Cheltenham Festival
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Fingal Bay - Neptune Investment Novices' Hurdle
Fingal Bay - Neptune Investment Novices' Hurdle
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Replies: 177
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reckon from hobbs comments he'll go for the 3 miler myself.
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from hobbs intitial comment after the race i got the distinct impression that this horse will end up in the albert bartlett.
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ilwab
didn't see that...i agree.  |
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np duffman
 gl |
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We seem to have this 'target' problem every year but assuming he runs at the festival I would happily take Evens that it will be in the 2m5f race on the Wednesday irrespective of what Hobbs says right now.
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I would say Ab is the target- may have the class to win a neptune but his strength definately lies in his stamina.
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Good performance today, i see no reason why he should be aimed at the 3mile hurdle.
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Neptune,no doubt in my mind at all.
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Although ive just seen Mr Hobbs says its 50/50
 A doubt in my mind now!! |
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Depends on the ground. The horse is basically a stayer who jumps fantastic. Hobbs won't risk him on quick ground against speed merchants in the Neptune. On the Monday of Cheltenham week, lump on the 3 mile race if the ground is good. He's a certainty but will be very short.
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The neptune looks the perfect race for me,the horse is class,it has the speed to hold a good position in a race and it finds plenty of the bridle.They went very slow in the first part of the race,this would have been against fingel bay,a fast run neptune and he will come up that hill like peddlers cross imo.
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really impressive yesterday. His great stregth for one with so little experience is the willingness to relax. Other horses seem to be going better at some stage of his races but he only does what he is asked so it is hard to know how much is left in the tank. I certainly would not oppose him over any trip until beaten.
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He looks a class act. Seems to do everything well. Travels and jumps, can recover from mistakes and is a fighter when needed (as we saw yesterday). Hopefully a star in the making!
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Fingal Bay entered in the Challow this weekend.
He seems well clear on the ratings, but the two Henderson runners have to be respected, one having his first run in England. If Fingal does win he will be a very short price for Neptune and AB, |
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He'll be well odd's on if he runs so unless he wins half the track I'm not sure his price for the Neptune will change that much.
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If he wins well I can see him being around the 9/4 - 5/2 mark for the Neptune
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Can't see that Wellchief, bearing in mind that he could easily end up in the Bartlett. I don't think he'll run in the Neptune unless the ground is soft.
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I agree mate, no idea what his festival target would be, but he'll definitely be cut for both the Neptune and Albert Bartlett if he wins, and his price is generally shorter at the moment for the Neptune.
Some firms are already 7/2 and 4/1 about him for the Neptune, so if he wins the major Neptune trial then I can't see him being bigger than 5/2 after the race, and around 3/1 for the AB. If I fancied him then I'd wait until NRNB, but there definitely won't be any 5/1 about if he wins on Saturday. |
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I don't normally bet the odds on but difficult to see what will lower Fingal's colours. 2/5 is not an unreasonable price fof him to jump round.
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Meh
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Not sure what to make of that. Looked a messy race. Be interesting to see the time. Horse jumped very well. He has a high cruising speed and is very resolute but doesn't really quicken. The Bartlett on normal Cheltenham ground for me.
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Have him backed for the 2m5f race but think he is nailed on for the 3miler unfortunately
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yup AB for him. loads in the tank today. hold him up til the last imo.
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Well at least Hobbs has now come out and said 'Bartlett' on normal Cheltenham ground. The longer race will suit him - more hurdles to jump the better - and he won't have to contend with any ex-flat horses, or flat bred horses who might do him for toe.
Could hose down for the week before racing! He's not a betting proposition now anyway. |
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Form franked left right and centre.
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Connections said it will be the AB if the groubd is good.....and softer (this would mean good-soft) and it will be the Neptune.....The ground is more likely to be on the softer side of good....this is always the target for Gold Cup day....the Neptune I reckon it will be as it will be the first of the two and if it is Gd-Sft on that day he will end up there. Another point is thye last hurdle, now it is closer to the finish there will be less chance of him idling in front.
