Donald McCain

betfair ambassador along with gordon elliott

knuts

Been mugged all over he should refund everyones bet on the arkle ... Hope he flops in the jewson

3rd March: McCain said: "He's grand, he's worked this week and worked again today. I'm happy with him." Not grand enough clearly.

29th Feb: "The Arkle is Plan A" "That has always been the plan but if there are any question marks over him we can always think again."

"We seem to be where we want to be"

11th Feb: Donald McCain has revealed that Peddlers Cross will go straight for the Racing Post Arkle Chase, and will do so without the need of a prep run.

No date but post Kempton “The plan is the Arkle. He’s working away and we’ve decided we’re going straight to Cheltenham because the races that were available to us didn’t really fit in with what we wanted to do and we’ll get him A1 for the big day all systems go.”

Glossy- Kept repeatedly saying Arkle was plan A whilst at the same time money was piling on for the Jewson and he was drifting like a barge for arkle. Money talks so they say.

Glossy - my previous post.

22nd Feb Now Peddlers Cross is back in good shape and McCain describes recent home work as "terrific". It's all systems go for the Arkle, and the Cholmondeley handler is bullish about his charge's hopes.

"I know Sprinter Sacre is very smart, as he showed again last week at Newbury, but my fellow has a serious chance of turning things around."

Terrific really Donald?

No need to be like that sint, just an opinion.

I've suffered with trainers/owners altering their plans at a late stage before. This year I have a sizeable amount on First Lieutenant for the RSA at a big price. It looks like he may go for the Jewson maybe too and that's the nature of the beast I'm afraid. Antepost betting upon horses with multiple entries is a risky business as a horse's work can dictate their work all the way up to the week before.

You are correct in what you say Glossy but when a horse holds more than 1 entry you try to pick up on what connections say and for weeks (up to last week) McCain actively talked up the clash with SS.  There appears to have been something happen to make them very abruptly change their mind.

I've not even backed the horse Glossy. But Donald has been pretty defiant about PC's defeat at the hooves of Sprinter Sacre all winter. He even said Sacre has only beaten handicappers.

Fair enough. It's also a shame that one of the main players in what was set up to be an intriguing clash is not going to  take his place. The race is a lot worse off for it.

Perhaps a few more may now take their entry now that an extra place spot is available?

....or is it simply that McCain has bottled it!.....he has now ruined that horses reputation and will be remembered for the time he duck a fair challenge.  He will be gutted when/if he sees SS struggle with the pace at the end of the race, up the hill.

Makes it a no bet race now the arkle. I love Peddlers, great horse, hence my name but just dont feel like backing it in the Jewson now.

wonder what ginger would have made of this errmmm tactical retreat

McCain knows he had fk all chance of beating Sprinter Sacre so it's a sensible move.

I think a few things need to be said her in the name of perspective:

Firstly, I can totally appreciate why people are mad about the U-turn, especially if they backed PC for the Arkle, which appears to have been his target all along.

However, the horse has clearly had problems, was always entered in a few events (Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle suggests connections were genuinely keeping their options open), and over the last week or so it has been clear they were swaying one way.

The abuse on here seems way bigger than that aimed at a certain trainer of the legend that is Kauto Star, despite the fact that it was almost a week before it became known that he had lied and not righted the wrong. Personally, if I had backed Peddlers I would be very frustrated, but if I'd backed Kauto in the week before we knew about his fall I would be livid.

One other thing, which admittedly does little to offset the ethical annoyances of McCain's decision, is that more than a few things don't add up.

It is so patently obvious that McCain thinks the world of his horse, and that he really fancied lowering the colours of Sprinter in the Arkle (based on more than one strong quote as well as vibes). I have always thought the longer trip of the Jewson would suit more, but connections clearly didn't. I don't buy for one second that they have been scared away from the Arkle by Sprinter. This all suggests that they are not happy with something (maybe he's not 100% in himself, maybe the jumping is not great since he's been schooled etc...). Whatever the real reason, there has to be a big red flag surrounding this horse. I get the feeling he is not ready to run for his life, and in very good company (even in the Jewson) in novice chases at the Festival, that's not going to be good enough.

I will now get stuck into a couple in the Jewson because Peddler's has helped push a few out in the market. I just can't see him winning anything next week based on this fiasco.

These things happen every year but this one seems particularly bad. It must be if, with one week to go, the fact that Mullins' five or six novice hurdlers have still not been pointed to their respective races and it is only a minor issue in the ante-post landscape

I haven't got any financial interest in the Arkle, but I was looking forward to the best running of it in living memory.

I hate to see people bummed like this and it's been McCain's perceived confidence that's strongly suggested all the way, that this was the first choice.
It does leave a bad taste, and reaffirms my belief in ignoring EVERYTHING trainers utter

The people who've backed him for the frame at around 8/15 ante-post really shouldn't be allowed to bet if that's their idea of a wager, as the Arkle is arguably the toughest race of the entire Festival.
Nevertheless, they don't deserve their fate, and it's the bookies who are in bulk at AP backers yet again!

Tom, I think what sets this issue apart for people is two fold:
Firstly, although Willie Mullins has a deplorable attitude to PR, he always makes a point of keeping his options open when talking to the press. There have been various comments from McCain that indicate the Arkle is the target all things being equal.
Secondly, if the horse is not A1 and that is the reason he is dodging the Arkle then surely he should not be going to the festival at all. Either he is ready to run to his best or he isn't. For this reason it is hard to get away from thinking he is dodging Sprinter Sacre despite his previous bullish comments.

Hugh-Mongous
I don't think you could really describe the Arkle place market as one of the most competitive of the Festival by any means. Before today there were 5 horses along way clear essentially playing for 3 places. It is very possible on the day there will only be 2 places available in the place market.

The point about plan B is that it seems to have been mentioned only very recently as if it is just a fall back if plan A doesn't work out. By that time they must have almost certainly have decided that plan B was their actual plan of attack and they have treated the racing public with the same kind of contempt which sees a horse (Kauto) being described as having jumped well and pleased his trainer when in actual fact he had fallen for the one and only time on the gallops.

RANCID.