Ballymore (Previously Neptune) Novice Hurdle 2018

[Scooby91]

I am in the 'terrible price' camp for Samcro. Can barely believe it to be honest.

I genuinely believe Mengli Khan has been at least as impressive, against better horses and he is 12/1. I wasn't interested at 5/1 before his last run, and might now be tempted if he were still that price. But definitely nothing shorter.

I have to be fair. And in all honesty mengli khan hasn't beat a great deal yet either, none of them have. Sunday is his test though against very respectable oppsition. The first proper graded novice hurdle of the season. The race next destination won was a graded race in all but name, but to be fair paloma blue jumped awful so you can't take the form between them 2 alone literally.

 

[Can't Catch Me]

Unfortunately he never ran again.

In the days before people threw their Racing Posts in the air! Happy memories that day. I've been lucky enough to sit in the same seat in the Grandstand for 22 years and that was one of my favourite moments.

 

[Faugheen_Machine]

In the days before people threw their Racing Posts in the air! Happy memories that day. I've been lucky enough to sit in the same seat in the Grandstand for 22 years and that was one of my favourite moments.

It was the first year that I really got into racing, and the Cheltenham festival, and I haven't seen many better performances. He certainly lived up to the hype.

 

[JackieMoon33]

I have to be fair. And in all honesty mengli khan hasn't beat a great deal yet either, none of them have. Sunday is his test though against very respectable oppsition. The first proper graded novice hurdle of the season. The race next destination won was a graded race in all but name, but to be fair paloma blue jumped awful so you can't take the form between them 2 alone literally.

Next Destination was impressive and beat a couple of decent horses. I'm not sure you can call that a graded race though when half the field went off 100/1

 

[Scooby91]

Next Destination was impressive and beat a couple of decent horses. I'm not sure you can call that a graded race though when half the field went off 100/1

Not sure on the point. There will be many outsiders in graded races. 4 of the first 5 will all compete in graded class

 

[JackieMoon33]

Not sure on the point. There will be many outsiders in graded races. 4 of the first 5 will all compete in graded class

My point is that calling a maiden Hurdle full of rags at Naas, a 'graded race in all but name' is stretching it a bit

 

[Scooby91]

My point is that calling a maiden Hurdle full of rags at Naas, a 'graded race in all but name' is stretching it a bit

Not sure, it was more competative in terms of depth and quality of opposition than any graded novice hurdle iv personally seen this year to date.

Will be more competative graded races coming up shortly though

 

[JackieMoon33]

Indeed, the real graded novice races are approaching fast and that's when we'll see the real clashes. Next Destination is going to be in there pitching but I'm not sure the rest of that field will be. Pallasator is an 8 year old rogue off the flat. Someday has flattered to deceive since winning a bumper last year and Laverteen is still a maiden over hurdles. Paloma Blue I do think will prove very decent especially over further.

 

[Scooby91]

Indeed, the real graded novice races are approaching fast and that's when we'll see the real clashes. Next Destination is going to be in there pitching but I'm not sure the rest of that field will be. Pallasator is an 8 year old rogue off the flat. Someday has flattered to deceive since winning a bumper last year and Laverteen is still a maiden over hurdles. Paloma Blue I do think will prove very decent especially over further.

Strange with pallasator staying further on the flat. But he shaped to me like he wanted 2 miles. Too early to judge but thought he travelled really well without getting home on the ground I like the way he's a big imposing type who just seems to step over his hurdles.

I'd agree with paloma blue, needs to sort his jumping out but I'm sure he'll have plenty if schooling.

Someday is very well thought of his bumper form is good, I know jessica Harrington said he had a problem at the end of last season and said he seems to be over that now and she has high expectations that he can go to the top over hurdles.
Time will tell.

"He looks fantastic. He’ll start off in a maiden hurdle in the next couple of weeks. I’d say he’ll enjoy two-and-a-half miles and he seems versatile with regard to ground. He has got stronger this season and one would hope he could progress into a Graded novice hurdler."

 

[JackieMoon33]

Since he ran an excellent second to Big Orange in the 2016 Goodwood Cup, Pallasator's form has really tailed off and at the age of eight, I'm not sure if jumping will rejuvenate him. He is with the right trainer to bring him back to life though so he may put in a performance at some stage in the season.

Paloma Blue I can see ending up in the Albert Bartlett.

