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RSA Chase 2018

JackieMoon33 said:
Bacardys ran in the Deloitte, Neptune and then the 2m 4f Punchestown festival race. That leaves me in doubt as to which race he may end up in at the Festival as he's got the speed for shorter trips too.
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Geordieboy83 said:
True but at this moment, with it being guess work, I'm taking at stab at the RSA. So will probably go another race haha
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Been highlighted before, but 12s any race versus 16s for this is worth the shorter price IMO.

I think if Bacardys shows improvement for a step up in trip, based on what he did in the races you've mentioned he might be the one they will need to be pretty classy to put it up to him!

Easy for me to say though before we see it!
 
David Jennings in a Racing Post article today was very keen on No Comment for the coming season:

Who is the best handicapped horse in training?

No Comment. He was second in handicaps at Aintree and Punchestown and is absolutely thrown in off a mark of 145. They may want to go novice chasing, but something like Haydock’s Fixed Brush Hurdle would be his for the taking.

Which handicapper can win a Grade 1?

Can you hear that? It’s the No Comment drum. I’m not going to stop banging it. If and when he goes chasing expect him to clean up, but I’d keep him over hurdles and win a Stayers’ Hurdle personally.

Who/what will be this season's surprise package?

Well this may not actually surprise you now but, wait for it . . . No Comment.
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There was talk of him starting off over hurdles but based on Hobbs latest stable tour it seems fences are the plan from the off.

He did very well in his hurdle races last year and will probably start straight over fences. He is a very nice horse who hopefully has a bright future over fences.
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For me Phillip Hobbs is never one to go overboard on a horse but he is pretty complimentary on the horse in Mark Howards book:

Very consistent over hurdles last season, he is a horse I like a lot...Although he has the speed for two and a half miles, he stays three...He is a very nice horse
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I hadn't focused too much on the horse but after those comments I took a closer look. Won 3 novice hurdles after finishing second to the potentially very good Robin Roe, he came into the festival one of the favourites for the Martin Pipe and travelled so well and looked from 2 out like he would be involved right in the finish but weakened quite quickly. He did however then finish 2nd in 2 handicap hurdles at both the Aintree and Punchestown festivals. He beat Monalee in a Punchestown bumper in April 2016.

Hard to see him going back down in trip so this race would look a likely target if he were to reach grade 1 level over fences. The same connections do of course have Jerrysback so they will likely split the pair up if both made it to the top over fences but he's certainly one of interest when he starts off this season. Yet to be quoted in this market so you could get some big odds early on.
 
jono said:
David Jennings in a Racing Post article today was very keen on No Comment for the coming season:



There was talk of him starting off over hurdles but based on Hobbs latest stable tour it seems fences are the plan from the off.



For me Phillip Hobbs is never one to go overboard on a horse but he is pretty complimentary on the horse in Mark Howards book:



I hadn't focused too much on the horse but after those comments I took a closer look. Won 3 novice hurdles after finishing second to the potentially very good Robin Roe, he came into the festival one of the favourites for the Martin Pipe and travelled so well and looked from 2 out like he would be involved right in the finish but weakened quite quickly. He did however then finish 2nd in 2 handicap hurdles at both the Aintree and Punchestown festivals. He beat Monalee in a Punchestown bumper in April 2016.

Hard to see him going back down in trip so this race would look a likely target if he were to reach grade 1 level over fences. The same connections do of course have Jerrysback so they will likely split the pair up if both made it to the top over fences but he's certainly one of interest when he starts off this season. Yet to be quoted in this market so you could get some big odds early on.
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Excellent post. I personally really like Jerrysback and he's so ridiculously unexposed he could progress massively this year.
 
I like No Comment but I'm not sure he'll be a grade 1 horse. It'll be interesting to see how they campaign him this season because he could be a typical JP handicap horse
 
Whether he goes RSA or 4 miler, you have to say that Presenting Percy was very impressive today.

He’s not beaten a load of donkeys, and jumped very well.
 
cpfcpatriot said:
Whether he goes RSA or 4 miler, you have to say that Presenting Percy was very impressive today.

He’s not beaten a load of donkeys, and jumped very well.
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Goid performance, ge's beaten some good horse there and 2m6 on that ground takes some getting,

not any horse in particular but with a view to Cheltenham it's hard to take any form there at face value today, desperate ground.
 
As previously stated on earlier post , Presenting Percy going places. Exhibition round today , and that will stand him in great shape for Cheltenham.
 
Seems like they are not running Percy with the handbrake on this season with a view to a handicap plot.
 
JackieMoon33 said:
Seems like they are not running Percy with the handbrake on this season with a view to a handicap plot.
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That might be a bit of a tip in itself?

I certainly think his Cheltenham performance from that mark was one of a graded performer... was expecting better next time out though!
 
