Minella rocco

I have heard on a couple of different occasions minella rocco is going chasing but my personal opinion is I'm not so sure he will end up in the RSA the connections have more of that novice chasing as well and I'm sure they will split them up meaning minella rocco more likely a JLT horse in my opinion!!!

Cheers barnesey,I told my mate Minella rocco was a 3 mile chaser,I also thought more of that would stay hurdling but isn't,he was talking to McCoy at some awards a few month back and he asked ap what he thought of the horse,his words were 'very very good,gonna be some chaser'

Entered in a novice chase on Friday

Seen that Barnesy cheers mate,looks like more of that Sun alliance bound but a long way to go

may have needed the run so excuses there, but looks like a 4 miler doesn't he

He does look a 4 Miler. Guess who jumped in yesterday and had a bet for JLT to get the price. Mug. Took 16/1. Now 33/1. Joy.

He looked one paced I just wonder if that bout of colic he had has took more out of the horse than johnjo thought,definitely not a Jewson horse and I bet they thought he was better than running in the 4 miler.was in trouble a long way out for me,so possible genuine excuses

Don't really know what to make of his performance today was really excited to see him jump a fence and whilst he jumped ok the race leaves more questions then answers! I haven't given up on him though I will follow his progression closely and although I won't be backing him ante post for Cheltenham as I've probably done my money on the JLT already, I'm sure he is still going to be a good horse though, he finished the race really well and perhaps he just needed it?

I was @haydock..he looked amazing, but ran like a drain..hes slow imo, but he may have needed it , but theres no doubt he was very disappointing

Looked like a decent prep for the 4 miler there.  He does seem to lack pace though and wouldn't be rushing to back him unless it was soft ground.

Interesting that Gerraghty is at Haydock so looks like that's the plan, nice to see him run well.

I'd try a pair of cheekpieces on him as he just looks like his mind is not on the game. Definitely one for the 4 miler with hopefully Nina on board.

I think one reason that they will go NH Chase with him is that they can demand the services of a top amateur. I know what you mean maeldun....he is the equine version of Bambi. Hooves all over the place but he must have an engine.

Nina and the 4 miler I was thinking watching him flash home yesterday

he didn't look slow at all on his debut? But now agree looks made for the 4miler!

he looked to have plenty of pace in those kempton novices under mccoy

yea thats the race I'm on about.

Sea of blue on oddschecker for the 3m Handicap Chase on Tuesday.

Just taken a bit of 12/1 as I think this looks the ideal race for him myself.

hmmm interesting

Maybe Barry fancied keeping the ride after the weekend? Would be a big nod to the horse if chooses him over Minella Foru!

All you need to see is the trainer, then get the biggest black marker you can find, and draw a big line through his name.

lol u not a fan mincer?

In the hurly burly of a large field 3 mile handicap chase, there is a good chance MR would hit the deck.

Gilljaysmouse, he wouldnt train a dog to sit down.
He has one chance of a winner, and its More of That, hes the best horse in the race, with possibly the best jockey, but most certainly not next nor near the best trainer.

When does he get his rating for Saturday ?

Apparently been left on 143 (twitter). Licking my lips if true

Was just about to post that I cant see him going up much... 145 tops. Looks a nice mark for the race.

Would have liked to see him run on better ground I must admit. But I've just got a feeling he is going to relish it.

I'd be too worried about his jumping at Cheltenham to back him.  Good mark no doubt but fast pace and lots of runners doesn't work for me.

Thanks for the replies. Interesting mark. I wonder what Minella foru will be given. Holywell off 153 could also be of interest. When jonjo says hwell could go for the race he won before, i'm wondering if he could go for the pertemps though. It might sprucen him up for the national.

JP will have loads for the 'cap on the Tuesday, Pendra didn't have the easiest of passages last year and looks a lock for this race.
If MR has 143, then he'll sneak under the cut-off for the Kim Muir too, so all options are open.

must be mad pitching him in with seasoned handicappers! 143 seems reasonable but hes by no means well handicapped, put a  pair of blinkers on him and I might be interested.

NH chase looks tailor made for him! get him focused on jumping with plenty of time to get him into the race, 3 miles seems a bit sharp and he'll be miles back at the top of the hill then be staying on into 7th or so if you ask me.

MINELLA ROCCO, a major market mover for the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase, was left out of the race as entries for the festival handicaps closed on Tuesday with trainer Jonjo O'Neill confirming the National Hunt Chase as his Cheltenham target.

National Hunt Chase card
Grand National betting
The JP McManus-owned six-year-old put two disappointing runs at Prestbury Park this season behind him with a close second to Vyta Du Roc in the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot on Saturday.

Despite that improved performance, Minella Rocco's official handicap mark remained unchanged on 143 on Tuesday, when his price for the opening day festival handicap was cut across the board. He was 8-1 favourite with a number of bookmakers last night.

