FINGAL BAY

totally agree cracking prospect and best novice we,ve seen so far by a long way

amazing how many people blame dickie for mistakes. I guess he rode over 2000 winners by sheer fluke.

Agree with everything ilwab says.

Besides having a tremendous cruising speed we now know he will battle if needed and is not a soft bridle ponce.

Two negatives...For betting purposes-which race at festival?alb bartlett or neptune.
Hobbs said he needed 2m 5f as a minimum,perhaps leaving us to believe albert bartlett.

So that surely rules out supreme,although at the moment i can't see anything beating him whatever distance.

Personally i would like to see him in the more prestigeous neptune as,althogh he'd win the a bartlett.his blend of stamina and speed would suit the neptune.

this is the trouble now with a.post betting on festival,there are 2 or 3 choices for many races and the trainers sometimes change their mind several times inthe run up.

PS i have NEVER seen a novice clout a hurdle like he did and go on to win comfortably

Very nice horse. Lumped on at 2.24 early yesterday...heart in my mouth 2 out. He will probably need slow ground to win the Championship race at this trip. There have been some very quick horses to win this race in the past on good, or good to soft ground. If the ground isn't soft, then I think he run in the Albert Barlett, where he might meet Simonsig, who is owned by Ronnie Bartlett!

I hope this horse is lucky because he is certainly very talented. The owner deserves that. 20 years ago Mrs Skan owned a horse called Carobee who was trained by the Duke. Massive ability but unfortunately, they couldn't keep him sound.

Absolute monster.Agree with above....to recover so quickly from that mistake 2 out was breathtaking.Also agree however that there is no Ante Post value with uncertainty over his target.

reckon they might do a Bobs Worth and wont step him up to 3 miles until the Festival. Top price is 8/1 for the Albert, 10/1 for the Neptune. Both fair value imo because he is a certain Grade 1 horse.

Suspect waiting until March to find out which race isn't a great idea. 2 strategies here - either split your stake and back him for both races. He will run in one of them if he is fit and well. Other is to take a view about which he will go far, back it for that and save your stake on the other.

I'd be inclined to back him for the Albert Barlett at 8/1 and just have a saver on the Neptune. Remember, this horse won his bumper over 2 miles on Heavy by 27 lengths, reckon the further he goes the better he will be.

Entered on Friday at Sandown in a race with Jump City and Simonsig!!!

I'm going to Sandown on Friday and hope both Jump City and Simonsig are going to turn up as this can only enhance the price I get for Fingal Bay.

id have him over those two so far anyway! interesting to see th prices wih hendos in there!

Sandown form translates quite well to Cheltenham so interesting race.

I posted a thred about this one at Chelt

I have a few friends that work at Hobbs's and they reckon this one has an engine to match pretty much anyhting thru the yard in a while.

Is still learning and as we know this yard targets the festival with this type and they are always right on the day.

Menorah / Capt Chris / Wishful / Massinis  / Rooster , the list goes on.

The Bing is the target I believe but until close you can't really get involved.

This is a superb horse and as with Menorah and Capt he could be beat in the run up to Chelt and still win.

Super Prospect

I've taken a position for Cheltenham and assuming good or dead ground, believe that Fingal Bay will be aimed at the Bartlett. On the same ground, I expect Simonsig to be aimed at the Neptune but the ownership of Simonsig might be a fly in the ointment here. Whatever, they will probably avoid each other.

Don't see an early showdown on Friday on the prevailing ground at Sandown. FB definitely won't run on quick ground and I suspect Simonsig won't either.

Are they in the same ownership then ? Fingal & Simon.

Whoever lines up on Friday, you cant look past fingal bay imo, he's been the most impressive visually and at a higher level.

Simonsig will go for the AB surely? FB should surely stepup also but the Neptune might be a weaker race.

sintonian
29 Nov 11 09:11

Are they in the same ownership then ? Fingal & Simon.

Simonsig is owned by the man who sponsors the Albert Bartlett - so many people are assuming that he will want the horse to run in his own race?

I personally think Simonsig and Fingal will go for the Neptune unless they meet before hand (can't see it happening at Sandown on Friday) and one comes out well on top, in which case the loser may go for the AB.

Oh I see Uncle, cheers.

Surely Simonsig will go for whatever race suits him the best as opposed to just going for a race the owner sponsors.

The Challow appears the obvious target for both and that might sort out a pecking order. If there is rain at Sandown, then I wouldn't be surprised to see Simonsig given more public practice over hurdles there. All he has won so far is an egg and spoon race. FB has won 2 graded races.

Hobbs seems very keen to run Fingals on Friday.

On the unbeaten Fingal Bay, who goes for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle on Friday, Hobbs added: "He's absolutely grand although I would like some rain.
"I would want to see soft in the description somewhere, we would probably run on good, good to soft in places but I would like to see softer."

Theres been a bit of rain around today so with a bit more forecast it seems he will be there - be very interesting to see if Henderson takes him on.

Both declared along with Sizing Symphony, Jump City, Barbatos and two others.

Best race of the NH season so far - can't wait.

Will be fascinating to see how market takes shape.

Agree UP - high class and fascinating race in prospect. My only concern is where the pace is coming from and it could get very tactical. Slowly run race more likely to suit Simonsig I think and I won't be playing.

Great race. Sporting life tissue has it

Fingal 11/8
Simonsig 3/1
Sizing 5/1
Jump City 13/2

I'm a massive fan of Fingal and Sizing, might have to be splitting the stakes

great race thois is what we want

At 3/1 I'd be lumping on Simonsig - shame he's currently only 2/1 on here after commission.

Sizing at 8/1 might be the value - though I can't bring myself to back him against the big two.

