Ladbroke Trophy (Hennessy)

[Saxon Warrior]

After Aramon In the galway hurdle i now need TOTG then itll be onto easysland for a few bags! If he is to win the gold cup then surely hes good enough to winthis carrying top weight

Good Luck Ray. he is usually better for a run, so PN should be looking for a prep that doesnt lead to an increase in weight/rating.

[Eggs]

Good Luck Ray. he is usually better for a run, so PN should be looking for a prep that doesnt lead to an increase in weight/rating.

...TopoftheGame has won first time out for Nicholls after breaks of 264 and 77 days.

Another break of 264 days saw it fall ‘tracking the leader 4 out’ and it also finished 2nd after a 268 day gap (despite being left behind and detached at the start).

[Saxon Warrior]

...TopoftheGame has won first time out for Nicholls after breaks of 264 and 77 days.

Another break of 264 days saw it fall ‘tracking the leader 4 out’ and it also finished 2nd after a 268 day gap (despite being left behind and detached at the start).

Yep, he can win after a gap.

I was checking out the first season starts, and it’s:-
Dec 16) 1st by a Short Head (improved 10lbs on his 2nd start)
Nov 17) Fell
Jan 18 - after break from Fall) 4th (improved 6lbs next time out)
Dec 18) 2nd by 3&1/2 lengths (improved 18lbs next time out).

I would think that most of the top horses would improve for a start, and TOTG fits that profile too.

He may be good enough to win off a rating of 164 at the top of the handicap first time out, and that could be the plan.

[Kevloaf]

Update on the odds:

[Kevloaf]

I thought I'd backed TOTG in a single for this ante post but I haven't.

Just the 150/1 for him to follow up in the Gold Cup.



Personally, at 8/1, it's very easy to look elsewhere for the winner, as much as I'd like him to win it.

[Kevloaf]

Top jumps trainers Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Emma Lavelle have all welcomed the announcement this year’s Ladbrokes Trophy will be run at the value of £200,000.

Lavelle confirmed her stable stars De Rasher Counter and Paisley Park are both on course to defend their respective Newbury titles in the Ladbrokes Trophy and Long Distance Hurdle at the end of November.

Nicholls is planning to target the famous Grade Three handicap chase first time out with his long-absent Cheltenham Festival winner Topofthegame.

Both voiced their support for the efforts of the sponsors and Newbury for the prize money available in the 2020 Ladbrokes Trophy – which will be 80 per cent of last year’s value, while the Long Distance Hurdle remains at £50,000, at a time when so many are struggling to finance races because of the dire economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Newbury clerk of the course Keith Otteson also confirmed it is hoped a crowd will be in place to cheer home the winners at Newbury’s two-day Ladbrokes Winter Carnival, following the announcement this week that the first trials for the return of public attendance on courses will take place next month.

Total prize money for the meeting will be £530,000, 76 per cent of last year’s value, and Lavelle said: “This is another step in the right direction in terms of returning to near normal levels of prize money, and it’s positive to see this announcement from Newbury and Ladbrokes.

“Both De Rasher Counter and Paisley Park are back in work – and all being well, will head to Newbury to defend their titles in their respective races come the end of November.”

Nicholls said: “It’s good to see £200,000 on offer for the Ladbrokes Trophy under the current climate.

“It’s one of the most prestigious races of the jumps calendar – and all being well, I’ll be hoping to do a ‘Denman’ with Topofthegame by taking him there first time out this season.”

Denman, a dual winner of the great race, did so on his first start outside of novice company in 2007.

Henderson has won three editions, and said: “Newbury and Ladbrokes have to be congratulated on the news of their prize-money levels for their Festival weekend, as we need to keep moving in the right direction in these challenging times.

“Being able to nearly hold prize money to their pre-pandemic levels for the Ladbrokes Trophy, and last year’s value for the Long Distance Hurdle, is extremely welcoming news for everybody.

“These are challenging times for everybody, so this is not only welcome news but a good example of what can be achieved – and is much needed and appreciated.”

Otteson added: “This is a significant investment in prize money for our flagship jumps meeting during a very uncertain time for the business and the industry, which we hope will be welcomed and supported by the horsemen.

