Early Gold Cup reflections

If Long Run improves with age and experience like you would expect then he has the race at his mercy for the forseeable future. Maybe he can out do Kauto and win 4 King Georges and 4 Gold Cups

Personally don't think the form will stack up. LR beat 2 horses that are past their best and others that failed to run their race.

Twonky,that was the best Gold Cup you will ever see.

Mon Parrain will be Nicholls next star

Long Run is only going to get better.

Cant believe someone offer 6/1 about a repeat.

Weapons Amnesty, Burton Port and Diamond Harry all beat Long Run and Denman but were absent from the race today, food for thought.

they beat him when he was 5yo, though, when he had spent the previous 18 months slogging around France in the mud.

Id be amazed if any of those said horses could beat him again,tbh

Weapons amnesty will spunk all over Long run again next March.

Weapons Amnesty did beat Long Run pretty well though and he hasn't had the chance to show improvement.

Personally thought Denman ran a cracker on ground genuinely a stride to quick for him and i'd rate this as his next best GC after his 2008.I'm sure he more or less ran to his rating as well,so much for being in decline.

LR a massively improved talent(who didnt have his ground either)and brilliant winner.

For me one of the greatest GC's i've ever seen and the roar of the crowd when Denman goes head to head with Kauto 3 out was something to behold(even on a tv screen!)

KS ran a blinder on his best ground and though brave and game i hope they'll retire him gracefully after maybe one more race.

just watched it again, agree KS gave everything but was going up and down on the spot at the end - maybe the Whitbread as a finale if he comes out of the race well but would be happy enough if they retired him.

Denman got a bit more left in the locker I think.

I think Kauto almost came to a stop as they approached the last. I think the Wind Op worked wonders on Denman, will be interested if Kauto has the same op in the Summer and then runs off 11-8 in the Hennessy fto. Denman on top weight.

Might not Kauto go for the Whitbread??

Yeah might do but he's been entered in that for the past 2 years and didn't run. He can retire after running in it next year, most runners in it are old enough. It depends if they want to go for the Hennessy or not. If they do then he'll be a non runner.

when its announced tghat denman and kauto retire part of me will go with them legends the pair of them

IMO Nicholls has a new star, Mon Parrain jumped better than any horse ive seen on a British Debut at Sandown last saturday

Looked so natural

Wasn't that off 138 or something though ?

Mr Eboue .. i'd wager quite heavily WA would not beat LR again.

If the King George had not been rearranged by 3 weeks LR would have won it as a 5yo.

This horse is on a serious upwards curve just like Kauto Star was at the same age.

Long Run can win 3 Gold Cups by the age Denman won his first.

True sint, but Master Minded won a h'cap in the low 140s on his second run by 3l

This thing won from here to shepherds bush jumping like a horse that had around 5 years experience, got a rpr in the 160s as well!!

Nicholls thought he wasnt ready and it drifted like a barge

Weapons Amnesty absolutely murdered Long Run.

If (big IF) he was back to his best, there's only one winner out of the two.

Long Run was a 5yo having his 7th race of the season. He's improved since then. But I agree Weapons Amnesty might be a threat, Time for Rupert might be too, that was an epic run for a horse who bled heavily.

Also Pandorama will improve for more experience and had no chance on super quick ground today. If it was ground like in 08 then he'd have a chance.

If Quel Esprit got his jumping blunders sorted out he might have a squeek. He was going to win the RSA well imo. Stays all day.

That's about it really. Couldn't imagine anything else winning next year.

t.d weapons amnesty had expierence of cheltenham and long run made 4 mistakes and a blunder at a crucial time if (big if)  he had jumped as he did today the result may well have been different ,and he had been on the go in france in grade 1 s in heavy ground since july .

TD,get a grip fella,we've had this conversation.Pulling double in the RSA,in training for 8 months.Henderson has said since he wasn't happy about running him.I think we can take that as read now.There are some really exciting prospects for next year,for today though he deserves the credit.

you really believe that gunner ? He beat him 7 lengths over 3 miles.


WA has two years on Long Run. 7 vs 5, that's a huge difference for so many reasons

25/1 and 7/2, know who i'd rather be on

Foyles well done today fella,one point he made a fairly big blunder today aswell,so he will improve again.Lovely

Something else to consider with long run is the fact he's French. Could he be past his best in a couple of years?
Right now he's the best out there but with diamond Harry, weapons amnesty pandorama and others out there he will have some good opposition to prove himself against.

cheers denmanism yes i saw the blunder its frightning how good he could be ...probably wont be a backable price for a long time ...still just watch and enjoy

Ground!Ground! Ground! So important to so many horses.Weapons Amnesty was beaten by Pandorame a SH last season and Pando slaughtered today. Therefore you would feel WA would have no chance with Long Run, but its all down to the ground.If it was slower ground today theres every chance Denman would have won but who knows to be sure.Ground so important in the NH game

Long Run won on good today and has also won on heavy several times. It makes no difference to him,seemingly, and it was much the same for Kauto Star.

Long Run could be that good.

yes i agree sint long runs former trainer was adamant that he needs very soft or heavy to be seen at his best ,so him winning on ground that quick and making 4-5 slight mistakes and given that more improvement likely he looks an absolute monster ........

definate lay material if he goes to Aintree

If Kauto Star was an 8 year old, at that stage turning in yesterday when Ruby let the reins go, he would of just been like cya later guys! Unfortunatly age catches up :(

So if LR was an 8 year old,what would have happened then Brookie?

Like the poster I couldn't believe how good Kauto was. I was one of those who said he should have been retired after the King George.

And a really weird thing happened. I layed Kauto but found myself cheering him on at the end, even though it would have cost me 300 quid if he'd won. And who knows what would have happened if he'd jumped the last. A superstar performance from a superstar horse. Certainly my equine hero.

Well judging on how he was being niggled along yesterday and out stayed spent older horses I'd say left behind If kauto was in his prime.

thought the race fell right into Long Run's lap.

Well judging on how he was being niggled along yesterday and out stayed spent older horses I'd say left behind If kauto was in his prime.

Get a grip you sentimental old tart,it's like saying "If Ali was in his prime he wouldnt have been beaten up by Larry Holmes" etc etc or Arnold Palmer would win the open "if he was in his prime" etc

Extreme examples maybe but you csn't alter time to adjust for new and rising stars.

As it was KS gave a terrifically brave performance and genuinely i believe ran his race on his best ground,was exhausted by the last.For me (apart from the winner naturally) the run of the race was surely by Denman,utterly smashing the "over the hill" critics and running a blinding race and only beaten by a very young rising star who could himself turn out to be a NH legend.

Denman's gallop is breathtaking,it's quite remarkable how he is slightly outpaced but still maintains his gallop fully as the others quickly fade actually leaving him in front almost by default as he beats the relentless drum almost to the line.He's a one paced horse without doubt but what a pace that happens to be.