Will Captain Chris relish the gold cup trip?

Yes, he will love the ground there it improves him tons and will definitely help him with the trip. remeber on ground not his favourite and under-prepared he ran a 3rd in the King George first time over a trip. He will be much better with ground conditions in his favour as always.

Won't stay in my opinion

eric

Please excuse this if it sounds inflammatory but are you arguing on the basis of logic or your pocket?

He did run third in the King George and he may not have been fully wound up but he didn't run like a horse wanting further. He ran like a horse being nursed to get the trip and the front two ran away from him from the home turn. Horses undercooked tend to blow up and then run on. That didn't happen. And that was on a flat track over two and a half furlongs shorter.

I gave you the logic to be fair. He was under-prepared, nearly missed the race according to connections. On quicker ground he is a different horse again as he has shown every spring. He got up the hill with turbos last year, cant remember Kicking King getting up there so well in his Arkle. It is all about whether he puts in a good round of jumping imo. They may as well go for the race with doubts about both favs now as he may have an error free day and others like Long Run and Quel Esprit also not the best of jumpers in the past might not have. One day, one race but the biggest there is anything can happen.

Kauto Star has also fallen in a Gold Cup ... it happens to nearly them all from tim to time ... there is only one Gold Cup it could be Captain's day to put in a good round especially on the ground he loves that takes less out of him for a trip.

eric

With respect (I have made this point on the other thread) stayers who are undercooked tend to blow up and then run on again. He didn't. Somersby ran on from two out in his Arkle like his arse was on fire. That is irrelevant to whether a horse will stay an extra two and a quarter miles on a harder course.

One and a quarter.

Agree eternal

His run in the king George for me spelt out quite plainly that this horse will not stay

He was nursed round at the back of the field and was thumped 20 lengths.

I think and hoped he would of been aimed at the queen mother all season

thought he would but dont think so now

That isnt how all undercooked horses run though is it absurd to imply it is.

You can only see a 3rd in a King George as a plus from an under prepared horse still good enough to beat Somersby, his first time at a trip with his favourite spring time of year to come which he has patently shown great improvement in form during the past seasons beating horses at the Festival who have been beating him in the run up to Cheltenham.

Now that Kauto is struggling even if he made the race there is only one horse to beat on form, Long Run, and he makes mistakes galore so is constantly sent to Yogi Breisner. There wont be many others in the Gold Cup with a King George 3rd to their name (when underprepared nearly missing the race). If Long Run fell and Kauto misses it (or runs badly it is possible now on what has never been his favourite course) what wins? You cant tell me because an outsider will be winning and Captain Chris if his preparation is going well, could be the one.

I didn't say that was how all underprepared horses run. I said that was how underprepared stayers run. If you are at the course buy plenty of lucky heather.

How can you say he only has one horse to beat on form? He will have to show far better than that to get near Burton Port, What A Friend or Weird Al in my view.