Sir Des Champs & First Lieutenant

All the vibes seem to suggest that Sir Des Champs is RSA bound but I bloody hope I'm wrong

Willie Mullins has said he prefers the RSA for SDC

Based on last years race where he only just got up over 2.5 it makes sense to me to go RSA.  However 2nd guessing Willie is impossible.

to quote willie from the atr tour "he's crying out for a trip"

At a preview last night Davy Russell hinted that this might be the plan

Willie does not own the horse

If Sir Des Champs is crying out for a trip why enter him in the Arkle - either Mullins is clueless or finds it amusing trying to wind people up. The reason Sir Des Champs came so far back last year was to my eyes primarily due to his inexperience. He is unbeaten at the Jewson trip so why even think of trying something different until he is beaten?

It would be silly to run both in the RSA but Willie's only concern is SDC. I'd say there could be a bit of a tug of war between Willie & the O'Leary's

Lot of blue on Oddschecker for his other entry, Call The Police.

Call The Police wouldn't win if he started now!

Would have a crackin chance in the Jewson imo ^

Would have a crackin chance in the Jewson imo ^

its not willie's choice, its gigginstown's. it depends whether they want to double their chances for the grade 1.  or try to win both races.

Last Instalment getting injured probably upset the apple-cart as no doubt he would have gone for the RSA and the obvious race then for SDC was the Jewson but all has now changed. SDC has never been beaten and last year won a competive handicap hurdle at the festival on only his second run. Could be the one for the RSA.

I'm not sure he is good enough to contest the RSA myself...people can back it all they like and yes he probably wants 3 miles but isn't a grade 1 horse to my eyes...that is why he was jewson bound  for me, because he isn't a grade 1 horse and of course giggins had proper graded horses to contest that race...for me he won't be winning at cheltenham his form now doesn't stack up...the run in front of fist of fury wasn't pretty in regards class for me and won a nothing race at limerick before...he is a nice horse but for me he is plenty short enough in both races and I will be taking him on...the jewson is his only realistic chance of winning imvho...

BJG, I agree Call the Police seems to have a great chance in the Jewson, Mullins seems very keen on him.

So now its likely Gigginstown have two in the RSA again, they have to run Bog Warrior in the Jewson, cmon Tony you know you want to run him, good to soft will be fine.

I think Sir Des Champs won with far more in hand than the official verdict suggested last time and but for Russell would have been even more impressive. Personally, I think he is the best of the Gigginstown novices but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be running in the Jewson. I wouldn't have Call The Police on my mind to beat him - don't see him as a Cheltenham horse and finds little off the bridle.

What will be the jockey arrangements if SDC and FL both go for the RSA.
Presumably DR will ride FL
Will Ruby go for SDC or Join Together.
If G.Crus goes for the Gold Cup and Ruby rides SDC in the RSA, I can see him him going off 5/1 or less.
Am biased, absolutely love SDC. Have watched his win at the festival over and over again

J.Girl u are right about the price.  Ruby should be on board & barring an accident SDC will be the most impressive winner of the meeting in RSA with or with out GC

Pardon me for saying but why would the market suggest a swap in intended races? Ok, there's been a slight shortening in price but ultimately, FL is 20/1 best price for the Jewson and 13/2 for RSA with SDC being 7/1 in Jewson and 9/1 in RSA.

Strikes me as a bit of vagueness being misinterpreted in the same way as happened with Peddlars Cross' intended race.

i covered my self today with powers nrnb

sdc rsa  and fl jewson. and ew double.

first lieut out to near 8/1 on here sir des champs in to around 7s

O'Leary just said on ATR that he tries to keep his horses apart, but when it comes to G1 races he has no problem at all running them against each other.

He said he hopes Sir Des Champs goes for the Jewson but will leave it up to Mullins to decide.

thanks for that well chief ,relieved to know that first leiu prob goes for rsa, in most of my ante post bets multiples and singles touch wood ect

Mullins decides where all of his horses go so I can see Sir Des Champs going RSA. Think First Lieutenant will run in the Jewson.

He also said that he wants a runner in the Jewson. I've had a quick look and can only see GODG as an alternative to running SDC, and that one doesn't seem a realistic contender.

There's been money on here in both markets to suggest that SDC is taking up the RSA option but after the owner's comments, I wouldn't be so sure.....

Mullins couldn't have made it any clearer that he wants to run SDC in the RSA, which is rare enough for him!  Clearly the owner has said it is up to him, so RSA it will be.

Think MOL said in the ATR interview that GODG had done a tendon and wouldn't be going

Worth knowing. Cheers.
This whole plunge on SDC in the RSA was sparked by Mullins saying "He looks like an RSA horse, in my book anyway" on the RPTV video.
If you had not seen that, and only seen the interview with the owner you would be 99% sure he is going to turn up in the Jewson.

So it boils down to who wears the trousers in their relationship, I know that MOL is quite happy to let Willie choose the targets usually but Thursday is his big day thanks to the Ryanair Chase and he really does want a runner in the Jewson!

Where this horse ends up will tell us plenty about how their relationship works IMO.

I think the RSA is a more suitable race for the horse. If they want a Jewson horse then send over bog warrior.

Bog warrior won't come unless ground is genuinely soft, pretty much given up hope on that one.  Maybe they will buy one of the other runners?

Willie makes the decisions on his horses. A lot of owners won't know where there horses are going yet because he always makes the final call. Willie won't care about the Ryanair or what day of the week is he will run the horse where he feels it should go. He has always been the same.

