The Cue Card thread

Maybe. Savour what he's done thus far. Like a rubber ball he just keeps bouncing back. Wonderful horse.

Really is a horse of a life time.  I've never wanted a horse to win a National more than I want Conti to today, but I don't think I ever want a horse to win a Gold Cup more than I do for Cue Card next year.

You'd never think he was a 10 year old on Thursday.  Jumped beautifully, travelled with the zest of a 6 year old and stays every inch of 3m.

As he'll be getting on, I'd miss the Charlie Hall or Betfair next year and get him spot on for two races: The King George and Gold Cup.  Colin Tizzard deserves a huge amount of credit to get him in the form of his life as a 10 year old, after a couple of stop start years due to injury.

I would like to see him front running again.

His jumping is not the same since being held up, and I think it is sheer class that is seeing him through.

Pretty much one error away from a Kauto Star in his pomp season.

Punchestown would be ideal to try this, chances are he is going to be less than tip top as Paddy said he wasn't the other day.

Hopefully a hat full of Grade 1s still to come from the old boy.

Surely the most popular horse in training.

Pretty much one error away from a Kauto Star in his pomp season.


Dare I say it but that is nonsense, and if we want to talk about horses of a lifetime have a look at what SS did to CC at Aintree and then consider what he then went through and came back this year...CC is a lovely lovely horse but needs a bit of perspective IMO.

Also, the IF about DC standing up and winning the KG carries a lot more weight than CC standing up and winning the GC, CC hadn't even entered the stamina sapping part of the race when he came down so hadn't answered any question on that score and his win the other day had precisely zero bearing on what happened in the GC, throw in the far more likely probable that DC would have won the KG if he'd stood up and there is a bit more perspective.

CC is a likeable horse and indeed is many peoples favourites but I think that may in some peoples eyes be upgrading his "greatness" just a touch.

Even as an admirer of Cue Card, only after Don Cossack mind you, had Cue Card stood up after jumping into the lead I thought that would have played much more into Don Cossack's (DC) hand as DC, if anything, to me took it up too soon and was idling in front despite winning in good fashion.

Let's hope Cue Card turns up at the Punchestown Festival in two weeks' time. As for the participation of Vautour highly unlikely in my opinion unless his engagement at Aintree was merely for prize money for the Trainers' Championship.

Cue Card jumped terribly at Kempton, yet still won. DC jumped upsides but was hardly asserting the way CC was at Cheltenham.

Use the suspect stamina 'trump card' the nay sayers like to trot out, he has proven his stamina no doubt this season.

He is a faster horse than DC and when he tipped up he was asserting at a rate far greater than DC was at Kempton.

Not nonsense, fact that can be seen by anyone with functioning eyes.

CC had not entered the stamina sapping part of the GC trip that has all his question marks and most definitely did not look on a par with how DC looked at Kempton with regards to finishing position IMO...anyway, lets hope CC is still there in 12 months time to have another crack at it.

We might not have to wait 12 months for another duel between CC and DC but hopefully, the Punchestown Festival later this month could determine once and for all who the number 1 staying steeplechaser is.

Imo it is irrelevant who wins the Punchestown Gold Cup - there are only two real targets throughout the season; the King George and the Gold Cup, and it is one one between Cue Card and Don Cossack.

Don Cossack obviously has the bigger prize out of the two, but I just hope Cue Card can come back in the same form next year.  As much as I loved seeing Cue Card hack up at Aintree, it meant little in terms of the wider picture, just as Don Cossack's did at the end of last year.  I've said that all along, and I'm not changing my mind now just because Cue Card won the Bowl, because that'd make me a hypocrite.

I'm so gutted Cue Card fell in the Gold Cup, mainly because his age.  It may well have been his one and only chance, where the Don fell in the King George, but he would still have chances in the future.

Admittedly I get a little out of my rational zone when discussing my favourite horses.

assuming that the King George was past history, when CC came to grief at Chelts to me he was looking good to pull away. Could he have lasted home, I say yes others think not.

As I've said before it was 2 unsatisfactory conclusions to the 2 biggest races of the year. A real shame.

As for Aintree/Punchestown, I agree it's after the Lord Mayors show and impressive as CC was the form isn't to be taken at face value.

@chief its better to look hypocrite than a not-thinking person who isn't constantly challenging what he knows. I became a DC fan as soon as he won at Aintree last season because I don't think any horse would've lived with him that day so his quality was a standout and it didn't mattered whether he'd perform few lengths worse or better on other track or other conditions, it was high enough of a performance for no horse in training or in the last decade to challenge. Horses are not humans to think of targets like GC or KG, their training regime remains almost the same except the short interval they have between festivals and some horses thrive on racing whilst others need a longer recovery time. Don Cossack cleary is the former as he proved when following up at Punchestown beating the GC runner-up who even had a break.

Point is that, unlike some of you, I'm exciting about a rematch taking place at Punchestown as it could be CC last chance of glory before age takes precedence next season.

Shame is that by next December, Cue Card will be ageing fast and attempting to defend his King George title. Even if he achieves this it will be a mountain to climb to win his first Gold Cup at the age of 11.

