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2026 Gold Cup

Lobos said:
One race at a time but if he wins the Betfair Chase then he'll not be 100/1 to win in March. I do think Haydock will really suit him.
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25s tops if he wins that. I have him at 66s and am happy with that in a race that looks like it is lacking serious depth away from the top of the market.
 
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Yosser said:
25s tops if he wins that. I have him at 66s and am happy with that in a race that looks like it is lacking serious depth away from the top of the market.
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The more I think about last season's Gold Cup, the less I like it.
 
Haiti Coleurs entered in Pertemps Qualifier at Aintree Saturday.
 
Rebecca Curtis.....

“I put him in at Carlisle but two and a half isn’t really his ideal trip. I just felt with the Charlie Hall on good ground, you are putting a gun to his head early in the season in a race like that against some of the entries I saw.
“I would say it’s unlikely he will run this weekend unless there’s some rain. Although he’s gone on goodish ground in the past, I just think we’ve got bigger targets for him later in the season and you don’t want to be putting him under any risks on his first run.
“If he doesn’t go out this weekend, it’ll likely be a spin over hurdles at Newbury on November 6 or Aintree on November 8 in one of those Pertemps qualifiers. It’s just about getting a prep run into him really for when he goes for either the Coral Gold Cup or the Betfair Chase.
“We’ve been really pleased with him at home and we’re still in October so there is no mad rush to get him out for the sake of it. We’ll see and maybe the heavens will open by the end of the week and I might think differently.”
 
He could still be really well handicapped so they could well go for the Coral Gold Cup and as BTT said, running over Hurdles would protect his mark.
 
Lobos said:
The more I think about last season's Gold Cup, the less I like it.
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How did the winner beat GDC based upon the two previous races against the Champ before the festival?

Either the winner has improved 20lb or GDC just didn’t run his race……look at how close the also rans were to GDC……..shouldn’t have been that close on his previous GC form
 
Istabraq said:
Makes a heap of sense that...
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Why would you need to protect a horses rating if you were aiming for winning G1 races this season?

And is the modern trend to get GC winners from the Hennessy?
 
Wayward Lad said:
Drifted out to 100/1 on PP and Sky from best price 66/1 beforehand

Another example IMO where media and bookmakers have over reacted and gifted opportunity

Let’s judge this horse on his next runs over trips and ground that better suits him, rather than his first run of the season, over a trip way to short and ground that may have been faster than he wants…..

I doubt there will be many this side of the Irish Sea with better chances of winning the GC come March 2026
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Yeah, I need to stick to my guns here. I told myself at the start of the season to shortlist horses I like the big races through the season, and continue to back them for a future target. Prep runs, ground not suiting, trip not suiting. I was harsh after seeing Handstands over the weekend, but I went into the race not really seeing this as a prep for bigger and better later on.
Early lesson, stick to the plan, unless the selection is injured or cant jump
 
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Wayward Lad said:
How did the winner beat GDC based upon the two previous races against the Champ before the festival?

Either the winner has improved 20lb or GDC just didn’t run his race……look at how close the also rans were to GDC……..shouldn’t have been that close on his previous GC form
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Yep. Just don't think the race was all that. I know it sounds ridiculous with a dual winner in 2nd but , as you say, the horses sandwich around him to me weren't great. I might be proved wrong but I'm happy to go with it until proved otherwise 😂

I reckon it'll be a Gold Cup virgin year again.
 
opatcho said:
Yeah, I need to stick to my guns here. I told myself at the start of the season to shortlist horses I like the big races through the season, and continue to back them for a future target. Prep runs, ground not suiting, trip not suiting. I was harsh after seeing Handstands over the weekend, but I went into the race not really seeing this as a prep for bigger and better later on.
Early lesson, stick to the plan, unless the selection is injured or cant jump
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As Maximus would say…..’Hold the Line’ ! 👍

Also ask yourself how many races did Inothewayurthikin win before the GC last year?
 
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Wayward Lad said:
Why would you need to protect a horses rating if you were aiming for winning G1 races this season?

And is the modern trend to get GC winners from the Hennessy?
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I appreciate this is the Gold Cup thread but I've said previously I don't think this one will be good enough (not this season anyway) to be competitive in that race so my comment was aimed more at the plan to target the Pertemps at the festival as a prep for the National.
I've also said many times I don't look at these shores for a Gold Cup winner and until the trends tell me otherwise my eyes are firmly fixed across the Irish Sea...
 
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Who would be your current fancy in the GC Ista??
 
Lobos said:
Who would be your current fancy in the GC Ista??
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Good question.
In terms of who I think could win I’d have to start with Galopin, in terms of value I think the BANC form from last season is being wildly disrespected and Lecky Watson and Stellar Story are ridiculous prices, I also think Gaelic Warrior offers some value because of the unknown, last years winner I think was flattered by an underperforming Galopin and ground he’s unlikely to get again this season.
At a push if I saw signs if life from Gerri Colombe I may be tempted by him but I think that’s about it, right now if the UK have a runner (and it’s not impossible we don’t), I don’t think we threaten the top six….
 
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What about Jango Baie? Henderson is flirting with the idea of 3m for him this year and he devoured the hill at Cheltenham in the Arkle. He jumps nicely and hasn’t really had a bad race, except for Aintree where he injured himself. Granted he could go for the Ryanair but I suspect, if the horse tells them 3m+ is within range, this will become the target. He’s 40-1
 
Cheltenham Novice Chase said:
What about Jango Baie?
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Certainly falls into the ‘who knows/could be anything’ catagory, if he was a proper stayer I’d have expected him to try 3m by now.
And the Gold Cup isn’t a standard 3m chase, it’s 2.5 furlongs further than that on a stamina sapping course against proper G1 horses, I know it’s been done before but as a rule I think that’s a step too far for Arkle horses…
 
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