Plenty of money this morning for Hip Hop Conti - cut into as short as 8s - 16s with PP/BF still there but obviously risky without NRNB.
Presume someone has put him up as it happened within the space of half hour
Thanks Darlojim, just got the 16s while it lasted. Do you know what the latest from the their camp if he was likely to travel? I had read last month it was unlikely...
I asked his jockey to ride him patiently as the ground was very heavy and that is not what he prefers. But he finished his race very well and could have won, but the main target is the Grand Cross on the 9th of February. I said in the past that he was not a horse for Cheltenham, but I am thinking about it. I just miss the Festival and it’s not the same if you go without a runner.
Thats what was said from the stable tour 17th Jan
Personally wouldn't be a bet for me without the NRNB concession. I guess the next update will be after the big XC @ Pau 9th Feb
I'd be very wary of Hip Hop Conti if betting antepost. NRNB is fine.
Mainly as his mark in France is 60 (meaning an automatic UK mark of 120) - unless someone knows he has a much higher rating over here ?
This means IMO he is unlikely to get into the race, unless we don't get a maximum field.
Obviously for antepost backers he could get balloted out and you get refunded but it's a risk.
Of course if he does get in then he's likely out of the handicap by what will be close to a stone on his official. I think this is less of an issue than the above but will mean he is exposed to anything else that's well in the other way.
They don't rate the XC races over there Q.
Sweet David came over here with a rating of 140, Hip hop would be rated higher:encouragement:
Sweet David was out of the handicap by 17lb. His official rating was 123.
oh.....
That had passed me by.
That could be a huge issue then, unless they can ask to be assessed properly on their XC form, not sure how something like that would work though.
To be fair it'll be touch and go on the number of entries and declarations, and I'm not certain what the maximum number is in the X country now it's a handicap - I'd be guessing at 20 ish.
But it'll be more popular now its a handicap
Maximum 16 runners and 2 reserves. One thing that no-one seems to have picked up on is this:
"In the event that the Cross Country course is deemed unraceable,
the racecourse reserves the right to transfer this race to
the Old Course at any stage, to be run over
THREE MILES ABOUT SIX FURLONGS (3m 5f 201yds)."
:highly_amused: Is that new ? or always been there and never used ?
What would they do ? just jump the fences or a mixture ?
Be daft wouldn't it:loyal:
I think Gavins got everyone glued to stumptown when imo Vanilliers is lurking at a price for him, already come down 7lbs since aintree . Gavins doing Gordon...
good shout 10/1 now
Unlucky shout really.
As the last thing you'd have wanted was an 18 length cruise today.
On the Cross country in general - Gordon is doing a cracking job with all his as I've no idea which one is going to be best handicapped on the day.
Galvin & Delta look reasonably treated but it's the others that have been awful that would concern me on the day.
I backed the Goffer off the back of today myself - pushed out to 25s nrnb with 365, thought that was fair.