General Chat

[Frankely My Dear]

Currently motorhoming our way to the new forest and tonight we've stopped off at a pub for an overnight stay, found ourselves a stones throw away from Hughie Morrison's gaff. Will wander over in the morning for a gander, might've asked for a tour if I didn't have a dog. One who has an issue with horses too. The dickhead

[JackieMoon33]

Someone has been busy requesting prices for the Champion Bumper with PP made up of Kopek Des Bordes plus my point to point horses to follow. As it's quiet I'll try and give a view on what horses I would consider and dismiss.

Kopek Des Bordes (14/1) - If he does go down the Bumper route then 14/1 would be reasonable. I'd much rather see him jumping though. Consideration.
Minella Premier (20/1) - Gone to Henderson. Dismiss
Keops Des Bordes (25/1) - Gone to Skelton so, whilst he might have a bumper campaign, it might be a light one with a longer term view. Dismiss.
Quantum Boy (25/1) - With Willie so every chance he could go for bumpers despite his age. If he went the bumper route he'd be one to shortlist. Consideration.
Goraibhmaithagat (33/1) - Don't know the trainer yet but performed like a horse that could be useful in bumpers. Consideration.
Drop A Threat (33/1) - Gigginstown staying chaser. Dismiss.
Classical Creek (33/1) - Rumored to be with Gordon so likely to have a bumper campaign given his age. He would be my top pick of the ex-pointers. Consideration.
Leaky Cauldron (33/1) - Rumored to be with Willie and looked sharp enough in his point. Consideration.
Shuffle The Deck (40/1) - Rumored to be with Ted Walsh. Rather back him for the Grand National than the bumper. Dismiss.
Sporting Glance (66/1) - Already finished second in a bumper, performing with credit. I'd say that was for experience before cracking on over hurdles. Dismiss.

The other horse from my horses to follow list was Final Demand, who hasn't been priced up. That's a wise move as he's a great big whopper of a staying chaser. He could be one that Willie goes straight over hurdles with or gives an early season bumper before going hurdling. He's one I'd very much like for the Albert Bartlett if he goes jumping.

The other, horse I like for the bumper who didn't run in a point is a horse called Minella Hollow. He ran in two bumpers over the summer but looked to have some ability given how ridiculously green he was both times. They hinted they could bring him back next season and aim for the 'big one' next spring.

[nortonscoin200]

Can anyone help me out here?
Tried to send a PM but a message popped up saying: "You have reached your stored private message quota of 100 topics. You have 100 topics saved combined in your private message folders. Please delete some of your existing topics."
Subsequently, I deleted (I think) every PM I've sent and received since I joined FJ but to no avail - the above message keeps popping up.
I'm obviously missing a trick somewhere

[Lobos]

City of Troy very, very unlikely to run in Champion Stakes. Straight to Classic.

[Istabraq]

Can anyone help me out here?
Tried to send a PM but a message popped up saying: "You have reached your stored private message quota of 100 topics. You have 100 topics saved combined in your private message folders. Please delete some of your existing topics."
Subsequently, I deleted (I think) every PM I've sent and received since I joined FJ but to no avail - the above message keeps popping up.
I'm obviously missing a trick somewhere

One for the chief I think NC...
Kevloaf
ComplyOrDie may be able to help...

[ComplyOrDie]

Can anyone help me out here?
Tried to send a PM but a message popped up saying: "You have reached your stored private message quota of 100 topics. You have 100 topics saved combined in your private message folders. Please delete some of your existing topics."
Subsequently, I deleted (I think) every PM I've sent and received since I joined FJ but to no avail - the above message keeps popping up.
I'm obviously missing a trick somewhere

Have you permanently deleted them from your 'Trash'?

I had this issue a while back and just deleted everything from every folder. It worked for me. Failing that then boss man will have to help you out I'm afraid.

[YoungHustler]

Not sure if already mentioned but no need for anyone to continue using oddschecker.com, nevermind pay them, as attheraces.com have their own bookies grid of showing latest prices. I've been using different VPN locations to get round oddschecker but it's a little tiresome.

