2022 Novice Chase Division

[jono]

Would have much preferred a win of course but as a backer of The Bosses Oscar I’m far more interested in them getting experience and as many runs into him as possible with the NHC in mind, over the results and even performances. I’d take a string of 5 second or third place finishes knowing the horse can be readied for the day. He’s been relatively lightly tried with the build up to the last 2 festivals with handicaps in mind but there should be no reason starting out now that they cannot get 5+ starts into him if needed before March (Jury Duty ran Oct, Nov, Nov, Dec, Jan in his novice season) Made his chasing debut today, showing his fall at Fairyhouse at the backend of last season is behind him. Not great by any means but not the worst start either. Job done. Onto the next race.

And to a lesser extent, given Elliott looks to be lacking a Novice Chase contender at this stage, a performance too impressive by any of his novice chasers could see them go for the grade 1. On today’s showing TBO looked anything but.

Another outing early October is the hope for me.

[Saxon Warrior]

Not seen the race yet but isn't there some rule about finishing 1st or 2nd over a certain trip to get into the National Hunt Chase? Does that 2nd today help? Wheres a brainiac when you want one?

It was a 2M6F race today.

Not a long enough race to count as qualified.

Its 2M7F+

[Big Chac]

TBO was fine today. He didn't look anywhere near fit and the missed fences wouldn't have helped. He jumped a little right at times, but nothing alarming. He'll definitely want further and it will be interesting to see how Gordon campaigns him once he's fit and in the swing of things.

Interesting Charlie, I actually thought the missed fences ended up helping his cause as I thought his jumping wasn’t great. He really landed flat footed in the early parts and then went on the inside and it looked to me like he was still jumping right into/behind horses. When he got clear daylight he ran down them quite a bit. There were only a couple of jumps where I though he managed them o.k. He tended to make a couple of mistakes over hurdles and I don’t think jumped them very fluently and I think you’ll see that even more now he’s over a fence and with what I saw today. I think he’ll defo be a better hurdler then fences. I’m not crabbing the bets as I backed him with cash out too for the national hunt chase, Iv cashed 2 but kept one and I’ll probably be cashing that one tomorrow as well.

[Saxon Warrior]

I think the ground was too quick for The Bosses Oscar today.

Gordon hasn't normally campaigned him outside the winter months.
Always been October to March.

Think they got caught out with dry spell, the ground quickening up, and their desire to get runs into him.

The Kerry National was 3.2 seconds faster than standard time, just shows how quick it was.

May look for his next run to be with some cut in the ground.

If he is to be a NHC horse, he may run through the winter months, once more, at least until Christmas to get two or three more runs in.

[charlie]

Interesting Charlie, I actually thought the missed fences ended up helping his cause as I thought his jumping wasn’t great. He really landed flat footed in the early parts and then went on the inside and it looked to me like he was still jumping right into/behind horses. When he got clear daylight he ran down them quite a bit. There were only a couple of jumps where I though he managed them o.k. He tended to make a couple of mistakes over hurdles and I don’t think jumped them very fluently and I think you’ll see that even more now he’s over a fence and with what I saw today. I think he’ll defo be a better hurdler then fences. I’m not crabbing the bets as I backed him with cash out too for the national hunt chase, Iv cashed 2 but kept one and I’ll probably be cashing that one tomorrow as well.

Would I have liked to see a better round of jumping as someone who has backed him for the NHC, yes of course. Am I putting a line through him, of course not. Novice chasers make novice mistakes, which TBO did yesterday. Those are often exacerbated by ground that's not ideal and not being fit. It's not as if he's finished 30L back in 5th or 6th, he's finished 2nd to a younger horse he had to give weight to on a seasonal reappearance.

[Spectre]

I backed against the Bosses Oscar yesterday with Harrington's (fell), because I didn't expect him to win. He was racing against two race fit rivals, and Gordon often runs his type a gallop short on debut, so he can keep the handicaps in play for later if necessary.

I think the comments about his jumping are fair enough. He shifted right at a couple and was sticky/flat-footed at a couple more, but on his chase debut there were no disasters and he'll benefit for the experience.

