Queen Mother Champion Chase 2021

[TheRowebot]

If you have a potential champion chase horse that statement from Paddy is obvious, if there were more than a few horses who could beat him he wouldn’t be a potential champion chase horse.
What am I missing ?

Was more aimed at the comment about Ruby possibly not being his biggest fan.

[Jorvik]

Indifferent wasn't really taken by the Cork run, he just doesn't come across as a big fan. I need to rewatch but think he basically said the horse needs to improve a fair bit and he didn't seem overly convinced it would. That was my reading of it anyway.
Also said Politologue is the overpriced horse at this point and there might be a risk many of us are trying too hard to get him beat. Or words to that affect.

Just watched it back to make sure I wasn't talking nonsense (perish the thought!)

A few Ruby comments. I'll do Politologue then a seperate post on CPS.

On Politologue: "I think if you owned/trained Politologue, you're entitled to think you're the one holding the aces for the Champion Chase. You've gone and done it in a Grade 1, you're the reigning champions, you're being overlooked because everyone thinks you got lucky last March, but to be fair to the horse, he's put two big runs back to back now"
Lydia suggests Nicholls has tweaked a few things and finally found the key to the horse, which Ruby agrees with and says is often the case: "It's let him gallop over 2miles rather than try to settle him over further".
Asked if he's setting the standard: "Yes, on form he most certainly he is", "Chacun Pour Soi won at Cork, but he won, that's all he did", "Maybe a little bit like Dodging Bullets a few years ago, were all overlooking him, looking for something else when the obvious one is staring us in the face".

[Jorvik]

On Chacun Pour Soi: "He won, but I don't think he blew anybody away. I thought it was a rusty-ish performance. I think on that performance he has to improve a lot and we'll see an awful lot more over Christmas."
Lydia asks if that's why he was at Cork, the fact he got beaten over Xmas last season? Ruby reckons so and says it was a good introduction for him, "He's ready for a Grade 1 now and as Patrick Mullins said yesterday, he's not really going to have an excuse come Christmas time this year."

They then do a split screen comparison between the CPS race and the Mount Ida race, Ruby basically isn't impressed by CPS and thinks he should have been finishing much further ahead. Lydia says Rubys comments are fair, but suggests the CPS race was basically a work out to not take too much from, that there's plenty of improvement to come and that Mullins was using it to get the horse spot on for racing over Christmas. Ruby is short and sweet in responding: "I hope you're right, I think it'll have to be". If Ruby is a fan of CPS then he hides it very well!

[charlie]

I think too much is being made of the CPS debut personally. It wasn't poor nor was it impressive, but was tantamount to a schooling session. He went to sleep, popped round and won his race when asked. I get the impression people were expecting to see a fully primed CPS as they would in March, which isn't going to happen. Theres' probably a wider conversation to be had about debut runs and how we perceive them with a view to March - perhaps worth its own thread.

[opatcho]

Yeah, Chacun Pour Soi didnt blow me away, but I fully expect him to come on for that

[Faugheen_Machine]

I think too much is being made of the CPS debut personally. It wasn't poor nor was it impressive, but was tantamount to a schooling session. He went to sleep, popped round and won his race when asked. I get the impression people were expecting to see a fully primed CPS as they would in March, which isn't going to happen. Theres' probably a wider conversation to be had about debut runs and how we perceive them with a view to March - perhaps worth its own thread.

I don't think much would have been made about the performance if the bookies didn't cut him across the board. It wasn't worthy of a price chop but we know it takes very little for the prices to go.

[Bigfish]

Chacun Pour soi will improve 8L I reckon. He was a bit careful at a few fences and not extended . He was going easy within himself to win by 10 L at the line by my reckoning g iving about 7lb to the fallers. His rival in the QMCC is Notebook and it will be close.

[Craigy14]

I think too much is being made of the CPS debut personally. It wasn't poor nor was it impressive, but was tantamount to a schooling session. He went to sleep, popped round and won his race when asked. I get the impression people were expecting to see a fully primed CPS as they would in March, which isn't going to happen. Theres' probably a wider conversation to be had about debut runs and how we perceive them with a view to March - perhaps worth its own thread.

That’s how I see it as well. Imo no way is CPS primed in November

Last year he was beat on debut at Xmas. This year he’s got a run into him and will be ready for his Xmas engagement. Then likely the same race as last year where he beat Min and onto the Champion Chase.

The Christmas engagement will tell us a lot. If he wins that, showing improvement from Cork he’s likely going to go very short indeed. He loses I don’t think he would win a Champion Chase, simple as that.

[Lobos]

Willie on Chacun.....

''CHACUN POUR SOI didn’t impress me as much as I know he can in winning the Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase at Cork on Sunday.
He did what he had to do to win, but I think he’s capable of a lot better and that run will blow away the cobwebs and leave him right for Christmas or the spring when we decide what we’re doing next."

Is it me or could they be thinking of going straight to the Fez ?

[Hurricane fly]

I don't think much would have been made about the performance if the bookies didn't cut him across the board. It wasn't worthy of a price chop but we know it takes very little for the prices to go.

Exactly, I don’t know why anybody makes a fuss when a horse is cut for winning at long odds on.

Every single person with a penny invested Antepost knows it is going to happen before it even runs, yet many are still up in arms about it.

[Kautothegreat8]

Chacun Pour soi will improve 8L I reckon. He was a bit careful at a few fences and not extended . He was going easy within himself to win by 10 L at the line by my reckoning g iving about 7lb to the fallers. His rival in the QMCC is Notebook and it will be close.

Notebook ?

You been on the whisky ?

[Bigfish]

Yep. Can't beat a Famous Grouse to warm the cockles. He beat a good horse by 12L easily and it wasnt a fluke.

[ToniC]

Cheltenham just may not be his track, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Notebook beat him in Leopardstown. However Chacun his never been to Cheltenham before, so who knows how he will handle it, how many Champion Chase winners would there have been having there first run at the course?
Although I get a feeling Chacun doesn’t go Leopardstown at Xmas, maybe will go for the same race again at the DRF, which I think notebook might skip after what happened last year. Would be a shame if we don’t get to see these 2 clash at some point.

[Faugheen_Machine]

PTKO might go for the Desert Orchid chase in 27th December, according to HDB. Should clash with Altior and possibly DDG if she travels over.

[Pendil]

PTKO might go for the Desert Orchid chase in 27th December, according to HDB. Should clash with Altior and possibly DDG if she travels over.

Wouldnt be surprised as Henry has A Plus Tard and Notebook for Leopardstown Grade1. Wonder if she gets 10lb from Altior with only half penalty for her Grade 1 in the Arkle