-
HELP US - Become a Patron - Fat Jockey is a horse racing community focused on all the big races in the UK and Ireland. We don't charge users but if you have found the site useful then any support towards the running costs is appreciated ... a small donation each month would be a huge contribution. Become a Patron!
Cross Country Chase 2019
- Thread starter jono
- Start date
Istabraq
Fat Jockey Legend, Mod, Patron & King of the Paten
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2015
- Messages
- 14,323
- Reaction score
- 3,487
- Points
- 113
Hope you enjoyed the experience BoF.
I wouldn't be too downbeat by that, your lad was a little hesitant at a few notably the cheese wedges/banks but that's understandable as he's used to running on a flat surface, he didn't look to hate it and was bang there until half a mile out.
It may be worth looking at the Punchestown XC races, Peter will know for certain but that course appears a little more galloping than Cheltenham with longer distances between obstacles, less severe twists/turns ?
Well worth pursuing in my opinion.
Good luck
archie
Fat Jockey Patron
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2017
- Messages
- 4,721
- Reaction score
- 1,132
- Points
- 113
I honestly don't know. 4 months is a long time and has to be worth at least halving the price. We haven't seen any of the other trials so there's almost no clue as to his SP in March. I just tend to think that he's unlikely to be much shorter than 7/4 so 7/2 now isn't very attractive albeit it has every chance of being a winning bet.
Rhinestone_Cowboy
Fat Jockey Patron
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2017
- Messages
- 2,161
- Reaction score
- 153
- Points
- 0
Tiger Roll was a fantastic horse for me last season but I hadn't put a penny (or a free bet) on him for this race. Having seen the race today I was happy to have a couple of points at 5/1 but sadly the WH price showing on oddschecker wasn't available. That said I'm now happy to start backing him with free bets at 4/1. I don't normally like using free bets on shorter price horses but will make an exception in this case.
Remember last season CoC kept missing his X country prep races so I feel that now TR has had a nice early prep run which went perfectly 5/1 was a fair price and 4s is a tempter
Remember last season CoC kept missing his X country prep races so I feel that now TR has had a nice early prep run which went perfectly 5/1 was a fair price and 4s is a tempter
Last edited:
charlie
Fat Jockey Patron (est. March 2021)
It is an interesting question archie. Looking back through previous posts from last year Cause of Causes was 7/1 on 19/11/2017 (posted Garrison Savannah). Tiger Roll is currently best price 4/1. At this point last year COC last run was the National so what that took out of him was still a question mark. Tiger Roll answered those questions today, and went one better in April. Another point is whilst we don't know what else is going to emerge between now and March, I'd say the XC in 2018 had a far more competitive look to it than it does for TR in 2019. A big plus for Tiger Roll is he has firmly dispelled going concerns which could not be said by COC backers at this time last year. Worth noting as well that COC won the XC having raced over C&D once. If Tiger Roll goes back in Jan he will be going into festival having raced over C&D 4 times, which gives him more experience.
So in answer to your question, yes, I think TR is a better bet now at 4/1 than COC was last year at 7/1.
Last edited:
ComplyOrDie
Fat Jockey Patron (est. Jan 2021) & Moderator
I agree Charlie.
Something I alluded to earlier in this thread was the attitude of Tiger Roll too. He's a born trier, name of the tiger, heart of a lion.
For me, despite not adding him to lots of bets yet, he is one I feel I could rely on 100% to give his all. I love animals like him.
He'll be added to plenty more in the coming weeks after that today.
Something I alluded to earlier in this thread was the attitude of Tiger Roll too. He's a born trier, name of the tiger, heart of a lion.
For me, despite not adding him to lots of bets yet, he is one I feel I could rely on 100% to give his all. I love animals like him.
He'll be added to plenty more in the coming weeks after that today.
charlie
Fat Jockey Patron (est. March 2021)
Yeh cracking point. Horses can have ‘off days’ but you never feel like he will
Great question. I'll echo what everyone else has said.
Also, I I stress I say this having seen Cause of Causes as a banker throughout last season (so i'm not trying to pretend I doubted him) Tiger Roll looking back has a few advantages to CoC. RC makes a good point in Tiger Roll having likely more experience of the cross country course come March. When you also consider that Tiger Roll is:
- 1 Year Younger
- What will be 8 runs less in March
- 'Only' running once in the National. CoC had had 2 goes in the race by this point
There's less question marks about him the key one has been answered today - he looks to have come out of the Aintree race all well.
