What horse financial reason's aside would you most like to see win at Cheltfest?

Big Bucks. 4 in a row

Kauto Star. Because horses like that come along once in a generation.

Financial Reasons aside i would think 95% of people would say Kauto Star

The wicked side of me would like to see Five Dream coming along to pick off Big Bucks on the line.
On a more (slightly) more realistic thought, I think Somersby gets poor press (reminds me of Deep Sensation in that respect) and would like to see him win especially if he goes for QM.

theres only one, and thats kauto star.

big buck's could arguably come back and win next year if beaten this year.

this will almost surely be kauto's last chance of winning a gold cup, surely at 13 he'd have no chance. if he could win it this year and sign off a fairytale career then they'd have to change the going for the last couple of races as all the tears shed would go close to waterlogging the place.

has to be kauto star

king kauto for me. imagine him winning back the title AGAIN after everyone thought he should have been retired.

Cue Card for the Arkle. I have backed it but even if I hadnt...Oh, ok then...Kauto Star

binocular for me put that over rated fav in its place

binocular on his best form is a joy to watch at his hurdles and will really serve it up to the fav.

Burton Port to make up for lost time and prove he was always better than Long Run would put a smile on my face for the sake of justice

Sprinter Sacre to blow the Arkle apart in jaw dropping Masterminded like style and set us up for 3 or 4 years of enjoying an all time great

those two will do

Would love to see sizing europe do it, as feel he has never been given the accolades he deserves...a top class horse...and likeable, plus feel it would cement adrian lynch as the top class jockey and horseman, I and other racing fans know he is but never gets the headlines...although you can't understand a word he says, bless him..

Binocular won a very poor champion hurdle but there is no such thing as an easy one tbf. My vote goes to Kauto.

Burton Port

I took so much stick from this forum for thinking he above average, all i heard was he need 3m5f. He is a bit slow etc

his novice form was always knocked, it was always bordering on top class without being the hyper-bowl.

Harry agree re Andrew Lynch. In recent months he has won at least four grade ones for four different trainers.

arkle lol don't know why I always call him adrian...top class jockey this lad, second only to walsh for me...

Kauto Star the obvious one. Just imagine the scenes...

On a similar note to Brian's Somersby suggestions, I'd love to see Finian's Rainbow blast off and run the guts out of them all in the Queen Mother. For similar reasons (to Brian) I think he gets poor press for not being a battler but just think he has been ridden wrong and/or been wrongly accused of not staying. Just think he's got a might cruising speed but no real turn of foot. If Barry can get the fractions right I do think he has the ability to beat Sizing Europe and co, and seeing as I seem to be the only one that thinks this, it would be hugely satisfying to see it happen!

HAS TO BE SPRINTRE SACRE EVEN THOUGH HAVE BET MENORAH WUD LIKE TO SEE IT RUN ALL THE WAY WITH HANDBRAKE OFF THIS CUD BE SOMETHING ELSE

I'd happily lose every other bet to see Kauto Star win the Gold Cup.

lol tom...this is supposed to be a financial aside thread...but at least if barry does get the fractions correct, the site of andrew lynch's bottom up the long run in, will be painful to say the very least....but satisfying...

I know plenty want Kauto to but really he is not gonna do it, soz and all that. 16 of the last 18 winners were aged between 7 and 9, during this time, 54 horses aged 10 or over have run, which included ten horses at 10/1 or less and four outright favourites and none has won. I just went through and checked the record of older horses at the festival, or more specifically, 11 and 12yo's

Of course Kauto is 12 now and what a trend buster it would be if he were to add to the dismal record of that age at the festival. just 3 winners from 86 previous 12yo runners over the past ten years.

I checked 11yo too and found they were actually even worse with just 2 from 202!!

All in all then, just 5 winners from 288 over the past ten years

Kauto would be a hell of a trend buster in so many more ways than one.

^ But if 5 others managed it surely the greatest chaser we've seen in donkey's years has a chance of making it 6!

not much soz

hurricane fly overated! Best champion hurdler i'v see over the last 30 years following the sport.