Im holding all bets until the ground is known, they are expecting rain tonight which would be against Sizing Symphony

ill be backing fingal bay!! think hendos will have to be exceptional to beat  him!!might be, we'll see!

Think Fingal is different class. Best I have seen for a few years. Lumped on. Best Novice hurdle this year

wins again!!


machine!!

Excellent race, though a bit of a shame they went really slow early on.

Simonsig travelled like the best horse and given that was his first proper race I'd still give him every chance of reversing the form at Cheltenham on normal Festival ground.

Guess they may try Simonsig at 2m next, either the novice on King George day at Kempton or the Tolworth at Sandown. I definitely can't see either of them even contemplating the Albert Bartlett unless Cheltenham is like a road.

they wont race fingal again!! stronger pace wouldve seen fb win further imo!

2 good horses, simon a bit of a bridle merchant as excpected!! more realistic price at the off, 2/1 was insane!

Slow pace for practically the first circuit was massively against FB, but the fact he still managed to beat Simonsig, a pacier horse, rather well just puts him up even more in my estimation tbh.

Could quite easily see FB getting 3 miles this season, tbh, based on his Cheltenham win.

Simonsig I dont think would stay it in a horse box.

We'll see. I definitelythink the 16/1 on Simonsig is a massive over reaction.

A long way to go and obviously they may go seperate routes or get injured etc, but with regard to the Neptune hurdle at Cheltenham - Fingals is very much like Inglis Drever / Simonsig more like Fundamentalist. Or Denman and Nicanor. They were two of my biggest ever Festival wins - when a supposed good thing for the Neptune got turned over - oh happy days.

Mind you if he's as good as I think he might be then if Don Cossack turns up they might as well both stay at home

fingal bay will go albert and simon will avoid him now i reckon!! FB WANTS 3m imo!!

don cossack

If Fingal Bay goes to the Albert Bartlett and Simonsig goes to the Neptune he is hardly avoiding him seen as the Neptune is the more prestigous race.

Both look nice horses though.

Why on earth would Fingals go for the far less prestigious Albert Bartlett. He won today over 2m4f off a slow pace. In the Neptune he'd have another 1f+ on a stiffer track, a bigger field, faster pace etc.

That is what people said about Bobs Worth last year Uncle. I seriously think this horse is destined for a step up to 3 miles some time in the future, and they might just do it at the festival.

50/50 according to Hobbs,careful with yer bets lads.

Hope he does go for the AB as I have him in some accas hich include Simonsig in the Neptune so it's 'win win' for me if they do swerve the Neptune, but unless we get fast ground again I don't see it happening.

The whole antepost market on the novice hurdles and chases is a joke these days with so many options.

Reminds me of Black jack ketchum,guessing game then as well.
Hobbs said today they may not decide till a week before the festival.

ala Captain Chris .. it all depends on what the opposition is and to a lesser extent the ground imo

I very much hope that the ground is g/s and drying Festival week. This horse is a close as you will get to a certainty in the Albert Barlett if he pitches up fit and well on the day. Less confident about the Heptune, unless the ground is genuinely soft.

i dodnt even play ante post so i dont mind where he goes!

The shame about it all is the uncertainty about Chelt targets

I knew about this one a long long time ago and have posted here before its races that the yard believe this at least the equal of ANYHTING that has ever gone thru the yard.

Whilst it is nice having a few bob on in its races the short prices mean you won't get rich.


If the target was known I for one would have been on large for Chelt already , instead we are faCED WITH BACKING A horse WITH THE VALUE WELL AND TRULY gone

I will NOT back him at the price he is now for any money and will simply stick with the profit made to date.

It is a shame with the Novice races for the 2m + horses but AP is too much of a puzzle to make it worth a serious bet.

What  a horse this could turn out to be imo ( an have stated every time he ran )

fellas, thought Simonsig ran a cracker the other day.
Drop back to 2m(Supreme)@Chelts?
can see a fast run race to his advantage.

Could happen on proper soft ground I suppose. Under normal Cheltenham conditions, it is difficult to image him having the pace to deal with some of the flat bred types over 2 miles. Remember his first race/victory was a point to point in Ireland over 3 miles on soft ground. It would be an unusual route to the Supreme.

Agree zippie,this must be the most promising staying novice for years.

Also agree no value left a. post,best waiting till day of whichever race and lumping on then.

As for simonsig,having watched the sandown race a few more times,he was well and truly beaten fair and square and i can't see him ever reversing the result.

The distances back to the others shows these two are top notchers.

unclepuncle     02 Dec 11 19:19 
Why on earth would Fingals go for the far less prestigious Albert Bartlett. He won today over 2m4f off a slow pace. In the Neptune he'd have another 1f+ on a stiffer track, a bigger field, faster pace etc.

the likely quicker ground will be a worry for them...cheltenham or not if something can get him at it like simonsig did today it could be a problem.....i reckon they'll play it safe and go for the 3 miler....it isn't as prestigious but he's a young horse with it all before him so there's plenty of time for glory.

What duffy said. The ground will need to be proper soft for FB to run in the Neptune imo. Normal Cheltenham ground will see him in the Bartlett. AP value is gone. Leave it till the Festival and see what a combination of the gods and Claisse's watering does for the going!

agree, as i stated earlier, idbe v surprised if he doesnt run i the AB, on its running as well as the trainers own words!

wins again, not impressive but did idle badly!!

still think hes going AB.

needs to be delivered late i think, massive engine!

Hard to know what to make of it - he had his ground, travelled nicely and jumped impeccably so his winning margin should have been at it's maximum - perhaps that is as good as he is.

On normal Cheltenham ground he looks vulnerable to me and I'll be looking for some value against him which ever race he runs in.

the neptune is the wrong race for him.