Cheltenham Festival
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20 Mar 18
21:21
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CHAMPION HURDLE 2019
duffy • March 20, 2018 2:11 PM GMT
Exactly..... I'd be far more excited with Summerville Boy going forward with what he did. He'd be up there as performance of the week for me, to lose all momentum and lengths at the worst part of the race and to get it all back was a bit special. He has tactical speed and looks to be laden with stamina too.
unclepuncle on 19 Mar 18 19:03
Tom George confirming that Summerville Boy will be aimed at the Champion Hurdle and won’t run again this season.
duffy • March 20, 2018 2:11 PM GMT
Exactly..... I'd be far more excited with Summerville Boy going forward with what he did. He'd be up there as performance of the week for me, to lose all momentum and lengths at the worst part of the race and to get it all back was a bit special. He has tactical speed and looks to be laden with stamina too.
unclepuncle on 19 Mar 18 19:03
Tom George confirming that Summerville Boy will be aimed at the Champion Hurdle and won’t run again this season.
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Exactly the same time clocked as Buevir D'Air on the Tuesday
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unclepuncle
unclepuncle 16 Mar 18 19:15 As for performance of the week I'd have to go for Summerville Boy. Might not have been a vintage Supreme but he really should not have had any chance after the mistake two out and then the blunder at the last. To get going again twice and win was the mark of a very decent horse. 25/1 for the CH just looked way too big, especially after Tom George confirmed he would probably stay over hurdles. |
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I don't think I'd necessarily fancy it for a CH though, although 25/1 was obviously too big, one thing it will provide us with is perhaps some opposition to BD in a trial or two pre festival next year.
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His two best runs have been on heavy. Trainer thinks he's fine on better ground and he was right when he reasoned previous Cheltenham defeats were due to slow pace. All the same he still has to prove he can be as impressive on g/s.
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Watched the Supreme again this morning.
Forgot how much he lost at the 3rd last,and another mistake at the last. Would have been much further winner without all that. BD's biggest challenger imo. |
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Agreed, Bud,
I've been backing Summerville Boy from the day after the Festival finished, having sifted through all the videos on my return from the course, to find one or two key horses to follow Ante Post. His performance was a stand out, I had backed Kalashnikov, and thought I had been mugged. when watching the videos through again it was clear that Summerville Boy was easily the best horse in the race, and that it was a Herculean effort to get up and win. Really looking to forward to seeing him reappear this Autumn. |
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Did you watch the video of the Tolworth before Cheltenham? I'd be surprised if you did and then backed Kalashnikov at a shorter price as you would have had to make excuses for Kalashnikov. He was hard at it while SB cruised through the race. Summerville Boy is some horse but my concerns are his jumping on quicker ground and the effect the Cheltenham race had on him. It must have been a hard race for him to get back in front up the hill after his awkward jumps at the last two. Given the ground he lost, especially at the second last, he confirmed the Tolworth form on the heavy ground. I'm hoping the Fighting Fifth will be run on decent ground and I'll learn more about him.
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Yep Auto, I watched the Tolworth video plenty, but after Kolashnikov won the Betfair so well, I got the last bit of the 16/1 for him to win the Supreme, so I had a good price on a well fancied horse going into the Festival.
I did think long and hard about adding Summerville Boy, and having two in the race, against the Strong Irish contingent, but didn't follow through with the bet, once the price started to contract, in the 24-hours pre-race. I have absolutely no doubt that Summerville Boy is the real deal now, and I was really pleased that the trainer gave him he rest of the season off. Managed to get 25/1 for the Champion Hurdle, as well as following in at 16/1, and the current price is still attractive compared to any other in the field, |
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Well that was a shocker as Samcro set a slowish looking pace and he struggled to keep up and Tom George's horses have been going well. I do wonder if the Cheltenham win in adverse circumstances left it's mark. Time will tell but I wouldn't touch him for the Champion Hurdle at this stage.
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Listen I'm not saying he'll win any Champion hurdle but if I told you after Mr One More beat him first time out last season he'd win the supreme you'd have called me mad. The horse didn't look himself today but the one thing he does need is a flat out championship race. I am sure the same could be said about Samcro. While todays winner was very impressive this race has a tendency to throw up easy winners. For that reason would I rather have £2 on SB to win 50 than £50 on BD to win 50. Id have been far more disappointed if I was a Samcro player because thats 2 head scratchers from him. His price shouldnt shorten but when SB puts things right he wont be 25s.
