March Forum Yankee 2023

[Middle_Of_March]

Back again for year 5! Nominations for the first Yankee of the year.

Jonbon 14/1 for the Arkle with Hills is the only one thus far I really like.

[Atlantic Viking]

Flooring Porter is the best priced of the obvious ones with a nailed on target.

James's Gate for the Ballymore perhaps.

[Eggs]

…I think James Gate for the Ballymore is an obvious choice given it’s top Bumper form and clear target (owner sponsors the race, will be aimed at it all season in the same way as Whatdeawant). It was the first ante-post selection put up in the next years thread by Kev. 14-1 still available.

Perhaps take a flyer on GDC. Mullins spoke as though he will not be stepped up, a case can be made for the Champion Chase (10-1) or more likely Ryanair (6-1). He’s going to be very short wherever he lines up.

[Stormez]

Initial thought for me are…..

Jonbon - Arkle
Telmesomethinggirl - Mares Hurdle
Flooring Porter - Stayers
Stattler - Gold Cup

[Exar Essay]

Eggs My only concern with that is that GDC was really not that quick according to Simon Rowland's analysis. He might be in time, but on that evidence, personally I wouldn't be interested in him against Allaho or Energumene/Shishkin over the shorter trips.

Ones I like at decent prices:

St James's Gate - Ballymore
Flooring Porter - Stayers
Dysart Dynamo/Jonbon - Arkle
James Du Berlais - Marsh
Blazing Khal - RSA
Monkfish - Gold Cup

[DenmanSacre]

Energumene won the CC for Mullins this year and there are plenty of Mullins staff who think Energumene is the best horse in the yard. I'd say the Ryanair would be more likely for GDC but I'd rather take the 5/2 on Allaho for it at the moment. We could potentially see GDC over 3m at Punchestown and if he wins that impressively, could we get a GC campaign? Too many targets for GDC for me at this point.

St James's Gate is pretty awful value at the moment for winning a bumper on heavy and then 3rd in a heavy ground Champion Bumper. The P2P horse stat in the Ballymore is also strong (9/13 winners won a P2P in Ireland) and this seasons P2P horses look very good. I'd be very surprised if we couldn't get 14/1 or higher next season on him.

Jonbon now 10s I think but that's fair enough. Another summer of maturing and a fence in front of him will bring out improvement.

Flooring Porter at 5s is pretty good. We know the target, he loves Cheltenham and answered the temperament questions this year.

Honeysuckle at 7/2 should be looked at. The only horse likely to beat her is Constitution Hill. I can't see Vauban or Sir Gerhard being at her level - they need to improve a lot to get near her. She has been very consistent and Henry has got her to the last 3 festivals in top form.

Riviere Detel at 7s in the Mares Chase would be my other choice.

[Nevertoolate]

Similar to last year, the best way to go about this this far out is to have selections with definite targets (or near certain targets) for next year. I’d put up flooring porter (stayers) tmsg (mh) shiskin (cc) and delta work (XC). I think delta work is the best bet this far out and looks the best horse by a mile in the cross county, my only concern would be one of the French horses such as prengarde

[Istabraq]

Agree with Stormez on Stattler.
TMSG
State Man - champion hurdle
Shady Operator - XC

[Istabraq]

Also love the look of Conflated but there will of course be a Ryanair/Gold Cup fight to be had.
Really think he might have got close to Allaho…

[archie]

I can't have this year's losers as high up the pecking order at this stage.

Riviere D'Etel doesn't look to have much improvement left. Typical French early starter.
TMSG was merely going ok and there's not a good reason why she would have finished ahead of Heaven Help Us by enough to have won her the race. I still maintain that last year's MNH form was moderate.
Shady Operator was beaten over 85l and isn't in the same county as Delta Work.
Who's to say that Shishkin won't get soft going again or even that he is the real deal.

I was against Flooring Porter this time but won't be next year.
Now that Energumene has course form, there's no good reason to oppose him next year.
James Gate is interesting but, as a slightly better loser, I'd prefer Gaelic Warrior for the Ballymore at this stage.

[MadeinJapan]

Gaelic Warrior - Ballymore (as stated looks like this is where they'll be aiming)
Mercurey - Supreme (20s won't be around after it belts up on debut esp. given connections)
Constitution Hill's price is absolutely disgusting but after what I experienced on course seeing both him & Vauban live - can't see what's going to beat him bar Honeysuckle. If they both meet shortly & he turns her over what price does he go then 11 months out?!

[Dandrew99]

Quite like the Mercurey/Gaelic Warrior angle, they're definitely worth considering for the novices I think and will obviously be split, and probably that way around. Couldn't have James' Gate as value at 14/1 at all, he's won 1 bumper? I'd want 20/1+ as a minimum for novice hurdlers.

I'd be happy enough to include Telmesomethinggirl, Shewearsitwell could be very interesting too, not sure if she will be back this season or not.

Agree with everyone else that Flooring Porter is nailed on.

Would be opposed to Shady Operator, not good enough.

Can't argue too much with Jonbon, Constitution Hill looks nailed on to stay hurdling so he's arguably the best of the novices to be going chasing. A lot hinges on what Willie does with Appreciate It and Sir Gerhard I suppose.

[robith]

Farouk D'Ale....*masked men put a hand over my mouth and bundle me into a car*

[FinalFurlong91]

The mares chase is a very weak looking race to me

Elimay jumped very poorly and still won

It's there for the taking and Riviere Detel is the obvious candidate, I'm not sure she even needs to improve to win it elimay ran a good few lbs below her form of the previous renewal

The threats may well come from allegorie de vasy or brandy love if one of them goes chasing.

[charlie]

Initial thought for me are…..

Jonbon - Arkle
Telmesomethinggirl - Mares Hurdle
Flooring Porter - Stayers
Stattler - Gold Cup

First three of these have me hard