[Saxon Warrior]

Those horses will simply avoid the Festival altogether and go to other races. It won't increase the challenge to Mullins and Elliott. The reduction in races will just increase the number of their entries in the two remaining races, and they will then become less competitive and not more competitive. Unless you think two or three trainers being responsible for 80% of the entries is more competitive of course.

Taking those races away will be a total disaster. We'll have a similar number of entries, with far fewer trainers represented. We should just change the name from the Cheltenham Festival to the Mullins and Elliott Show.

The Jockey Club could seek to ensure their Cheltenham and Aintree showpiece Festivals are different from each other, it’s entirely possible for them to do this, or propose this (if they want to) and that their meetings

* are not held less than three weeks away from each other, (so it’s possible to gear up to run in both)

* maybe have more races that compliment each others programmes (not try to mimic them, when the two meetings are so close in the calendar)

* if we want the Turners to stay, and be well populated, then that’s okay, maybe have a Grade 2 NovCH over 2M4F at Aintree after Cheltenham.

* it’s pretty easy to boost the lure of races like the BANC, and Arkle, with prize money of, say, double what Aintree pay, if the Jockey Club want to protect their main Festival race, over what they put on at Aintree.

Im hoping that there’s some joined up discussion about how to make the right decision for the best, for both race meetings, and their positive and/or negative impact on each other.

At least we had the chance to contact the relevant people, and have our say, which is good.

…..plus we know the Jockey Club wants to change to reverse the slide at Cheltenham.

Fingers crossed they make enough of the right moves, and the improvements have a positive impact

[BigChaang]

Not sure if already mentioned but no need for anyone to continue using oddschecker.com, nevermind pay them, as attheraces.com have their own bookies grid of showing latest prices. I've been using different VPN locations to get round oddschecker but it's a little tiresome.

Don't know if it's just me Young Hustler , But i've found the pay for play comes up if i look at a whole load of prices / races .
But after a couple of day's ??., it seems to reset , can look again . So i don't know if it's got a certain Limit that applies .
I am not a Tech Head , so might just be a Coincidence ..

[Istabraq]

Don't know if it's just me Young Hustler , But i've found the pay for play comes up if i look at a whole load of prices / races .
But after a couple of day's ??., it seems to reset , can look again . So i don't know if it's got a certain Limit that applies .
I am not a Tech Head , so might just be a Coincidence ..

Yeah I notice that BC, think it re-sets daily but no idea what the max number of views is.
If you have a laptop or a couple or a couple of phones you should be able to get through a session...

[Yosser]

What is everybody's position so far on the Turners? Been mulling over the books this afternoon and it's my weakest position so far in terms of horses at the top of the market. I would have thought that the BHA would have announced something by now if there were changes to the 2025 renewal but... well... this is the BHA. From a training, owning and punting point of view any changes should be done well in a year of advance but... well... this is the BHA. I am coming round to the fact that Ballyburn could well be aimed at the Arkle if the rumoured changes are afoot and have been applying my Constitution Hill method to him, Putting the extra from winning bets on him. So far i have been attacking the higher priced horses that could well shorten if new rules come in. So far i have backed Impaire Et Passe (albeit after Chelt 24 at 201) Jeriko Du Reponet 50/1, Kalif De Berlais 25/1 and have a bit on Irish point and Mirazur West at this point. Other names in the book are Ballyburn, Brighterdaysahead, Caldwell Potter (backed for the BANC), Good Land, Jango Baie, Mistergif (Backed for the Arkle but fancy him over further) and Predators Gold with a question mark. I have an early position on Majborough for the BANC but am very much now considering the Turners. I suppose no news is good news but the uncertainty and mutterings must have filtered back to HQ, a statement would be nice.

[nortonscoin200]

Have you permanently deleted them from your 'Trash'?

I had this issue a while back and just deleted everything from every folder. It worked for me. Failing that then boss man will have to help you out I'm afraid.

Big thank you to ComplyOrDie and Istabraq - deleting everything from trash did the trick. Much appreciate the help guys.

[YoungHustler]

Don't know if it's just me Young Hustler , But i've found the pay for play comes up if i look at a whole load of prices / races .
But after a couple of day's ??., it seems to reset , can look again . So i don't know if it's got a certain Limit that applies .
I am not a Tech Head , so might just be a Coincidence ..