“We would like to record our thanks to Ladbrokes for their ongoing support, along with the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust. We are hopeful of being able to welcome crowds back here again for the meeting – and although to what level is unknown, the planning is well under way, and we are really looking forward it"

[Hurricane fly]

This probably my naivety about the levy etc but how is it that France are offering to retrospective increase prize money that is already higher than ours, even places like Germany and Turkey are offering much bigger prices and yet we constantly get told

at a time when so many are struggling to finance races because of the dire economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

[Istabraq]

Many countries have central betting (pari mutual) which is government/racing owned, in the UK betting is dominated by separate businesses who do not contribute sufficiently into the levy, furthermore unless I’m mistaken one of the current forma of funding from bookies is a fixed sum per shop and of course there have been thousands of closures since the restriction on betting machines.
There’s plenty more involved but racings finances aren’t in a great place right now...

[Ray]

After a result today ive backed Topofthegame in a single, glad i finally got him backed would of hated to miss the price looking through the betting im not convinced anything will beat him if hes good to go!

[archie]

I've tried really hard but I can't understand the love for Topofthegame and the comparison with Denman. Denman went to Newbury off 161 as the RSA winner and unbeaten in 5 over fences. TOTG will have had 18 months off and will be off 164 having won one in five chases.

8/1 before the entries and weights have been seen is bonkers.

[Hurricane fly]

I’d be shocked if TOTG goes off 164.

Horses with over a year off typically get their mark dropped for handicaps, at least to my memory some of Willies have at Cheltenham

[Kevloaf]

I've tried really hard but I can't understand the love for Topofthegame and the comparison with Denman. Denman went to Newbury off 161 as the RSA winner and unbeaten in 5 over fences. TOTG will have had 18 months off and will be off 164 having won one in five chases.

8/1 before the entries and weights have been seen is bonkers.

You can't understand?

Do you want another try first?

Are you just being polite?




Same owners, same trainer and both RSA winners? You must be able to fathom the comparison?

What you mean is, you don't think TOTG will win the Ladbrokes Trophy?




People are hoping the RSA winner, who has the beating of Santini on that run, would be a viable Gold Cup contender. The collateral form of that is clear as your dislike for Gordon Elliott or Presenting Percy

So if he is, he'd need to be going very close at Newbury.




Not hard to see why people love it? The number of wins on the way is pretty moot given the rating at the Novice Chase peak too (if you believe the ratings)






That said, I posted higher up that at 8/1 it's easy to look elsewhere for this race, but I'd love to see him win it

[Faugheen_Machine]

I've tried really hard but I can't understand the love for Topofthegame and the comparison with Denman. Denman went to Newbury off 161 as the RSA winner and unbeaten in 5 over fences. TOTG will have had 18 months off and will be off 164 having won one in five chases.

8/1 before the entries and weights have been seen is bonkers.

If TOTG is going to be a player in the Gold Cup then he'd need to be competitive off the rating of 164.

He may not win but it's fairly obvious why he's top of the market and PFN has already stated this is his early season target. Is there a better target trainer out there?

I wouldn't be surprised if he started at half his current odds.

[Saxon Warrior]

Denman won the Hennessy at 5/1 as a 7yo on his next start after winning the RSA by 10 lengths.

TOTG due to the Santini/Delta Work form-link and being trained by PN, is the natural choice for favouritism.

I would think there is a betting push for him that would lead to him go off shorter than Denman did on his first run out of novice company.

His price reflects that back story and that PN has stated its his first run back.

When the entries come out there will be plenty of horses getting a lot of weight from TOTG, which will make the betting market for the race much more interesting.

FWIW I like the Ladbroke Trophy as a good opportunity for Milan Native (OR 149), but I've no idea if Gordon Elliott thinks its a good plan to come over.
His Festival handicap prep (plot?) and win has had a lot less chat than many of his other handicap successes/near successes at the 2020 meeting.

[Spectre]

I think you guys have summed it up well for me. TOTG is a nice antepost horse to have for the race if you were on early enough (I was), and will go off in the 4/1-5/1 range. So he’ll either be a nice price on the day, or a decent trade, depending on how the race looks.

It’ll be interesting to see the decs, or even earlier hearing trainers coming out stating their intention to run, because it’ll be easy to get a handle on their horse when we know TOTG is running off 164. I’ve got my eye on a few, so I hope to be able to get stuck into some decent horses off feather weights that’ll be available early at decent prices.