Point Alexander v The New One NEPTUNE

I'm with you dyso, The New One on better ground should win this duel. And we know that this race is usually won by something in the top 3/4 in the betting. On at 14s before warwick effort.

You haven't mentioned the winner of the race

Jonjos!

Come on then Belfunk. The clue is in the OP - 'who will win this race and why'. Spill!!!

Rule The World !

Funny enough been working on this race this morning and the Irish horse looks an absolute monster and I imagine will be one of their bankers so it will be interesting to see how the market goes on the day. Layers could try to get it or could get swamped by money. Looks a fascinating clash.

Was just thinking that Judo - one of the more fascinating races this year. Always been one of my favourites, cos I'm looking at next years chasers amongst others things.

of course you cant rule out Rule The World or even Taquin De Seuil if they turn up. However I do see PA being 5-6lengths ahead of them coming over the last and giving its strong front running style.  So the only one i can see catching PA is The New One given that it jumps well and this time on better ground (if that happens) i see him swooping past PA over the last and quickening away.

cant wait for this race.

Think Rule the World would be better in the Albert Bartlett

Very hard to weigh up the Irish novices at cheltenham because they hardly ever get good ground to run on before it.

PA will run in the AB imo. Taquin wins the Neptune

PA 6/4 and TNO 11/4 at the off. PA cruses upside TNO (off the bridle) going to the last and pulls clear up the hill. He looks a real class horse. IMO.

be amazed if PA goes in the AB race

Several in with a chance of winning this, but for me The New One doesn't jump well enough.

I would expect PA to go for Neptune and can see him go off 6/4.

well I only say that because there was a Preview night the other day and they said PA was booked as the banker in The Neptune

6/4 and 11/4 ???????

i don't take trends as gospel, but rule the world is an absolute monster fit for this race

really think he's overpriced

You are quite correct Tucho, the horse is a monster and will prove it on the day and in the future.

The only way PA beats TNO is if PA makes all and runs at a very very fast pace and try to make it a real stamina test, which then this would suit the likes of Rule The World and possibly Taquin De Seuil.

They went very quick against TNO on trials day and it did upset him and he got beat on the run in but im hoping he would of learned plenty from that day and on possibly better ground he will hold onto him abit longer and let him go.

Tactics are gonna be crucial.

can't agree with that assessment

i only say that PA needs to make the running at a fast pace because i see PA as a 3 miler all day.  he would piss the albert bartlett for me.

If they go steady i cant see PA having that fast speed to pull away from the rest of the field, no way.

How do you see it judo?

he might have no choice to set a strong gallop but that is not the only way he can beat TNO I think he will just lengthen away from after two out and have them all at it

they are going to be strung out like washing by that stage and TNO won't want a crawl either

could be right judo, would have to be some horse just to kick away from TNO, RTW and TDS though.

i see TNO staying about 4 lenghts off PA all the way and going away.

Mullins always said PA was as slow as a boat - then after his last win he is elevated to superstar status .

I think he would have an eway chance in the ABartlett, no chance in the Neptune unless it was bottomless.

to me TNO  looks to have that blend of speed and stamina, that is essential for cheltenham, PA looks an out and out stayer and i dont think we will see the best of him until he jumps a fence, the biggest danger imo to TNO  is jonjo,s horse

PA beating of Don Cossack doesn't read so well now

I was at naas today inchcailoch , DON looked magnificent in the paddock he was the stand out and i backed him accordingly , sadly he doesn't have the gears for 2mls and might be better over further ..In fact looking at him today he looked to me bigger than ever in every sense....I was told from a good judge that p.a.was a good thing ...

I really can't disagree with you work rider but I heard the same thing about Boston bob last year, PA looks like a pure chaser even Ruby eluded to that on the morning line yesterday.

Stable staff having a field day backing in Pont Alexandre every time the layers start laying at chunky prices for the AB. Layers were laying at 60s now into 14s lol.

if they know its going AB route then they would be laying the Neptune price they cant lose then ,but60s no good if gets beat in the AB

There will be some nag that will try and make all, with PA just off the pace. The New One showed an electric turn of foot on trials day but will something come from behind and pick him off on the run in again?

I have just completed my analysis and have plumped in the end for The New One pretty much based on the going change. I think he will run much better on this quicker going. I will be paying close attention to Rule The World too, he looks a smart one in the making

Pont alexandre is too short, his current position is in no small part to his beating the "new superstar" in don cossack first time up, subsequent performances from don cossack has shown his lofty reputation to be just that!!, it must degrade the run of pont alexandre somewhat to see now that he wasn't beating anything special and although he's entitled to be one of the front runners in the market...not 5/2!!

Rule The World looks a serious,serious animal to me.

I agree, just think he may not be street wise enough but he looks a very smart prospect

If i was Ruby i would set the pace and go very very quick all the way on PA to get them at it and see how it goes from there, if they go steady then it wont have no chance at all imo.

Just to even think how Rule The World is 3 times the price of PA is beyond me. Gonna try and fit him into a lucky 15 with a few others to cover meself.

Had another look at this race and it looks really top class. The way Pont travelled and jumped in that leopardstown race looks more impressive the 2nd time round and he beats a horse 26L that won over 3m (atcually beating Rule the world that day). His time although not spectacular was 13 seconds quicker than Boston bob did in similar time last year and he ran a very creditable race in the Neptune. Pont could be anything but he deserves top billing.

