Biggest fancy so far for Cheltenham

Hard to say, but if forced, Imperial Commander.

No idea why Denman would reverse the form (I don't buy the freshness angle - last yr they were convinced he needed the AON as a preparatory, as he'd had the yr he won it), Kauto is going to have a slog in very soft ground on Saturday, who knows what will hapepn after that, and none of the youngsters appear to have reached (or yet be capable of reaching) the required level of form. If Imperial Commander returns in the same form (not having the same preparation is a slight concern) i see no reason why he should be beaten.

My big fancy would be Big Zeb too. I think he is a serious beast who is improving. I think we might see something really special from Hurricane Fly too, I have a feeling he's gonna be a multiple winner. But we'll only find that out on the day.


Also Kauto will love the slow ground at kempton RC, he's a big slowboat these days. Don't want him outpaced by younger quicker horses. Between IC and Kauto in the Gold Cup imv. And as yet no race has left it's mark on him. Especially this far from the festival.

knight pass in the bumper the way he quickens when asked makes me think the cheltenham hill will suit just perfect-not much from ireland so far me thinks as traders from one leading irish book only let me have 20 pounds on

Time for Rupert RSA for me.

Only doubt is if thats the route he takes

Can't see TFR running in any other festival race other than the RSA Bhudda. An out and out stayer

Think your right Willie.

Hard to see anything beating him.

Time for Rupert meet the new boss

Toss up between TFR,BZ and Finians Rainbow.If Pushed would say TFR.

if hurricane fly turns up to the festival this year, think it would take alot of beating

problem with HF is none of us know how good he is.Bit like most of his opposition!!

True, we'll only find out on the day if Hurricane Fly is the real deal. I've always believed in him. I'm gonna be there to see him run too. I've never seen him lose, well he's only ever lost once here anyway.

think hf is real dael but when you look keeps beating the same horses in ireland.

Not much else he can do though is there? He can only beat the horses he'll face. At least each win over Solwhit has become more impressive. Hopefully he hammers his by a good distance next time. To show he's improving.

Though he had hammered Go Native twice who's beaten Binocular twice.

I personally think Fly is something really special. Hopefully we'll all see that in March.

HF could be very special but the CH does look a really hard race this season. There are at least 4 could win it. HF, Menorah, Peddlars Cross and Binocular and thats before looking at Dunguib, Kyber Kim Oscar Whiskey. It is goona be the race of the meeting.

Good to see someone championing Big Zeb!

FWIW Despite the fact that it is unlikely to happen, I can seriously see all the championship races being retained this year...
And there's some good value in most of them.

Quevega to do what she does in the mare's race biggest fancy - well, her and Big Bucks (obvious I know - wonder what the double pays?).

Biggest fancies in terms of having most confidence about them winning.

Was amazed when two "experts" in the post put up cue card as the worst value of the meeting.He is a long way clear of anything i've seen in the novice division and how anyone could crab his run behind menorah last time is beyond me.He looks solid value

Hurricane Fly,convinced this is the best for some time.

Moai Chinn Tire for the Triumph Hurdle. 50/1 after winning a listed race by 9L beating Grandouet 15/1 by 15L.

That is a fair shout orion.

Cue Card, stone bonking certainty

BIG BUCKS (6/4, 5/4, 11/10. EVS, 10/11, 4/5, 4/6 ANTEPOST)WIN WIN THE WORLD HURDLE (BANKER OF 2011 ALONG WITH FRANKEL IN THE 2000 GUINEAS). TIME FOR RUPERT WILL RUN AND WILL WIN THE RSA CHASE.MASTER MINDED ON GOOD//SOFT GROUND WILL WIN THE CHAMPION CHASE.

i agree with the original poster regarding big zeb,one point about woolcombe folly in the arkle,the horse was a well backed outsider but suffered a bad fall schooling a few days before tha arkle,no confidence behind him after that.

Agree with said tipsters. Cue Card - worst value. Strong traveller but looked a little one dimensional in the last race. It's a shame he hasn't run against anything decent novice wise to give a steer on his novice form. But Menorah went past him like he was stationary last time, in a race that didn't play to Menorah's strengths and Silviniaco Conti was unfancied that day. It makes his form look much better than I think it really is. Surely going to get done for toe by something - perhaps we haven't even seen it yet but i reckon there's something quick lurking in a stable somewhere where there are green fields.

