RSA Chase 2019

[lloydy]

Nothing will be beating Percy next year anyway as he defends his crown

To be honest Lloydy, it's very easy to pick holes in a bet at 40/1 or bigger, they're that odds for a reason, so fair play. There are faster ways to the poor house than backing 66/1 shots that's for sure

I agree with you Kev, I think you you will be collecting on your 40-1 slip for Percy next year. Come 2020 with Percy against this years staying novices....

[Scooby91]

Cant believe LBAR made your shortlist of three! Be very surprised if she figures in this race myself.

The best 3 I know confirmed for the kauto star.

[TC2]

bags groove heading for the kauto star as well. Took the 40's for the RSA prior to today. Been really impressed with his jumping, fry seems to think a flatter track suits him

[Scooby91]

bags groove heading for the kauto star as well. Took the 40's for the RSA prior to today. Been really impressed with his jumping, fry seems to think a flatter track suits him

Interesting. I see him more of a jlt horse myself. But that suggests otherwise for the moment.

[boopa]

Hinted they will go Aintree instead.

[TC2]

thought that was his best performance today over 3m, can see the track perhaps suiting morer in regards to the JLT. Boxing day is already looking good

[TCH29]

Hinted they will go Aintree instead.

That would be a shame. His run today on form lines and OR puts him right up there as one of the best 3m novice chasers about. Be a shame if he didn’t head to the festival. Although can see why some consider him a JLT horse.

On that front, why does everyone see Topofthegame as more likely to go RSA than JLT? A soft ground JLT looks perfect for him.

[Scooby91]

that would be a shame. His run today on form lines and or puts him right up there as one of the best 3m novice chasers about. Be a shame if he didn’t head to the festival. Although can see why some consider him a jlt horse.

On that front, why does everyone see topofthegame as more likely to go rsa than jlt? A soft ground jlt looks perfect for him.

RSA ..... because that's his trip and what he was bought to do. And most importantly where the owner and trainer want him to run .

[Kevloaf]

That would be a shame. His run today on form lines and OR puts him right up there as one of the best 3m novice chasers about. Be a shame if he didn’t head to the festival. Although can see why some consider him a JLT horse.

On that front, why does everyone see Topofthegame as more likely to go RSA than JLT? A soft ground JLT looks perfect for him.

Dangerous to assume we'll have soft ground in March too.

Lightning doesn't strike 3 years in a row .... maybe. possibly. hopefully.

[Scooby91]

Paul Nicholls hopes Topofthegame can advertise his credentials as a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse of the future in the 32Red Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Having run a remarkable race to finish second on his return to action at Exeter earlier this month, the six-year-old will attempt to go one better in the Grade One prize when racing over three miles for the first time under rules.

Nicholls said: “He could be a very exciting horse for the future and if I have another horse to compete in the King George and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the future, he could be the one.

“I was thrilled with him at Exeter and he has come out the race so well it is like he has had two weeks off.

“He got left at the start, but that was one of those things. He jumped absolutely fantastic and did well to finish second in the end.


“They didn’t go a great gallop, but he still had to make the ground up and that trip (two miles and three furlongs) was too short for him. He’ll probably learn an awful lot from that run.

“He will come forward for that and we will go back over three miles now, he is a very exciting horse.

“He ran well in the Lanzarote last season and three miles will suit him far better. He is a high-class horse and we have just got to get some experience into him.”

Nicky Henderson has earmarked the race better known as the Feltham for the exciting Santini.

The six-year-old will be bidding to back up his debut win over fences at Newbury and give the Seven Barrows handler his first success in the race since the victory of subsequent Gold Cup winner Long Run in 2009.

Hederson said: “I thought he was very good at Newbury, as I didn’t think he was ready. I didn’t want to go three miles first time out. I thought he would get tired, the ground was very soft and I had every excuse written on paper before we started.

“He actually warmed to it. The first part of the race was schooling and the second part was racing. He is a beautiful big horse — a very good-moving horse. He should enjoy Kempton. He never looked like a hurdler and anything he did last season gave us a lot of pleasure.”

While Count Meribel may have work to do on official ratings, his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies believes he can continue to take him by surprise after winning both his first two starts over fences.

Twiston-Davies said: “That’s the way he is heading. He was good at Cheltenham and hopefully he will be even better at Kempton. I’m really looking forward to that one.

“He has surprised me all the time and hopefully he can keep on doing it.”

[ComplyOrDie]

Whilst he never ruled out the JLT, you'd say on those words that he will have no intention of running him in that race should things not go to plan or he is beat over 3m before the festival.

Not sure if many, if any at all, had him for the JLT but that looks off the cards.

[ComplyOrDie]

Big form boost for Santini there by Rocky's Treasure. Hammered them.

[jack1092]

The one thing you'd say about the Santini race was it wouldn't have been ideal ground for Rocky's Treasure....still a form boost

[Innoko]

Connections of The Worlds End have earmarked the Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot in February as the next port of call.

The three-mile Grade Two contest is being considered for the Tom George-trained seven year old, ahead of a potential tilt at the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, for which he is as short as 12-1.

After losing his unbeaten record over fences on his penultimate start, the Grade One-winning hurdler returned to winning ways with an emphatic success at Cheltenham on Friday.

Owner Max McNeil said: “The good thing is he has had three runs over fences and two of them have been at Cheltenham.

“The first time he ran at Cheltenham he ran a little bit green and didn’t jump as well as the two that finished in front of him (Ibis Du Rheu and Theatre Territory), but he learnt a hell of a lot that day.

“I spoke to Adrian Heskin before he broke his leg and he suggested riding him a bit more aggressively to try to get him to fulfil that potential. We knew he had that kind of performance in him.

“Ground is important to him, I had a chat to Tom George in the summer and that is why we have got him out early.

“All things are fluid, but the plan is to go to the Reynoldstown, then go straight to the RSA.

“He will have an entry in the four-miler, but we’ve always thought of him of an RSA horse right from the start of the season.

“Noel Fehily has ridden some good horses in his time and the feedback he gave us on Friday was that there is plenty more to come.”

[Scooby91]

Encouraging race from duc des genievres there, I'd expect to see him up at 3 miles next time.