should we lay HUNT BALL?

til the cows come home, cant win with that weight on its back and i dont car how easily it won lto.

Has never won left handed which is the main concern.
Don't see the weight being a major issue as he only has to give a max of 8lbs to his rivals

isn't Fontwell at least half left handed?
Poor horse has only run left handed 3 times, twice nearly a year ago or more before he started rapid improvement

Bottom weight is 11-4 so nt exactly givin away stones to the rest of em either - i would nt be rushin to lay it at 8/1 anyway

His one loss since he showed improvement was at Plumpton, not conclusive i'll grant you but its enough to make me reduce stakes

his defeat at Plumpton more likely down to the worst ground he's raced on.
6 of the 7 horses behind him that day have won since, 4 of them nto.

Valid point Pedro, cheers

As I said on another thread the biggest problem is that he is priced up as if Geraghty is on board - you should be doubling the price re-united with Scholfield.

Outside the x country i cant remember the last time a top weight in a handicap winning at the festival and over 150s have a shocking record as well

He's not 150 though and there is a small weight range

the record of 150+ horses in handicaps is admittedly only 1-89 since 1995
but there are reasons for that: namely it's harder to carry weight over longer trips and most horses who are rated 150+ are generally exposed with nothing in hand of the handicapper

but take the record of fancied horses (less than 10/1 and presumably still considered improving and/or progressive) in that range over distances short of 3m in handicaps and the record reads 2232910530
that's 1 winner and 5 placed from 10, a decent record given only one of the 10 races had less than 16 runners

I,d be with hunt ball,though i have a slight doubt about him getting up the hill.Thought his Kempton run was awesome(no Cheltenham i know).
In answer to your question op i,d imagine you would get a cheaper lay maybe 3 out as on past evidence should jump well and be travelling well just behind the leaders.
As an aside love to see him win as it would be a great story and the celebrations would be manic. gl.

I hope you didnt do your nuts on this - what a performance . Really pleased for them - think there was a fair bit of racing snobbery going on with this one. If trained by Nicholls then pure genius but because owned by a farmer and trained by a lesser trainer the form was always knocked . Great end to day one.

Well done to them indeed

Great stuff,what the feck was i worrying about the hill for.

moneyforoldrope     12 Mar 12 18:30

 
til the cows come home, cant win with that weight on its back and i dont car how easily it won lto.




I think the owners cows will be miked by someone else tonight/tomorrow morning !!Fantastic win. What an improving horse. Don't you just love Handicaps !!

As the owner was tearfully being interviewed on C4 after the last win and proclaiming, "We've got stones in hand", I thought, 'yeah, maybe you have, I'll back it next time'. But top weight in a novices hurdle at the festival, no thanks. Still delighted for all concerned to see it sluice up, a great story. I'd chuck it in a graded race next time up. I know the handicapper is clearly still miles off with this one and winning pots is always nice, but sooner or later they'll have to raise their sights - maybe the Maghulls or the longer novice chase at Aintree.

Novice  hurdle ?