July Forum Yankee

[Middle_Of_March]

Bit late to start this thread but with the Eclipse and the July meeting over with, there’s a break in the flat season now to have a think again about the jumps. Apologies about the previous months effort. With Royal Ascot and other things going on, I struggled for time really and ended up going with the seemingly most popular suggestion for the final four.

I plan to go through in the next few days and add up how many of each horse and each race we’ve got already in the previous yankees so we can avoid repetition. Nothing worse than a horse being ruled out of Cheltenham in January to ruin two or three of the earlier months ones in one swoop (happened once or twice last year).

Any early suggestions for a theme? Only two of these left before the jumps would’ve began.

What about a speculative target yankee? So horses who are possible for certain races but not 100%? Such as Benie Des Dieux for the Stayers or Altior for the Gold Cup. These aren’t actual suggestions (I’m looking at you Kev ) but just examples.

Or maybe previous Festival winners or horses that ran well at the meeting previously? Such as Envoi Allen for the Ballymore or Klassical Dream for the Champion Hurdle.

All ideas welcome. Two weeks to sort this months effort out so plenty of time.

[Hurricane fly]

Former winners is a good one - couple of suggestions
Samcro JLT
Klassical Dream CH
City Island/Paisley Park Stayers

[Kevloaf]

Samcro Gold Cup.

As a novice.



I'll have more of a think, but HF is probably right agreeing that former winners is a more sensible plot

[Istabraq]

Just my take but for ante post multiples months out I would suggest targeting horses with a known/probable race, archie provided reasonable arguments that even those with definite targets are only 50% likely to turn up so taking a flyer on improbable targets wouldn’t be my preference.
Happy to follow the majority though...

[Middle_Of_March]

I’m relatively impartial but if no other ideas came forward and it was just these two, I would also be in favour of the past winners yankee than the speculative race one.

[Middle_Of_March]

So we’ve agreed we are going to go for a yankee if horses who ran well here previously. Of those who won or ran well and have likely targets at this stage from 2019:

- Klassical Dream - Champion Hurdle
- Thomas Darby - Arkle
- Duc Des Genievres - Champion Chase
- Espoir D’Allen - Champion Hurdle
- Benie Des Dieux - Mares/Stayers Hurdle
- A Plus Tard - Ryanair
- City Island - JLT
- Champ - RSA
- Topofthegame - Gold Cup
- Santini - Gold Cup
- Delta Work - Gold Cup
- Altior - Champion Chase
- Tiger Roll - Cross Country
- Band Of Outlaws - Champion Hurdle
- Envoi Allen - Ballymore
- Blue Sari - Ballymore
- Defi Du Seuil - Ryanair
- Lostintranslation - Gold Cup
- Frodon - Ryanair
- Paisley Park - Stayers
- Pentland Hills - Champion Hurdle
- Minella Indo - RSA
- Commander of Fleet - RSA
- Al Boum Photo - Gold Cup
- Hazel Hill - Foxhunter
- Early Doors - JLT
- Dallas Des Pictons - JLT


I’ll add 2017 and 2018 tomorrow night to this post.

[SeanRock]

I'd add Carefully Selected to the list with a view to the NHC, the bumper isn't exactly a pointer but it has thrown up some more than useful stayers in the past. Positives are he has the right age profile & has shown the longer the better with regards trip, 33/1 with unibet seems generous to me & iv had a good e/w single.

[BigChaang]

One more for the List - Roksana , winner of the mares hurdle this year and according to Dan Skelton.
Only Race she turn's up in next march. ( at the moment.).

[The Beast]

Chacun Pour Soi - Queen Mother
Looked a little special when he eventually showed up last term and could go to the very top table to dine next season , can see him giving Altior something to think about in QM.Whether he is good enough is another story , but this is his likely target.

Min - Ryanair
Take a look at his record over 2.4 miles , he almost unbeatable. Consider he mixed it with Altior over 2m shows his versatility and class.With the emergence of Chacun ,surely the pathway for Cheltenham glory via the Ryanair his for the taking.Bookies not taking any chances with him so they know it will be his likely desination unless Chacun gets injured.

[somer1]

If we are doing former winners can we have "The Mighty Western Warhorse" Sorry guys the gun was loaded so someone had to fire it

[BigChaang]

If we are doing former winners can we have "The Mighty Western Warhorse" Sorry guys the gun was loaded so someone had to fire it

...... made me Laugh !!..

[Middle_Of_March]

Chacun Pour Soi - Queen Mother
Looked a little special when he eventually showed up last term and could go to the very top table to dine next season , can see him giving Altior something to think about in QM.Whether he is good enough is another story , but this is his likely target.

Min - Ryanair
Take a look at his record over 2.4 miles , he almost unbeatable. Consider he mixed it with Altior over 2m shows his versatility and class.With the emergence of Chacun ,surely the pathway for Cheltenham glory via the Ryanair his for the taking.Bookies not taking any chances with him so they know it will be his likely desination unless Chacun gets injured.

We already have CPS in the May Yankee and I personally think we should definitely keep this to previous winners.

