Which race for rock on ruby at Cheltenham if he takes to fences?

Have to be the Arkle one would think but lets see how he goes today eh

way overpriced for the arkle !

Ladcrooks going 20/1 for today and the Arkle worth a dabble.

Thought that if they can get better ground he might be a decent prospect, I haven't seen the video though so not sure what to make of it yet. The arkle odds are perpexling for me. Could have one or two serious prospects from a hurdling perspective taking part. Champagne is a lovely horse but probably would have been a marginal under-dog to a couple of these over hurdles (thinking Grandouet for one).

any quotes from harry fry after ror win today ? arkle the target?

before the race he said arkle was the target next stop doncaster in january.

cheers folls just backed him for the arkle 16s yes please a champion hurdle winner stays further loves Cheltenham and bred for chasing  and can race prominently  whats not to like ,will be right on champ fevers tail in the arkle if mullins sends fever to the arkle ,been some money recently for champ fever for the rsa .put it this way if rock on was trained by mullins hendo or nicholls would he be 16s ?

After race he said we have options, Jewson as well as Arkle....On Sporting Life site.

"We'll look for another race, a little confidence booster," said the trainer.

"The Arkle is where we'd like to end up. Today was the start and we'll build on it. It wasn't very competitive on paper and it was all about confidence and experience for him.

"He got away with the ground in that sort of event. We know he's much better on better ground and that's what we'll look for.

"Apart from one obvious mistake, Noel was pleased with him. He was very neat and quick from one side to the other."

The reason WM NJH and PFN horses are lower prices is because between them they win about 2 out of every 3 of the festival grade ones.

He's too old to win an Arkle.

No hes not

When was the last time a 9yo won the Arkle? Overturn was 9 this year and got stuffed

Don't Care about that.

if he is good enough on the day he can certainly win, age stats are there just waiting to be broken....

Obviously it is usually won by a younger horse as it's a novice event and not many older horses are novices at this stage.  Common sense really.

Two 9yo winners in last 65 years. Good luck with this.

Really aint bothered about age stats, never have been, but thanks anyway.
Nice to know that a 9yr old can win though.

How many 9yr olds have ran in the last 65 years with realistic chances?  Stats with no substance.

Last 20 runnings of Arkle.
Horses aged 9 & S.P's

Overturn.   7/2
Captain Cee Bee.  5/2f
Need Kelly. 12/1
Stage Affair.  20/1
Ricardo.   100/1
Adamant Approach.  7/1
Barton.   9/2
Nipper Reed.   10/1
Advocat.   33/1
Lightening Lad.  11/1
Jimmie The Gillie.   100/1

Good stuff Brandy and it does add a little substance to the stat.  However, only 4 were single figure prices and although some did have festival backgrounds IMO none were as good as ROR.

It's all about choice and you pays your money etc.

I'm happy with 16/1 for ROR and Felix Yonger both NRFB against the field.

Good stuff Brandy and it does add a little substance to the stat.  However, only 4 were single figure prices and although some did have festival backgrounds IMO none were as good as ROR.

It's all about choice and you pays your money etc.

I'm happy with 16/1 for ROR and Felix Yonger both NRFB against the field.

Wouldn't be too dogmatic about the age stat. He only ran once in his 1st year and hardly been over raced.
  Hawkeyethenoo was too old to win Stewards Cup, but he won it. His profile was that of a younger horse.

The main problem is that this wasn't the plan, it is an afterthought as they have run out of options hurdling.

How many Arkle winners started their Arkle winning season over hurdles? (I genuinely don't know so that isn't a loaded question. My guess is very, very few though). And before anyone says that he has still started his chasing career before Simonsig did, that one had been schooled from very early on over fences, chasing had been the plan since the start of the season and he had a point to point career before hurdling too.

Age and afterthought mean I will not be going near him for March, but I can see why people are being attracted to him at a nice price. Good luck but I don't fancy your chances.

I don't think its a negative the "after thought". I'm a firm believer if you can jump you can jump. He is old enough and smart enough. I just don't like that he is going novice chasing in his 5th season. But each to their own.

Well Chief won this switching codes midway through the season.
But he was 5, got the allowance and was obviously not an after thought.
David Johnson smashed him off the boards before it was made public he was going chasing. Winning more than the most of us will earn in 10 years.

Think 16's is too big though, plenty of plusses.

Yeah I had another look at this market, 16s looked a very fair price. Especially in a market which has over recent seasons had very few runners. The e/w is fairly atractive to me. I watched the race and thought he jumped just fine for the majority, yes he's 9 but with enough schooling and a decent schedule pre-cheltenham they can make up the experience. The age stat wouldn't worry me one jot. Its where the price might go thats the interesting thing.