History shows that 11 yo's only win rarely and in bad years in modern times. 1969 What A Myth 12 yo was the last horse over 10 yo to do the business. 47 years ago.

7,8 and 9 are the ages to win Gold Cups. I doubt next year will be a bad year with Mullins in form (unless he sticks with Djakadam).

Thistlecrack will be 9.

Really hoping it won't be Cue Card's last hurrah at the top level of the sport but if it is I shall be there at Punchestown cheering him home and making the most of it.

There's not many horses that I'd go to the effort of getting on a plane for. A couple of my Cue Card loving mates also think it's a great idea and are doing the same. Just hope he makes it there fit and healthy now, then worry about next season afterwards.

I'm heading over as well mate. Will certainly be a race to savour. Has the potential to be the race of the season. I know who I'll be screaming home anyway.

4/5 to win today - good value all things being equal.

Over the top big time, one too many.

Hopefully returns in the same form, a Gold Cup age 11 seems an impossible dream so I would settle for another King George

Yeah, over the top too imo, but the best moment was seeing RTR get up.

Just think it shows the class of the likes of Douvan and Sprinter who had the quality to do the treble...although they were in less gruelling races.

Just shows how brutle the end of season can be.

If CC were mine, he'd be very slightly raced next year.

Going Gold Cup again according to trainer......good!!

Surely the second best in the GC on ratings and if Thistlecrack underperforms, Cue Card is the obvious danger. Native River is progressive but had 2 very hard races and still needs improvement.

I bet Brennan will ride his own race in the Gold Cup to maximise Cue Card's chance and potential of winning the race; in a curious twist of fate this could be Cue Card's year (perhaps).

A generous price considering he is 2nd best.

The nearer it gets, the more plausible him winning seems. Decent break since Boxing Day and you never know, might be a wet GC day aswell.

Saturday's performance showed Cue Card had not regressed and his KG running was all wrong, and the appearance of a fat leg soon after was to blame. As such, his run in the KG should be discounted; in the KG he started 2nd fav at only 5/4 but is now 7/1 3x that of Thistlecrack, the winner at 11/10 who suffered defeat against Many Clouds in the Cotswold Chase last month.

Cue Card may be 11yrs old but he is great value at 7/1 considering he was only 5/2 against Don Cossack - a better horse and stayer - than Thistlecrack up the Cheltenham hill last year.

I hope that Paddy will have learnt from the disaster last year. Why he decided to set the horse alight going to a downhill fence, only he knows.

I think it remains to be seen whether Don C is a better horse, or indeed stayer, than the novice Thistlecrack.
But back on topic, you'll do well to find a bigger fan of CC than me, I fackin' love him, but I'm not sure how much Saturday told us about his chances in the CGC.
Lovely performance though it was, he only won like a 1/2 shot should and had it not been for the doubts his KG run threw up, he would've been a lot shorter against that field.
The manner of victory was exaggerated somewhat by RR, who had tried to turn it into a speed test, being legless after the last - the others all had question marks going into the race, with the exception of Shantou Flyer, who appeared to be ridden to pick up the pieces and did just that.
You can't try and take these class horses out of their comfort zone over the shorter distances, as in the case of the likes of CC, he can run as fast as these Grade 2 animals over any trip (I imagine he or a horse like Thistlecrack would place in the QMCC, as I'm not sure there are that many capable of going faster over any trip).
But there will be a fair few class animals like him in the line up for the Gold Cup, whether he is still good enough at 11, I doubt - tell you what though, it would be a special day. And he won't be carrying a penny of mine.

Its a great, great game, because we dare to dream that he can pull it off. Why, because sometimes they do.

I'd not say Cue Card winning the Gold Cup is a dream or a fantasy - he has the ability and form to do. On last year's run he has the best chance of this year's protagonists to win it on merit.

His chances just improved significantly...

Of course not impossible, more so now... but 11 year olds shouldn't be winning Gold Cups these days.

As one of the many huge fans of his it is a dream to me, whether you accept it or not.

I would certainly make him favourite now. Native River will have to make the pace and Cue Card surely has more speed than him.

Of course not impossible, more so now... but 11 year olds shouldn't be winning Gold Cups these days.


True, but neither should horses outpaced in the 4 miler the previous year.

Has training evolved enough to make 11 the new 10?

How many 4yo have won the Bumper?

Very special horse - would've also won an Arkle and in all probability a QMCC without the presence of another superstar.

Quite possibly Zen, and the dairy farmer would probably be just the man.

I was thinking competiveness today should not see a veteran able to win, but great things happen in sport sometimes.

Dessy was 10 when he won in 1989 and we had Cool Ground in 1992.

So if 11 is the new 10 then Cue Card has a great chance.
If 11 is 11 then he will have to buck a stat from 1969 for a horse beyond the age of 10 to win.

Although Cottage Rake was the last 11 year old to win in 1950, there have been two 12 year old winners in 1951 and 1969.

If he does manage it then, i guess the cheers may match those of Dessy, and i was there that day but backed Ten Plus. It was a lonely place to be if you had backed Ten Plus.