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Even if SB wasn't right his hurdling is poor and his engine got him out of trouble against novices last year. That's nowhere near good enough this year. George said he'd improved his jumping over the summer, had grown mentally etc. and was simply distracted at times last season. Well he was distracted again at four or five of the hurdles yesterday.
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Awful jumping by SB on Saturday, I can’t remember a Grade 1 hurdler jumping so badly. No chance in anything based on that nightmare. Looked like he hadn’t seen a Hurdle for 8 months.
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I don't think he can be totally discounted, but unless his hurdling improves he has no chance. I think it is obvious though that he does need a pace to chase.
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IN SUMMARY...
Autocue... his hurdling is poor and his engine got him out of trouble against novices last year. That's nowhere near good enough this year. deepingfox... Awful jumping by SB on Saturday...No chance in anything based on that nightmare. shockster... unless his hurdling improves he has no chance. 20/1 shot |
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I'm a big SB fan and was disappointed with the run last weekend... flip side being that a more polished performance would of seen the price for the CH shorten and I had no ante-post voucher at the available 12s... question is does the limited availability 20/1 appeal? I'm not so sure but it did remind of of an ante-post voucher I gave up over 10 years ago after the horse in question put up what I perceived to be a poor effort albeit giving weight away... the horse in question was My Way De Solzen, and was beaten at Sandown in 2006 (meet this Saturday) at 8/13 by Fair Along while I was holding an Arkle ante-post voucher, £40 @ 16/1... disappointed by what I had seen I promptly sold the voucher on to a mate for me 40 notes... three months later I had to give my mate a running commentary on the phone while MWDS turned the tables on Fair Along.
I guess the point I'm trying to make was as punters we can get hung up on one tame effort... question is does the 20/1 tempt me in? |
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I suppose you could argue that he was making errors last season as well and looks to have been found out when out of novice company. Albeit in a very hot race for this side of Christmas.
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Very hard to see Buveur D'air getting beaten if in the same form in March but at the prices, he is a lay as there are so many reasons why he might not run in March. Same applies to Altior tomorrow but I have laid him as well in case anything goes wrong.
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3.05 SATURDAY in Cheltenham
Laurina 5/4 Summerville Boy 5/1 Brain Power 8/1 Call Me Lord 6/1 Western Ryder 8/1 The New One 9/1 |
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Hope the top two in the market run.
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Sounds as if Laurina is staying at home so Summerville Boy will have a much easier task than last time.
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Laurina is more likely to be staying at home due to ground concern - not the least expected here personally. But no worries she'd come over to take on Buveur D'Air at x'mas...if one believes pigs can fly; the pantomine season has started with Mr Mullins.
Let's hope Summerville Boy can atone for his dismal run in the Fighting 5th. |
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For some reason, Mullins and Elliott are not running many horses in GB this season. I could understand it earlier but there has been rain now. The X country race seems to be an exception. Is it because they are both determined to win the Irish trainers champs?
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Nearly 4/1 here today in the International Hurdle, and receiving weight from a couple...worth a punt and value, surely?
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Should be competitive but so far this year, second season novices have been well put in their place. His jumping will have to hold up in very windy conditions. Old Guard looks nailed on a place.
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It’s disappointing when early season hopes turn to dust. He now looks a place lay for the champion hurdle unless the going resembles Culloden. He still has to prove Fehily didn’t bottom him during the heroic Supreme win.
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So Noel Fehily should have given him an easy race and finished third? Supreme winners don't have a very good record in recent years anyway. Altior was an exception but even he has not attempted to become a CH horse although I have little doubt he could be. A quick look at past winners and I can only see Brave Inca that has gone on to win a Grade 1 hurdle.
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https://www.timeform.com/horse-racing/news/summerville-boy-on-the-road-to-recovery-1922019
"He's in good form, he looks great and we'll probably be aiming him for Aintree." Tom George Racing.  |
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You have to forgive his early season form but he was running with a fractured leg. Trip and ground should suit making 28/1 EW worth a punt imo.
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Scraped a first 4 place bet before the two Hendo horses came out. It nearly didn't manage that with only 5 finishers. The dog is off my watchlist now. Looks like Fehily did bottom him at Cheltenham.
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