"He is going for the four-miler and that's the only race he's left in," revealed O'Neill. "He jumped great on Saturday but he's been vulnerable and I think for those handicaps you need to be fairly slick. We don't know whether he will get four miles but he will hopefully be in his comfort zone in that race."

Minella Rocco is a top-price 14-1 for the National Hunt Chase. O'Neill could still be represented in the Tuesday handicap, however, with leading Crabbie's Grand National fancy Holywell entered.

New Ultima H'Cap favourite Minella Rocco not entered and will target National Hunt Chase

^from Twitter.

like that!

Great news for a change.

Twitter: Minella Rocco cut from 14/1 into 5/1 for the National Hunt Chase by PP after he was confirmed for the 4 miler.

5/1 BJG couldn't get it to jump well around Cheltenham.  Probably Nina on so as good as it gets but Mad price.

Is a million in any race it runs in . Wouldn't win the charity race

Jonjo speaking sense for once? Well at least he is in the right race. I can't believe anyone who knows the game thought that this would run in a big field, competitive handicap at 3 miles given what he's shown over fences so far. He's green as grass and will struggle to cope organising himself in the NH Chase though will have plenty of assistance from the saddle with Nina up.

I've backed him for it but also have Roi Des Francs, whose form chance is much clearer to me.

Ffs. Shocker. Backed Arctic Fire for the Champion and this fella for the 3m Handicap this morning

Can't understand why they appear to have campaigned him to get a soft mark and aren't going to use it. If he's been running on merit, he won't be winning anything

CCM - I retract my last post as you know plenty about it. Over the years though I've learned that believing what I see, ignoring the comments from the top connections and bookmakers flying a kite and reaching my own conclusions is the best way forward. Frankly backing Ricci, Wylie and JP novices in anything other than the 'to win any race' market is fraught with danger.

Good luck....we'll all need it!

Yes I agree entirely mate and do tend to ignore comments from others. But I have had this horse on my radar and thought he looked a classic JP / Jonjo plot horse. Surely he hasn't run to his maximum this season? If they wanted to get a nice mark, I was sure they'd exploit in a Handicap. Seems bizarre not to now. Unless of course he has been running on merit, and just hasn't trained on.

If he's going to struggle in the 3m handicap, I think he will struggle in the 4 miler too as it is always a big field as there is still plenty of hurly burly.

Anyway, it's sour grapes on my part as I've got it wrong and can't back him now. Was 16/1 in places for the Four Miler this morning

Could someone please point out one line of form which makes Minella Rocco a good horse, as I must have missed it.

We will find out soon enough. The NH Chase might just suit him but he has a lot to do against BH and RDF if they line up. I think the latter is a very good horse and the fact that they made him favourite for the MP last year when not finishing far behind KV shows that he acts on the course and on quicker ground. With a decent pilot, he is the one for me. Having said that, I was all over Wounded Warrior last year and Gigginstown chose to give him a respectable view of DP's derriere in the RSA. It could easily happen again....

@mincer11 you don't have to be a good horse to win the NHC. In the last decade 3 of the winners had Official Ratings of 130 or less. Minella Rocco is currently only rated 3 pounds off the highest rated winner during that time period. GL

Yes I've backed RDF too mate.

Are the handicap entries out this week

Easy to write now but surely if they were going for a handicap, they would n't have run in the Reynoldstown? He already had a rating on the back of his three chase runs. Presumably he was backed into favouritism for the handicap based on people familiar with JPM mo and trying to get best price before the entries were published. Probably did n't take much money to move the price.

Doubt it'll make much difference anyway, he was a lot better on Sat but will still need everything to go right to have a chance in the NH Chase i.e. if he makes similar mistakes to his previous chase runns at Cheltenham, he'll likely get too far behind even if he recovers from them.

^ not a dig at you CCM, I enjoy reading your contributions.

Fair point Rease, although his mark didn't go up and they may have decided he needed one more run for experience and it wasn't a bad option?

Anyway, pointless me going on about it. Need to move on!

Didn't take it as a dig at all mate.

as one who backed it heavy on its first two runs and for the rsa before its first run i have to agree with mincer here.he wont win any race at festival.hes too cumbersome/green looking /error prone,and hes far from certain to stay 4 miles(even at his slow pace).he looked so good last year.wtf has happened to him this year?.and the point has been made if they were stopping him to get a lenient mark(if 143 is) why arnt they using it?  so my thinking is the likes of black hercules,an uncomplicated,high cruiser, will beat him out of sight.,along with many more i think

Could be a prep run for the 2017 national

Gerraghty doesn't get on with the horse full stop,the horse to me looks as though it's grown too much,wouldn't trust it to go round Cheltenham twice and stay on its feet,looked green still at ascot,maybe needs time but you would want 2-1 to get round.