Captain Conan - "I imagine it will be hard to persuade them not to run him somewhere in March, but Barry and I think it could be a year too soon. "He'll be in there but I'm not committing him to it (Cheltenham) as he's really just a chaser."

I thought the way Hold on Julio galloped up the Sandown hill really took the eye, much as it did in his last race. The horses chasing him in his last two races looked leaden footed in comparison to the way he finished. Ahead of the handicapper obviously, but still a machine IMO.. Can't wait to see him out again. I backed Quilimar.

Latinomagic 26 Jan 12 18:29
Shud he line up I think we may have seen the Champion Bumper winner today. That was mighty impressive from Moscow Mannon...

DECALEC 26 Jan 12 18:38
have to agree that it was impressive there must be astrong chance this thing will be sold for big money hope it stays with Hamilton would be great to be cheering on an Ulster horse at Cheltenham.

Others seem to agree tooooo.....
Champagne Fever (10) , Thomas Edison (14) , Moscow Mannon (16) , Population (16) , Shutthefrontdoor (16) , Sizing Sahara (16) , The New One (16) , Un Atout (16) , Venture Capital (16) , Ballyalton (20) , Ballycasey (20) , Barenger (20) , Gevrey Chambertin (20) , Mozoltov (20) , Silver Concorde (20) , Sword Of Honour (20) , The Paparrazi Kid (20) , The Westener Boy (20) , Bishops Walk (25) , Chancery (25)  - Others  25 or more

Sprinter Sacre for me, without a moment's hestitation.

Sprinter Sacre again the obvious one but also very impressed by Rubi Light. He's the Ryanair winner as long as the goings not to quick

yes, Burton Port and Riverside Theatre were both impressive. Henderson has done a fine job of getting them back so well from long absences.

Royal Guardsman really was taking today, was very impressed with him. Granted the yard are in rude knick but that was a very nice effort. Travelled well through the race and quickened very nicely. A very exciting prospect.

Only thing with SS is, I personally didn't learn anything that I already didn't know. He looked top notch on friday though, but I did expect him to win in a similar mannar. The hill is still a concern for me at Cheltenham, I probably wont have a bet in the Arkle, just sit back and potentially watch the next star 2 miler.

SPRINTER SACRE ...........BRINDISSI BREEZE   E.W AY  ,SAM SEEMS TO  KNOW WHAT HE'S ABOUT  WITH    ....LONG RUN   ...,BIG ENGINE FOR ME  .............?

I'm sure there is plenty more to come from AF when they get him in longer races next season but SS is going to be away and gone this year

Could the ratings experts please comment on SS's rating on Friday compared with Al Ferof's in the VC Chase?

Grumeti. Again, not a sparkling performance or one that provided top-class form, but he does everything so professionally, which is something a lot of people are missing in him. He can make his own pace without doing too much, he can be produced from behind the pace, he quickens, he stays, he is entirely straightforward, and he won't flinch in a battle. It'll take a lot to beat him in the Triumph in my opinion.

The form of his Maralin win in November mightn't have amounted to much but owner/trainer/breeder Mark Molloy didn't hide his enthusiasm for Buckers Bridge and he was later sold to Ann and Alan Potts.

Graduating to the racecourse proper today for Henry de Bromhead and Davy Roche, Buckers Bridge justified Molloy's opinion, making all, before asserting from a furlong and a half out on the way to a convincing three and three parts of a length dismissal of More Madness in the Bennettsbridge Point-To-Point INH Flat Race at Gowran.


A punt on Saoirse Dun (25s this morning into 7s) paid off for those that invested each-way as Philip Rothwell's runner filled the third spot, seventeen lengths off the principals. Expected to take high rank here, Torn Asunder and Zekarya ran inexplicably badly on the tacky ground – both pulling up.


Henry de Bromhead said: "Fair play to Mark Molloy, he advised me to buy him.
"That was his first run for us and he had been working nicely but he had a few niggley issues.
"We weren't sure how spot-on he was but he obviously wasn't far off.

"He'll be a nice horse to go jumping with next season. He's a six-year-old so whether he goes over hurdles or fences I don't know. He might go straight over fences – I'll have to talk to the owners.

"We might try him in a winners bumper but I don't know if he's a good ground horse. He is a nice galloping horse."

