Well he did win the Arkle while WT was running 2nd in the Jewson,so you may be right,but i have a feeling that they now rate WT as the best at 2m.
Or is it that they are really hoping for a Gold Cup horse?? Need to be careful if thats the case,could end up with big regrets for his future.
Ive always had the opinion that a horse should run in the race that best suits,but then ive never owned 2 horses like them.

The Cathcart had rather silly conditions though.

From a racing point of view I likle the Ryaniar. It's always a competetive race with lots of good horses. The recent winners (Albertas, Imperial) wouldn't look out of place was winners of the GC or Champion Chase, and the Ryanair tends to have more strength in depth. At this Festival it's one of the races I'm most looking forward to.

It's just a pain from the antepost betting point of view!

That's a fair point Shock. Personally, I like having the third championship race. I also think the Gold Cup is holding its own. Maybe that's because we've been lucky having the Kauto/Denman era overlap with the lifetime of the Ryanair and things could change in future.

However, one could make a good case that the Ryanair is weakening the Champion Chase and that should be guarded against. Whether that needs a change in race conditions for the Ryanair, or a bigger prize money differential, I'm not sure.

Ive always had the opinion that a horse should run in the race that best suits,but then ive never owned 2 horses like them.

Exactly right. Me neither.

I suppose I would struggle to run the 2 against each other, but I'd certainly run the best of the two in the race that suited them both, ie in this case Captain Chris. I think its more down to the owners than Hobbs as well. He was quoted before the Haldon saying I hope we see him in the QM.

i think hes inbetween the 2, QM and GC,so if i wanted to run him at the very top it would be the QM,cos i dont think he will stay 3m2f.

after watching his arkle win sintonian sevral times sintonian i agree with you 3 out he was beggining to get pushed along as the pace quickened and a good few going better at that point but he stayed on strongly all the way to the line   and he looks to me as though he will be suited by a trip ,may be wrong but it seems hobbs is happy to go that way we will know more after his next race .

I certainly think Captain Chris wants a trip - Hobbs won the QMCC with the slow, staying Flagship, so he knows how to win the race. To my eye, Captain Chris is a not going to beat the crack 2 milers, even if this yr's renewal is not the best ever (though its not the worst ever).

Most worrying for me is his tendency to hang right and / or his preference to go right handed. He hung in his novice at Cheltenham 2 yrs ago (on his preferred decent ground), he was beaten at Chepstow, Newbury and Cheltenham last yr (admittedly, I think, before the wind op) and at Kempton when beating Adams Island I thought he jumped slightly right. I also thought he jumped right in the Arkle and hung a little. He outstayed the free-going Finians. I think he is a top horse with a fine engine, and he has clearly won at Cheltenham, but its just in my mind that he's better going right.

r.carver just watched the arkle again he did hang slightly right although to be fair he was widest of all ,wonder if that was the plan to give him a good sight of his fences ,

I dont really see the problem with this years entries tbh. BZ & SE are both top class two milers who both have excellent course form. We then have last years Arkle form represented with FR and then another novice in the shape of WT who is not exactly a back number.

It may not be a vintage renewal but there has certainly been worse. Master Mindeds 2nd QMCC victory was rank average with the likes of Petit Robin and an ageing withering Voy Por.

Agree, re quality of Master Minded's first QMCC, but I've never seen a round of jumping like that ever, and I doubt I ever will again (although that was my first ever Chelt, so may be biased)

Dissapointed that Flat Out isn't entered this year in the Ryaniar or the QMCC.  I'm glad Mullins has left him out if he doesn't think he's ready, at least I know were I stand now.

Big Zeb vs Sizing Europe in the Tied Cottage will be interesting, but that form was well and truly reversed last year, so it may not tell us that much if Big Zeb wins (If BZ wins it really boosts Noble Prince's form in the Ryanair, running over a trip that is too short).

I think the market has got it pretty spot on.  SE and BZ deserve to be at the head of the market, followed by Finians. 

This time last year Master Minded was 9/4 and Big Zeb was 7/2, not sure what price Sizing Europe was.  Also, this time last year Spbet did a bet Master Minded and Big Zeb (Coupled)@ 4/5 vs the Field @ Evs.  for this year, if it was SE and BZ (Coupled) vs The Field, I'd definitiely be on the former.

Oh...and to answer the original question, who wins the queen mother, the answer is, I don't know

Cannot I'm afraid agree with you on the Osirixamix form line Sint...

Osirixamix who has never gone well fresh in the past and should not be taken as a view to Noble Princes form imo

Golden Silver prior to leaving had looked in poor form and was in the process of running like a drain against Osirixamix... he has just won a handicap off of 113...I agree he is improving but lets not give Noble Prince the credit please...not on the back of a horse who was just out for a run on his seasonal reappearance anyway...

For what it is worth in a weak year I wish they had let had let him take his chance in the Champ Chase as he definitely doesn't lack gears and the better ground will suit him more...very surprised they pulled the plug on the Champ Chase...

Personally I am not a fan of his form however and I will have to eat humble pie if he pulls a victory off at Cheltenham but still feel he won't win and is a poor favorite for the Ryannair...just an opinion and am trying everything in my powers to find the winner of the ryannair on the back of him eating a nice slice of the market...

but if you like him the best of luck...he must of done you a favour at the festival last year...

CVB - Cant see Forpady winning but place is def possible and have just taken 12.5 which is fair and as you say very few runners expected.

FPD - No wins since Arkle 09, however 11 runs since and only once out of the first 3(some small fields) and that was when tried in the King George. Usually not beaten that far.

I've no idea what WT's best trip is tbh. I took a chance on him for this race at 33/1 after his PP run where he showed tons of speed. His last run in the Desert Orchid was just a try-out with new hold-up tactics to see if they worked, and they did really, it was just a shame he made a bad mistake.

I have read that Guavain would be "run off his feet" in this if he ran, Ryanair is the rae for him

That leaves Sizing, Zeb, Finians, Forpady and Wishfull

I've bet on all five as view it as a very good trading op at the very least when the rest end up in Arkle and Ryanair

Also think forpady is serious value at 14/1 for sat, intended runner last i read

By the way, it's good to see you back CVB. I've missed your insight and your input. Hope you're sticking around till the Festival.

Thanks strontium

'm away travelling the world on my winnings from the past 4 years, been away over 6 months now, I return 2 weeks before the festival

I'm in Peru at the moment having a rest day that's why I'm doing my homework on the festival

Hopefully I'll write a good preview or two next month, need to mull plenty over and see a few more horses run

Just taken a bit of win and place Nacarat on here-80 and 16.
If he does run he could be interesting at those odds imo.

i would say WT is as near definite as can be at this stage,and i think he is in with a chance,this imo is his ideal race.He will have trouble beating the front 2 for sure,but well worth his place in the race.

would not argue with any of that Stront.
Just have a feeling they may go for it,and with not many runners likely,he could sneak a place,and maybe do a one man!!
Pretty unlikely but not big wagers,and if he does run i may have some fun watching the race.