March 2023 Yankee

[Kautostar]

Agree on Teahupoo for stayers and I also like Stage Star in the Ryanair. How about Blazing Khal for the Browns? Ran with credit in the stayers despite a far from ideal prep. There was talk of him chasing in 2022-23 last spring before they stuck to hurdling. 8 next year. Now or never!

I disagree on teahupoo he had everything in his favour this season and still couldn’t win. He’s massively ground dependent and there’s no guarantee he’ll get soft ground again next year. He is still young and could improve but he’ll have to win this!
I actually think flooring porter is the bet here at 25/1 which is a massive overreaction to a horse that didn’t have an ideal prep and still finished 4th. He’ll only be 9 next year which is fine for a stayer and with a better prep will surely go close at a course he clearly thrives on.

[Quevega]

A Dream to Share for supreme looks solid
not sure best price but 8-1 isn’t bad.
Willie ran plenty and he still won easily in conditions that suited others.
No doubt Willie will have new recruits but he ran plenty of juveniles this year also.

this horse is value on form

[MTR]

I’ll Be following in with these Yankee’s over the next 12 months, one I like is fact to file for the RSA, only sky quoting atm at 25/1, be nice if 365 went bigger.

[Ray]

I like JE GARDE 20/1 mares novice hurdle..on only her 2nd start she was put into the triumph hurdle so they must think shes got alot of ability, her 1 run in france on very soft ground looks ok form wise, she was 3rd in that and the 1st and 2nd have won well since, retains novice status with some course experience its a good start point for me

[Zachx02]

Gaelic Warrior - BANC, they're already saying he'll make a lovely chaser and will look better over further

[FinalFurlong91]

I disagree on teahupoo he had everything in his favour this season and still couldn’t win. He’s massively ground dependent and there’s no guarantee he’ll get soft ground again next year. He is still young and could improve but he’ll have to win this!
I actually think flooring porter is the bet here at 25/1 which is a massive overreaction to a horse that didn’t have an ideal prep and still finished 4th. He’ll only be 9 next year which is fine for a stayer and with a better prep will surely go close at a course he clearly thrives on.

He had nothing in his favour with the way the race was run and where he was positioned

5 horses pulled clear of the rest, the other 4 were the 4 ridden prominently or front of midfield

He was the only one held up that got involved

Big run against the pace bias beating all the other horses that were held up by 11 or more lengths

[Istabraq]

I wouldn't dismiss Mighty Potter as a Gold Cup candidate.
Stayed on really well, drifted badly towards the stands rail, lost a shoe, still only beat 4l.
Obviously with Galopin confirming himself a superstar he could be back for the next year or two making life hard for second season chasers for a while, but at 40/1 I think he represents rare value...

[Middle_Of_March]

I obviously am a Gaelic fan so I’m pleased to see him nominated for the RSA a couple of times already. I completely agree.

I also like the suggestion of Flooring Porter. 25s is crazy

[Odin]

I wouldn't dismiss Mighty Potter as a Gold Cup candidate.
Stayed on really well, drifted badly towards the stands rail, lost a shoe, still only beat 4l.
Obviously with Galopin confirming himself a superstar he could be back for the next year or two making life hard for second season chasers for a while, but at 40/1 I think he represents rare value...

I'm sure someone mentioned that he didn't travel over well so wouldn't be guaranteed to be on the boat next year?

[Nwfb89]

Love envoi mares hurdle 14s available I think that's a decent price ran a cracker this year and no honeysuckle to worry about next year, still only a 7yo atm so possibly still more to come, stay away fay in the 3m novice chase aswell at 16s is another I think is a decent price, alot of times bartlett winners are normally around 8s or 10s the following year for this, nichols no stranger to training a decent staying chaser is he and I don't think there is many other outstanding candidates for the browns at thus time

[Irish Rugby]

Love envoi mares hurdle 14s available I think that's a decent price ran a cracker this year and no honeysuckle to worry about next year, still only a 7yo atm so possibly still more to come, stay away fay in the 3m novice chase aswell at 16s is another I think is a decent price, alot of times bartlett winners are normally around 8s or 10s the following year for this, nichols no stranger to training a decent staying chaser is he and I don't think there is many other outstanding candidates for the browns at thus time

A good pick. Largely forgotten pre race and her performance somehow got lost with all the understandable attention to Honeysuckle. Again, you'd be fairly confident she is aimed at this again/great day out for owners etc. Certainly more to come from her. Assuming we'll see her again before season close and if she wins, that price will contract.