Oddschecker does reset but as I check prices so often, the pay to view comes in far too quickly and I'm not even checking on Cheltenham yet which I will do daily after the jumps season starts in earnest.

[Big Chac]

I use oddschecker daily and if you’re using an iPhone you can quickly re-set it. if you go to “settings”, “General”, “iPhone storage”, “safari”, “website data”, remove all website data”, “remove now”. Doing this will allow you to check the prices again until it pops then you can just repeat and have it reset.

As this is removing website data some information like login details, usernames and other data are removed and will be removed each time you re-set it so something to consider if you’re going to try this.

[somer1]

ompetitive in a wide-open Champion Chase division' - Barry Connell can't wait for Marine Nationale return


Marine Nationale: an impressive winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in 2023Credit: Alan Crowhurst

Barry Connell has warned it would be foolish to forget Marine Nationale for the Champion Chase and expects the 2023 Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner to be better than ever when he reappears, most likely in early November at Naas.

Marine Nationale has been beaten only once in his career, but he missed last season's Arkle at Cheltenham due to a setback and is now as big as 14-1 for the 2025 Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, although some firms go 7-1.

That will be Marine Nationale's ultimate aim this season, according to Connell, who has pencilled in Navan or Naas for his return to action.

He said: "Marine is back in and we'll work backwards from the Champion Chase with him. It's amazing how quickly horses are forgotten about in this game. People just move on to the next one, but we're really looking forward to the forthcoming season and I really think he'll be very competitive in a wide-open division.

Barry Connell: "I think we can play a part in it"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"El Fabiolo was the standout in it, but he had his jumping exposed a few times at the end of the season, and Energumene will be back as well. Then you have Jonbon, as well as a few others. It really is wide open and I think we can play a part in it."

El Fabiolo was pulled up behind winner Captain Guinness in last season's Champion Chase and is a general 5-1 chance next March for a contest in which Jonbon heads the betting at around 4-1.

Mapping out Marine Nationale's campaign, Connell said: "We'll start off in the two-mile chase at Naas in early November, or else the Fortria Chase at Navan the week afterwards. It's funny the way the programme is for these two-mile chasers.

"There are three races one week after the other for them at Naas, Navan and Cork. We'll do one of those three, probably at Naas if the ground is decent, and he'll probably have a racecourse school somewhere before it.

"We'll head on to Leopardstown at Christmas, then the Dublin Racing Festival and, hopefully, the Champion Chase after that. It's exciting to have him back."

William Munny: "We're hoping he'll be a Grade 1 novice hurdler"Credit: Patrick McCann

Explaining the injury which ruled out Marine Nationale from the Cheltenham Festival in March, Connell said: "It was only a tiny disruption of the fibres in his suspensory ligament. It was nothing major at all. He just needed six weeks of rest and recuperation, and that's what we gave him."

Another star from the Connell stable who returns soon is Grade 1 winner Good Land, who missed all last season with a tendon injury.

Connell said: "The scans have all been 100 per cent and his rehab has gone really well. I fully expect him to be a Grade 1 horse in the making over fences and we're really looking forward to him."

William Munny is an exciting young prospect, too, and generally a 25-1 shot for the 2025 Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

He won his first two starts in bumpers, but surrendered his unbeaten record in the Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown festival. He didn't disgrace himself in finishing third to the more experienced Redemption Day, but Connell doesn't think he displayed his true colours.

He said: "We like him a lot. He wasn't 100 per cent in the Champion Bumper at Punchestown and I think he's better than the bare form. We're hoping he'll be a Grade 1 novice hurdler this year.

"There's plenty to look forward to. We had an unbelievable time the season before last, but last season things just didn't go our way. Hopefully, we can enjoy the months ahead as we've some lovely horses. These few months are always exciting when you're getting them ready to come back."

Champion Chase

Paddy Power: 3 Jonbon, 5 Gaelic Warrior, 6 El Fabiolo, 10 Energumene, 14 Marine Nationale, 16 Banbridge, 20 bar