2025 Gold Cup

[Kevloaf]

How good must Fact To File be, if he split the yard in terms of them thinking he'd win it this year if some are close to calling GDC the greatest of all time


I hope to goodness he gets close at the weekend - them clashing and alternating wins is better than GDC just thrashing him, for excitement anyway....


I'm with Rooster Booster though, I can't get distracted I've not even tidied up my 365 account yet with them NRNB all races ....

[Lobos]

As triple winners go, if he won again he'd be above Best Mate for me but imo he'd be a fair way behind Dessie as best Gold Cup winners. Everything you can imagine was against him that day but he still somehow won. He was the most versatile of all the horses I have ever seen. RH, LH, Fast ground, Deep ground, giving 2 stone to top rated horses in Handicaps. He won a Kingwell Hurdle, Tingle Creek, 4 time King George winner, Gold Cup, Irish Grand National ........he was an incredible once in a lifetime horse.

[archie]

There's no denying Desert Orchid's overall quality and longevity but GDC would, in my opinion, beat him comfortably in an imaginary Gold Cup just as DO would be a comfortable winner in the King George.

[Quevega]

Yep when I mentioned GDC being the best ever earlier I was meaning as a Gold cup horse.
Overall best horse is hard to judge, and he's a bit old to be going and winning tingle creeks and king george's now but he would have done so had they tried IMO.
In fact he'd be favourite for the King George 2025 if he entered.

[ComplyOrDie]

Willie Mullins with 5 of the 9 runners in the Irish Gold Cup at the DRF.

No major omissions.

[Eggs]

Jockey JJ Slevin says Banbridge is being trained for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup following his King George success at Kempton.

Joseph O'Brien's horse stepped up in trip to three miles for the first time at Kempton and options including the Ryanair Chase over 2m5f were left open for him at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, it looks like he is all set for the Friday showpiece now with Slevin saying in his William Hill blog: "The plan, as far as I know, is that Banbridge will now go for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"We will be hoping for a dry week as ever with him, but I think he is going to have a crack at the Gold Cup. He is fresh and well at home as it has been a few weeks since the King George.

"I think it is the right thing to do and have a go at the Gold Cup. He has won a William Hill Champion Chase over two miles at Punchestown and a King George over three miles at Kempton, and not too many horses can do that in open company.

"I think we could serve it up to them in the Gold Cup if conditions are right. He is an exciting horse to be hopefully going out and getting jocked up on in the Gold Cup. He has been a great horse for the yard, and it will be interesting to see what happens."

[Many Clouds]

Jockey JJ Slevin says Banbridge is being trained for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup following his King George success at Kempton.

Joseph O'Brien's horse stepped up in trip to three miles for the first time at Kempton and options including the Ryanair Chase over 2m5f were left open for him at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, it looks like he is all set for the Friday showpiece now with Slevin saying in his William Hill blog: "The plan, as far as I know, is that Banbridge will now go for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"We will be hoping for a dry week as ever with him, but I think he is going to have a crack at the Gold Cup. He is fresh and well at home as it has been a few weeks since the King George.

"I think it is the right thing to do and have a go at the Gold Cup. He has won a William Hill Champion Chase over two miles at Punchestown and a King George over three miles at Kempton, and not too many horses can do that in open company.

"I think we could serve it up to them in the Gold Cup if conditions are right. He is an exciting horse to be hopefully going out and getting jocked up on in the Gold Cup. He has been a great horse for the yard, and it will be interesting to see what happens."

Is Banbridge going for the Gold Cup? Don't think he mentioned it in the article.

[Kevloaf]

Is Banbridge going for the Gold Cup? Don't think he mentioned it in the article.

I think it's Kevin Blake that said it's the intended target?



and brilliant decision win or lose IMO - the King George winner should try and win the Gold Cup, every season they can.

[Eggs]

…Mullins;

The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup features another clash between two of our stable stars. Galopin Des Champs comes back to a track that he clearly loves and he appears to be in good form at home, but the same comments apply to Fact To File, he’s in great shape as well. It should be a great race.

Embassy; He put up a great front-running display over two-mile-five in Tramore on very testing conditions. It will be interesting to see how he handles this step up in class.

[Many Clouds]

I think it's Kevin Blake that said it's the intended target?



and brilliant decision win or lose IMO - the King George winner should try and win the Gold Cup, every season they can.

Yeh i agree mate, was just jesting because he mentioned the Gold Cup about 400 times.

[ComplyOrDie]

Embassy; He put up a great front-running display over two-mile-five in Tramore on very testing conditions. It will be interesting to see how he handles this step up in class.

Can someone clarify. I went back and looked at the form on the racing post for Monty's Star, thinking it was 2m5f and the RP have it down as 2m7f?

[Kevloaf]

Yeh i agree mate, was just jesting because he mentioned the Gold Cup about 400 times.

hahahaha ooooh

Whooops

[DenmanSacre]

Can someone clarify. I went back and looked at the form on the racing post for Monty's Star, thinking it was 2m5f and the RP have it down as 2m7f?

It's Tramore - could have ran over 2m5, could have ran over 3m. Think the years ABP won, he'd have been running as quick as the milers on the flat (or quicker) if he ran over the advertised distance at the time he clocked.

[Lobos]

…Mullins;

The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup features another clash between two of our stable stars. Galopin Des Champs comes back to a track that he clearly loves and he appears to be in good form at home, but the same comments apply to Fact To File, he’s in great shape as well. It should be a great race.

Embassy; He put up a great front-running display over two-mile-five in Tramore on very testing conditions. It will be interesting to see how he handles this step up in class.

Think Willie would be livid if F2F goes Ryanair. He'd dearly love a 1-2-3 in the Gold Cup which wouldn't be out of the question.

[darlojim]

Think Willie would be livid if F2F goes Ryanair. He'd dearly love a 1-2-3 in the Gold Cup which wouldn't be out of the question.

Willie livid at festival winners, no chance.