Fighting Fifth

Sceau Royal has improved loads hence only 6/4 now; I think My Tent Of Yours is an unlikely runner next saturday and an unlikely winner even if he does turn up just after one week. The possible fly in the ointment could be Irving if he is on song.

Sceau Royal is 33/10 here and only 7/4 at best elsewhere, value or a red herring? Apple's Jade looks a probable now using market as a guide.

Are final declarations on Thursday morning?

Apples Jade & Petit Mouchoir Both run for Gigginstown on Saturday.

Friday declarations I think.

is top notch a runner here does anyone know

Top Notch only runs if Sceau Royale doesn't according to trainer.

henderson said top notch only entered as a precaution, incase somthing happened to sceau royal, but u never know ????

seems a shame not to run him nice price...ok thx shockster we will see...apples jade a price at 4/1 as well

I've done Apples Jade.  Only defeats on good going so 4/1 is very fair on soft IMO.

Is Apples Jade definitely going for this?

Sceau Royal and Top Notch share the same owner hence only one will run.

Can anyone tell me why Petit Mouchoir is slightly shorter in the betting than Apples Jade?  AJ finished in front of him at Down Royal and is 5lb better off.

Can't fathom it after O'leary has said they both run.

Both are running. Cooper on PM. Cannot understand that myself as I fancied AJ. People writing AJ off cos of last run. Finished ahead of PM and gets a further 5 pounds sat in ground sure to suit...

I've backed AJ but you'd have to take as a pretty big negative, even though I'm no big Cooper fan. I do think PM was ridden very tenderly last time as if he wasn't trying too hard to beat AJ. Looks like that won't be happening this week.

Hopefully that run and the softer ground will help AJ sufficiently.

And the extra 5lb she gets CCM

Cooper knows that as well though mate!

That's fair but how many times do Gigg horses have their bigger priced runner finish in front of their favoured runner.  I'm just saying from a form perspective AJ should be shorter than PM.  In fact I reckon if AJ hadn't run at Down Royal then she'd be around the Even money mark here based on last season.  She's unbeaten on anything slower than good also.  Just can't see them bringing her for a day out? Same does apply to other Irish runners too.

Hope you're right!

Looks like the betting is a bit more positive for us now anyway. Sceau Royal rightly drifting a bit. Was very surprised to see him clear fav. Would back both the Gigg horses ahead of him.

On soft ground which Newcastle will be on saturdqy  think AJ is very difficult to beat going on form against IG at Aintree last year unless she has regressed since and her last running was true. Assuming she has not I think she ought to have the beating of PM, the question is will she have the beating of SR who has improved significantly from last season? We'll find out come about 15:15 saturday.

Sceau Royal is 5/2, value? Or is Apple's Jade the probable winner? I cannot have Petit Mouchoir on form and jockey wise.

the useless bookies pr plonkers were flagging up the weakness of SR SAYING IT WAS 6 TO 4 earlier in the week but that is surely only down to the fact that most people obviously not the pr loons thought only  the 1 giggy horse would turn up

Apple's Jade has been backed solely on last season's form and present ground condition otherwise her owner would not have fielded two bullets for the race. As such, Sceau Royal backers have been rewarded with a much bigger price than hoped for. Let's hope we get a clean race without any hard luck story.

Backed Petit Mouchoir each way.

marked contrast between Elliott's comments in the paper this morning and his comments after Apple's Jade's performance last time out.

I also notice from his stable tour that he actually ran her a week earlier than originally intended first time out so I reckon she'll strip fitter today.

I think she'll win but price has gone now so I'll just watch - if you got 5/1 earlier in the week or even 3/1 yesterday, you'd be happy enough.