Best value/bet - Not 100% decided yet but Binocular should still be favourite for the Champion Hurdle, one mediocre run behind very good horses first time out maketh not a faded champion. Just look at the time he clocked last year :-0 astonishing. Also like Dare Me for Neptune (or Supreme, but preferably Neptune), can be backed at massive win prices and trainer has won both races with unflashy types.

Cue Card might not have beaten anything decent novice wise but he gave last year's Supreme winner, top weight Greatwood winner and big fancy for this year's Champion Hurdle a good run last time out. Silviniaco Conti and Clerk's Choice in behind are no mugs either, and he did it at Cheltenham

It is for me the best piece of 2m novice hurdling form around by a distance.

That just shows how over rated the bula win for Menorah is rather than anything else imv.

Backing short priced favs for the supreme. Not a chance in hell. I'd rather play one ew thank you very much.

sailors warne for the fred winter if it runs which i think it will owner/trainer had alexander severus a few years ago gambled on the day and wasnt far away same kind of profile as sailors warne imo

If you insist CV

Poquelin - Ryanair. Fits the profile seen within recent winners.

Still not convinced with Cue card either. It's form with Menorah does indeed read well, but last years bumper form is beginning to look a little iffy with Megastar and Al Ferof proving bitterly disappointing so far. As for Menorah, it has not yet proved he is in the same league as Binocular, Kyber Kim, Peddlars Cross and Hurricane Fly.

Every time I look I think Albertas Run is a big price for the Ryanair - appreciate he's ground dependent and needs to prove he's none the worse for the crashing fall last time (when still going pretty well,imo) but the way he jumped at Cheltenham and Aintree last Spring left an indelible impression.

Ryanair does look like it might be a stronger race this year but if you think Bioncular is good value for CH at 5/1 based on his performance last year (and I could buy into that theory) then you must fancy Alberta's Run at twice the odds in places on a similar basis surely? CH also looks stronger race this year.

While I'm not a Cue Card backer, to crab his credentials based on the exploits of those behind in the Bumper seems a little harsh- it's not as if he was all out to beat them by half a length, in which case I'd understand that the form of those behind might have a bearing on Cue Card's actual ability. It was quite the opposite, he blew them away and was clearly vastly better than anything else.

Not crabbing CC bumper win Joist, just the form of the horses in behind. He looked miles better than the opposition last year, and still is. He also has the best nov hdl form on offer so far. It's just I think at 5-2 he is short enough and the Supreme has a habit of throwing up a big priced winner, of getting a short priced jolly beat.

agree about menorah beating two novices, may well be high class, but still novices and then was suddenly ch fav, seems silly to me.

Fair enough Willie. It just seemed a bit irrelevant to consider the form of horses so vastly inferior to Cue Card as a pointer to CC's ability.

I do agree that 5/2 is plenty short enough at this stage.

Go back 12 months and look at Dunguib - His bumper worked out pretty well (Right of Passage/ Quel Espirit/ several other 140+ horses in behind) and he couldn't get it done in the Supreme (ok he didn't jump amazingly and the ride he got was questionable) although imo he is a vastly superior horse to Cue Card at bumper and novice hurdle stages of his career .

Don't think the bumper is a viable form guide for the Supreme at all, there's bits and pieces of form from in behind (Dare Me, Megastar [both bumper and hurdles runs since] with Shot from the Hip, Hidden Universe and Made in Time winning maiden hurdles), but nothing at all in graded hurdles from any of them bar Megastar (beaten). So although he slammed them, does that superiority translate into 5/2 over an entirely different bunch of horses in the Supreme considering what he has done over hurdles? The only reason he is quite so strong in the market is that there isn't a novice yet that has done anything to usurp him - but there will be.

And just a note on the form with Menorah, who clocked a time vs. Cue Card (on the other course) relatively 3s slower than he did in the Supreme with 3lb less on his back on similar ground. This is not detriment to Menorah, who in this case didn't have the race run to suit (clear evidence that he runs best off a very strong pace, having been beaten in slowly run novice hurdles twice last season and best ever run in strongest pace he's faced), more that the 4 1/2l Cue Card was beaten by isn't a fair reflection of the superiority Menorah has over him. But then again does this year's Supreme have horses like Menorah and Dunguib in it? At the moment, clearly not.