Hope you're wrong, but fear you're right.
I can take this one on the chin provided Peddlers Cross runs in the Arkle and Grands Crus in the RSA. Deal?

Owner clearly wants Sir Des Champs in the Jewson. On that basis whoever makes the final decision it would seem pretty ridiculous if he ends up in the RSA and as I said before why on earth was he entered in the Arkle if stamina is his major asset?

To a certain extent I can understand the owner allowing Mullins to pick his way through the relaively minor novice chases but not the big targets. That I would have thought is one of the perks of being an owner.

If he takes a trip into the unknown and fails to stay in the RSA Mullins is going to end up with a huge amount of egg on his face. The obvious decision is Jewson why complicate matters?

SDc tipped for RSA By ATR Irish correspondent who says It appears that Willie Mullins is keen to run the exciting SIR DES CHAMPS in the RSA Chase rather than the Jewson, and with Grands Crus looking increasingly like going for the Gold Cup the current 8/1 with a run is potentially a big price about last year’s Martin Pipe hero. Although yet to compete over further than 2m5f, the French import has often suggested that a step up to longer trips could bring out the best in him - not least when powering up the hill close home to score at last year’s festival. Bar a slight mistake at the final fence at Leopardstown last time, he has exhibited a very sound jumping technique in all three starts over the larger obstacles and having sent out three previous winners of the race the champion trainer is in a good position to judge the attributes required to succeed in it.

For what it is worth, probably not much...

this first lieutenant is drifting quite badly now...wonder if all is well with the horse??

interesting when there is so much money for the owners other horse...probably nothing

He shortened into 5/1 when it looked likely that Grands Crus was upgrading, but the market has just corrected itself again. Hopefully anyway

In reply to why SDC was entered in the Arkle...he's got speed, class and he stays...For either of the two main Novice Chases, them's the apples. Just depends how far they stay...

Martin pipe returns
So it boils down to who wears the trousers in their relationship, I know that MOL is quite happy to let Willie choose the targets usually but Thursday is his big day thanks to the Ryanair Chase and he really does want a runner in the Jewson!

Where this horse ends up will tell us plenty about how their relationship works IMO.


I don't really agree with this TBH

As can be seen from his industrial relations reputation and general business demeanor, Michael O'Leary gets what Michael O'Leary wants, especially where he has all the power.

Now if O'Leary genuinely wants to leave it up to Mullins and/or Mouse then he will leave it up to them and both horses will probably run in the RSA but if O'Leary really wants a horse in the Jewson then one of SDC or FL will run in the Jewson and if neither trainer gives in then one will be TOLD to run the horse in the Jewson.

Michael O'Leary would have no qualms about pulling his horses from one trainer if he is not happy with the way they are doing things.

In practice, I believe that he will give his opinion but, in the end, he will genuinely leave it up to the trainers and he will have no horse in the Jewson and two in the RSA. You have to go back to the very first year of the Ryanair Chase where the speculation was that War of Attrition was expected to run in the inaugural running of the race but Mouse Morris persuaded O'Leary to run him in the Gold Cup instead and the rest is history. You'd have to think that it was a hard decision for O'Leary to bypass HIS sponsored race to go for the Gold Cup with a horse which wasn't guaranteed to stay the full trip. But in the end he let the trainer decide and they went for the big one, much to my frustration as I backed WOA for the Gold Cup @ 28/1 pre-season and then laid it all off on here because I reckoned he'd go for the shorter race!

Mullins want his horse in RSA, thinks it's his trip. Mouse wants FL in RSA it's his trip. Michael O'Leary don't care about money, he lets his trainers decide what is best for the horses they train.

So just to confirm even though O'Leary has gone on camera to say he wants the horse to run in the Jewson he doesn't really want the horse to run in the Jewson?

He's as short as 4/1 for the RSA, which seems like utter madness. I was really keen on him for the Jewson, and backed him a while ago, but I can't have him at 5/1 for the RSA even though I agree that it's probably the right race for him.

If Willie wants him to run in RSA that is where it will go.

what if i want him to run in the Jewson Masterminded?

This gamble reminds me of Cooldine a couple of years ago. Was smashed in the week preceding and went off 9/4. Obviously this is unlikely to happen to that degree, but it seems like they're really keen on it.

unlucky rhinestone...i'm glad I dodged it for the jewson...perils of betting any mullins horse at the meeting...

He's my last leg of big multiples done them before LI got injured

Hang on a minute....has anyone actually confirmed that the RSA is the race it's going to run in?
The money on here seems to suggest that somebody has known since yesterday but I've not heard a bean from connections to that effect.

choker pal nothing worse than that...I take it the others are in??

pipey its in to 4-1 in a place, I'd say they have decided...

Me too, but it would be nice if they could keep us informed of their decision, after all he has been asked the question probably ten times a day for the last three weeks.

yes harry, Giles 14's, Zark 9/2, Sprinter Game Spirit 5/6

yes disgusting...but cannot remember once - ever being told any info publicly by mullins...a closed shop.

brutal rhinestone...but thought you backed it at 12's and giles only ran a couple of weeks ago...unless you went in again at the shorter odds??

yeah had single at 12's

7's in my acca and treble

its sick game...reminds me of a massive cu i would of landed on six perfections scuppered by thierry wealllose thulliez who decided that visiting every blade of the newmarket turf and running rail was the way to win the 1000 guuineas...but although I don't think so I did get a long run for my money...sick

such a tough game innit

whats happening here lads ?

Will Peddlers confirmed for the Jewson make a difference?