Djakadam deserves to be Favourite. I've heard it all now.

Certainly a different path to Hold Cup victory than is the norm.

A fall then a handicap victory off 145.

Bet of the meeting????

Early days to have the bet if the meeting CV.

I'm interested to see what mark Ted Veale is allocated.

Yes agree, he is a stand out price.  Like you say the other two will be heading to the RSA so he has to contract.

I do like Ptit Zig.  Been impressed with him. Concerned though that Nicholls has said today he wants run him at Kempton.

Not sold on Ptit Zig at all, his defeat of Josses Hill isn't much, that horse would have needed the run and jumped shockingly. Then Champagne West is hardly a big player for anything at the festival and is a 3 mile+ horse too. 4/1 Ptit Zig, nah too short he looks great because he's good and he's racing against very poor crop of English Novice Chasers.

Think Vautour & Valsuer Lido, Apache Stronghold, Gilgamboa are better.

Would they ever just get rid of that bloody charity race. The Thursday is weak enough as it is. They need a 2mile Grade 2 mares novice hurdle.

So will Many Clouds find the likely good ground a problem in the Gold Cup. He was badly outpaced on good at Aintree last season. Not to mention he's well held by Conti on a line through Dynaste. He's a very likeable horse Many Clouds.

Many Clouds still has a way to go to beat Silviniano Conti but at least my 22 ante post is looking OK.

How important is soft ground for this horse?

"Quite Important"

Sherwood said on ATR right now.

Does anyone the story with First Lieutenant? I think the Irish Hennessy is the plan but will he go to the Gold Cup? I know a lot of people will dismiss him because he's getting on and his form this season hasn't been great.

He has a fair festival record though. 1st in the Neptune, 2nd in the RSA, 2nd in the Ryanair and NR on the morning of last year's Gold Cup. He's probably quirky enough but he's way better on fast ground and it was an alright run in the Lexus in the context of his dislike for soft conditions.

He's a fair price at over 200/1 on here in my opinion. It's also his last chance to run in a Gold Cup most likely even though it's probably been the most obvious race for him since his first visit to the Festival. It'd be a shame if he never got a chance to run in the race.

Don't think the winner of the Gold Cup ran yesterday, they all finished in a bit of a bunch for me. Conti for me still as the best form this year, the only question for me is does Cheltenham really suit him?. PN thinks the head gear will make the difference if it does he will win

I've mentioned earlier on here that First lieutenant has the festival form to be in the mix and time will tell. 

Also after yesterday we should not forget the Hennessy form has been franked a few times now. 

Unioniste a couple of weeks back, then Djakadam and yesterday the first Many Clouds and Smad Place confirmed the form again. 

HOUBLON DES OBEAUX was 2nd at Newbury giving the winner 6lb for the 3l beating.  He then failed to give The Young Master 15lb at Ascot but that may have been impossible with Hindsight, but if it does come up soft at Cheltenham this horse has to be considered, perhaps not if it's good.  i think he's been forgotten.

Nice to see 3 top forumites agreeing on an outsider

Without digging up old arguments, Conti is still the standout 3m chaser.  He beat Dynaste better than Many Clouds did (admittadly at a track Conti would have preferred, but I think Dynaste would have preferred Kempton too).

It's a very risky strategy to ignore him because of previous Cheltenham runs.

As we've seen with Un De Sceaux, horse can fall at any time, but that doesn't mean it's the track's fault - in jump racing it just happens sometimes.

Last year after Christmas a lot of Nicholls' horses weren't right, and this year we've seen better performances from Dodging Bullets, Al Ferof and Conti.

Cheers Budd, looks like being a cracker with a big field.  Wellchief you are right with regards to Conti, simply the best form in the race, just the Cheltenham factor.

Yeh Chief fair comments mate.
Im thinking not so much ignoring him but just cannot back him at the price,given his failing twice in the race.Not so much the fall as that happens,but more last year jumping the last in front.
Yep, take your points re Nicholls,and I also take in reports of ulcers last year and cheekpieces,but still at the prices I prefer the up and comers,and have a feeling they could be pretty special.

I just realised, Silviniaco Conti has beaten absolutely zero horses who will run the the Gold Cup this season. He's beaten no stayers either, just take a look at his last 2 wins. Has to be a big factor to consider.

Yes you could say he did, But Many Clouds is clearly saving a bit for himself on the run in and is looking pretty comfortable because when they get a bit close to him he's going away again. So he would be on par with Conti on a line through Dynaste who ran two very solid races on his last two starts, not tiring at end of either race tbh. I'd have him as a reliable 167 horse.

He was just beaten by better horses on the day, not by far though. The Giant Bolster only runs his race in the Gold Cup on decent ground. While the 1st and 2nd go back to Ireland and Conti returns to winning ways in the absence of the best rivals.

The cheek pieces probably have helped him, he wouldn't have wandered with them on. He's got a big chance alright, but he's not clear of his rivals by any means. I'd say he's more in the pack than many think, especially at Cheltenham. He won at Kempton last season after all.

I see him as a drifter tbh from his 3/1, Bookies will really want to be taking him on, so many potential winners of this race.

If ground is good to soft. I'd want to be against Conti, Bobs Worth, Holywell, Smad Place & Many Clouds. I'd be on the side of Road to Riches, Lord Windermere, Carlingford Lough and Boston Bob. Djakadam one for next year I feel.

That was merely a little bonus bet at the time i placed it, at the time i placed my main King George bet on him.