On two that have been championed already. Big Zeb hasn't put a foot wrong and will go to Cheltenham with the same prep as last year.

Poquelin looks and improved horse this yr based in his win in the Vote AP Chase where he was 12llb higher (or 18) than previous yr. He has an exceptional record over C&D! Looks a very solid ew bet

Ghazio looks like he has all the credentials for the Arkle, nimble and fast over fences and a CD win !!!

Medermit for the ankle( hopefully thats the route they take)it looks to be a poor year for novices so far

Gashboy13-interested to read your views on cue card.Little bit suprised as how you came to the conclusion that Silviniaco conti was unfancied for the bula though.Unfancied by whom excactly?wasn't he 5-2 for the race and came into the race unbeaten and on the back of two wide margin wins in grade2 company?

time for rupert jumps, acts on the track, 2 1/2 lengths behind big bucks last year! good form with hells bay rev and chicago! 14/1 looking nice now.

rymattock - I agree with you totally on that. I have nothing bad to say to you at the moment.

MC - unfancied in that he took a big drift on the day of the race.

Menorah in the Champion Hurdle. Slow pace - will do them for speed - and fast pace also plays into strengths as horse is a strong stayer. Likes the course and is an uncomplicated ride. Only soft ground stops him

Bosra Shame - You just could be right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ......................................... but you won't be lol

Hurricane Fly. Impressed since i first saw him run. Hoping he be at Cheltenham.

like to see mm in the ryanair

If it's very quick ground he'll run in the Ryanair. Horse is a galloper and has no gears but stays well. Zero chance that it'll be very quick though given they water.

Just the one, the Commander again.

No! We want to see Master Minded in the Champion Chase. The Ryanair maybe next year you muppet!

I have a feeling rUPERT WILL WIN THE OLLD PILLAR AND THE OWNERS MAY HAVE A PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS ALBET IT A NICE ONE.

Finians Rainbow.

i agree with Howdi,can see TFR winning the Argento & going for the Gold Cup.......

Time For Rupert better not run in the Gold Cup. I am sure he will run in the RSA Chase. He's only young, it's a sensible route this season and tackle the big league next year.

Gloria Victis, Therealbandit just two examples of why novices are out of their depth against the best experienced chasers around. I am pretty sure Time For Rupert's connections dont want to destroy his career barely as it has started.

Denman has shown there is a lot of nonsense spoken about the RSA by comparison. Got his jumping spot on in his novice season culminating in an impressive RSA win. The next season he took that experience into the Hennessy and then the Gold Cup and has had a long lasting career. Wonder if they might have had another demoralised horse or even fatality if they had gone for Gold too early and missed out on the excellent career he has had.

There will be a few on here taking 20 quid at 100 for him the Gold Cup on here and demanding he runs in the Festival build up who wont give 2 sh1ts about the horses well-being or future that's for sure ... it happens every year there is a good novice.

Eric Morris - that is a sensible comment. I totally agree with you on that. I haven't heard many other people talking sense on here. He should stay in novice company this season and go for bigger things next year. That is what the connections should stand by. Plus Kauto, Denman and Imperial Commander are still there this year so no need to rush the young horse.

Floyd you are clearly "special"....can i have an ew antepost yankee from you for chelts, need a view from your razor sharp intellect

Yes, sure.

Zaidpour (Supreme Novices Hurdle)@ 8/1
Voler La Vedette (D. Nicholson Mares Hurdle) @ 5/1
Brampour (Triumph Hurdle) @ 12/1
Denman (Gold Cup) @ 8/1

All certain to finish at least in the frame.

many thanks...ddefinitely an oracle........when you gonna put manny in his place?

eric and floyd, together at last

why would master minded go for the rynair or indeed stay the trip...was beaten in france at 2m4f and at aintree by voy por no less,i knowthe as they age they stay better arguement but so far he hasnt run over the trip since his defeat at aintree so im wondering why people think he could go that direction if the ground comes up good to soft at chelt to avoid big zeb.??

oh and cue card for the supreme is my biggest fancy atm.

I am not Mayweather.