Boston Bob....neptune or albert bart

The opinion of several so called irish experts on racing chanels is that he is an out and out stayer and that the weaker race is the Albert Bartlett....they seem to think he will go for that.....imo i think Mullins will wait til the last minute.

I'm the same tyron,so i went to w/hills and took the 9/2 to win any race at the festival,or you can hang on till Friday, bet365 are going nrnb and back Boston in both hope is helps.

On the same bet as you SS and more than happy with that. But looking at the Mullins team, I think AB is more likely and is the right decision IMO.

Cats eyes, where have you seen NRNB with 365? Its not on there website or oddschecker.

Apologies, just seen that 365 are going NRNB from this friday.

Neptune according to Wylie

We shall see but I have a feeling the Irish novices are generally overrated and this horse in particular looks too short. Given the usual conditions for me he looks too slow for the Neptune - already said if he travels Make Your Mark can reverse the previous form - and although he looks to have a better chance over the longer trip I would hesitate to suggest he is banker material.

Diff can you explain something to me. BB gave Make Your Mark 10 lbs and a 9 length beating - how do you expect the form to be reversed?

Good ground

Not entirely sure about the ground for Boston Bob but better ground should definitely suit Make Your Mark. You have to also factor in that it was only his second run over hurdles. Boston Bob almost certainly has the stamina edge and on that ground it was decisive last time. I would be dubious about taking the result at face value. Ideally Make Your Mark could have done with another run which is another reason why I wonder if he will stay at home.

got to be the albert bartlett for me...go on willie give us the banker we desire...

Wins either, Neptune more prestigous in most peoples eyes over Albert Tatlock Hurdle.

Won't win the Albert Bartlett imo, the race is between Mount Benbulben and Sea Of Thunder for me.

Well interesting if they do go neptune because I cannot see a pace angle for him in the neptune, so what did for so young last year may do for boston this...albert is the race for him and he would be a stonking good bet to win that...

Just to throw a spanner in the works.

If the long range weather forecast is correct then the going is likely to be good to firm imo - maybe in that eventuallity he won't run in either??

Can't believe they will allow ground to go good to firm (though conceivable strong sun may quicken it up on a given day)

ted walsh interviewed on ch4 racing with al.down yesterday seemed almost certain that its the neptune for this fellow. for what its worth i think the same . quel esprit ran in both because he fell quiet early in the shorter one . m de hagenaut ,fiveforthree , willie has a great record in neptune as its called these days. will be short enough on the day whichever he goes for. im taking a chance and backing him now for the sun allience hurdle.

He will go for the Neptune imo.he'll love the ground(out of bob back)also his knee action.So young was the
supposed good thing last year but this horse looks tough and the king is on board.

According to the Exeter preview night thread Nicholls says he was told the Neptune is the target for Boston Bob...backed him for Albert Bartlett so hope he is wrong!Looking like Neptune is the target for this one now though.

this horse wont win either unless the heavens opens and it turns into a bog...

Uncle - the long range weather forecast is almost meaningless.

Agree Alleged that the faster ground may not be in his favour..backed him AntePost so jus hoping to at least get a run for my money

not really stront - a good point actually, as he saying the ground is almost guaranteed to be good...

and in which case the longer race will favour him imo...bobs worth is a bob back and the albert bartlett he won was a shoe in...this horse I feel would be a good thing in that race but would not be convinced in the shorter race as cannot see pace myself which this stayer will need to win...

Stront  - while I know the forecast beyond about 5-7 days is never 100% accurate every forecast at the moment suggests bright and breezy weather for the next 14-18 days, and getting colder just before the festival. None of them are suggesting any heavens opening above Prestbury Park thats for sure.

The forecast at 5 days is only about 30-40% accurate and the forecast for tomorrow only about 85%!

Nevertheless, I take your point - if it doesn't rain they have a problem. However they will do everything humanly possible to make the gorund no faster than good - they have to.

