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Vroum Vroum Mag is entered up in a 3m hurdle race at Gowran next Thursday.
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Same day Melon is entered? Some exciting Thursdays....Originally posted by jono View Post
But none as exciting as Thursday 16th March 2016....
You cannot say you haven't been warned.By Racinguk.com staff
American challenger Rawnaq is set to limber up for an audacious assault on the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham with a run at Fontwell next month.
Connections of the Cyril Murphy-trained gelding will be chasing a $500,000 bonus at the Festival after defeating European raiders Shaneshill and Nichols Canyon in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle - part of the first Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge - at Nashville in May.
The terms of the Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge, brought in to revive transatlantic competition, are simple: win both the Stayers' Hurdle and the Iroquois Hurdle within a year to claim the bonus.
Rawnaq followed up his Iroquois Hurdle success with victory in the Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills in October, when partnered by Ruby Walsh, and was second on his latest start in the Colonial Cup at Camden in November.
Murphy, who is based in Maryland, said: "At the moment, the plan is to leave here either on February 3 or February 6 to arrive in England the following day.
“It is a 12-hour drive from our place to Huntsville airport in Alabama, then he has a direct flight to Stansted and finally a road trip to Neil Mulholland's [in Somerset] where he will be based. You are looking at about 36 hours door to door.
"If everything goes right, the hope at the moment to give Rawnaq a prep race in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on February 26.
“Jack Doyle is going to ride him. He won on him in his first two starts last year and would have ridden him in his last two starts but for getting injured. It was always the plan for Jack to ride him if he was available because he obviously knows the horse and has experience around Cheltenham."
Rawnaq, who runs in the colours of Irvin Naylor, was previously trained in Ireland by Matthew Smith and already has experience at the Festival, having finished third in the 2015 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate over fences. He was also third in 2013 Greatwood Hurdle at The Open meeting.
"He did a piece of work last week and did another bit on Tuesday, and everything seems to be moving in the right direction for us,” Murphy said.
"Rawnaq has been very solid. We bought him hoping he could be a Grade One horse but to go and do what he did last year and win two of them was great.
"He got beat the last day, which was disappointing for everybody, but in hindsight I think the ground was even firmer than we wanted. He just didn't have a cut at the fences.
Watch full re-run of how Ruby Walsh won the American Grand National on Rawnaq & read Cheltenham plans for winner >>> https://t.co/btYotMjJHq pic.twitter.com/OrPOlukaOh
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) October 19, 2016
"Ruby Walsh rode him in October and was impressed. He made himself available to us after Jack Doyle got injured and that said enough to me as he was behind us on Nichols Canyon in the Iroquois.
“I asked Ruby if he felt we could finish in the first four or five in Cheltenham and he said he would not put us off chasing the bonus because it is an open year in the stayers' division.”
The trainer added: "I worked with Neil Mulholland for a period of time at Nicky Henderson's. We lost contact in the interim but we got back in contact through an existing owner of his who lives and follows the racing out here.
“Before Nicky's, I was with Sir Mark Prescott for four years and then a conditional jockey with Bill Turner for four years. I rode 13 winners from about 200 rides.
Rawnaq is a general 33-1 chance for a race that has attracted 47 entries, including Willie Mullins-trained Champion Hurdle winners Faugheen and Annie Power.
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He's 100/1 with Betfair Sportsbook Kev. Get him in some of your multiples
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Alright, now I know I've been playing the fool with this horse a bit ... but 100/1 for a horse who has twice placed at Cheltenham, including at the festival, who has beaten 7 time grade 1 winner NC and multiple placed graded horse Shanehill over the trip, is a ridiculous price.Originally posted by Faugheen_Machine View PostHe's 100/1 with Betfair Sportsbook Kev. Get him in some of your multiples
20/1 a place (or 10/1 depending how you read it) ... I genuinly will be having a few life changers tonight because that is a stupid price.Comment
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Absolutely crazy price. Added to that; this is definitely his target; he's going to have a prep; and, he'll love decent racing ground.
I'm already on at big prices on the exchange but will be backing him each way tonight just in case he gets nodded on the line.Comment
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Betfair sportsbook are a joke, I mean seriously what is the point ?Originally posted by Kevloaf View Post
They might as well not bother....Comment
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Really not sure. Why offer 100/1 if you can't back it? - Losing account too.Originally posted by Istabraq View PostComment
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I've had to go in again...Originally posted by Faugheen_Machine View PostHe's 100/1 with Betfair Sportsbook Kev. Get him in some of your multiples
Had Rawnaq to win @ 20's earlier in the season (due to Kev's insistence!), but 100/1 is crazy and I've invested 1pt EW
20/1 to place is just ridiculous!Comment
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A £1 treble on Rawnaq, On The Fringe and Alary (w/o Thistlecrack) pays approx £9,000 with BetFair and that's including the offer of getting your pound back if one of them doesn't come in.
Considering 5 balls on the midweek lottery only paid eight hundred and odd quid, then that looks like great odds!Comment
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One for your mug bets threadOriginally posted by Leman14 View Post
Not sure how I ended up major of the Rawnaq fan club, I am sure others are more deserving than I am from earlier on in the thread. but you can't knock a 100/1 poke can you .... I could easily be bullish about Douvan but who on earth wants to read about that
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That was great by Jezki. It showed that he retained his ability and hopefully he'll come on for the run.Comment
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If he comes on for the run he should run a gooden at CheltComment
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Big choice for Barry to make he is 111111 on Jezki.Comment
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Big call from him. He was the beneficiary of McCoys wrong choice in the race a few years ago (and CH) but now it's his turn to make the call.Originally posted by Old Vic View Post
The class of Jezki vs the stamina of UKWIMH...Comment
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