Feb 24, 2012 -- 12:51AM, judorick wrote:

not much soz

Paul nicholls tonight said that KS  was in brilliant form at home and just hopes he is the same in 3 weeks time, apparently when working with Big Bucks today he just didn't want to stop, PN said he had never seen him take so long to pull up at the end of the 5f gallop, he also seems to think that long run has not trained on and we have seen the best of him David Pipe also paid KS a big compliment when he said he didn't think that Grand Crus could beat him this year either...

Surely will be the most popular win ever if he can do it ...

yes it would probably be one of the greatest achievements ever in NH racing

it's just very unlikely and those backing Albertas Run want to remember that only 2 out 202 11 year olds to run at the Festival have won in the last 10 years

is there a thread that you cant put your bl00dy stats on Judo??
Thought this might escape it!!


Anyway,for me,any horse thats been the subject of unneccessary abuse from so called race fans on here. 2 spring to mind - Tidal Bay and Somersby,feel free to add others should you agree.

At least I actually think about stuff not just make up sentimental old bollocks that has no basis in reality
so fck off - I am actually trying to help people make reasonable decisions with some solid foundation behind them not just blindly go "oh Kauto Star greatest chaser of modern times, he must win" without some reason

sheesh

Must be the only one who wants to see Long Run win.

On a financial basis if Montbazon wins the Supreme i'll be going on a world cruise infinitely ..

This thread aint a finacial based one though,seemed to me it was meant as a fun sort of thread,where we name horses we think deserve to win for one reason or another.

grand crus-a new era beckons

Forpadydeplaster, esp if he's 50's for the Ryanair.

Kauto Star - Represents everything thats good about National hunt racing.

Everybody can read the stats that Kauto is up against but it seems some people can't read the title of this thread.Personally its a choice between Kauto who as many others have pointed out represents everything that is fantastic about our sport or Somersby who along with his trainer has been ridiculed and vilified in many quarters for the best part of three seasons

Hey it doesn't matter who it is or how much you have on them. Whether you use stats or sentiment. Just a horse that for whatever reason money aside you would love to see win. I thought there would be a lot of love for Kauto Star.

Kauto without doubt for me, but that's a bit obvious.

Another one for me would be JACK THE GIANT in the Byrne Plate or the Ryaniar. 

I love to see these old ones come back from injury and put it up to these snot nosed kids! 

Well Chief finishing second to Master Minded after 2 years off is one of my all time highlights at the Festival - similar to when Mighty Man ran 5th in the World Hurdle behind Big Bucks after two years off.

KAUTO STAR    out on its own  ,include walsh as well  ,,already have the T shirts  .

W ish them both all the best in the  last saloon  .

Think his 12 year tag might just catch up with him , this time round  , BRILLIANT FOR SPORT  , who follows him  .?

Forget Kauto, legend already, don't need to prove anything!

Would LOVE to see Cue Card win the Arkle! Get's knocked from pillar to post this horse, mostly by those who's ego took a pounding when they napped him for last year's Supreme! Top class animal, deserves a proper day in the sun!

Losing horses that keep coming back and being unlucky (or are just below the grade) like Voler La Vedette, get me outa here,  Somersby or Medermit..... sometimes (like them or not) you have to doff your cap and say they earned it.



I'd like to see four new champions if that's possible.

For racing I think if Kauto Star could win the Gold Cup it would be on a par with the Aldaniti and Red Rum stories, but nap of the week if is the lay Kauto as I refuse to believe any 12 yo can win the blue ribband.

Kauto Star

Kauto Star for me. Imagine the scenes in the Winners enclosure and also would be great for Racing as would be the result that gets the biggest coverage in none racing media.

I like betting on horse racing, but I am also a fan of the sport. Which means the only answer possible is King Kauto Star (imo)

hunt ball would be interesting.

Dont know if Oliver brady has a runner but it would be great to see him in the winners encloser singing at the top of his voice, but a Noel meade horse would be great hes not the luckest when it come to cheltenham.

I can't name just 1
Kauto Star
Big Bucks
Peddlers Cross
Forpaddydeplasterer
I don't have a penny on any of them.

buena vista for me...last year was awesome[didnt back it but what a round of jumping]

jimnast says hunt ball....i reckon knott could rival county monahans favourite in terms of celebrating!

Hunt Ball for me as well. Owner is as mad as a hatter. Tells channel 4 audience on Saturday he knew the horse was two stone well in then blows a gasket after he's raised 15lb