2025 Novice Chasers

[Carnage at Taunton]

Still think Croke Park is the classier of the Gordon runners. He's comfortably their number 1 BANC horse after today. Still won't be good enough to trouble the top 2 though.

He’s a non runner I thought?

[Lobos]

He’s a non runner I thought?

Wouldn't think so after today

[Carnage at Taunton]

Wouldn't think so after today

So all of a sudden GE thinks he stays well enough
after today??

[Cheltenham Novice Chase]

Completely disagree. They are a fair way ahead imo.

Both things can be true you know. The Mullins horses can be a fair way ahead of the opposition and still be underpriced.

[Rooster Booster]

So all of a sudden GE thinks he stays well enough
after today??

Ignore him. He’s on a Debbie downer because apparently the forum forced him to back BDA under duress even though he knew he was shit and now he has been proved right he’s on a mission to repeat ad nauseum that it’s now a two horse race. Thank fuck he has those two covered that’s all I can say

[ComplyOrDie]

Elliott said: “Better Days Ahead wasn’t doing a stroke in front. It wasn’t ideal, he needs something to make it. Jordan (Gainford on Three Card Brag) took him along for as long as he could and probably ran a good race in his own right, Jordan’s lad.

Was apparent LTO too when he ran on against Croke Park once he realised he had something to run alongside.

Just watched the replay, and maybe it's just me but right after the line it looks as though he goes again once he realises Stellar Story is coming upside.

Not a great trait to have. He'll not want to get left behind at any point in the BANC otherwise he'll struggle to make up ground having nothing to race with.

[Craigy14]

You can look at it two ways I suppose

Stellar Story surprised them today and booked his place in the BANC, and with a festival win in his pocket he's a worthy challenger to the perceived better horse they have in Better Days Ahead - who still got the job done


Or, Stellar Story today means Elliott doesn't have something good enough to win in


History has told us that hurdles form is only part of the answer, so Dancing City in particular shouldn't be written off (I know no-one is) but arguably is he 'too short' ... and we know he's likely to be the stable number 2 on jockey bookings



It's a very interesting race still - which is great - long live Jack Richards

Can’t argue with that.

I like Dancing city as well, just felt it would be premature to right off Stellar Story, who’s a festival winner. You could say Dancing City maybe has more ability, not debating that. Just think it Stellar Story gets his conditions he could have a chance, as per the spud race last year.

Who makes the running now The Jukebox Man is out. One of WPM’s I’m assuming? Surely PT doesn’t try and make all on Ballyburn.

[Rooster Booster]

Was apparent LTO too when he ran on against Croke Park once he realised he had something to run alongside.

Just watched the replay, and maybe it's just me but right after the line it looks as though he goes again once he realises Stellar Story is coming upside.

Not a great trait to have. He'll not want to get left behind at any point in the BANC otherwise he'll struggle to make up ground having nothing to race with.

No I noticed it too and it won’t be lost on connections. I suspect they could have run another furlong or more and SS still wouldn’t have got passed. Probably a minority view on here from the posts I’ve read but that’s my personal view.

[Lobos]

So all of a sudden GE thinks he stays well enough
after today??

He stays well enough, thinks it's down to who he thinks is better of the two and ATM it's CP in my view.

[ComplyOrDie]

No I noticed it too and it won’t be lost on connections. I suspect they could have run another furlong or more and SS still wouldn’t have got passed. Probably a minority view on here from the posts I’ve read but that’s my personal view.

To be honest, I was pretty down beat after the race but having read what Gordon said then watching the race back gave me a little more encouragement than what I took from the original visuals when watching it live.

Something to cling on to at least, until he does the same in the BANC

[Quevega]

He stays well enough, thinks it's down to who he thinks is better of the two and ATM it's CP in my view.

That’s contradictory

[Rooster Booster]

To be honest, I was pretty down beat after the race but having read what Gordon said then watching the race back gave me a little more encouragement than what I took from the original visuals when watching it live.

Something to cling on to at least, until he does the same in the BANC

Yeah I wasn’t downbeat at all. Had SS gone by I would have been, but watching live I thought I noticed him pull away again but because the camera angle was not ideal I rewound 3 or 4 times and this confirmed it to me. I think if the camera angle had been sideways on and not behind them I think this would have been noticed more widespread and folks would have concluded that he just dossed in front. It reminded me of F2F and Spillanes but because the camera angle was more informative on that occasion everybody could see more clearly that F2F pulled out more when Spillanes got to his quarters.

[Carnage at Taunton]

He stays well enough, thinks it's down to who he thinks is better of the two and ATM it's CP in my view.

Well GE says he don’t which is really quite important!!
And fwiw I agree with him having watched his races

[Carnage at Taunton]

No I noticed it too and it won’t be lost on connections. I suspect they could have run another furlong or more and SS still wouldn’t have got passed. Probably a minority view on here from the posts I’ve read but that’s my personal view.

Minority maybe, but prices have a habit of being kinder in that regard !!
Anyway don’t think he was ever going to pass BDA, so agree

[Craigy14]

Not sure if couple posts are aimed at me regarding Stellar Story I’ve not even backed him just felt like he possibly had as much chance as Dancing City if conditions were right.

Ive not watched the race today but seen the result and most seemed to mention SS coming out better than BDA, I assumed because he was giving 5lbs to his stablemate.