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Cheltenham Gold Cup 2020

Didn’t know Death Duty was still in training
 
ELEGANTLY TASTED said:
Real Steel is 5 wins and a place from 9 races at right handed tracks. He is 0 from 5 going left handed unplaced in all 5.
In 2 races at Cheltenham he has been beaten a total of 70 lengths.
He is unproven over the gold cup trip and a doubtful stayer.
He is more a grade 2 horse than a grade 1 horse. I doubt he will turn up at Cheltenham again and the Punchestown festival is where he would stand any chance.

I like that his name rhymes however and he has a good trainer.
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Didn't even factor in the name rhyming - makes it an even better bet.:applause:

Thanks for the left right thing ET.

I'm not a believer in it myself (aside from a very small percentage of horses with wild/strange jumping habits).

As I've said on many occasions....

They are running straight most of the time. And there aren't many jumps on or near bends these days.

I've Not seen any refuse to race and go the other way around, and very few come to a bend and just veer off the wrong way (although this has happened every now and then)

It's mainly bullshit.
Some have tried to come up with a scientific explanation but I've not been convinced yet.

Go for it, convince me why it's a thing ?
 
You get just as many flat horses who have a preference for racing either clockwise or anticlockwise so its not only a jumping thing.

I dont think theres much science behind it, some horses run better racing rh than they do lh and vice versa. Some horses run better on undulating tracks, some horses run best on flat tracks, some like sharp tracks, some like galloping tracks, some horses seem as good no matter what the circumstances.

It is as it is. Some horses have preferences.
 
ELEGANTLY TASTED said:
You get just as many flat horses who have a preference for racing either clockwise or anticlockwise so its not only a jumping thing.

I dont think theres much science behind it, some horses run better racing rh than they do lh and vice versa. Some horses run better on undulating tracks, some horses run best on flat tracks, some like sharp tracks, some like galloping tracks, some horses seem as good no matter what the circumstances.

It is as it is. Some horses have preferences.
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Bullshit then.
 
ELEGANTLY TASTED said:
No not at all. Almost all trainers would confirm that sometimes horses have clear preferences as to which way they race. Been like that since the beginning of time.
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Like talking horses
 
On a serious note ET.
I can definitely go along with the theory a little bit, with much shorter flat races and the very tight bends (on some tracks) making a difference to how a horse might handle it, depending on it's natural favoured side etc etc,
but for most horses the trend is trotted out and it's nearly always just chance and circumstance and not logical. It often just becomes a self fulfilling thing
 
It's to do with the lead leg. A horse is more balanced when the lead leg corresponds to the direction of the racecourse. Most horses can change lead easily, often automatically, but some find it more difficult.
 
archie said:
It's to do with the lead leg. A horse is more balanced when the lead leg corresponds to the direction of the racecourse. Most horses can change lead easily, often automatically, but some find it more difficult.
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We've discussed this before, and this is individual to each horse, and how balanced they are on either lead. But they can nearly all still run at a decent lick on either, and even if they keep the same lead leg on the wrong way round track, they can still run effectively also.
There are plenty of champions that naturally lead with the 'wrong leg'.

This 'issue' has to be less so in National hunt racing as they are rarely going round corners or chicanes either, most bends take are a quarter mile long or more.
 
It affects the jumping as well.

It's quite possible that it becomes a mental thing if the horse doesn't like it first time but, unfortunately, so far no horse has been able to verbalise the reason.

What is undeniable is that some horses are much better going off one lead leg. Lord Noelie was at least a stone worse going right-handed and Hen eventually gave up sending him that way.
 
archie said:
It affects the jumping as well.

It's quite possible that it becomes a mental thing if the horse doesn't like it first time but, unfortunately, so far no horse has been able to verbalise the reason.

What is undeniable is that some horses are much better going off one lead leg. Lord Noelie was at least a stone worse going right-handed and Hen eventually gave up sending him that way.
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The jumping left or right would be a consideration for me for sure as this can more obviously be an issue.
This appears to be exagerrated though depending on the camber at certain tracks and fences too.
Some definitely get into a habit of skipping left or right at fences (like apples jade), but actually jump straight enough.
Others are loopy or hurting.
 
just added champagne court 25s close brothers, good bumper horse, 4th in Martin pipe, always was a good jumper but has taken very to fences, 2from2...143 nice sweet spot.
 
Birds Nest said:
just added champagne court 25s close brothers, good bumper horse, 4th in Martin pipe, always was a good jumper but has taken very to fences, 2from2...143 nice sweet spot.
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Big ask in a Gold Cup off 143 :p
 
I am still liking the stat that only Native River in the past ten years has won having raced in it before. All other 9 winners were making their first start in it.

That stat may even go back further but I cba checking.

So for me ABP is still my one but I need to go through all the Gold Cup virgins at some point to decided whether any are worthy. One horse I love is Top Ville Ben but he wont be good enough, love the way he goes out and booms all his fences and has a good attitude. He does fall the odd time but hes one lesser horse I do follow.
 
Speaking of stats....since the modern era began (switch the the New Course in 1959) this is the full list of horses that have won more than one Gold Cup.


Kauto Star 2009/2007
Best Mate 2004/2003/2002
L'escargot 1971/1970
Arkle 1966/1965/1964





Al Boum Photo 5/1 to join that list?

Laughable :p
 
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