Does anyone know how many ex Champion Hurdlers have won the Arkle and how many have tried?

sir ken?

I've no idea at all...I haven't had an ante post bet on the Arkle which is strange for me. Was going to go with Grandouet but then stopped and thought how many seasons has he had over hurdles and has ran in a Champion etc...just doesn't fit a profile I want for this...one or two seasons over hurdles then chasing at the start of the season. Champagne Fever has this but way too short at 7/2

Saved myself money anyway cos think Grandouet is a bottle merchant

defo sir ken, won 3 churdles then was 4th then won arkle next season as a 9 year old

brute of a horse who even killed a paddock companion in a fight

feck sake sir ken ,no wonder he won all them races ! every fecker was scared of upsetting him after he killed another racehorse in the paddock ! sir ken mike Tyson of the equine world !

Did he eat the ears off him!

think he did his own version of gelding him !

All this afterthought talk is a tad inaccurate and don't tell the full story.
Yes,as far as they had 1 race over hurdles then went chasing, but it was mentioned ages ago that he may go chasing,and hes clearly been schooling for some time,he jumped like a natural the other day imo.
Hes not far enough behind his main rivals to stop him next March imo, and has had the same amount of chases as the 3/1 fav.
He will probably have another 2 chases I imagine and that would be fine,and even 1 more would not put me off if he jumps as well again. Hes a very experienced horse.

All this afterthought talk is a tad inaccurate and don't tell the full story.
Yes,as far as they had 1 race over hurdles then went chasing, but it was mentioned ages ago that he may go chasing,and hes clearly been schooling for some time,he jumped like a natural the other day imo.
Hes not far enough behind his main rivals to stop him next March imo, and has had the same amount of chases as the 3/1 fav.
He will probably have another 2 chases I imagine and that would be fine,and even 1 more would not put me off if he jumps as well again. Hes a very experienced horse.

oops!!

my thoughts are that as rock on ruby is bred to be a chaser connections could have had the old adage "whatever he does over hurdles is a bonus " in mind early in his career ,but as he proved to be top class over timber and won loads of money win and place could have been a case of "if its not broken don't fix it " and made hay while the sun shined  mopping up win and place money ,feck me I am coming out with some clichés here ,they probably thought they could get closer to or beat an ageing hurricane fly but realised after Kempton that they couldn't cope with improving speedier up and comers like the new one and co ,hence novice chasing .

I can't see why they would go anywhere other than the Arkle. Hopefully future races will see him in more meaningful races/more demanding tracks than Plumpton, the Plumpton/Cheltenham bonus notwithstanding. I think I could jump the fences at Plumpton and I'm eligible for the winter heating allownace next year!

They have been pretty clear about heading to the Arkle. That's the only target thats been mentioned

Where did you read that Budd? Not something I've seen.

Like I have said before I do not think this switch is a negative. Still got plenty if time to have 3 starts before the Arkle.

After plumpton they said one more run between now an january and then the lightening novice chase on the way to the Arkle. Personally it sounded like a well thought out plan

Ballydoyle,
   Couldn't find any Champion Hurdle winners who've run in Arkle. Had to go back to Moscow Society[ be still my beating heart] who was favourite for Champion Hurdle. Abandoned- Foot and Mouth.
  Being biased, I'll go with that as a plus.
That's just from looking through both race lists of winners. Chance I may of missed something.

I've had a quick look through at champion hurdle winners and I might be wrong but the last Arkle runner I think was Celtic Shot who ran 6th in 88.  Other Churdle winners after this who ran at the Festival in Novice Chases were; Collier Bay RSA in 99, Hors La Loi in the 2006 Jewson Hcp.

Therefore little info to go on re ROR.   If I missed any apologies.

Moscow Flyer...idiot I am.

Horses that are top rated hurdlers,do had a good record in the Arkle

Wasn't Istabraq favourite for the Champion Hurdle that year Souldance?

With that stat though Taximan, surely horse who have raced outside novice company over hurdles have a far greater chance of recording a higher rating than those who go chasing after just one season novice hurdling.

After the Henry viii chase i think this seasons Arkle has the look of being a very weak renewal.

CHAMPAGNE could go off very short if he wins his next 2 and Felix is targeted elsewhere.

I might be eating humble pie with regards ROCK ON RUBY who might be one of his CF's only realistic opponents. Place claims maybe!!!

brandyontherocks,
think you are correct, thought I read different. Jumping from one page to another, checking races, is obviously too much for this old brain.
Still can't believe I got his name wrong. Worrying cos it's usually horses I rememeber best.

as a trader 16s is way too big for a horse that is being aimed at the race and  really could b 2nd fav to champ come early march. problem is 9yearolds just dont win arkles.

Last of the 16/1 with corals now.

Last of the 16/1 with corals now.