Day 4 Yankee 2024 - Captain AaronLad

[AaronLad]

County Hurdle - King of Kingsfield / Absurde / Zenta
Albert Bartlett - Gidleigh Park / Croke Park / Johnnywho / One of the Mullins trio
Hunters Chase - Secret Investor / Premier Magic / Ferns Lock
Martin Pipe - Cleatus Poolaw / Stellar Story / Better Days Ahead


If limited to those races, the ones above are the ones I'd think are fair prices now ..... some more likely winners than the ones mentioned but price absolutely gone.



Gidleigh I honestly don't see how you can't go with it, and rightly so.

Secret Investor at 25/1.... fell in the race at the first last year, at 18/1, and has won all 3 races since.... including beating Vaucelet who is 14s for the race

Cleatus Poolaw will be my biggest bet in the race if not taking up the Pertemps entry but 14s NRNB now is massive



Some early thoughts anyway

Cheers Kev, some food for thought here.
Absurde seems to be a popular one for the county.
I quite like lump sum, thought he was impressive at the weekend, what price for him if jeriko wins the supreme?

If Gidleigh park looks to be headed to the AB it'll be highly likely he will take a Spot on this Yankee, but I know that's still a 50/50 decision yet to be decided.

Secret Investor, i like him. His last run though he possibly looked beaten before his rival unseated at the last, I think I'd be looking for something a bit more solid lto.

The pipe is a tricky race to decipher the runners atm, hopefully at 5 day entries we'll have a better idea where some horses will end up

[Rooster Booster]

Cheers Kev, some food for thought here.
Absurde seems to be a popular one for the county.
I quite like lump sum, thought he was impressive at the weekend, what price for him if jeriko wins the supreme?

If Gidleigh park looks to be headed to the AB it'll be highly likely he will take a Spot on this Yankee, but I know that's still a 50/50 decision yet to be decided.

Secret Investor, i like him. His last run though he possibly looked beaten before his rival unseated at the last, I think I'd be looking for something a bit more solid lto.

The pipe is a tricky race to decipher the runners atm, hopefully at 5 day entries we'll have a better idea where some horses will end up

Coupling gidleigh with horses with decent ground preferences makes sense. So Kevs kok and absurde calls make sense. I’d also throw in Favour and Fortune who will improve 10 pounds for decent ground. If you don’t think it’s going to be g/s don’t pick gidleigh as he’d be in the other race imo and I wouldn’t go with any of the county horses mentioned either.

Basically I’m recommending choose horses with consistent ground preference / logical ground trip combinations. Dont mix and match

[AaronLad]

Coupling gidleigh with horses with decent ground preferences makes sense. So Kevs kok and absurde calls make sense. I’d also throw in Favour and Fortune who will improve 10 pounds for decent ground. If you don’t think it’s going to be g/s don’t pick gidleigh as he’d be in the other race imo and I wouldn’t go with any of the county horses mentioned either.

Basically I’m recommending choose horses with consistent ground preference / logical ground trip combinations. Dont mix and match

Sound logic and good advice, cheers Rooster.
with this in mind, Encanto Bruno goes on the shortlist for the pipe for a g/s Friday?

[Rooster Booster]

Sound logic and good advice, cheers Rooster.
with this in mind, Encanto Bruno goes on the shortlist for the pipe for a g/s Friday?

Yep I’m liking the cut of this ones jib.

Hills have been very crafty in their enhanced multiples. They have coupled Banbridge and teahupoo in a number of them. It’s something all captains need to be aware of as they narrow down their selections.

All that’s left to say and I think it was one of Shakespeares….fuck off rain.

[Rooster Booster]

Dare I say Fastorslow or Hewick could come into play also….and your fella ofc (just to annoy Q). I think Fastorslow would travel like a dream on g-s and if he jumped as well as he did last time GDC will need a pb or close to it to beat him imo. On softer I think GDC confirms the form quite comfortably with gentleman’s running on for second.

[AaronLad]

Premier Magic has won his last 7 races
Hes won 9 of his last 10, pulling up when hampered in the 2022 Cheltenham festival hunter chase.
He's won on his last 2 visits to Cheltenham, including the 2023 festival.

Ferns Lock could be the horse to beat him, a young exciting chaser. Skipped the race as a novice last year, caught by its on the line late on at down Royal I'd be concerned he'd struggle to finish his race off at Cheltenham.

It's on the line, and thats certainly the case with this horse, likes to leave it late, 15 lengths down at the last in 2023 race, failing to catch Premier magic on the run in, looks to get outpaced at crucial stages, could find Premier magic too far ahead on the run in again.

