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2026 Gold Cup

Pisto said:
O don’t think HC will jump or travel well enough , especially on quicker ground. If GW settle he should see out the trip and I’d be expecting him to be bang there at the finish . IMO F2F wouldn’t see out the trip well enough , for me he looked to be emptying up the hill when he won the Banc so Ryanair the right call.
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The thing that does worry me is his jumping. It isn't that great and gets in close quite often
 
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Have to say Haiti.

2/2 at Cheltenham. Festival winner.

In the last 12 months he's won the NHC , beat Irish in their own Backyard in their National, won Welsh Grand National and won a decent Gold Cup prep in Denman Chase.

Top jockey on board.

King George horses finished in a heap with the fav running no sort of race. Last year's winner ran like pig this season. Gaelic may run out of steam up the hill. Spillanes could do the same.
 
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Lobos said:
Have to say Haiti.

2/2 at Cheltenham. Festival winner.

In the last 12 months he's won the NHC , beat Irish in their own Backyard in their National, won Welsh Grand National and won a decent Gold Cup prep in Denman Chase.

Top jockey on board.

King George horses finished in a heap with the fav running no sort of race. Last year's winner ran like pig this season. Gaelic may run out of steam up the hill. Spillanes could do the same.
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Top jockey, but 0 Cheltenham festival wins. Must be a concern
 
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Ellisgittings said:
Top jockey, but 0 Cheltenham festival wins. Must be a concern
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52 rides for just 6 places. Surely if he was that good he would have had a lot more chances? It's not as if he is an overnight success. I wouldn't view him as a plus on anything at the Festival. Different kettle of fish to winning loads of rubbish races.
 
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BigL said:
If he was going to get a festival win, this is his year. Come into his own this season
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Absolutely. He's had a stellar season. One of best in history so hopefully it's his time this year. Workaholic.
 
Would be interesting to see all GB Jockey stats, I don't suspect any outside of Nico have anything to write home about
 
kinloch brae said:
52 rides for just 6 places. Surely if he was that good he would have had a lot more chances? It's not as if he is an overnight success. I wouldn't view him as a plus on anything at the Festival. Different kettle of fish to winning loads of rubbish races.
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He's not a rubbish jockey. I would put him up as one of the best we've ever seen. If he was Henderson or Skelton or even the Nicholls stable jockey, he'd have a much higher profile. Only a matter of time before he breaks his Festival duck.
 
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Irish Rugby said:
He's not a rubbish jockey. I would put him up as one of the best we've ever seen. If he was Henderson or Skelton or even the Nicholls stable jockey, he'd have a much higher profile. Only a matter of time before he breaks his Festival duck.
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Of course he isn't rubbish, but at the Festival so far he has been an also ran. Getting the job done on very good horses is different to doing it on run of the mill horses. The hold up tactics he so often employs are so much more difficult to pull off in more competitive races. If a spare has been going have Henderson, Nicholls or Skelton used him? I can't remember too many. Nicholls talking about using Twiston-Davies again as a substitute for Cobden. A fair bit of money has gone into Murphy yard, but very few of his horses progress through the ranks, and he also has no winners at the Festival.
 
kinloch brae said:
Of course he isn't rubbish, but at the Festival so far he has been an also ran. Getting the job done on very good horses is different to doing it on run of the mill horses. The hold up tactics he so often employs are so much more difficult to pull off in more competitive races. If a spare has been going have Henderson, Nicholls or Skelton used him? I can't remember too many. Nicholls talking about using Twiston-Davies again as a substitute for Cobden. A fair bit of money has gone into Murphy yard, but very few of his horses progress through the ranks, and he also has no winners at the Festival.
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I'd be surprised if Bowen stays with Olly Murphy much longer but as I write that where would he go?

Let's park this. See by Friday night how he's got on. I'd be glad for him if he gets to break his Festival duck.
 
I've just seen a screenshot of an article re Harry Redknapp's 79th birthday in which he says that The Jukebox Man has a breathing issue and that the vet is having a look. He reports that Pauling is "hopeful" he will be OK for the GC. I am trying to find where the article is from.

Edit: It's from The Times article. Behind a paywall.
 
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“I remark on how well he looks on his 79th birthday. But life isn’t perfect. He tells me he’s just had a call from from Ben Pauling, The Jukebox Man’s trainer, who said he was sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The horse had a slight setback. Something not 100 per cent with his breathing, but the vet was going to have a look. The trainer was hopeful the horse would still be OK for the Gold Cup.

Later in the day, Redknapp speaks to the vet who is also hopeful the horse will be fully recovered for the big race. This is the way of racing. A lucky owner is a phone call away from becoming an unlucky owner. “I know there is only one Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the horse won’t run unless he’s 100 per cent right,” Harry says. “
 
That was published Saturday evening at 10.30pm. Completely missed it
 
Mighty said:
“I remark on how well he looks on his 79th birthday. But life isn’t perfect. He tells me he’s just had a call from from Ben Pauling, The Jukebox Man’s trainer, who said he was sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The horse had a slight setback. Something not 100 per cent with his breathing, but the vet was going to have a look. The trainer was hopeful the horse would still be OK for the Gold Cup.

Later in the day, Redknapp speaks to the vet who is also hopeful the horse will be fully recovered for the big race. This is the way of racing. A lucky owner is a phone call away from becoming an unlucky owner. “I know there is only one Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the horse won’t run unless he’s 100 per cent right,” Harry says. “
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That's the one! Cheers.
 
Strange how the market hasn't moved one bit!!??
 
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