BigChaang
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Cheltenham Gold Cup 2018
- Thread starter Kevloaf
- Start date
In the opening post of this thread I made my case for Our Duke and Might Bite I cannot wait to see Our Duke back. My opinion was that Sizing John was too short to back, and you couldn't back a Mullins horse with any degree of certainty. They we're the main two for the race then and despite things going quite differently for both, they are still the two Iim happiest to have onside. (With a possible mention for Coney Island at 50/1 but if we're talking current prices...)
You could easily now over look Might Bite at his odds. Deserves to be fav on the back of winning a King George, my issue is now that I hoped he would mature and 'iron out' his quirks... which he might well have done, but the idling is not a trait I want in a Gold Cup horse. I certainly have never watched a horse win a Gold Cup that idled. I doubt I ever will. I'm obviuously happy to have Might Bite in my book, but would I back him now? Nope.
Our Duke however, I think is being forgotten. I did expect him to be a bit of a forgotten horse this season but the reasoning has turned out to be wrong, and not in my favour. I expected, a fairly low key season and him to peak in the spring, and even if he won a big race (Christmas Chase for example) that the King George would eclipse it in terms of how the bookies saw it. (You can certainly argue this IS the case anyway, but it just doesn't involve my horse)., Unfortuantely he's been forgotten because he had an injury, and neesd to come back, so a degree of faith is needed.
If Our Duke does come back, I wouldn expect him to be able to get past the likes of Road To Respect, Outlander and Balko Des Flos. Of course, I expect Sizing John to bounce back and he is now a backable price, although that comes with the caveat that he needs to bounce back too.
Not a race that I think anyone can make a ridiculously bold claim in, but if Coney Island is a Gold Cup 10/1 shot, then Our Duke is my most likely winner of the race and I'd chance at 14/1 (if I wasn't already on!)
You could easily now over look Might Bite at his odds. Deserves to be fav on the back of winning a King George, my issue is now that I hoped he would mature and 'iron out' his quirks... which he might well have done, but the idling is not a trait I want in a Gold Cup horse. I certainly have never watched a horse win a Gold Cup that idled. I doubt I ever will. I'm obviuously happy to have Might Bite in my book, but would I back him now? Nope.
Our Duke however, I think is being forgotten. I did expect him to be a bit of a forgotten horse this season but the reasoning has turned out to be wrong, and not in my favour. I expected, a fairly low key season and him to peak in the spring, and even if he won a big race (Christmas Chase for example) that the King George would eclipse it in terms of how the bookies saw it. (You can certainly argue this IS the case anyway, but it just doesn't involve my horse)., Unfortuantely he's been forgotten because he had an injury, and neesd to come back, so a degree of faith is needed.
If Our Duke does come back, I wouldn expect him to be able to get past the likes of Road To Respect, Outlander and Balko Des Flos. Of course, I expect Sizing John to bounce back and he is now a backable price, although that comes with the caveat that he needs to bounce back too.
Not a race that I think anyone can make a ridiculously bold claim in, but if Coney Island is a Gold Cup 10/1 shot, then Our Duke is my most likely winner of the race and I'd chance at 14/1 (if I wasn't already on!)
Last edited:
ComplyOrDie
Fat Jockey Patron (est. Jan 2021) & Moderator
Anyone feel Might Bite may have been trained to peak at the festival this season? Last season his best performance would have arguably been at Kempton over Christmas if he hadn't fallen. He was having his 5th run of the season at the festival, but has been more lightly raced this season, I feel in readiness for the festival. So many other possible runners have question marks over them now and he is deserved favourite for me, and whilst he is short enough currently the only way he becomes bigger is if all the others bounce back from their poor efforts recently, which I find hard to believe will happen.
darlojim
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100% agree with this, also got this impression listening to Nico after the KG. He looked quite smug when talking about MB and I'm hoping he knows theres plenty of improvement in his yet.
jono
Fat Jockey Patron (est. Jan 2021)
I couldn't see him seeing out the full 3m2F myself mayo though I did think there was a chance they may have given him at least a King George entry at the start of the year though.
Wouldn't rule it out him turning up, but watching the Ryanair the way he pulled to the front over 2m5f he wouldn't get away with in the GC. He did incredibly to win that but he doesn't look like he has any other way of going than 'his speed' the entire way round
TimRiggins
New member
I read the Sporting Life article earlier, and did laugh.
I love the horse, and the trainer, but I think they might have knocked the top off a few bottles of scotch this week.
BigChaang
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I wish you Luck Ryanh, personally i think that last year was his year ,and that the Injury put paid to it. He certainly ran better
in the king george last week , so that must give the yard some optimism.
ryanh97
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I was on about Native River not Thistlecrack? I agree with everyone else about that hahaha
Does that differ from his original plan? I can't remember what they said about the plan for him... but he's done himself no harm in not running so far.
BigChaang
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ryanh97
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I can't either, but like you said it has done him no harm not running. If anything I think it'll do him a world of good, no Henessey and no Welsh National
For me, he's a little bit short on the fact he's not done anything and he's more an each way horse than my idea of the winner... that said, I have 1.5 pts at 23/1 on the exchanges that I am happy to have running at this stage
I Would argue that our duke is woefully short on what he's done coming off the back of a shocking run where he clearly wasnt right and underwent surgery. I honestly wouldnt take 50s on him. His price is as if he came back from injury and ran a closing 2nd / 3rd in the lexus. (Christmas chase)
Garrison Savannah
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Might Bite and Coney Island are my two currently. I think last year's renewal looks weak with the benefit of hindsight.
Yorkhill was a shocking run. Our Duke was injured?
I was happy to take Our Duke at 25s after that race, but always risk when you're backing one that has been injured, obviously.
I can't be bothered to go back through, but are you keen on Coney Island or Disko? I couldn't have one without the other two... and have them at 25s, 25s and 50s.