August ‘25 Yankee

[Eggs]

I've had a small play on Jade de Grugy for the Mares Chase at 33/1 with BFSB. Willie kept her over hurdles last season after she had a setback, so I assume fences will be the plan this time and with a 150 OR and built like a scullery maid she will surely be in the mix. Horses she's beaten over hurdles who are shorter in the market are Brighterdaysahead, best priced 6/1,Spindleberry 6/1, Only By Night 8/1, Bioluminescence 20/1 and Fun Fun Fun 20/1. Even if Dinoblue goes again she's unlikely to improve and as a 9yo Mares I wouldn't be touching her at 4/1. In summary, she's got the form,admittedly over hurdles only,the scope and the price is value. A risky Yankee choice I admit, but she hasn't got too many likely targets .

….only 8-1 with 365, interesting.

 

[Guinness Village]

I may be wrong, but I’m sure that I heard she was staying hurdling again. Stable tours will reveal all

 

[Black Dog]

I may be wrong, but I’m sure that I heard she was staying hurdling again. Stable tours will reveal all

All I can find is from 28/11/24,when Willie said after she'd had a setback that he wouldn't send her chasing after missing so much of the season. So I assume fences was last year's plan and as a 7yo next festival its g

 

[Black Dog]

Oops sausage fingers. It's getting to now or never time to send her chasing. But as you say the stable tours will give us more idea...but 33's

 

[Istabraq]

I love a creative pick and we’re light on creativity so far this month.
I liked the Impaire Et Passe call but Fact to File holds all the keys in the Ryanair…

 

[Kautostar]

All I can find is from 28/11/24,when Willie said after she'd had a setback that he wouldn't send her chasing after missing so much of the season. So I assume fences was last year's plan and as a 7yo next festival its g

Mullins was quick to pour cold water on the idea of her jumping a fence, though. She will be aimed at a return to the Mares' Hurdle, where she will try to go one better than this year when she found only Lossiemouth too good.

The trainer said: "She's been improving all year. Nicer ground was a big help and tactically Paul was brilliant. We're delighted to be able to win a Grade 1 race with a filly like this.

"Brighterdaysahead probably just had a very hard race at Christmas and she never really recovered from it."

Jade De Grugy pulls clear to win under Paul TownendCredit: Patrick McCann
When asked if she could jump a fence next season, the champion trainer replied: "She could but it wouldn't be what we'd be looking forward to at this stage, we'd rather keep her hurdling. I'd say we'll probably train her for the Mares' Hurdle next year."

Brighterdaysahead proved a bitter disappointment and it is likely to be the last time we will see her over hurdles.

Gordon Elliott said: "She just wasn't herself after the Champion Hurdle and it took a little while for her to recover from that.

"She had a great first half of the season to win two Grade 1 races. We'll look forward to next season with her now and she'll head straight over fences. We always thought she would make a nice chaser."

Paddy Power cut Jade De Grugy to 7-2 (from 6-1) from the 2026 Mares' Hurdle following this success, while the same firm are offering odds of 4-1 about Brighterdaysahead winning the Mares' Chase at next year's festival. She is as big as 6-1 with Unibet.

The quote is from Mullins after JDG won at Punchestown

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[Wayward Lad]

I've had a small play on Jade de Grugy for the Mares Chase at 33/1 with BFSB. Willie kept her over hurdles last season after she had a setback, so I assume fences will be the plan this time and with a 150 OR and built like a scullery maid she will surely be in the mix. Horses she's beaten over hurdles who are shorter in the market are Brighterdaysahead, best priced 6/1,Spindleberry 6/1, Only By Night 8/1, Bioluminescence 20/1 and Fun Fun Fun 20/1. Even if Dinoblue goes again she's unlikely to improve and as a 9yo Mares I wouldn't be touching her at 4/1. In summary, she's got the form,admittedly over hurdles only,the scope and the price is value. A risky Yankee choice I admit, but she hasn't got too many likely targets .