CHAMPAGNE JAMES.....Ted Walsh trained newcomer who ran out a comfortable winner of the bumper at Navan.
Out of the same O'Mara pt-to-pt school as Champagne Fever(also a Stowaway) SO PLEASE TAKE NOTE !

Ridden by Robbie McNamara the 4yo son of Stowaway settled in fourth as Nina Carberry went into a clear lead aboard the Noel Meade trained Eligible (11/4).
His lead was reduced three furlongs from home with the winner moving closer into third.
Eligible and Blackmail (5/4 favourite) then battled for the lead inside the final furlong before Champagne James was nursed through by Robbie McNamara to hit the front inside the final 150 yards before going on to score by two and a quarter lengths.

Ted Walsh said afterwards: "He is a nice horse and is a full-brother to Rory O’Moore (who won his maiden the day before in Naas - and a 3 time bumper winner at 6yo and 7yo). "We were going to go point-to-pointing with him but he was showing up well at home.
"I was anxious across the top but he is a good horse. He got a nice ride and he is a horse for the future.
He is only four so he might go for a winners bumper in the spring."

The winner was purchased for €20,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby National Hunt in June of last year and is also a full-brother to the Tim Vaughan trained Aland Islands who has won three times from four starts in the UK.

Missed out on this one !!!



TheAnorak 27 Oct 12 08:34.........

WONDERFUL CHARM (Chepstow 3:40) looks as good as any hurdler he's ever got from France - the form of his last run when second at Auteil is high class and reflected in a French handicap rating of 710.
That equates to something in the mid 140's on the UK scale and to put it into perspective, his last French import to win this race, Silviniaco Conti, would have been around 10kgs, or approx 21lbs lower based on his French form.

The French mark for Master Minded was 720 when he was switched to Nicholls !

WONDERFUL CHARM should surely win this and could well follow the path taken by Silviniaco Conti to the Ascot Hurdle next month as his novice status expires in four days time.

Very impressed with the Chepstow winner (WONDERFUL CHARM) - will be interesting to see what his progam will be, but on that showing he looks more of a stayer than a two mile candidate.
I did wonder if he was ridden to preserve his handicap mark - perhaps the big hurdle at Haydock on Betfair Chase day.

telephone 27 Oct 12 16:58..........
It won as much by outstaying as a very good turn of foot imo, would've won at 2 miles just as easily had Walsh pressed the button but as you say, we'll see which route they go !





TheAnorak 27 Oct 12 16:54.......
Seems as if Carlito Brigante did have problems with the fences - but not as I expected. Looked to lose interest when they were bypassing the ones in the straight.

UNIONISTE (Aintree 4:35) has less glowing credentials as his French mark is 620, mid 120's on the UK scale. He did win an Auteil race by 12L on his chasing debut, but it was restricted to non thoroughbreds and to horses that had never won a race at Auteil - the runner-up has won since, but that was only a claiming chase. His earlier hurdle form was solid on provincial tracks, but he was found out when upped in class at Auteil before switching to fences. 

UNIONISTE is very stoutly bred and on his French form, lacks the class of Carlito Brigante, who could have too much pace for him round Aintree (if the fences don't get in his way).

LE VENT D'ANTAN for the Cheltenham Bumper

We bought him as a yearling in France and his grandmother is Pebbles which is very interesting.
He won a schooling bumper on heavy ground and everyone was wanting to know what he was. A group of friends of my sister's, in London, asked me if I had a horse that might end up in Cheltenham, a few years ago, and I said I did, but he was only two at the time and they would have to wait 13 or 14 months on him. They did it and here we are.

It was a major inconvience for him to come racing today as all he does is eat and sleep. That's good for a Martaline though as some of them can be hot. I'd say he'll go straight to Cheltenham and have a racecourse gallop somewhere. He's very mature and forward and wouldn't be like the normal gangly Irish four-year-old. He'll be mature as anything there.

A better race would suit him and a little better ground. Everything he's done since he arrived in the yard has been exceptional but until they put it in ink you never know. He's done that now.

He works as well as Cheltenian. He always screamed that he was a good horse while Al Ferof was quieter.
Miss Elizabeth Doyle, trainer.

Change of plan for Unioniste !

KALKIR.....surely on for the notebooks.

Houblon Des Obeaux for me. Massive performance off top weight.

Today, a close run thing between Kalkir and Valseur Lido.

Opting for VL because we know a bit more about what he beat.

Irving, dont think he has the ability to be top class but his jumping was a joy to watch.