Gold Cup 2021

[FinalFurlong91]

Just rewatched the RSA again

My feeling has been that allaho and minella indo took each other on too soon and that's why they got so tired and handed the race to champ

But on watching the full race again i dont think that was actually the case

Both minella indo and allaho pulled quite hard for the first half of the race, being restrained by their jockeys overracing and wasting energy

Allaho especially wanted to go much faster which strongly suggests he will be better over shorter and I think will take plenty of beating in the ryanair

Minella Indo put in some sensational jumps and if he can settle better which if we have native river and frodon bowling along in front in the gold cup this year is very possible I think he will take a lot of beating.

Champ jumped awfully all the way round and did well to be as close as he was to take advantage of the other two falling in a hole after the last. He obviously has a huge engine but you can't make those mistakes and win a gold cup.

Al Boum Photo is the obvious one but since he will be going to tramore then straight to the festival is a fairly pointless ante post bet.

Santini for me is too slow.

Lostintranslation didn't stay strongly in a slowly run race so cant have him.

id be very dubious about Cyrname staying.

Cant see anything else winning, delta work is talented but is a scratchy jumper.


Im pinning my colours to Minella Indo for this race, he jumps, he travels, he stays.

He is a year younger than champ and the RSA was his 8th race compared to champs 13th.

I think there is considerable scope for improvement and im hoping he wins on sunday then goes on to win the Savills chase at Christmas.

Minella Indo 2021 gold cup winner

10/1 will do me and I will be requesting a price on him to do the savills/gold cup double.

[Istabraq]

Santini for me is too slow.

Some interesting thoughts there FF.
You’re far from the only one who shares that view on Santini but it’’s a baffling opinion to me, the horse was beaten about 2 and a half feet.
We say the same every Autumn but let’s just hope they all get there fit and well and allowed the opportunity to prove us all right/wrong...

[Middle_Of_March]

Santini for me is too slow

But in a race over 5200 metres, he was beaten by less than 1m. How can he be too slow? Going into the race last year, I shared that viewpoint.

But even if he is slow, he still managed to go very close in the race.

Slow? Perhaps? Too slow? Not really.

[Istabraq]

But even if he is slow, he still managed to go very close in the race.
.

What I wouldn’t give to own a horse as slow as Santini...

[Lobos]

What I wouldn’t give to own a horse as slow as Santini...

Indeed. I wish. Let's just say he is slower than your average Gold Cup winner. He'd win a Grand National without any trouble. Then again, Nicky has never won any national of any sort so maybe not!

[Istabraq]

Let's just say he is slower than your average Gold Cup winner

At two a half feet slower than a duel Gold Cup winner I’d struggle to support that view Lobos...

[Lobos]

At two a half feet slower than a duel Gold Cup winner I’d struggle to support that view Lobos...

......and he'd struggle to win a GC......imo of course.

[germanshepherd]

Just rewatched the RSA again

My feeling has been that allaho and minella indo took each other on too soon and that's why they got so tired and handed the race to champ

But on watching the full race again i dont think that was actually the case

Both minella indo and allaho pulled quite hard for the first half of the race, being restrained by their jockeys overracing and wasting energy

Allaho especially wanted to go much faster which strongly suggests he will be better over shorter and I think will take plenty of beating in the ryanair

Minella Indo put in some sensational jumps and if he can settle better which if we have native river and frodon bowling along in front in the gold cup this year is very possible I think he will take a lot of beating.

Champ jumped awfully all the way round and did well to be as close as he was to take advantage of the other two falling in a hole after the last. He obviously has a huge engine but you can't make those mistakes and win a gold cup.

Al Boum Photo is the obvious one but since he will be going to tramore then straight to the festival is a fairly pointless ante post bet.

Santini for me is too slow.

Lostintranslation didn't stay strongly in a slowly run race so cant have him.

id be very dubious about Cyrname staying.

Cant see anything else winning, delta work is talented but is a scratchy jumper.


Im pinning my colours to Minella Indo for this race, he jumps, he travels, he stays.

He is a year younger than champ and the RSA was his 8th race compared to champs 13th.