Here's Elliott after the race today
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gordon Elliot reacted to Tiger Roll’s run <a href="https://twitter.com/CheltenhamRaces?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CheltenhamRaces</a>
<a href="https://t.co/bIbFg4X4Ak">pic.twitter.com/bIbFg4X4Ak</a></p>— ITV Racing (@itvracing) <a href="https://twitter.com/itvracing/status/1063507280325459968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I think it pretty much was the perfect seasonal reappearance really. he'll be absolutely primed for one day only in March. The fact he probably did his best work at the end of the race is very encouraging for his wellbeing after Aintree.
I'll be more than happy for a repeat of today in December. I've been holding off on backing him until today but i'll absolutely be backing him from now on in
BigChaang
Sha Tin Expert and FJ Patron
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2017
- Messages
- 5,418
- Reaction score
- 780
- Points
- 113
I thought your Lad ran well B.o.f , Hope he's come out of it well , and i know its Too early , but any chance of
bringing him back for the festival ??.
Bayoffreedom
New member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2015
- Messages
- 731
- Reaction score
- 369
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Boston, USA
- Website
- www.cheltenhamdream.com
Thanks BC. He did seem to enjoy and took a big blow coming to the Aintree fence; just at the wrong time as the race was heating up. I would have liked him to finish stronger but, overall, much better. We may bring him back in a few weeks time and see what he is like on softer ground. As regards the Festival: he would have to improve significantly.
Good to hear he's come out of the race well BOF. Imagine it was a lovely feeling seeing him running back at Cheltenham all these years later after the bumper run!
Is there an element of 'autopraise' here with Tiger Roll?
Other than being pulled up, I can't think of any result / situation where backers couldn't take a positive view. Even a fall wouldn't have been viewed negatively.
He was 5/1 before and 4/1 after so we've lost 1 point by the horse proving he's still sound... I can see why that'd a fair cut.
Hard for me to answer, as I'm in the autopraise camp! On at 7, will inevitably have him at 4s in multiples or NRNB if still available then.
Food for thought though?
Other than being pulled up, I can't think of any result / situation where backers couldn't take a positive view. Even a fall wouldn't have been viewed negatively.
He was 5/1 before and 4/1 after so we've lost 1 point by the horse proving he's still sound... I can see why that'd a fair cut.
Hard for me to answer, as I'm in the autopraise camp! On at 7, will inevitably have him at 4s in multiples or NRNB if still available then.
Food for thought though?
Crazy to be backing any horse this far out antepost at 4/1, let alone a horse that will be held up in a big field with a cross country course to navigate. Its extremely easy to get brought down/ unnseat or hampered at a vital stage, there's been plenty of carnage in this race down the years.
And that's without worrying about if he makes it there sound and in top form. Ie COC last year
Quevega
Fat Jockey Patron (est. Jan 2021) Self-proclaimed
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2018
- Messages
- 21,151
- Reaction score
- 5,755
- Points
- 113
Based on what happened last year this makes sense, and 4-1 so far from the race seems too short (although I accept that come the day, circumstances may dictate he goes off shorter)
I'd certainly be concerned about the increasing trend for trainers to look at this race with better horses, and as a national trial though, so would be a little worried that something out of left field may turn up). This happened last year and CoC went off at 10/3.
I'm sure 7/2 or bigger was available on the morning.
charlie
Fat Jockey Patron (est. March 2021)
It's a good question and definitely food for thought. I appreciate auto praise is likely given how many of us are on, but having watched the race back just now I genuinely don't think there is an element of auto praise. Had TR raced prominently and faded, or made mistakes and looked lack lustre then I think the post race response would have been quite different, particularly post National win which was herculean.
It was a very disciplined and calculated ride from Donoghue. He asked TR zero questions and was regularly taking a pull to stop him racing too prominently for the first 18 obstacles and I couldn't help but laugh when the commentator said 12 out he is 'struggling to keep up' as other jockeys were attacking each jump and KD was literally holding him back. 3 out he gave him a couple of token slaps down the neck and drew the whip twice, and TR picked up well giving lumps of weight away which both he and COC (under Codd) have both done when not winning at the trials, but winning at the festival. Donoghue followed his instructions to a tee as he did last year. School him round and don't give him a hard race. Gordon was noticeably very happy as was I. Praise definitely justified in my opinion.