I just couldn’t bring myself to put Min in one of these either. He’s just had too many chances and not delivered for me. It would have to be a huge majority screaming for him for me to have him in.


Previous Festival winners is the aim though lads.. I think this could be a real good one too as it’s usually something in the market that pays backing previous winners blind.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Benie Des Dieux would be my preferred pick!

[Saxon Warrior]

In looking at the 2019 Festival I can advise that the following all gained wins that were rated well against other winners over the last ten years.

ROKSANA Mares Hurdle 8/1 - Maybe overlooked as BDD fell at last but Roksana’s rating of 150 was decent c/w prior years (152, 150, 146, 149, 147, 148, 140). She then improved to an RPR of 156 in the Aintree Hurdle, which is the same rating given to BDD for her Chelters fall.

A PLUS TARD Ryanair Chase 20/1 - absolutely took apart the Close Brothers with an RPR of 165 for his 16 length win. Prior winners had put up ratings of 147, 149, 152, 148, 147, 154, 157, 146, 152. A decent price at 20s given Defi Du Seuil put up an RPR of 164 to win the JLT and is 8/1 fav for the Ryanair.

BAND OF OUTLAWS 40/1 Champion Hurdle - BOO’s RPR of 147 in winning the Fred Winter was above any other winner in the last ten years (135, 137, 137, 1330, 130, 140, 133, 121, 146). Runs in the Galway Hurdle, 6/1 fav, next week and a win could propel him into a plan for a Champion Hurdle campaign given his performance at the track last March.

SHANTOU FLYER 16/1 Foxhunters - 2nd in the race this year, ridden by his owner. His rating of 149 would have been good enough to win the previous seven years Foxhunters (141, 145, 135, 148, 131, 148, 148). He is 9 which is younger than any of the last five winners and could be back for another shot next year. He won the Plate in 2017 and was 2nd in the Ultimata in 2018. His Cheltenham runs away from the Festival are also strong.

EARLY DOORS 50/1 Stayers Hurdle - put up an RPR of 156 when winning the Martin Pipe from Dallas Des Pictons. Prior winners have produced some top performers in the future but none got as big a rating as Early Doors. Ratings were 153, 145, 146, 147 (Killultagh Vic), 153 (Don Poli,) 154, 147, 143 (Sir Des Champs), 146. ED was 3rd in the race in 2018 so does love the track. Well worth a pop at the Stayers Hurdle even if form on flatter tracks mid-season in slower run races hasn’t led to victories.


I think these horses could be useful in any 2020 Festival discussions.

[Middle_Of_March]

In looking at the 2019 Festival I can advise that the following all gained wins that were rated well against other winners over the last ten years.

ROKSANA Mares Hurdle 8/1 - Maybe overlooked as BDD fell at last but Roksana’s rating of 150 was decent c/w prior years (152, 150, 146, 149, 147, 148, 140). She then improved to an RPR of 156 in the Aintree Hurdle, which is the same rating given to BDD for her Chelters fall.

A PLUS TARD Ryanair Chase 20/1 - absolutely took apart the Close Brothers with an RPR of 165 for his 16 length win. Prior winners had put up ratings of 147, 149, 152, 148, 147, 154, 157, 146, 152. A decent price at 20s given Defi Du Seuil put up an RPR of 164 to win the JLT and is 8/1 fav for the Ryanair.

BAND OF OUTLAWS 40/1 Champion Hurdle - BOO’s RPR of 147 in winning the Fred Winter was above any other winner in the last ten years (135, 137, 137, 1330, 130, 140, 133, 121, 146). Runs in the Galway Hurdle, 6/1 fav, next week and a win could propel him into a plan for a Champion Hurdle campaign given his performance at the track last March.

SHANTOU FLYER 16/1 Foxhunters - 2nd in the race this year, ridden by his owner. His rating of 149 would have been good enough to win the previous seven years Foxhunters (141, 145, 135, 148, 131, 148, 148). He is 9 which is younger than any of the last five winners and could be back for another shot next year. He won the Plate in 2017 and was 2nd in the Ultimata in 2018. His Cheltenham runs away from the Festival are also strong.

EARLY DOORS 50/1 Stayers Hurdle - put up an RPR of 156 when winning the Martin Pipe from Dallas Des Pictons. Prior winners have produced some top performers in the future but none got as big a rating as Early Doors. Ratings were 153, 145, 146, 147 (Killultagh Vic), 153 (Don Poli,) 154, 147, 143 (Sir Des Champs), 146. ED was 3rd in the race in 2018 so does love the track. Well worth a pop at the Stayers Hurdle even if form on flatter tracks mid-season in slower run races hasn’t led to victories.


I think these horses could be useful in any 2020 Festival discussions.

Good stuff this Hampton.

I’d be very much in favour of A Plus Tard and very much against Roksana.

A Plus Tard really did look superb although did look slightly flat next time. I’d still say he’s a rock solid bet for the Ryanair though. Food shout.

Despite the official ratings, BDD was taking Roksana apart when they met at the festival this year and I simply couldn’t bet Roksana against her at all. In a match, what price would they be. 1/6 vs 9/2? Something like that.