He be a big price in running

have to disagree with you harry on the lack of pace. look at the leops race again , he quickened on **** ground past a host of horses  between the second last and last to catch lyreen legend who had gone clear. at first i thought like you he had just out stayed the others but having watched again he actually showed a great turn of foot in unlikely circumstances.

its all about opinions, my opinion is the others were stopping, there was no turn of foot..

ouffies if you watch his races all he does is stay...when he won the time before at navan he was under the pump with 4-5f still to run and just outstayed them, same at leopardstown although I just think he also loves that ground myself where as others didn't...he won't get that on better ground and potentially off of slow fractions in the neptune...last year I thought so young was a good thing and he was done by lack of pace imo...just an opinion about a horse that could go off very short come the day if taking in the neptune...

he was also giving them between 7 and 10 lbs.

i think the willie mullins factor has to come into this, if he,d have achieved the same trained by howard johnson he,d be three times the price he  is now..

agree on so young harry i thought he was the job last year too but was too slow. this fellow may turn out to be the same but to my eye he quickened and that leopardstown performance was the best seen in ireland by a novice hurdler (staying or otherwise) this year.

no one is arguing his ability ouffies he looks to be top class but one must look at the variables in the case in question, when thinking of backing a short one...(which he will be in the neptune)...there is no guarantees for me when a horse has looked to need further and want cut...like I say thats my opinion on him and I just think I would prefer myself to back him shorter in the longer race against lesser opposition...he may well win but like I say I cannot see a pace angle...but these things have to be bared in mind when backing at potentially short odds imo...

he will! achieve more because he is trained by willie mullins as opposed to howard johnston.

agreed theres a big diference between leopardstown etc and cartmel and hexham

don't know what howard has to do with it and he trained plenty of cheltenham winners so am not on that band wagon...they went a good pace for the great inglis drever but he still got done for toe...we will see...

Harry.You're logic is bizarre-"all he does is stay" would make fine criticism if he had won a longer race before and he was going shorter but in fact he is going further in the Neptune than he has gone on a racecourse before-so isn't it good that he stays.If you want to see a horse that will really stay look at Ipsos de Berlais in the Navan race and back him for the Albert Tatlock.

Oh and Harry as for wanting a cut he is by Bob Back whose progeny generally like decent ground and he has no pronounced knee action

why is it bizarre...have you seen the horse run??? he has been pushed along fully 5 furlongs from home in his last 2 races...I am obviously am watching a different horse...

Harry-and over what distance were those races and what grade were they?

Harry-and over what distance were those races and what grade were they?

Harry has a valid point imo, especially on the likely fastish ground..

Ingils Derver and Denman were both hotpots and had both won over 2m4f but were effectively 'done for toe' by better travelling animals on good Cheltenham ground. Can see the same thing happening to Bostons Bob this year - he reminds me of Alexander Banquet who won the same Leopardtown Grade 2 as BB (beating Native Upmanship 7 lengths on heavy) but was never in the race behind Barton.

Simonsig for one will travel like a dream.

It's standard for Mullins to run his novices over shorter trips to teach them to jump at pace then step them up in trip (often for the first time) at the Festival. It seems to work well for him.

AB winners usually have cheltenham form and are proven already over 3 miles

uncle I dont disagree that he might be beat-I am not a fan of Bob Backs in top races and the age issue is also a problem but the Neptune is clearly the race for him.

anyone would think I was knocking the horse the way you are going on boysfromland...

listen if you read my reasoning...thats where I'm at, cannot see pace myself...you obviously think he is quick and you are entitled to your opinion... but if there isn't pace I would be worried for him thats all...listen I'm not pocket talking as not involved yet in either race because of this horse, just wanted to chat about the horse...you obviously have backed him for the neptune and thats why you are delving into every comment I have made that suits you and your bet...and why not, you make valid points.

too old to win the neptune

^is that in the rules?

I thought that too but I checked it out and there have been surprisingly few fancied runners of that age(7) since French Holly.  Possibly because of the introduction of the long distance novice hurdle?

Why do so many people say Irish trained horses cant win on good and good to firm ground. What about the 13 winners last year. Sprinter Sacre and Rubi Light are by same sire. Dont hear any one saying Sprinter wont act on the ground. It has no connection with Boston Bob's chances but So Young did not win the Neptune last year because he made a bad mistake at the last.

its probably because they run on heavy and soft ground all year and cheltenham is the 1st time they encounter decent ground, see your point though

they do say real good ones go on any ground though

I agree I never heard Tom Dreaper say Arkle lost because it was too soft or too firm