I am sure that I read somewhere at the back end of last season that the plan was to stay over hurdles again this season, rather than go chasing. That’s probably why she is 33/1 rather than around 10/1, which she was at this time last year, when a chasing plan was mooted. It only changed I believe as she met with a setback during the season and couldn’t get the required chasing experience needed if going to the festival.

However I have also backed her at 33/1, as plans do change in the Mullins camp, as we all know to our cost….Gaelic Warrior etc and if she does change discipline, which she appears built for, then she’s close to fav in my book

 

[Black Dog]

Mullins was quick to pour cold water on the idea of her jumping a fence, though. She will be aimed at a return to the Mares' Hurdle, where she will try to go one better than this year when she found only Lossiemouth too good.

The trainer said: "She's been improving all year. Nicer ground was a big help and tactically Paul was brilliant. We're delighted to be able to win a Grade 1 race with a filly like this.

"Brighterdaysahead probably just had a very hard race at Christmas and she never really recovered from it."

Jade De Grugy pulls clear to win under Paul TownendCredit: Patrick McCann
When asked if she could jump a fence next season, the champion trainer replied: "She could but it wouldn't be what we'd be looking forward to at this stage, we'd rather keep her hurdling. I'd say we'll probably train her for the Mares' Hurdle next year."

Brighterdaysahead proved a bitter disappointment and it is likely to be the last time we will see her over hurdles.

Gordon Elliott said: "She just wasn't herself after the Champion Hurdle and it took a little while for her to recover from that.

"She had a great first half of the season to win two Grade 1 races. We'll look forward to next season with her now and she'll head straight over fences. We always thought she would make a nice chaser."

Paddy Power cut Jade De Grugy to 7-2 (from 6-1) from the 2026 Mares' Hurdle following this success, while the same firm are offering odds of 4-1 about Brighterdaysahead winning the Mares' Chase at next year's festival. She is as big as 6-1 with Unibet.

The quote is from Mullins after JDG won at Punchestown

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I'd missed this,but I'll hang on to the bet for now, as I'm still not convinced Lossiemouth will ever run in the Champion Hurdle and she's well clear of the mares atm

 

[Istabraq]

I'll stick a deadline on this of Thur 28th Aug as I'm unlikely to be around at the end of the month.
Right now the only viable (solid) suggestions are:

The New Lion - Champ Hurdle
Marine Nationale - Champ Chase
Jasmin de Vaux - Stayers
Galopin/IKTWYT - Gold Cup
Arkle - Kawabonga/Romeo Coolio
Ryanair - Fact to File/Impaire et Passe

Already picked in previous yankees:

IKTWYT - Gold Cup
The New LIon - Champ Hurdle
Jasmin de Vaux - Stayers
Marine Nationale - Champ Chase

We're short on suggestions for anything different for August so please throw out any suggestions you might have otherwise we'll be restricted to:

Fact to File - Ryanair
Romeo Coolio - Arkle
GDC - Gold Cup

Hasn't got the look of the most inspiring of yankees at the prices but I'll consider it a win if we get 4 runners....

 

[Eggs]

….absolutely nothing to stop you picking one or two selections from previous Yankees, Ista.

Any thoughts on Rocky’s Diamond (Stayers) @ 33-1?

 

[ComplyOrDie]

Going to chuck Gaelic Warrior out there for the Gold Cup.

Two tries over 3m, once as a novice hurdler, bolted up, and then once in the Bowl at Aintree, over 3m1f where he won going away. I also thought his win at Sandown (2m6 1/2f) on his final start last season was very good.

As it stands, Fact To File has to go down the Ryanair route, IMO, and then what if Galopin doesn't make it back to his best?

RR will absolutely want to throw Gaelic at the Gold Cup.

I do think he'd prefer a better ground Gold Cup, as I don't think he lacks speed, however he has won well on soft and heavy previously that makes him a versatile sort. A Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Heavy may just stretch him though, but it's plenty early enough to be worrying about the going already

Bookmakers seem wholly undecided on him with prices ranging from 12/1 to 20/1.