Billaway has to come in to consideration. With a record of 221F in the hunter chase at the festival with sps ranging from 13/8 - 9/2 he's currently available at 7s. Beaten by its on the line when finishing best of all on his reappearance.


I think the Irish trained horses are quite closely matched. Their form ties in quite closely and I think they all have the defending champion to beat.
Premier magic looks to have a good bit of tactical speed for a staying chaser, I think he'll be able to stay within striking distance of ferns Lock, join him 2 out, have the lead jumping the last, and I think he'll have enough to deal with the fast finishing its on the line and billaway.

Any thouhts on the hunters chase would be much appreciated

[Eggs]

…I don’t have any strong thoughts on the Hunter Chase, Aaron, but Jamie Codd was so keen on ‘it’s on the Line’ at the ATR Preview night, he selected him as his nb of the meeting (‘nothing from Ireland to beat him’). I think Matt Chapman napped him, which is probably a negative

Fast forward to 1.49;

https://cheltenham.attheraces.com/cheltenham-preview-night

[Tickety Boo]

I think you've summed the race up perfectly. I have it narrowed down to Premier Magic and Its On The Line, I'm going to cover both as I really do think they will be close together. An exciting race in prospect. Goid Luck AaronLad

[Rooster Booster]

I can’t have a strong opinion on horses I pay very little attention to throughout the year. I know the obvious names and that’s it.

[Benjy23]

Codd going against him isn't a positive but Samcro can't help but catch my eye every time I look at the Hunters.

Premier Magic has to be the value play still though I reckon. Plenty in his favour. I think the fact he went off at 66/1 last year puts a lot of people off. It's the kind of thing I find it hard to look past to be honest. But I think I'm going to manage here

[AaronLad]

With Sundays deadline approaching I think now is a good time for a quick update.

Friday is a difficult day at the moment, 3 short priced favs in Sir gino, GDC and dinoblue.

When looking at the pipe and county hurdle many of the entrants have Coral Cup entries also, and with Coral Cup Dec's on Monday we would know more then, and then theres the albert bartlett where many entries will also be left in the Ballymore until Ballymore Dec's which are also Monday, but I need to decide Sunday right?

I think I'm leaning towards Premier magic for the foxhunters, he's the champion who is used to winning he'll give us a good run and he's still there at 7/1 and he seems to be a popular horse I know forum regular Lobos is a fan.

for the pipe I really like answer to kayf, after reading DenmanSacre post in another thread.
He surely has a good chance and he goes here.
quai de bourbon is an obvious danger, owner's winning the pipe twice before when having horses with mullins, don poli and Sir des champs, Mikey osullivan in the saddle also a huge positive, I'm still very much undecided here so any thoughts would be appreciated, the odds of answer to kayf would certainly be more appealing.

Hopefully Harry fry will make his decision public on Gidleigh park, he said end of this week so hopefully he'll only have one entry by Sunday, but of course if he's in the bartlett he's in the Yankee.

The county hurdle and it looks like absurde is a popular choice. Favour and fortune has been left in the Supreme still, but if not declared he'd be of interest here surely, I know Rooster Booster is keen on this ones chances with some nice spring ground.

So we could be shaping up something like this come Sunday

Absurde 10/1 county
Gidleigh park 8/1 albert bartlett
Premier magic 7/1 foxhunters
Answer to kayf 16/1 Martin Pipe

I would urge you all to give me as many suggestions and reasoning as to which horses you think can beat these above, the next few days entries will hopefully help us out a bit.

[Kevloaf]

It's quite a likeable yankee as a draft.

Sunday is the deadline, you can pop on the YouTube to confirm it if you're free that evening AaronLad?

[Craigy14]

I quite like Zenta for the County.

Grade 1 winning juvenile, third in the triumph so we know she handles the track. Surely more to come and fairly unexposed having only had 5 hurdle runs, 4 since coming from France. I know magical Zoe is also quite fancied and her form ties in nicely with that one from the 2m DRF handicap.

14/1 available.

[Eggs]

….i like Nusret in the MP at 25-1 if that engagement is confirmed before Yankee selection day.

JoB has won the race in the past and this one has been hidden away a bit this season. Looks like the step-up is needed, especially if ground is decent. 25-1 currently available (50-1 Coral Cup).

[Quevega]

I think an aaron lad yankee should go full UK.


Gidleigh or Captain Teague.
Premier Magic
Under Control (if left in the county would be a good sign as they've taken her out of her other races and moved Iberico) or aucunrisque (one of the handicap droppers)
No Ordinary Joe or Doddiethegreat (whichever looks most likely to run, but safest bet right now would be Joe)

All look quite solid chances except maybe aucunrisque but he's back on his betfair hurdle mark I think and may have been lined up for this by a trainer I like.

Will no better on Saturday. 6 day entries