BB ran in the Albert Bartlett

If the ground is soft good/to soft in places, well there will be no horse out staying The New One on the run-in. Have a look at last years Bumper to back my opinion up.

If we get the rain expected then IMO it will suit PA better than TNO. Really torn on this one and will wait til the day to see what has happened tues and what the ground is. Have 20/1 on RTW but gut feel is he won't be quite good enough

I'm on "The Pont" big time !

Mullins on last nights RP q&a
“@RacingPost: My best chance must be Pont Alexandre on the form he has shown so far #RPQA”

@judorick..... spot the deliberate mistake. Obviously the times aren't anything particularly usual in itself but its interesting that BB was all out and ran significantly slower. The ground this year was about as heavy as it could be. The more I look at that performance the more I think it could be rated a lot higher. The horse beaten in 3rd is no mug and sizing gold was on an upward curve.

pont looks AB bound to me....

"pont looks AB bound to me...."

Well why are you here posting when you should be backing it at @ 30/1 now on BF?

The only reason they would reroute PA would be if they felt confident that CF would win the Neptune. Impossible on what he has shown recently.  If anything CF goes in the AB. Zero chance of PA in the AB. imo. gltu

im posting here as this is pont alexander v/s the new one in the neptune, and i don,t think PA will run in the neptune all opinions of course gltu

Unless WM is playing us all for fools then this is pretty categorical....

Speaking in Trainerfile in the Racing & Football Outlook, Mullins said: "He has answered every question we've asked. His target is the Neptune and if he gets better ground than he's had in Ireland this winter then I believe he'll be even more effective, as he's from a good-ground family. I'd rate his chances in the Neptune very strongly

They really should be running him in the AB. He's an out and out stayer and will get gunned down by a horse with pace in the Neptune. CF looks quicker than PA. What is willie Mullins thinking.

Astracad and The Cockney Mackem out of Chelt now too with the same infection as Imperial Commander


Must b a big worry for TNO backers??

depends on what the infection is, who the horses work with, what proximity his box is to the other horses in the yard. Nothing is entirely straight forward.

I am amazed people still believe PA goes for the A Bartlett.

stranger things have happened arkle. Wouldn't put it past him to swap em last min, Probably just holding his price up for the Neptune so they can all make a nice earning out of laying him before the last min switch :)

Some nice horses in the Neptune,and quiet a wide open,competitive race.
Reckon it could well be one of the races of the week if they all turn up.
The 2 in the thread topic plus jonjos,Puffin,RTW and the likes of Defy Logic are all potential winners imo.Probably a few more as well - could be a classic.

Brooks I agree all sorts of very strange things  happen in racing but Ballycasey PA and CF are owned by the same man and he does not want to run two in the same race. Now I cant see Ballycasey running in any race shorter than 3 mile so unless one of them gets injured PA will run in the Neptune but as I often say I have been wrong before. In addition I dont believe that WM and/or Mr Ricci would in any way be interested in taking a couple of thousand from a few punters.

yeah his last bonus was circa £40m, I think he more important things to do like fixing libor than worrying about fleecing us small fish on here

Pont Alexandre is running in the Neptune. To suggest otherwise is either out of mischief or just totally deluded.. I expect him to win, especially if it comes up soft as now seems very possible.

Heres an interesting formline:
Based on a line through At Fishers Cross, Inish Island has only a few lengths to find on The New One. Based on homework and ranking within the Mullins yard, Inish Island is not in the same parish as Pont Alexandre. Therefore Pont Alexandre should easily beat The New One.

today is the day where questions and opinions will be answered. cant wait for this race  now.

If the bug in NTD yard hasn't affected The New One, then im still sticking with him.

Go to admit though mullins is very very confident about Pont.

He is but he is a chaser and imo is a galloping sort, so I'd presume Ruby will try to go all the way again. This time though there's a few speedy horses with stamina in the like's of The New One and Taquin Du Seuil. Think it's more open than the betting suggests. Think he'd be odds on if running in the AB though much weaker race.

I definitely agree with you there brooksie.

i have been a the new one fan since last years aintree bumper so will be sticking with him ,i am getting more concerned about chatterbox

Call me mad but I am strongly considering a place lay of Pont Alexandre at 1.26.

Such a strong race this year and I've got to side with my old pal Davy Russell on Rule The World, Davy will make sure this one goes close!

the mullins horse that can't get beat always gets beat :) Boston Bob last year, So Young the year before :)

The drying ground is an unknown for several including the fav

5/1 TNO does look big, he will travel in behind and has a potent turn of foot

if it hadn't been for the coughing in the yard I think it would be more like 5/2 each of two

the fav is clearly a very strong contender but is plenty short now

fascinating race between the two, the only other one I could consider is Rule The World

TNO purely for value and the going

we agree judo

"Call me mad but I am strongly considering a place lay of Pont Alexandre at 1.26."

ROTLMAO!!!

Ruby will ride him exactly like CF in the Supreme and no one will get even close to him. He'll have them all off the bridle turning for home. imo. glta.

Boom!! Lovely winner, could be a very special horse

tooooooooooo sloooooooow pont

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!   Told you it would win, let the speed button go and cyaaaaaaaaa hahah.   well done to all who had it.

lovely horse that won it, Pont Alexandre should of always been running in the AB

wow!! never in doubt

NTD says he could be the best he's ever trained.

Lovely family aren't they?

Pont alexandre out for the season