 

[archie]

Cut and paste Wendigo (BANC) from suggestion in previous months.

 

[ComplyOrDie]

Cut and paste Wendigo (BANC) from suggestion in previous months.

I know you're keen on this one, but I'm going to stick it out there that he's going to be one for the Jack Richards Novices Chase, or if ending up too high for that then the Plate.

I'm not convinced (yet, at least) that he's a 3 miler. I know, a solid enough run in the Bartlett, but I don't think the Bartlett was up to a whole heap this year, just an opinion, of course.

 

[archie]

I know you're keen on this one, but I'm going to stick it out there that he's going to be one for the Jack Richards Novices Chase, or if ending up too high for that then the Plate.

I'm not convinced (yet, at least) that he's a 3 miler. I know, a solid enough run in the Bartlett, but I don't think the Bartlett was up to a whole heap this year, just an opinion, of course.

He stayed on strongly enough in the AB after being mullered at the second last. Connections are adamant that he's better over a trip and he's certainly being aimed at the BANC. 25/1 represents very fair each way value for small stakes at this early stage.

 

[Istabraq]

Cut and paste Wendigo (BANC) from suggestion in previous months.

I like this, some solid form lines all last season, but is there a danger they look at the NH Chase with him if you think he needs a trip ?

@ComplyOrDie Gaelic Warrior could end up in any number of races for me and if you think he is a proper stayer then he could be held back for a late season raid on any of the big pots in their bid to steal the trainers championship again.
Mullins will be all out to get GDC to the Gold Cup, FTF to the Ryanair and Majborough to the Champ Chase, any setback and the pack could easily get shuffled, but I couldn't have him as a certain Gold Cup runner at this stage...

 

[Istabraq]

….absolutely nothing to stop you picking one or two selections from previous Yankees, Ista.

Any thoughts on Rocky’s Diamond (Stayers) @ 33-1?

Young enough to make up the obvious gap with the divisions leading lights I guess, whether he'd have the class or not is questionable.
Risk they have a look at fences ?

 

[archie]

I like this, some solid form lines all last season, but is there a danger they look at the NH Chase with him if you think he needs a trip ?

I wouldn't have thought so. Great Pretenders aren't usually dour stayers and the BANC looks the right combination in terms of stamina and speed at this stage. As it stands, you'd think that he's the best UK prospect so you'd hope that they'll be able to plan a suitable campaign.

 

[Istabraq]

I wouldn't have thought so. Great Pretenders aren't usually dour stayers and the BANC looks the right combination in terms of stamina and speed at this stage. As it stands, you'd think that he's the best UK prospect so you'd hope that they'll be able to plan a suitable campaign.

Strong enough argument and I have to say when I delved into his form from last season it read well enough.
Happy to include.

Any Arkle views team ?

 

[Eggs]

I wouldn't have thought so. Great Pretenders aren't usually dour stayers and the BANC looks the right combination in terms of stamina and speed at this stage. As it stands, you'd think that he's the best UK prospect so you'd hope that they'll be able to plan a suitable campaign.

….as far as UK is concerned, Derryhassen Paddy beat him in AB but I appreciate Wendigo had trouble in running. I’ve got Wendigo in my book & in a few multiples, I think he’s a good shout.

 

[FinalFurlong91]

Strong enough argument and I have to say when I delved into his form from last season it read well enough.
Happy to include.

Any Arkle views team ?

Its not very imaginative but kopek at 7s seems perfectly reasonable given how he won the supreme, his age and how much scope for improvement he still has.

If he takes to fences he will go off a short priced fav most likely.

Lulamba looks priced up on sir gino hype to me and hes not looked near as good as gino to me and has the 5yo hoodoo to overcome.

Romeo coolio is there at 20s and looks a chaser but hes either soft or a stayer. But hes unlikely to be running in the BANC if the yellow clay stays fit.