2023 Gold Cup

[callhimgamblor]

BMG cruising home. Beautiful jumping throughout. Into 14s now for the GC.

[darlojim]

BMG cruising home. Beautiful jumping throughout. Into 14s now for the GC.

absolutely no chance.. he's a pussy Nicholls'.. he'll pull him from the KG when Allaho is dec'd

[Irish Rugby]

Do all you book builders still cover BMG or leave him alone after listening to the trainer who when pressed explained that like some of his other horses, Cheltenham doesn't suit him.

[Kautostar]

Do all you book builders still cover BMG or leave him alone after listening to the trainer who when pressed explained that like some of his other horses, Cheltenham doesn't suit him.

How has he decided that Cheltenham doesn’t suit, he’s only run there once placing third in a ballymore? He was going to run there last year but for the deluge of rain.

[Zachx02]

the fact hes 14/1 after that tells you all really, hes not gonna run

[Nwfb89]

I know pn is playing down gold cup talk and just talking about the kg but I find it hard to believe that if bmg won at kempton they would then skip the gold Cup, sure the owners would want to go there and try and win a gold cup as your probably never going to own many horses with bmg ability

[FinalFurlong91]

How has he decided that Cheltenham doesn’t suit, he’s only run there once placing third in a ballymore? He was going to run there last year but for the deluge of rain.

Strong speedy travellers like BMG are generally better over 3 miles at flat tracks like kempton and Aintree

Like clan des obeaux and silvianaco conti

Unless they are of freakish ability like kauto those type of horses rarely win gold cups

If he was mine I'd be going king george, ascot chase over 2m5f then Aintree

If he actually holds his form till the spring this year then punchestown is also an option too

Plenty of prestigious races out there not at Cheltenham that will suit him better than 3m2f on an undulating track

[Exar Essay]

He will run in my view. The owners forced Nicholls hand last year and he went. He was withdrawn for ground reasons as we know, but Nicholls has admitted since that he was perhaps wrong to withdraw him. There’s very little chance that the owners don’t want a stab at the GC.

[Irish Rugby]

I know pn is playing down gold cup talk and just talking about the kg but I find it hard to believe that if bmg won at kempton they would then skip the gold Cup, sure the owners would want to go there and try and win a gold cup as your probably never going to own many horses with bmg ability

No. He'll persuade them to then go to Aintree and Punchestown. Easier targets but both with dollops of cash.

[Ice]

I think we can safely say ahoy senor ain't winning a gold cup after that !

[Kautostar]

Strong speedy travellers like BMG are generally better over 3 miles at flat tracks like kempton and Aintree

Like clan des obeaux and silvianaco conti

Unless they are of freakish ability like kauto those type of horses rarely win gold cups

If he was mine I'd be going king george, ascot chase over 2m5f then Aintree

If he actually holds his form till the spring this year then punchestown is also an option too

Plenty of prestigious races out there not at Cheltenham that will suit him better than 3m2f on an undulating track

He’s flopped at aintree twice now so why not avoid aintree instead. Maybe he won’t like Cheltenham either but at least give him a chance there before jumping to conclusions. If it’s about not staying then his jumping would make him second fav behind Allaho in the Ryanair

[DenmanSacre]

They don't think BMG will stay the extended trip and there's plenty of nice races on a flatter track over 3m each season to build the season around - Charlie Hall, Betfair Chase or Ladbroke Champion Chase early on, King George or Savills Chase at Xmas, Irish Gold Cup or Denman Chase late Jan/early Feb and then the Aintree Bowl at the end of the season.

I'd want large odds just to for him to turn up for the Gold Cup.

[FinalFurlong91]

He’s flopped at aintree twice now so why not avoid aintree instead. Maybe he won’t like Cheltenham either but at least give him a chance there before jumping to conclusions. If it’s about not staying then his jumping would make him second fav behind Allaho in the Ryanair

That wasn't the track though

As Nicholls said in his stable tour he has a habit of losing weight in the spring

So has been over the top by march and april the last two years

Cheltenham isn't the be all and end all for Nicholls, rightly so imo, if he thinks the horse is more suited elsewhere then there is nothing wrong with that

Especially if the ryanair is his option

[Kautostar]

…..but he thinks every horse he trains is better suited elsewhere

[riccirich]

Nicholls does not genuinely think that cheltenham does not suit BMG, nor does he think that he will 100% not stay the trip.

He is just as usual scared of being beaten and made to look an inferior trainer imo, if he just doesn’t turn up then he doesn’t allow that to happen. I would however say there is still a good chance that he goes, Nicholls didn’t want to go last year either but the owners twisted his arm, if they were willing to do that for a novice chase then there’s surely a good chance they will do it for a shot at the gold cup.

But I don’t think Nicholls even really believes the reasons he is giving for possibly skipping cheltenham, bmg has been to the track once and ran very well to be third in a two and a half mile hurdle race which isn’t what he was bought for but acquitted himself very well, so zero evidence the track doesn’t suit, he has also won multiple 3m races without looking like he was tying up near the end, so again zero evidence the trip won’t suit.

If being a strong traveler and great jumper are reasons why he won’t stay the trip then we may as well all throw out our Galopin des champs dockets right now.