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Victor Dartnall reports Giles Cross to be on course to defend his crown in the Betfred National Trial at Haydock on Saturday.
The North Devon trainer was pleased with the 11-year-old's run in the Welsh National after a difficult preparation caused by the stable being closed for several weeks due to an outbreak of equine herpes. Giles Cross had finished second in the two previous renewals of the Chepstow marathon and ran well for a long way until he got tired early in the straight before being pulled up. "He's done a lot of work and I'm very happy with him," said Dartnall. "He ran well at Chepstow. In all honesty he was probably a little short of work because of all our problems. He's done the work now and is in great form." |
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Thanks BJG for that gives me more confidence... I did think he run in the Welsh National was eye catching until he got tired...
P.s when did she make that comment as I noticed Stan James cut the price today from 20's |
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Thats from this mornin at 9.40
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ok thanks explains the price cut!
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i like two in this monbeg dude and rigadin de beauchene bet them both at 8's with vc on saturday
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Giles Cross will take a lot of beating on Saturday.
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on at 16s for the win. Another o'regan master class required!
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Down to 12 now (and that won't last long) but with 4 places ante post Giles Cross is a cracking EW bet. I don't think he's all that well handicapped, but he did win cosily last year off 6lb lower, and it's always been all about conditions for him. He has his ground and the trip is spot on. One or two might beat him, but if he runs his race I can't see 4 beating him.
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good luck iris ,have joined the party
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8s
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Triggerman looks appealing to me. This shorter distance should help and has a nice pull with the two in front of him in the National. If that race was 2f shorter he would have been much closer.
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GoldCup winner I actually I do like triggerman... my main negative is the claimer, not a big fan of claimers on Saturday big card races... but did back him last time.
Glad to see Denis O'Regan on board for Giles Cross... hoping for a masterclass. |
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Checked out the decs... think the only two that worry me are Well refreshed and Rigadin De beauchene... think these will be the top three...
Hopefully Giles Cross will push from the front... and hopefully put a bit of pressure on the pack. But Im still sticking to Giles Cross... hoping to get a good price in the morning. |
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Cannington Brook is a major player in this race
has run very well on every start at the track, loves the going, definitely stays the trip and ran one of his best races every last time when just unable to catch Carruthers who was getting 8lbs including the jockeys claim (should have been getting 1 lb) going to go close for sure |
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Viking blond for me
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Having gone through the race again I have to say WELL REFRESHED looks well in
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wish I spotted it earlier but still was very nice
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wd Judo
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wd Judo
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wd Judo
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Well done Judo... Well refreshed was 20/1 on Saturday when I checked the prices on Bfred... before the 5 day decs... did think he was big at the time... but was unsure of his engagement. Beat Rigadin easily... poor Giles Cross... was beat long way out... showed similar running in the Welsh National, looks like he needs a few runs to get right.
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he's just too high in the handicap now is all
he couldn't win off 8lb lower two years ago when he was 9, now he's 11 and off 144 it is going to take time for him to come down the weights to something he can win off somewhere around mid 130s that massive effort to beat Neptune last year may have left a mark too |
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well i'm avoiding all Victor Dartnall runners this season because of the horrendous virus they had. I know some horses were protected from it but still i'd rather not take the risk.
I don't Giles' mark is so bad he has to be pulled up the last twice. |
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Obviously something wrong with him. Judorick this
"he couldn't win off 8lb lower two years ago" has to be just about the dumbest argument ever posted on here, since he won the race at 10 from a higher mark than he was beaten off at 9. I think in hindsight the first two are very progressive and Giles Cross would have struggled to cope with them anyway, but if he reproduced last years form he surely would have been in the first 4. |
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I note you miss the point I made that winning last year may have knocked the stuffing out of him as it was a massive effort and much higher level of form than any other run in his life
doubt he will ever reproduce that and even back to his sort of median mark in the mid 130s he will struggle |
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I did miss that point, sorry. I don't agree with it at all though. Did you see the race? He was barely out of a canter, you'll rarely see a horse win a long distance race any easier. Play it back and you'll hear the commentator half way up the run in saying something like "Neptune Collanges battling away but he simply can't get Giles Cross off the bridle".
He's had a lot of very hard races in his life, including the 2 Welsh Nationals he was placed in, and in particular finishing absolutely legless in the Eider. Haydock last year was one of the easiest races he's ever had. He just never looked happy to me on Saturday, after a couple of fences you could see the usual bounce wasn't there (which it had been at Chepstow, even though the outcome was much the same). |