I think there is considerable scope for improvement and im hoping he wins on sunday then goes on to win the Savills chase at Christmas.

Minella Indo 2021 gold cup winner

10/1 will do me and I will be requesting a price on him to do the savills/gold cup double.

You've said LIT didn't stay in a slow race. Does that not contradict your point on Santini? Narrowly beaten in a slow race. He isn't too slow for a Gold Cup the evidence is right there.

[FinalFurlong91]

You've said LIT didn't stay in a slow race. Does that not contradict your point on Santini? Narrowly beaten in a slow race. He isn't too slow for a Gold Cup the evidence is right there.

That opinion on santini isn't just formed on that race so no it isn't contradictory

[charlie]

Re Santini, I would place more emphasis on him being a big lazy sod, as opposed to actually being slow (something Nicky has mentioned). In the RSA Nico was noticeably more animated and at work down the back straight that other market principles, trying to keep Santini in the race and up with the pace. Fast forward a year and it was the same horse being 'cajoled into fences' down the back straight whilst other jockeys sat motionless. Maybe he's lazy, maybe they go a fraction too quick for him - whatever it is, it's costing him at the end of his races IMO. Don't get me wrong, he could win it - christ, 100 more yards and he probably would have won it this year - just not my idea of a bet at the prices.

[Lobos]

Re Santini, I would place more emphasis on him being a big lazy sod, as opposed to actually being slow (something Nicky has mentioned). In the RSA Nico was noticeably more animated and at work down the back straight that other market principles, trying to keep Santini in the race and up with the pace. Fast forward a year and it was the same horse being 'cajoled into fences' down the back straight whilst other jockeys sat motionless. Maybe he's lazy, maybe they go a fraction too quick for him - whatever it is, it's costing him at the end of his races IMO. Don't get me wrong, he could win it - christ, 100 more yards and he probably would have won it this year - just not my idea of a bet at the prices.

What he said. Perfect.

[Quevega]

Santini is very much like Djackadam, And the better version Denman.
Not so much slow as one paced.
He has not got as much tactical speed as some of the others, and will just keep going in a relentless fashion.
Al Boum quickened away last year and then was slowing in the last few metres.
Santini was switched (like a barge) then kept going as he had been.
And nearly got there.
I'd like to see Santini front run in one of his races this season ans see if this suits.

[Istabraq]

Re Santini, I would place more emphasis on him being a big lazy sod, as opposed to actually being slow

Yes, and this isn’t unusual with staying chasers, many hit flat spots and come off the bridle a long way out and this shouldn’t always be considered a negative, the fact these horses battle to the line has to be a positive.
We’d all like our horses to travel sweetly challenge over the last and ease clear but that very rarely happens with stayers and certainly doesn’t happen in championship staying races...

[FinalFurlong91]

Re Santini, I would place more emphasis on him being a big lazy sod, as opposed to actually being slow (something Nicky has mentioned). In the RSA Nico was noticeably more animated and at work down the back straight that other market principles, trying to keep Santini in the race and up with the pace. Fast forward a year and it was the same horse being 'cajoled into fences' down the back straight whilst other jockeys sat motionless. Maybe he's lazy, maybe they go a fraction too quick for him - whatever it is, it's costing him at the end of his races IMO. Don't get me wrong, he could win it - christ, 100 more yards and he probably would have won it this year - just not my idea of a bet at the prices.

Thats how I see it too

If they do go quick he could easily find himself either wasting energy to hold position or losing position and being too far back

[Lobos]

Yes, and this isn’t unusual with staying chasers, many hit flat spots and come off the bridle a long way out and this shouldn’t always be considered a negative, the fact these horses battle to the line has to be a positive.
We’d all like our horses to travel sweetly challenge over the last and ease clear but that very rarely happens with stayers and certainly doesn’t happen in championship staying races...

The ability to quicken at the end of a grueling staying Championship race seperates Al Boum Photo from the Santini's of this world. He took two lengths out of the field after the second last this year by doing just that. Sounds simple but it makes a huge difference between winning and losing.