Arkle 2019

[BigChaang]

Yes I'm sad enough to note them all lol. Ducking blackbow / carefully selected ballymore and annamix supreme all cut. Min and douvan pushed out for champion chase.

I would have thought 16-1 for Douvan in the Ch.chs was well worth taking a chance on ?. Or is a step up in trip on the cards.

[Scooby91]

I would have thought 16-1 for Douvan in the Ch.chs was well worth taking a chance on ?. Or is a step up in trip on the cards.

Do whatever you personally think best.

[Kevloaf]

Surprised by Getabird Scooby. I'd have thought they'll have to step him up in trip.

He was so in and out.

You're right though he's 20s not 8s so can take a chance.

Not against it, you've just surprised me

[Scooby91]

Surprised by Getabird Scooby. I'd have thought they'll have to step him up in trip.

He was so in and out.

You're right though he's 20s not 8s so can take a chance.

Not against it, you've just surprised me

Hurdles of step him up he'd have hosed in imo the race that Dortmund park won. However ie footpad, black hercukes, kilultagh vic if you can jump a fence well he might be in his comfort zone in these small field races and gain some confidence I'm willing to take the chance anyway.

[Folski]

Hurdles of step him up he'd have hosed in imo the race that Dortmund park won. However ie footpad, black hercukes, kilultagh vic if you can jump a fence well he might be in his comfort zone in these small field races and gain some confidence I'm willing to take the chance anyway.

I'm still convinced that Getabird was the 2nd best novice hurdler last season.

[ComplyOrDie]

I'm still convinced that Getabird was the 2nd best novice hurdler last season.

Same here Folski. He had earlier slammed Mengli Khan by 9 lengths in the Moscow Flyer, that distance could have been further too, and Mengli Khan was only beat 2 lengths in the Supreme.

There is that obvious negative of going left handed, or as Scooby has said previous maybe just prefers a smaller field to dominate, something he will get in the Arkle for sure.

I can see the definite appeal @ 20's for sure, and have gone in myself now.

[Folski]

Same here Folski. He had earlier slammed Mengli Khan by 9 lengths in the Moscow Flyer, that distance could have been further too, and Mengli Khan was only beat 2 lengths in the Supreme.

There is that obvious negative of going left handed, or as Scooby has said previous maybe just prefers a smaller field to dominate, something he will get in the Arkle for sure.

I can see the definite appeal @ 20's for sure, and have gone in myself now.

Smashed Draconien as well.

[Faugheen_Machine]

I'm still convinced that Getabird was the 2nd best novice hurdler last season.

That's a fair statement. He's very decent but I wouldn't have him in the top 5 novices from last season.

[Kevloaf]

Smashed Draconien as well.

That can't be something you're hanging your hat on to prove he was the second best novice hurdler last season though?


Draconein 'smashed' Getabird 3 weeks later?

[Kevloaf]

Getabird had 6 runs

Form 11017P

That isn't the form figures of the second best novice hurdler last season.

First run, win at 2/5 in an ordinary maiden that turcagua won the year before and the mighty Yorkhill the year before that.

Then the very impressive win that surprised connections over 2m despite him going off evens. Soft to Heavy ground they wouldn't have suited the second. Beat Mengli Khan 9L (I remember being one of plenty that thought MK would get much closer at Cheltenham)

Rubbish in the Supreme. 11th. Mengli Khan ahead amongst plenty others. Went right handed and a bit keen but rubbish.

4th run, "smashed Draconien" by 12L at evens making all (as he attempted in the supreme). Good run

5th race. Smashed 21L behind Draconien. Mengli Khan also ahead again. Yielding to soft.

Final run ... pulled up, hampered and had no business running. Easy to ignore.


I don't think I'm being overly harsh but not a chance he is the second best novice last season. His best win came on ground that really suited him and Mengli Khan for me has proven he's superior on better ground (and is ahead in their head to head) and his only other win of note is against Draconien who turned the tables too!

[Faugheen_Machine]

Getabird had 6 runs

Form 11017P

That isn't the form figures of the second best novice hurdler last season.

First run, win at 2/5 in an ordinary maiden that turcagua won the year before and the mighty Yorkhill the year before that.

Then the very impressive win that surprised connections over 2m despite him going off evens. Soft to Heavy ground they wouldn't have suited the second. Beat Mengli Khan 9L (I remember being one of plenty that thought MK would get much closer at Cheltenham)

Rubbish in the Supreme. 11th. Mengli Khan ahead amongst plenty others. Went right handed and a bit keen but rubbish.

4th run, "smashed Draconien" by 12L at evens making all (as he attempted in the supreme). Good run

5th race. Smashed 21L behind Draconien. Mengli Khan also ahead again. Yielding to soft.

Final run ... pulled up, hampered and had no business running. Easy to ignore.


I don't think I'm being overly harsh but not a chance he is the second best novice last season. His best win came on ground that really suited him and Mengli Khan for me has proven he's superior on better ground (and is ahead in their head to head) and his only other win of note is against Draconien who turned the tables too!

yeah - he is a very good horse when conditions are in his favour (i.e right handed on slow ground) but he has flattered to deceive on too many occasions for him to take top rank in the novice hurdlers imo. He could be a decent chaser though, and a small field looks like it suits him really well.

[SeanRock]

I wouldn’t have Getabird in my top 10 novice hurdlers last term, personally he didn’t look agile or scopey enough over hurdles to cope with fences at the speed necessary to win an Arkle. He’s about as unstraightforward as you get I think (didn’t handle the Cheltenham atmosphere at all in March & question marks about going right handed). He bullied small fields from the front in Ireland last year but he won’t be afforded that luxury in the future. Shades of Yorkhill (17/18) about him in that Willie won’t know his best trip due to his unpredictably.

Think he’ll probably end up in the JLT in March.

[Kevloaf]

I'm going to post a bit more on this tomorrow, but Mengli Khan picking up the place in the Supreme could well sway me to making him my main fancy in this race (before any of them actually go jumping of course)

[Faugheen_Machine]

I'm going to post a bit more on this tomorrow, but Mengli Khan picking up the place in the Supreme could well sway me to making him my main fancy in this race (before any of them actually go jumping of course)

That's where I'm at with this race at the moment. Paloma Blue is the other, at 20/1, that catches my eye.

[Native River]

I already have a bit on Mengli Khan but the more I look at this race the more I think he is the best option, especially at his current price it just seems far too high, as I've said a fair few times before I'm a big fan of this horse and can certainly see him being one of the big hitters in the 2 mile novice space this year!