Lay of the festival

[Istabraq]

Fair points Scooby, but Gumball has a rating of 143 and beat a 134 horse at Chepstow without coming off the bridle and as we all saw Apples Shakira put plenty of daylight between her and Gumball at Cheltenham, and looked to do it almost as effortlessly as Defi did with his challengers last year.
Where does that place AS now ? 157/158 ? Which would be a lofty enough rating to win the Triumph...

[Garrison Savannah]

Gumball took the boggiest route on the home straight whilst AS hogged the rail. I think the distance between them was exaggerated - though you'd be surprised if the form was reversed come March.

[Scooby91]

Fair points Scooby, but Gumball has a rating of 143 and beat a 134 horse at Chepstow without coming off the bridle and as we all saw Apples Shakira put plenty of daylight between her and Gumball at Cheltenham, and looked to do it almost as effortlessly as Defi did with his challengers last year.
Where does that place AS now ? 157/158 ? Which would be a lofty enough rating to win the Triumph...

Gumballs rating id have to think is a pretty harsh one personally.

[Scooby91]

Fair points Scooby, but Gumball has a rating of 143 and beat a 134 horse at Chepstow without coming off the bridle and as we all saw Apples Shakira put plenty of daylight between her and Gumball at Cheltenham, and looked to do it almost as effortlessly as Defi did with his challengers last year.
Where does that place AS now ? 157/158 ? Which would be a lofty enough rating to win the Triumph...

Jusy seen the 158 comment, jesus, on what shes done 148 absolute max takimg no chances and that could be very harsh on connections. Shes ran in a couple of small field races and beat gumball, nube negra. Gumball is no 144 horse right now. But the handicappers took no
Chances.

[Kevloaf]

Apple's Shakira Fred Winter plot dead in the water then

[Scooby91]

Apple's Shakira Fred Winter plot dead in the water then

She's not likely going to use it but I'd be interested to see her mark atm. 158 would be disgusting if it was.

[BigChaang]

Enjoying reading all of your fancies
However,which of the favourites would you prefer to lay ?
Might Bite for me
Think he will puke his ring up half way up the hill and head for the Guinness tent
Just my opinion,what's yours ?

I don't entirely agree with that Liammet , He may well head for the Guinness tent , wait for the others to catch him up and then
Trounce them all over the last 200 yards !!

[billymag]

Happy to lay all horses with setbacks, Our Duke, Faugheen and Altior, if that lot win it will be an expensive week.

[jono]

Happy to lay all horses with setbacks, Our Duke, Faugheen and Altior, if that lot win it will be an expensive week.

Plenty of sense there. Monalee and Sizing John on your list as well billy?

[jono]

I'm actually finding it hard to make a strong case against a lot of the shorter favourites this year even though I know they all won't win

Footpad 13/8
Buveur D'Air 4/6
Apple's Jade 5/6
Samcro 2/1
Altior 11/8
Cause of Causes 4/1
Apple's Shakira 7/2
Might Bite 4/1

Of course all horses in that list (bar Apple's Jade imo) have something against them, may be a tad too short for what they have so far achieved but I genuinely wouldn't want to lay any of them at those prices.

I'd be against:

Faugheen
Politologue
Brain Power (even if he beats UDS in the Clarence House)
Yanworth (over fences)

[Kevloaf]

Happy to lay all horses with setbacks, Our Duke, Faugheen and Altior, if that lot win it will be an expensive week.

I agree with Faugheen.

I see the case for Our Duke but it isn't a price I can afford to lay even if i was that way inclined ...

But Altior on the back of a wind op isn't even a negative for me. He didn't run and bomb out ... he's the best 2 mile chaser from last season (proven by his 8L demolition of Special Tiara) and he's been given a wind op...

If anyone thinks the Altior of last season wouldn't win this year's CC then speak up ......

If he wasn't ante post fav and so high profile it would just be .... horse had wind op, primed for first run back

[Middle_Of_March]

Footpad will not win the arkle

I agree.

Think he’s very short.

Petit Mouchoir is the bet in the race for me.

[Rhinestone_Cowboy]

Happy to lay all horses with setbacks, Our Duke, Faugheen and Altior, if that lot win it will be an expensive week.

While I tend to agree, as someone who backed the likes of Petit Mouchir and Our Duke before their injuries I'm hoping you are wrong. Certainly wouldn't back them now at their current prices before their comeback runs.

Anyway question I have is does anyone know any examples from recent seasons where a horse has missed months of the season through injury only to come back and win at the Festival?

[Liammet]

Anyway question I have is does anyone know any examples from recent seasons where a horse has missed months of the season through injury only to come back and win at the Festival?[/QUOTE]
I suppose you could put Annie Power into that category a few years back when she won the champion hurdle
However,they did manage to get a prep run into her in February prior to the festival

[Faugheen_Machine]

Quevega? Although not sure if injury was to blame for her absence, and she was running against inferior opposition.