2022 Arkle

[Carnage at Taunton]

Very good again from Edwardstone, faster he goes the better he is. Impressive

[FinalFurlong91]

There is often a pace collapse in this race

If it happens again Edwardstone may well be best placed to pick up the pieces

[Brooksie]

Ferny and Edwardstone going at it in the Arkle. will be a great race.

[isitmarchyet]

Edwardstone is the big gap in my Arkle book, but I've never been able to bring myself to back him once I missed the big prices. Should've listened to Istabraq

He looks impressive though. Will just have to take it on the chin if he wins.

[Spectre]

He's good isn't he. Ferny won't be having it all his own way.

[Rooster Booster]

He's good isn't he. Ferny won't be having it all his own way.

Yes he is ...put that to bed in a matter of strides....sign of a good one...this race has ignited in the last two days

[FinalFurlong91]

Very possible that ferny hollow, third time lucki and riviere Detel go off like the clappers

edwardstone could easily have the race run to suit

if boris allows I want to go to Warwick on kingmaker day so hopefully edwardstone runs

[Benjy23]

Blue Lord is a good horse, I'd love to own him, but he's always found proper animals too good. Bob Olinger, Appreciate It, even Echoes In Rain. He's good, but he's not in the same bracket as Ferny IMO, who has obviously lowered the colours of some of the horses I mention. Ferny also looks a slicker faster jumper with a much higher cruising speed, and I'd be confident, given the analysis on how many Willie historically send to the Marsh (normally 2 or 3 runners) that this is where Blue Lord will end up, and not here. BL backers could of course get lucky and Ferny could get injured, in which case he might come into this.

Strange to write him off on his hurdles form imo. Different game over fences isn't it. Wouldn't be the first or last to be a significantly better animal over fences to what he was over hurdles, and he's not even got massive amounts to find.

In fact Edwarstown seems the same in this very race. Very good handicapper over hurdles. Grade 1 winner over fences.

Ferny would have destroyed both in a bumper or hurdles race imo. In a chase I'm yet to be convinced.

[robith]

Edwardstone is the big gap in my Arkle book, but I've never been able to bring myself to back him once I missed the big prices. Should've listened to Istabraq

He looks impressive though. Will just have to take it on the chin if he wins.

Same, haven't got him on board, but have been increasingly impressed with every run

[Rooster Booster]

Very possible that ferny hollow, third time lucki and riviere Detel go off like the clappers

edwardstone could easily have the race run to suit

if boris allows I want to go to Warwick on kingmaker day so hopefully edwardstone runs

And for pleasure

[Lobos]

The one thing that puts me off Edwardstone is that he's 0/3 at Cheltenham finishing no closer than 5th. All 3 were over hurdles though so it could well be he's a much better chaser. Still a negative though in my book. He's also never won in the Spring which is another stat I always look out for re Festival horses.

[jack1092]

Very possible that ferny hollow, third time lucki and riviere Detel go off like the clappers

edwardstone could easily have the race run to suit

if boris allows I want to go to Warwick on kingmaker day so hopefully edwardstone runs

Have you seen the closing sectionals of yesterday’s race? Was it finishing slow? Not seen them myself, but doubt Townend and co are that daft to set it up for a closer in the Arkle.

[jack1092]

I'm not sure they were tactics

He seemed to get lit up and was going much faster than Paul wanted

If they weren’t the tactics I wouldn’t think Townend would’ve sat motionless on him. Ferny didn’t exactly pull badly or anything. Looked like both sides new what they were doing?

[Run4Home]

Ferny decided tactics

Townend added: "It wasn't necessarily the plan to make the running. I'm just glad it worked out. I schooled him the other morning and after speaking with Patrick [Mullins], he's electric to jump and I wasn't going to give away that advantage, getting in a row with him or upsetting him.

[MadeinJapan]

I'd like to see Blue Lord run again in a deeper race before writing him off. He's always looked good to very good, but thats it. Ferny looks like he has bundles of class and given Willie has sent 2 runners to the Arkle once in 20 years, you'd assume, barring Blue Lord putting up an exceptional performance NTO, that BL will head elsewhere.

If he doesn’t put up a decent performance NTO then he’ll end up in the Marsh & turn over Bob Olinger IMO. From what we’ve seen so far, he’s been the most fluent over fences, whether he’s got the actual “class” to be a true G1 horse we’ll find out.