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2026 Ryanair Chase

The other wrinkle here is that if F2F goes to Ryanair then GW likely goes to the Gold Cup. And given that JP is deciding where F2F runs then it is JP not Willie effectively deciding where GW runs - not sure Ricci signed up for that :ROFLMAO:
 
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Prestbury said:
The other wrinkle here is that if F2F goes to Ryanair then GW likely goes to the Gold Cup. And given that JP is deciding where F2F runs then it is JP not Willie effectively deciding where GW runs - not sure Ricci signed up for that :ROFLMAO:
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I don't agree with that. As I said before, I think that the point will be made that GW beat FtF over the intermediate trip with Townend on board. Over 3m FtF beat GW with a different jockey up and with no sign of it being a fluke. Mullins has said that he will discuss it with Ricci but I'm fairly sure that the clincher will be whether Townend will ride GW which will likely be decided at the last minute depending on what GdC is showing at home.
 
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archie said:
I don't agree with that. As I said before, I think that the point will be made that GW beat FtF over the intermediate trip with Townend on board. Over 3m FtF beat GW with a different jockey up and with no sign of it being a fluke. Mullins has said that he will discuss it with Ricci but I'm fairly sure that the clincher will be whether Townend will ride GW which will likely be decided at the last minute depending on what GdC is showing at home.
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So your saying that even if jp sends fact to file to the ryanair, gaelic warrior may still go to the ryanair?

Maybe so, but that would be utter madness, and wouldn't make sense for anyone involved other than paul townend. Mullins would already have the strong ryanair fave in FTF, so he'd prefer another dart in the gold cup to supplement an ageing galopin, with the added bonus for him of Patrick getting the ride. And ricci would surely rather go for the big one, as opposed to going for the second rate race where he'd face possibly a harder task in beating FTF than anything he'd face in the gold cup.

Wouldn't see anyone other than townend pushing for ryanair if FTF is going there too.

Edit : having read it again that might not be what you were saying, so the above can be disregarded.
 
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archie said:
I don't agree with that. As I said before, I think that the point will be made that GW beat FtF over the intermediate trip with Townend on board. Over 3m FtF beat GW with a different jockey up and with no sign of it being a fluke. Mullins has said that he will discuss it with Ricci but I'm fairly sure that the clincher will be whether Townend will ride GW which will likely be decided at the last minute depending on what GdC is showing at home.
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I think it fair not to forget that GW beat GDC over 3m, ridden by an amateur,hope that’s in the discussion with Ricci.
Big argument to say that GW and FTF both enhanced their Gold Cup chances and GDC didn’t.
Plenty of decent pro jockeys around so after PT has chosen his, the other out of the two can get a good jockey, DM I guess.
 
riccirich said:
So your saying that even if jp sends fact to file to the ryanair, gaelic warrior may still go to the ryanair?

Maybe so, but that would be utter madness, and wouldn't make sense for anyone involved other than paul townend. Mullins would already have the strong ryanair fave in FTF, so he'd prefer another dart in the gold cup to supplement an ageing galopin, with the added bonus for him of Patrick getting the ride. And ricci would surely rather go for the big one, as opposed to going for the second rate race where he'd face possibly a harder task in beating FTF than anything he'd face in the gold cup.

Wouldn't see anyone other than townend pushing for ryanair if FTF is going there too.
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Strange how Ricci would 'rather go for the big one' with Gaelic Warrior, who isn't a certain stayer, but not with Lossiemouth. Happy to try and win another third rate race with that one.
 
kinloch brae said:
Strange how Ricci would 'rather go for the big one' with Gaelic Warrior, who isn't a certain stayer, but not with Lossiemouth. Happy to try and win another third rate race with that one.
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He's won the Champion Hurdle on multiple occasions but never the Gold Cup - that's what really makes it the "big one" for him.

Lossiemouth I can't fathom!
 
kinloch brae said:
Strange how Ricci would 'rather go for the big one' with Gaelic Warrior, who isn't a certain stayer, but not with Lossiemouth. Happy to try and win another third rate race with that one.
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At least on those occasions though it made sense to both mullins and townend to go for the mares, as they both had state man for the champion.

With gaelic though it wouldnt even make sense for mullins, only townend, as mullins would have fact to file in the ryanair already.

So with gaelic this year, if fact to file goes ryanair, it would likely be mullins and ricci on the same side against townend, which is different than with lossie in years gone by.

This year I still think lossie goes champion, as it makes sense all round since mullins and townend have nothing fancied in the champion besides her.
 
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Fact to file out to 8 for gold cup and into 3.5 on the exchange for ryanair
 
EnvoiAlien said:
Rather be on Impaire Et Passe..
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Very confident Townend there. Made a bit of a mess of the last two as well. Wonder if he'll swerve this though.

Not a great 5 minutes for Fact to File in the Ryanair
 
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