You have to love old Tidal Bay

Indeed, that was great to see, even though I'd backed the second!

Don't hear from many of the horses detractors these days, he used to get some stick on these pages.....

Would have to enter the Gold Cup / World Hurdle reckoning despite his age

Was at Wetherby today (I lost) but was great to see him repeat last seasons win in the race. He's entered in the Hennessy but surely they can't expect this 12yo to give lumps of weight away to younger horses.  He's 5lb higher than last year when he ran brilliantly to chase Bobsworth giving him weight.  Hope they stick to their plan of the Betfair and avoid Hcps with him.

It just makes you wonder what he would have achieved if Nicolls had him a few years earlier!

Indeed it does, giggsy.

Would have been in the Kauto/Denman/Big Buck's bracket. Of that I have no doubt.

Still could be Glossy,going for the big chases this season by the sounds of it.

An absolutely fantastic horse,How many horses have managed to win an Arkle as we as a Lexus?
A real character,But thats what makes him unique.

Wouldnt surprise me if we got a veterans race within the next 5 years

If they can accommodate the mares race which without quevega would look like a complete joke, then they can find room to acknowledge the veterans of this great game that we see week in week out year after year....just think, we could even salute them as they go past the winning post

Yeh,like that Duffy.
Shame Hello Bud aint around and old Erics Charm,would be great to see a race at the festival with characters like that that have given us so much pleasure.

agree , get rid of that srtty mares race (one race horse v a load of garbage) and have a vets race , I prefer has beens to never beens

Cheltenham Directors....if you are reading this and decide its a 'goer' it was my idea and my lawyers are watching

Shame on you all. The Cheltenham Festival is not the place for this sort of nonsense.

I think there's room for a Vets race at the festival.  However, I do think there should be a lower limit to what can run to keep the quality.  Must have a rating in excess of 125 say?

Why is it nonsense?? especially when you look at some of the races they put on there!!

Just watched this race for the first time after being away for Charlie Hall weekend, what a legend

Absolutely clouts the last as well but still motors home. Engine.

any further clues about which race he runs in next? I'm hoping he runs in the Hennessy for various reasons

nope not really judo, but did get the impression his trainer favoured the Betfair when I last saw him interviewed,mentioned the weight he would have to give away and how he wanted to train him like a Gold Cup horse.Personally think the weight thing will sway it towards the betfair and then it would be KG or Lexus.

cheers, just have to wait and see

I know this has been said for the last few seasons but this could be his last campaign. Run him in G1 races from now on. Betfair, Lexus then GC in March.

I can't wait to see what will happen come march if the ground is the likely good ground,after all, "the horse doesn't organize himself at the fences well enough on better ground"... bearing in mind this time around nicholl's won't be fighting for the title and therefore needing a WH horse.

Going by what he was saying last year,it would be fascinating to see just how keen they are running in the WH if BB comes back looking as good, and of course with zark already heading that way...let's see just how genuine those thought's on the reason why it was the WH route last year were, come march this time around.

Despite being a weaker looking stable than previous years, Nicholls does have good options in the staying divisions.

Gold Cup: Siliviniaco Conti / Al Ferof / Tidal Bay;
World Hurdle: Big Bucks / Zarkandar / Celestial Halo / Tidal Bay

I personally think Tidal Bay would stand a much better chance in the WH than the GC for what its worth.

Me too, I was just questioning last years reasons and wondering whether the real reason behind the WH route last year was due more to stable strategy as regards trying to mop up as much prize money as possible, I know the owner pays the bills but he still may have been quite happy to go along with it, anyway we'll see this time around, remember, the horse doesn't organize himself well enough on good ground, that's what wylie said, so let's see because it's a pretty fair bet it'll be good ground.

All for a veterans race at the festival that would be fantastic. id have it 12 year olds + tho not 11 year olds +.

Tidal Bay would be one of the greats of his generation with Denman and Kauto if Nicholls was lucky enough to have him from day 1. His arkle performance was breathtaking and was sad to see him lose his way after that. Fair play to paul nicholls getting wins in 4 of his last 5 races at the age he is. A real master.

His early success was in spite of H Johnson. 1 of the horses that supercharged my love for NH racing after backing him in the arkle at my 2nd festival

that inglis drever must have been even better than we thought

Should've  won 5 WHs!

I think he has a massive chance on Saturday. One of the few that is race fit and ran Bobs Worth close in the Hennessey last year when trying to concede 6 lbs. 9/1 a mighty fine price.

10/1 glossy with BV

be nice and muddy as well mate

I really hope he's not good enough to beat the new breed, wouldn't be a good thing if he was IMO.

id love to see it/

duffy??

budd,
I just want the young guns to be better than him at his age, when appreciating these new horses for the next few years, for me it would detract from them if they had it hanging over them that a horse from the previous generation,even though a very good one, particularly with what he's probably had to deal with through-out his career, was still good enough to beat them.

But that's exactly it duffy! The horse is so loved because he hasn't had it all his own way. I try not to think what he and others may have undergone with his previous trainer but aside from that, this is a horse that has been called all sorts of names for much of his career. He's a flawed genius, a loveable rogue and latterly; an extremely good staying chaser. His story is what National Hunt racing is all about and what sets it apart from the big money of the Flat game, who just don't get to have these kinds of narratives panning out over the best part of a decade.

One thing's for sure, if Tidal does manage to upset the odds tomorrow; it will be an emotional afternoon for many!

pretty much answered for me Glossy

I will add though,if these young guns are good enough they will beat Tidal Bay...wont they??and if they aint then they have lost to a very good horse,and will have to wait till age catches up with him,which should not be too long now,i would think.

couple more years

Ground a lot better than I thought it would be,just too quick for him the ones out front.

He was a better horse than Bobs Worth at the weights last November and finished ahead of him at levels yesterday with age increasingly against him.

whats next for the legend........gold cup??

Just seen its the Grand National next for the great one.

Yeah I have fallen in love with this horse. A tremendous weight carrying performance, really think he could run a massive race in the national. Hopefully there might be some rain about nearer the time, especially given the weight compression of previous years and the potential for long run to run in the race.