Silvi Conti, Gold Cup 2016.

the Cheltenham hill must look like Mount Everest to #sickbagconti

I'm his biggest fan, but he should go Betfair > King George > Aintree Bowl > Punchestown Gold Cup, possibly having the Charlie Hall as a prep, and maybe sneak in the Denman Chase.

No disgrace in not taking the horse somewhere that doesn't really do it for him. There are many other races which will suit.

Ryanair anybody?

Don't think anybody needs to knock the horse. He's been a very good horse in his time and like all horses his powers are slightly on the wane now and a stiff 3m2.5f is a touch too far.

I think we should more be looking forward to a possible vintage Gold Cup in 2016 with Don Cossack, Coneygree, Vautour, Djakadam, Road to Riches etc. I don't think Don Poli is that level but I may be wrong.

Good horse that SC is, next year's Gold Cup looks potentially the most exciting for a number of years and I think his chance has gone.

Nodules from his scrotum only seem to appear in March at Cheltenham.
Or perhaps he has an allergy to all that Beamish froth at the festival.

I've just had the nodules from my scrotum removed.

I feel 200% better and am now in training with Alberto Salazar who is expecting great things from me....possibly Rio 2016, I'll keep all my friends on the Forum updated.

I've just had the nodules from my scrotum removed.

I feel 200% better and am now in training with Alberto Salazar who is expecting great things from me....possibly Rio 2016, I'll keep all my friends on the Forum updated.

I was watching a few of Conti's older races a few days ago. He was a fairly useful hurdler, nice and quick at the obstacles. The way he travels for 3 miles around Cheltenham he wouldn't be without a chance in the World Hurdle, which doesn't look especially strong next year. Jezki is a suspect stayer in my view. The Fly too old. The Weld one could be a big danger but I find it a bit worrying that he was meant to be having a flat campaign but hasn't been seen.

I've heard people say that Windsor Park was due to have a flat campaign but I haven't heard that once? What I heard was Robbie MacNamara state before Cheltenham was that the horse would reverse form with Nichols Canyon and win the Neptune. On the same podcast after Cheltenham he stated that the aim for next season is the World Hurdle and depending on ground etc, Weld may have considered him for the Ascot Gold Cup but didn't think that would be likely given the horse wouldn't want and has never ran on ground firmer than good - especially after a long season.

Paul Nicholls would have you believe every horse in his yard was a superstar and could handle anything.

Silviniaco Conti simply is nowhere as good round Chelts as Kempton

There is little chance SC will win the Gold Cup in 2016. Does not perform best at cheltenham. Had great form going into the GC this year and failed. The 2016 GC will be far more competitive in 2016 with Coneygree, Don Poli, Vautour, Djackadam, Road to Riches and Don Cossack all in the mix. We obviously don't know what will run where, or for that matter if Vautour will stay, but I wouldn't fancy SC to beat any of the horses I have mentioned at Cheltenham, let alone potentially all of them. Bookies obviously agree, SC 33/1 to win 2016 GC.