The race ended up as a bit of a no-win scenario really with effectively 8 jumps not taken and a long flat finish, which absolutely suited Busselton who is a sharper flat type, and took away jumping experience that TBO needs as much as he can get before March.

I expect TBO to be campaigned in three or four quick chases this side of Christmas, and then put away for March, with the NH Chase his target and going there with a very good chance. If he happened to have a very lenient handicap mark they may re-think it of course, but more likely it'll be the NHC followed by the Irish National fresh off a three month break.

[Saxon Warrior]

Whoever started the "big betting plunge" on The Bosses Oscar may not have expected the result yesterday.

Definitely worth sticking with.

A bit of cut in the ground will help, and a run in October, to keep experience levels up.

Oh, and of course, he needs to finish placed in a 2M7F chase too, or he doesn't qualify for the NHC.

[Silverbirch]

If TBO is not the guy (hypothetically)....
Where do we expect RWF to pop up if the target is NHC? Cheltenham in Oct? Thanks

[ToniC]

If TBO is not the guy (hypothetically)....
Where do we expect RWF to pop up if the target is NHC? Cheltenham in Oct? Thanks

Getting a run around the chase course at Cheltenham is +++++ for any potential Gordon NHC candidate, whoever ‘the one’ is will almost certainly run in one of the staying novice chases at either the October or November meetings

[Winging The Last]

Getting a run around the chase course at Cheltenham is +++++ for any potential Gordon NHC candidate, whoever ‘the one’ is will almost certainly run in one of the staying novice chases at either the October or November meetings

Fancy Foundations it is then. Gordon has already said he's going Cheltenham in October (I wouldn't fancy him for the NHC atm though)

[ToniC]

Fancy Foundations it is then. Gordon has already said he's going Cheltenham in October (I wouldn't fancy him for the NHC atm though)

Don’t have much of an opinion on him to be honest. Gordon’s past NHC winners conform to ridiculously strong trends that are almost too good to be true. Run wild fred ticks pretty much every box, I can see the appeal for TBO and have placed a wager on him too, but personally I’ll be bitterly disappointed if RWF is not the one.

[Odin]

Gordon’s past NHC winners conform to ridiculously strong trends that are almost too good to be true. Run wild fred ticks pretty much every box, I can see the appeal for TBO and have placed a wager on him too, but personally I’ll be bitterly disappointed if RWF is not the one.

I'm basically exactly the same as this. Literally the only thing I can see missing (apart from a Summer campaign which was never needed, nor in my eyes ever going to happen with Elliott's ban) is a run at Cheltenham in October/November. The only thing from stopping me going in further if he's declared for either of those races is that this is my first year betting antepost from so early and I don't want to have stupid amounts of points from my budget tied up by November (regardless of whether cashout is available).

[Spectre]

I think Fancy Foundations will be campaigned as backup for the NH Chase, and Plan A will be to get a mark for the Kim Muir.

He's one for the tracker so he's on your mind at the right times.

[Hurdles or chasing]

Don’t have much of an opinion on him to be honest. Gordon’s past NHC winners conform to ridiculously strong trends that are almost too good to be true. Run wild fred ticks pretty much every box, I can see the appeal for TBO and have placed a wager on him too, but personally I’ll be bitterly disappointed if RWF is not the one.

I'm also hoping he is and that Gordon doesn't mention him for this race before his first run. Bit of a slow starter and will probably need a run or two. I'm hoping he drifts like The Bosses Oscar did after yesterday. Id be disappointed not to get better than 12s at some point throughout the season.

[charlie]

Don’t have much of an opinion on him to be honest. Gordon’s past NHC winners conform to ridiculously strong trends that are almost too good to be true. Run wild fred ticks pretty much every box, I can see the appeal for TBO and have placed a wager on him too, but personally I’ll be bitterly disappointed if RWF is not the one.

I'd start managing your expectations now then because MOL can pull him whenever he wants in favour of the Irish National. Loads of us were on at big prices for the Kim Muir which he looked absolutely perfect for, then they decided not to go with him. Zero surprise if it happens again.