waiting for NRNB prices?
Has anyone cashed out on Eklat De Rire or do people still think he might have a chance or at least placing? I've seen no more entries for him and I'm thinking I can cash out at a profit still and put my money else where. Any thoughts people?
Pricewise has tipped Protektorat, into 10/1 on cashout firms, still 12/1 elsewhere
EDIT - his 2nd choice is Tornado Flyer
I think that's an awful price.I didn't like him at 16s though.
Native River clearly not the horse he was, now retired. I wouldn't get too excited by that.... nothing else ran it's race that day, so a flat 3m1f win at Aintree I don't think is solid Gold Cup form.
Has decent Cheltenham form, although two festivals, a 22L 5th in the Triumph and 10th in a handicap. His G1 win was at the intermediate trip...
I've not read the case from Pricewise, I'm sure it's well put together...but he's not a horse you can get excited about, is he? At 12/1 anyway.
Tornado Flyer though :barbershop_quartet_member: ....better......
Be a pretty bad Gold cup if either won.
Both exposed pretty much.
COD did well to cop on for the KG, as it didn't look plausible.
Pretty sure this will be the "one Gold Cup too many" year for Al Boum Photo - would prefer Tornado Flyer. If you try reading back through Tornado's from through the lens of a Gold Cup horse then a lot of his form makes perfect sense. It wouldn't be a vintage renewal if it won, but it doesn't have that feel anyway does it.....