2015 Gold Cup

[Lessey]

I can understand Lord Windermere though MrMcG because he wasn't exactly setting the world alight before his win last year and has shown Cheltenham brings out the best in him. A similar case can be made for Bobs Worth I suppose being that there both winners at multiple festivals but Bob has generally shown a bit more zest before the festival before so people are very much weighing up his chances on previous exploits.

I just feel with BW that he's just fallen out of love with racing currently, but just as quickly its not hard to imagine him drawing alongside at the last and powering up the hill again, his odds reflect that I guess

[MrMcGoldrick]

I can understand Lord Windermere though MrMcG because he wasn't exactly setting the world alight before his win last year and has shown Cheltenham brings out the best in him. A similar case can be made for Bobs Worth I suppose being that there both winners at multiple festivals but Bob has generally shown a bit more zest before the festival before so people are very much weighing up his chances on previous exploits.

I just feel with BW that he's just fallen out of love with racing currently, but just as quickly its not hard to imagine him drawing alongside at the last and powering up the hill again, his odds reflect that I guess

Yep, have to agree with all that Lessey, I do fancy Lord Windermere but it's always in the back of my mind that not many champions successfully defend their crown, I just think the Jim Culloty connection is one that suggests the knowledge is there as to how to do it.

[loveracing]

Yep, have to agree with all that Lessey, I do fancy Lord Windermere but it's always in the back of my mind that not many champions successfully defend their crown, I just think the Jim Culloty connection is one that suggests the knowledge is there as to how to do it.

Not only back to back GC's but 3 years in a row. Has any 3m chasers done this in the past?

[MrMcGoldrick]

Not only back to back GC's but 3 years in a row. Has any 3m chasers done this in the past?

I think Golden Miller did 5 in a row, but that's going back to the thirties, not sure about Arkle

[Old Vic]

I presume you are fishing for Best Mate LR?

Albertas Run won 3 chases at successive Festivals but two were 'only' Ryanairs.

3 time + winners since 1945 here

http://www.fatjockey.com/cheltenham-festival/featured_cheltenham_races.php?A-Z-of-Cheltenham-3-time-winning-horses-61

[loveracing]

I presume you are fishing for Best Mate LR?

Albertas Run won 3 chases at successive Festivals but two were 'only' Ryanairs.

3 time + winners since 1945 here

http://www.fatjockey.com/cheltenham-...ning-horses-61

Thanks for that OV.

It looks like Best Mate and Arkle are the stand out back to back to back GC winners, with Arkle winning the RSA prior to his first GC win. If LW wins it again this year does that mean he is half as good as Arkle?

This year seems highly competitive and I think the odds stack against LW. There are so many unexposed-GC horses this year. I just can't wait to watch the race!

[Thomas Shelby]

Anyone fancy Many Clouds if the forecast rain keeps falling?

[loveracing]

Anyone fancy Many Clouds if the forecast rain keeps falling?

Yes I do TS. He is a big player if the ground is testing and is probably why the money keeps coming in for him, though he may end up 2nd best to SC. Coneygree would be another interesting contender on soft.

I think the GC would be a better race for the spectaters if the ground was better.

[Hoof]

[mayo]

Ruby

And so onto the big one. The Gold Cup is race that Willie Mullins has never won and this year he's going with three, including last year's runner up On His Own. Walsh thinks that Silviniaco Conti could be the mount that will steal the crown from Lord Windermere:

'There’s no doubt Silviniaco Conti is the the form horse going into the Blue Riband. He’s got beaten on his debut but has since won impressively at Haydock and the King George at Kempton and is 11lb clear on ratings. I don’t know why he stopped up the hill last year. Trainer Paul Nicholls has fitted cheekpieces and there was a suggestion that stomach ulcers were the problem last season when he wasn’t finishing his races strongly. But he sets the standard and that’s what you’re looking for in Grade One Championship races. Silviniaco Conti has run in the Gold Cup twice before (fell in 2013 when travelling well and was fourth last year after a detour) – but he can make it third-time lucky this year.'

[donka]

Anyone fancy Many Clouds if the forecast rain keeps falling?

Don't count on the rain falling.There's a few showers around but we've got some nice sunshine too..I predict gd/sft.

If it does turn out to goodish ground then i believe he doesn't have much chance of turning round last seasons aintree form with Holywell.

[Thomas Shelby]

Holywell is definitely a main player if the ground is good.

[Old Vic]

Wylie

ON HIS OWN

(Cheltenham Gold Cup, Friday March 13, 20-1)

“To be honest, I’ve been a bit disappointed with him this season. I thought he was going to finish seventh when he came over the last in last year’s Gold Cup, but by the end, I thought he’d maybe won it. He stormed up that hill, and to come second was brilliant. I had to supplement him for the race, and I was just thinking, ‘Don’t make an idiot of me’.

“He ran well in the Lexus, but the ground was heavy that day and it was a stamina test. That’s what he wants. In the Hennessey, it was better ground, and Ruby got off and said three miles wasn’t far enough for him.

[loveracing]

Heres one for you OV -

"Don't forget Bobs Worth" says Geraghty.

[Piglife]

Heard that bobs worth may wear some sort of headgear in gold cup---anyone heard similar?