Gordon seems to be splitting his 3 best novice chasers from the betting movement this weekend to:
Romeo Coolio : Irish Arkle
Kala conti : Scilly Isles 2m4F
Western Fold : 2m5f DRF
Honestly, think Romeo is going the wrong race. He is 2 and half mile horse and I dont know why trainers run horses at their wrong distance on purpose.
Kala conti getting 7 lbs off KDB would put her right in the mix and she has beat kargese by 16 lengths already at the distance.
Swap Kala and Romeo.
Then Romeo plugs the gap at Festival if kala loses at DRF, if Romeo wins chelthenham arkle its a plus as his optimum trip isn't there this season for him.
Willie mullins last year with Ballyburn, ran the horse at the wrong distance over 3m. Sent him 2m and only lost by 7 lengths giving 7 lbs to Sir gino, thats a decent run on paper. Won at 2m5f at DRF and then upped him to 3m when sir gino got injured? How can you go from having a 2 miler at xmas to a 3 miler 10 weeks later, after the horse finishing 2nd and first at shorter trips in grade 2 and grade 1 races?? Then ran at 3m again at punchestown and the yard turned around and said that he is a staying hurdler? He never won over 3 miles? Has to be worst training performance from Willie and not questioned by many, just people questioning the horse.
Like if the Turner's novice chase was still at the Fez, ballyburn would still be chasing as he has won at DRF and every horse would have avoided him in the Turner's. Even if he still went on then to lose at punchestown 3m, no way would they say he is going hurdling or a stayer. The other thing with this is townend has no ryanair horse and FTF doesnt look to be as good this year. I'd by running ballyburn in horse and jockey this weekend and I would have ran him in John Durkin
Willie mullins left a champion hurdle and an arkle behind him last year with his race planning on Lossiemouth and Ballyburn. Gordon could go the same route with Romeo if he runs him at 2m at DRF as he shows his hand too early and if its not good enough to win, where to from there? He only just beat irish panther by half a length at xmas at 2m1f and giving kargese 7lbs and potentially taking on KDB, is he an evens shot 2 weeks out? Keep your cards in your pocket until forced to show and pounce on the easier race when things start to unravel as they tend to do every year at the fez for different races.
Henderson done it perfectly last year with Jango Baie, a mid trip novice chaser, that now has an arkle in his back pocket