[EnvoiAlien]

Absolute Notions for the NHC @33/1 P Power.
Gordon does tend to go with a 7yo here so we're a year younger than ideal but with Milan as his sire & Beneficial on the dam sire side this is a horse with stamina throughout his pedigree & what we've seen on course validates this.
Winner on his sole bumper start at the punchestown festival he returned to the Kildare venue for his maiden hurdle over the minimum trip which he won after being given a scare by Deep Cave at the last,stepped into G2 company at Naas over 2m3f207y he found himself outpaced by Inthepocket & Three Card Brag in the finish,maybe the omitted hurdles didn't help his cause but for me his best run was at the DRF over 2m6f in the Nathaniel Lacey & Partners novice hurdle, beaten into second by Good Land he had AB 3rd Sandor Clegane behind him which gives me the impression that he'd have ran a big race himself in the AB but connections decided against crossing the Irish sea this season.
He could always turn out to be one for the BANC but Elliott also has Three Card Brag, American Mike, Search For Glory among others to juggle for these staying novice chases and at this stage I'm thinking of all of those I want Absolute Notions onside the most so at 33/1 he'll be the first novice chaser I'm backing for next years festival.

[Geegees]

I stuck the below in the main Yankee thread but I'm not sure how many people go in and read at this time of year when all the Yankees are done for past year.

Just some food for thought and not suggesting we use that format for the March - May Yankees but one to consider for summer months

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I wonder though could we do something different for at least the summer months - June, July, August?
We don't have that much info at that stage compared to later in the year unless someone has heard something from inside one of the stables.

I was reading Saxon Warrior 's recent point in his diary about doing less Cheltenham multiples antepost and trying to get a Cheltenham fancy doubled with something winning from earlier in the year, in essence a roll up going into Cheltenham.

We could do likewise for those summer Yankees where info is thin on the ground but where we can use either the big summer flat/jumps festivals for perhaps two selections and add them to two Cheltenham 2024 selections to make a Yankee.

The ideal scenario would be we have two winners/places locked in already before Cheltenham even starts.

We can then revert back to four Cheltenham picks from September onwards if need be, or keep using this 2+2 format if we manage to have any success with it, as there's various others national hunt meetings we can use in the run up to find winners.

I know it's changing what we've always done but sometimes it's at least worth asking the question and see what people think.
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We also need to be wary for the Gordon Elliott Yankee in November as he changed up his methods in 2022 where his weren't firing on all cylinders at that meeting. Envoi Allen was the only Down Royal winner to win at Cheltenham, with Magical Zoe, Letsbeclearaboutit, Mighty Potter, Conflated and Pied Piper placing. So it isn't just Gordon using that meeting now for his horses, may need to consider likes of Henry and Gavin.

Happy to hear what other people think

I think this is a good idea

[Monty's Pass]

Maxxum for the stayers best priced 66's is interesting. Came with an ominous run in the Pertemps trying to get the rail but was checked by the eventual third which halted his momentum and had to try and come inside Mill green which might have unbalanced him approaching the last where he made an error that left him out of contention, was upsides all bar the winner jumping the last and after the mistake Davy eased off him. I think he'd have been bang there with a clear run and placed at least. Will be 7 next year so perhaps a season too early for him and maybe he'll be back in the Pertemps like SDB before winning the stayers in 2028 as an 11 year old

[Captain Chris]

El Fabiolo for me. 4/1 feels very fair considering his target should be assured. He was the standout novice chase performance of the festival in my view and has really impressed me. Wouldn't be against Teahupoo either as he should improve past that lot next year