 

[Scooby91]

Since he ran an excellent second to Big Orange in the 2016 Goodwood Cup, Pallasator's form has really tailed off and at the age of eight, I'm not sure if jumping will rejuvenate him. He is with the right trainer to bring him back to life though so he may put in a performance at some stage in the season.

Paloma Blue I can see ending up in the Albert Bartlett.

Not sure exactly what it was but I did like pallasators run, I believe he wanted better ground on the flat so I'd be willing to give him a chance on what he showed 1st time up.

Paloma blue, agreed could well end up in the Albert Bartlett can only improve from his 1st outing.

Can't wait for the match up in the lawyors hotel of samcro and next destination, getabird out very soon so should be about the right time to throw him in hopefully. Embaressingly im more excited for that than christmas day itself .

 

[JackieMoon33]

Not sure exactly what it was but I did like pallasators run, I believe he wanted better ground on the flat so I'd be willing to give him a chance on what he showed 1st time up.

Paloma blue, agreed could well end up in the Albert Bartlett can only improve from his 1st outing.

Can't wait for the match up in the lawyors hotel of samcro and next destination, getabird out very soon so should be about the right time to throw him in hopefully. Embaressingly im more excited for that than christmas day itself .

Samcro and Next Destination look like they'll be the best Irish 2.5 mile hurdlers so if they do meet in the Lawyors hotel, it should be a cracker and we'll all get to see if the Samcro hype is justified or not.

 

[ComplyOrDie]

Been checking the exchanges this morning and volume of matched money, Samcro is on another level to most, nearly 70% of all Ballymore money has been traded on Samcro, and it's not small amounts either if you take into consideration the amount of time still left before the festival. I make Apple's Shakira 2nd highest (percentage wise for overall traded for that particular race) for the Triumph and now Altior in 3rd.

I've only looked at the markets where at least £10k has been traded.

Some people can't seem to get enough of Samcro as 3.15 is still being backed!

 

[Kevloaf]

Samcro and Next Destination look like they'll be the best Irish 2.5 mile hurdlers so if they do meet in the Lawyors hotel, it should be a cracker and we'll all get to see if the Samcro hype is justified or not.

Can certainly see that clash happening! Hope neither of them swerve at the last minute. An odd roll of honour in that race, certainly a mixed bag!

 

[Scooby91]

Michael oleary summed up samcro well there.
Possibly a tad harsh. But of a similar mind set.

 

[Can't Catch Me]

Yeah not normally his biggest fan but fair play to him for being so honest. Thought he was spot on.

 

[JackieMoon33]

Yeah not normally his biggest fan but fair play to him for being so honest. Thought he was spot on.

What did he say?

 

[Can't Catch Me]

He said the hype is rubbish and the horse isn’t the second coming.

 

[Kevloaf]

Owner Michael O'Leary has urged punters to be wary of the hype surrounding unbeaten novice hurdler Samcro.

The Ryanair supremo, who runs the imposing five-year-old under his Gigginstown House Stud banner, is refusing to be carried away with the achievements so far of the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding.

O'Leary told At The Races: "The hype with Samcro is rubbish. He's won his maiden hurdle, he won a graded hurdle reasonably well - Death Duty did the same last year, went to Cheltenham and blew up.

"He'd have to go to Cheltenham and actually win a race there, and the rest of it is just to delude ante-post punters betting at this time of the year. He is not as good as the hype would make out, he will never be as good as the hype will make out.

"If he turns out to be a reasonably good chaser in time, great, but he's not the next coming of Jesus Christ."

 

[Scooby91]

Owner Michael O'Leary has urged punters to be wary of the hype surrounding unbeaten novice hurdler Samcro.

The Ryanair supremo, who runs the imposing five-year-old under his Gigginstown House Stud banner, is refusing to be carried away with the achievements so far of the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding.

O'Leary told At The Races: "The hype with Samcro is rubbish. He's won his maiden hurdle, he won a graded hurdle reasonably well - Death Duty did the same last year, went to Cheltenham and blew up.

"He'd have to go to Cheltenham and actually win a race there, and the rest of it is just to delude ante-post punters betting at this time of the year. He is not as good as the hype would make out, he will never be as good as the hype will make out.

"If he turns out to be a reasonably good chaser in time, great, but he's not the next coming of Jesus Christ."

That's the one.
Dosent mince his words. Ie champagne classic.