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Neptune Novices Hurdle 2017

Thanks BOF - Great info.
I've taken 33's NRNB with Sky for the Coral Cup - already have PR covered in the AB at 25's :)

Course form and a bit of a forgotten horse!
 
Thanks BOF
taken some 33s with sky to go with Old Guard @33s as well.
 
Neon Wolf has been backed, now fav on OC with quite a few and with Betfair Exchanges he is fav....
 
I did notice this Kev, looks good to me
 
Getting a bit worried that Death Duty could turn up here though. I really like Neon Wolf and I don't fear anything from these shores.

Hoping the Irish form isn't up to much but can't have it all ways.
 
Any particular reason?

Because I think he'd have a good chance HOWEVER, no need to worry, Gordon Elliott has just said on Twitter 110% Death Duty goes for the Albert Bartlett :)
 
Willie on Invitation Only... Ive been close to tearing up my not insignificant slips on him... but clinging on to the faintest glimmer of hope:

He’s only 50/50 to get to Cheltenham at this stage and we might keep him for Fairyhouse. We had a little bit of a setback with him and I just haven’t been 100% happy with him since. That said, he has been a bit better in recent days, but the worry is whether I have enough done with him to get him to Cheltenham.
 
Sounds less than 50/50 unfortunately.

NEPTUNE TEAM

KEMBOY, SATURNAS, MONTALBANO and BACARDYS.

Saturnas didn’t ride out this morning. He’s pulled a muscle and hopefully he’ll be all right in a few days. Montalbano could be Neptune. I don’t know what to do with him, he’s very keen.

Bacardys probably did surprise me in the Deloitte, but I was happy with the way he did it with the tactics we used. He'll probably go for the Neptune, rather than the Albert Bartlett.

He's a horse we did think a lot of and the Deloitte put him back on track.

INVITATION ONLY is 50-50. We might keep him for Fairyhouse.
 
Surprised with this being the target for Saturnas after that last run, didn't look like a great prep run, more like a plot run really,
 
Surprised with this being the target for Saturnas after that last run, didn't look like a great prep run, more like a plot run really,

Plot run?! You think they weren't trying with the 5/4 fav in the Grade 1 Deloitte?! I thought Willie had said he picked up an injury in the race and tweaked a muscle? Certainly ran too bad to be true and if he's back and well he's surely overpriced. And certain to go to one of the Novice races, for me.
 
Ive talked myself into another bet on Bacardy's for this race this morning. Have risked the 7/1 rather than the 5/1 NRNB as I think it looks the obvious choice. AK and Penhill for the AB, LD and AB for the Mares Novice, which only really leaves Bacardys for this race (obviously subject to change!)

The more I look at the race, the more I think he should be fav.

I can see both FO and NW drifting... They have very little form of substance and both are priced purely on hype. There is still a slim chance one or both could go elsewhere too (even though I can't see it).

Barcardys placed in two and won one of the 3 Spring Festival Championship Bumpers which is seriously impressive, and but for tipping up on his hurdling debut, he would be 3 from 3 over the smaller obstacles, one of which was a Grade 1 which has proved to be a very good Cheltenham trial for years.

His form is in a completely different world to the other two, and he already has Festival form, which is a massive bonus.

Once its confirmed Ruby rides him in this race, I expect his price to collapse and could see him starting fav.

My only slight concern is that he started such a big price for the Deloitte, and Willie did say he had surprised him. But suppose you could also treat that as a bit of a positive. He was Ruby's pick for the Bumper last year, after all, so he must have been fairly high in the pecking order.
 
Just a personal opinion of course
But Bacardys looks an out and out stayer
Would of thought he would have no problem getting home in the AB when others have had enough
The Neptune looks a far better race on paper
To me the AB is the more obvious race
 
Fair comment Liam, and I think he could run well in that too.

But assuming WPM was speaking the truth and Augusta Kate will take on DD again (which surely makes sense after their last run) and Penhill goes for the AB as well (which also makes sense with proven 3m form), he surely wouldnt run 3 against each other in this when he appears to have very little for the Neptune?

He has said Let's Dance goes for the Mares Novice against Airlie Beach, which would mean they would only have Bacardys for the race. Cant see how it all slots together if Bacardys goes down the 3 mile route, unless everything he said was wrong.
 
Just a personal opinion of course
But Bacardys looks an out and out stayer
Would of thought he would have no problem getting home in the AB when others have had enough
The Neptune looks a far better race on paper
To me the AB is the more obvious race

I thought Barcardys showed a real turn of foot to win the deloitte. That is whats needed for the Neptune. WM has said as much. They go much slower in the Neptune compared with the Supreme, but with faster sectionals at the end of the race. I think this race is made for him.
 
Fair comment Liam, and I think he could run well in that too.

But assuming WPM was speaking the truth and Augusta Kate will take on DD again (which surely makes sense after their last run) and Penhill goes for the AB as well (which also makes sense with proven 3m form), he surely wouldnt run 3 against each other in this when he appears to have very little for the Neptune?

He has said Let's Dance goes for the Mares Novice against Airlie Beach, which would mean they would only have Bacardys for the race. Cant see how it all slots together if Bacardys goes down the 3 mile route, unless everything he said was wrong.

"KEMBOY, SATURNAS, MONTALBANO and BACARDYS.

Saturnas didn’t ride out this morning. He’s pulled a muscle and hopefully he’ll be all right in a few days. Montalbano could be Neptune. I don’t know what to do with him, he’s very keen.

Bacardys probably did surprise me in the Deloitte, but I was happy with the way he did it with the tactics we used. He'll probably go for the Neptune, rather than the Albert Bartlett.

He's a horse we did think a lot of and the Deloitte put him back on track.

INVITATION ONLY is 50-50. We might keep him for Fairyhouse."

If Mullins was being truthful, he does have more than one in the race... although I'm not sure I would fancy any of them.

Certainly agree with you though that FO and NW are mainly based on hype. I don't like FO but do like NW, although can see the similarities in their form/performances.



Doc - could you argue that Bacardys just stayed better rather than had a turn on foot? Certainly wasn't last off the bridle? Ridden from the turn and in the ground stayed on best? How do others see that ride?
 
Afternoon Kev. Yes when I said only have Bacardys for the race, I meant only chance really.

Invitation Only was my first major AP play, but everything suggests he wont be winning, and Ive already written him off. Couldn't really have Kemboy or Montalbano on my mind for this. Suppose Saturnas will be a live threat if back to his best, as he must be very highly rated to be their short priced fav for the Deloitte. Typically I backed him at 38 and 36 for the Supreme :grumpy:
 
He has said Let's Dance goes for the Mares Novice against Airlie Beach, which would mean they would only have Bacardys for the race. Cant see how it all slots together if Bacardys goes down the 3 mile route, unless everything he said was wrong.

Interesting that the quotes in the Irish press today regarding Lets Dance don't lead you to believe the Mares Novice is cast in stone..

Let’s Dance: ”I haven’t really decided what to do with Let’s Dance. The obvious one would be the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, although we seem to have a few nice mares for that including Airlie Beach.
“The mares’ novice looks the obvious one for Let’s Dance but she could slot in any of the novice races. Mares form seems to be good this year. It seems to be stacking up better than the geldings.
“The step up in trip has helped and she is a second season novice. That is a big help to her."

Is the big help being a second season novice or the step up in trip?