Kevloaf said:
That might be a bit of a tip in itself?

I certainly think his Cheltenham performance from that mark was one of a graded performer... was expecting better next time out though!
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He'd certainly have been competitive in the Albert Bartlett if they'd gone that route. He may have been done by the time they got to Punchestown as that would have been an after thought.
 
Just looked at his race profile last season , he had plenty of racing pre Cheltenham. I hope they treat him like the graded performer he is. He will gain a length or two at each fence jumping like that , some weapon to have jumping at pace at festival , looks a natural , we know he acts around Cheltenham and that time of year , still think 14s looks tasty.
 
Topofthegame and Benatar could clash over 19f at Ascot Saturday. Have already had a little interest in Topofthegame for this race, his point form is solid and should improve plenty (on some already very smart hurdle form) both over fences and tackling a longer trip. Benatar has a similar profile to Topofthegame in that he's a point winner and a huge, imposing horse that should thrive over fences. Interesting clash and not ruling Benatar out of the running for the RSA as a lively outsider
 
Can't wait to see that clash. Topofthegame is very exciting if he jumps a fence as well as (I've read) that he should do!

I watched back the Presenting Percy win and have to say I think the race reports are a little bit overboard! I have backed PP for this race, but reading the articles about the race (before seeing it!) I was reading "perfect start" and "hacked around" and that he won with ease. I am not saying it wasn't a good win, because it obviously was - he did jump well to my eye, and did make a very nice move between the last two, to get up to the leader, and round the turn he was travelling better.... but he wasn't winning on the bridle by ANY stretch. He was pushed out to beat De Plotting Shed, who is just solid... so I'd want to see improvement next time before crowning him the best staying novice chaser around.

I don't want anyone getting the wrong impression from this, as I am not knocking what he did on debut, but the way it was written beforehand you'd think he'd won the RSA and upon watching it back, I was left a little short changed. I think it MIGHT be a case, of it being the best performance we've seen so far....and the racing media got carried away (Oddschecker, At The Races
 
Benatar impressive at the weekend, had a little nibble at 66 with Paddy beforehand. Hoping they now step him up in trip as he'll only improve to my eye.

Topofthegame has an entry over 2m 6 at Newbury on Thursday. Could be up against Ballyoptic as well which will be an interesting clash in the context of this race
 
I have Ballyoptic running to over 150 yesterday will be interesting to see what the RPR gives him, he would have a huge chance at placing in this race at the very least, but he does seem to have a strange profile for this so inclined to put him on the watch list at present and make a decision before he next runs.
 
billymag said:
I have Ballyoptic running to over 150 yesterday will be interesting to see what the RPR gives him, he would have a huge chance at placing in this race at the very least, but he does seem to have a strange profile for this so inclined to put him on the watch list at present and make a decision before he next runs.
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Pretty sure last years 1-2 at here and Aintree, mite bite and whisper had strange profiles.
 
Interview back in September NTD said both Wholestone and Ballyoptic would be tried chasing. Not sure Wholestone has done enough over hurdles in his two outings so far this season to suggest he'll be a contender at the top level if staying hurdling, so still holding out hope for that switch. If that does happen then i would imagine Wholestone would be aimed at RSA and Ballyoptic the 4 miler.

Topofthegame out tomorrow over 2m 6 at Newbury, by far my biggest return for this race so hoping for an impressive debut
 
Robante said:
Interview back in September NTD said both Wholestone and Ballyoptic would be tried chasing. Not sure Wholestone has done enough over hurdles in his two outings so far this season to suggest he'll be a contender at the top level if staying hurdling, so still holding out hope for that switch. If that does happen then i would imagine Wholestone would be aimed at RSA and Ballyoptic the 4 miler.

Topofthegame out tomorrow over 2m 6 at Newbury, by far my biggest return for this race so hoping for an impressive debut
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I'm sure they would be happy with that run, he came 2nd in a decent race and finished in front of lil rockerfeller. I'd be surprised if they expected him to win. And even more surprised if he still went chasing now.
 
Scooby91 said:
I'm sure they would be happy with that run, he came 2nd in a decent race and finished in front of lil rockerfeller. I'd be surprised if they expected him to win. And even more surprised if he still went chasing now.
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It's probably my pocket talking (as i'm on Wholestone for the RSA). He's actually held by Monalee on hurdles form as well, one we can confidently assume will be aimed at the RSA. Ballyoptic's target still up in the air though... we'll know a lot more next time out when presumably he'll be upped in grade over 3m. He certainly has the look of a proper staying chaser to me, so the 4 miler (for which he's now favourite) might come into play if he gets outpaced by something over the business end next time out
 
Yes to be fair last years 1 and 2 did have an unusual profile
 
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