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I very much doubt this horse has the pace to win a Neptune on anything other than genuinely soft/heavy ground and I think Philip Hobbs concurs. FB has a high crusing speed, jumps great, is very resolute and stays well but doesn't quicken. If you recall Denman and Nicanor, I think you'll get the picture.
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wont win the neptune imo.
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Neptune more likely acc to Hobbs on atr - i could kiss the man
Nothin definite but there is hope again for big odds Neptune backers  |
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Fingal Bay's likely target at the Cheltenham Festival is the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.
Philip Hobbs' youngster stretched his unbeaten run to five with his first Grade One success in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday and while Albert Bartlett over three miles remains a possibility, Hobbs can see no reason why the six-year-old gelding would try the trip for the first time in March. "I am slightly regretting saying he could potentially be the best horse I've ever trained, but he could be," Hobbs told At The Races. "He's a lovely horse. He stays very well, he's not a speed horse but he does jump very well. He'll be more of a three-mile chaser next year but nevertheless he looks very good in the novice hurdle ranks this year. "His best trip will be three miles but for the moment two and a half to two-mile-six is OK. I'd say the Neptune is the most likely (race at Cheltenham) but the Albert Bartlett is a possibility, depending whether we run him again or not. "If he doesn't we'd look a bit silly going up to three miles when we're not certain about that." |
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Wake up and smell the coffee Philip. 'He stays very well, he's not a speed horse but he does jump very well'....so I'll enter him in what is essentially a speed race! Nicholls wrongly targeted the Neptune for Denman on ground too fast and from what we've seen so far, Fingal Bay is no Denman. Unless the ground comes up proper soft, something will do him for toe in the Neptune. On normal Cheltenham ground, the Bartlett is probably at his mercy.
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Totally disagree the Neptune is a test of speed. When was the last flat bred to win it?
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crazy decision, o well, 1 to lay
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challow winners 0-37 in the neptune.
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Barnsey
The last 4 winners had prep races over shorter distances before winning this race. First Lietenant won over 2 miles, as did Fiveforthree and Mikael D'Aguenet. Peddlers Cross won an egg and spoon race at Kelso over 2 and a quarter but we know about his subsequent Champion Hurdle exploits. Some genuine stayers have won it - Massini's Maguire, No Refuge and Fundamentalist. Monsignor was a speed horse and going back just a few more years, we have Istabraq and Hardy Eustace. Horses that have run well in the bumper previously have a good record too, which further indicates a need for pace though also a liking for the track. I don't think Fingal Bay has demonstrated anything like the speed required to win this race on 'normal' Cheltenham ground. |
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unclepuncle
15 Nov 11 08:55 We seem to have this 'target' problem every year but assuming he runs at the festival I would happily take Evens that it will be in the 2m5f race on the Wednesday irrespective of what Hobbs says right now. I was right as usual |
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eh......wd
 pmsl |
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Well I think punters may have a rude awakening if the ground turns up good which is normally standard on the Wednesday. Hobbs has said all year that which race he goes for is dependant on the ground? I would still hold fire if people are wanting to bet the horse myself...but others like unclepunkle are obviously **** sure
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Im sure plans are still fluid- love the horse but surely something with more pace will beat it over 2m5f?
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Why is the general idea that this horse is paceless?
In his last race against simonsig they went a crawl through the early part of the race and when they quickened that horse looked to be travelling all over him, yet he beat him off comfortably in the end whilst they pulled along way clear of the others. The horse easily has the best form on offer over 2 and a half miles for any novice in England or Ireland on tracks that are much easier than Cheltenham and off much slower paces than he will get in the Neptune. He would go off a very worthy favourite for either race (in what looks a novice year with very little strength in depth) but I don't see the need to step him up to an unknown trip and what I consider to be a less presigeous prize. Also, where is Martin Pipe Returns to price up his eventual target? |