Okay. I've got the Gold Cup down to two.

One question that hasn't been asked though.... Is will Vautour stay?

if ruby ties a rope to dons tail he will

Lol CCM. That one definitely needs more debating.

To be fair it's starting to get a bit tiresome debating this now. Yes it's the biggest race of the year, yes it should hopefully be a renewal to savour and yes this place is where to debate all things Cheltenham, but just about every angle has been exhausted and done to death now. Hearing the 'will Vautour stay' question has to be the most asked question of the year, hearing the 'is Don Poli too slow' question is almost as repetitive and quite honestly boring now and it's also getting very tedious hearing the Don Cossack fans trying to make out he's going to be the next Arkle or Flyingbolt. Let's solve the Ryanair puzzle instead

Please will this bloody festival hurry up!

Don Poli

So IS Don Poli too slow. I don't think he's slow he can just be a bit lazy sometimes.

Just does enough just like he will in a few weeks time, Cooper will ride him, should be fav

satrus - solving the ryanair puzzle was attempted but very quickly turned into will vautour stay gc and even DC and DP were talked about - it is clearly what people want to talk about!

I'm with Satrus, we will find out in a few weeks time, til then it's just speculation. Folk are entrenched, nobody's view is going to change until then. It is getting a little tiresome.
The problem is Milton, wrt the Ryanair, some people still think the Vautour will run in it - whilst others don't, both have their reasons and they all centre around whether he stays! Ditto plans for RTR, which of course impacts on the likely run of Valseur Lido....ad infinitum All the novice races discussion seems to centre around horses likely targets rather than A versus B too.
With the champion hurdle looking a bit of a mismatch, it only leaves the Stayers and the QMCC of the championship races to really discuss.
Roll on the handicap entries, that's when the fine minds of this establishment can come together to eke out those nuggets of gold.

DO - completely agree - think about why matinee film sessions were so popular - it wasnt just for people that couldnt make the evening slot - they also showed different films

Agree Desmond, I like your last sentence on the handicaps, really can't wait to get stuck into the formbook for those races.

In particular, for me anyway, The Coral Cup, The County Hurdle, The Grand Annual and the two handicap chases on the first day are potential gold mines, providing you have a mixture of knowledge and luck.

Probably won't back a handicap winner all week now.

Now there's your first mistake Satrus, the formbook!

Going to a four day festival has caused much of this uncertainty but surely a major part of the enjoyment of the occasion itself is this build up?

True EO, I'm just being a misery-guts at the minute. I've not even being badly affected by withdrawals, touch wood, so I don't know what's wrong with me!
But the endless debates regarding whether Vautour will stay are pretty wearing, surely everyone is feeling that?

agree with you both - stimulating debate absolutely adds to the build up - not sure yes he does no he doesnt (vautour) or yes he is no he isnt (don poli) as examples counts as stimulating debate. - or put another way it can be at first put not sure picking the needle up and starting the record again adds anything?

It can get a bit Punch and Judy at times but often someone brings in useful information which may help firm up a view and for me most of it adds to the sense of what is coming.

sausages

A crocodile.

Got it down to two and a half!!
Cue card,Don Poli are the two, RTR is the half. Not a definite runner and stupidly hard race last week. Otherwise it would be three.
Just not so sure about him now.

Vautour or Cue Card

djakadam

i hope you are right i backed both some time ago

I knew alright. Of course it was easy when Vautour came out. Just didn't back Don Cossack.

happy days

Cue card = turf muncher

At a guess you are Irish and enjoyed the outcome.

CC is a great jumper and for you, i have met so many better Irish people than you.