Great Field - **** Champion Chase 24th April

Mullins will throw the kitchen sink to win the Trainers' Championship even if it means running Min again here over 2m just after 11 days if Douvan suffers another bout of intermittent lameness. However, I do agree Great Field (GF) looks tremendous value at 5/1 (he ought to confirm forme with Doctor Phoenix) as he looks the most certain of the Mullins' big runs to run, all things being equal; GF could start significantly shorter even in the presence of Douvan (D), and could beat D too given the predicament of D.

Well can’t see Min being turned out after that hard race. I think Ppower must be reading this thread as Great Field cut from 9/2 to 5/2 overnight.

Well can’t see Min being turned out after that hard race. I think Ppower must be reading this thread as Great Field cut from 9/2 to 5/2 overnight.

I'd not rule out Min just yet for the Irish Champion Chase. But one thing, I'm fairly certain of, is Min will not run over 20f any time soon, if ever; he looked the likely victor but ran out of it by Politologue...reminiscent of Might Bite vs Native River.

Well it can’t be a positive if he runs..just greedy.

Mullins of Min: "Hopefully he'll go to Punchestown if he comes out of this."

Only two horses have beaten UDS over 2miles when completing.
I expect that to continue if he turns up here.

UDS might have beaten Great Field and Min 2 years ago. Very little chance now and the betting reflects that.

I think UDS is venerable over 2m - he's lost some of his pace. I also think the bookies will make Min fav over Douvan similar to the English version last month.

Wouldn't write off Sceaux. Could be okay ew but waiting for final runners

UDS unbeaten over 2m this season,his best distance.
Write him off at your peril!!!

UDS has exactly the same level of ability over 2m 4 as over 2 miles.Its all there in the form book. He runs to within a pound or 2 of 170 every time, whatever the trip.

At around 7-1 he's a knockout ew bet for this.Can't see him out of the frame,and he will run here, although an on-song Douvan would surely win it.

Yes hes very consistent at 2 to 2 and a half.
I have always had the opinion that 2m suits him better,but yes hes got good form over further.
Class horses can do that.
Anyway,7/1 sounds fine to me.
I will bear in mind though that hes been vulnerable after Cheltenham.....Fox Norton beat him and Sprinter smashed him !!

I don't think there is faster 2 miler than Great Field on good or gs ground. No horse has troubled him yet and his form is rock solid. The pace and jumping he shows over the first 3 or 4 flights is up there with Flying Bolt :-)

The handicapper has him 6lbs behind Douvan and Altior so he has to prove it against the better horses and next Tuesday will be the acid test.

Great Field not declared - I wonder if they might send him to Sandown to take on Altior in the Celebration Chase? That would make for a much more interesting race than would otherwise be the case.

^ not an original thought - Kevin Blake's ATR Mullins table tour ahead of Punchestown already states he'll have an entry for Sandown.

UDS.....Fantastic performance......and nice to see  him ridden as he should be and run over his best distance.

7/1 ??!!!

Absolutely love this horse

Yep, very good run from UDS and ride from P Mullins by taking the bull by the horns and no hanging around; Douvan is no longer the horse he was; Min is not good enough, lacking constitution or still feeling the effects of Aintree.

The main beneficiaries of this race are Altior and Hendo, I'd presume.

He's a star horse for sure. Super consistent. But this talk of his best distance!! Today he beat A Toi Phil almost 11 lengths at level weights over 2 miles. Only 2 weeks ago he beat A Toi Phil 18 lengths giving him 2 pounds over 2m 4f. So its not as if he's a 2 mile specialist

A post 7 minutes after race ended,if I'd backed 7/1grade 1 winner last thing I would do was rush on here to post about it but if history was there well I would want to be heard but then again did u really back it,I couldn't see anything worth a bet on whole card hth

As I posted earlier on this thread........Anyway,7/1 sounds fine to me.
I will bear in mind though that hes been vulnerable after Cheltenham.....Fox Norton beat him and Sprinter smashed him !!

So yes I backed him but not as much as I would have done had it been Cheltenham over 2 miles or a race earlier in the season.
And the main reason I came on here after the race was that he had been written off on this thread as having no chance,and lost speed etc etc.
As is quiet normal for this horse over the years I find myself sticking up for him.

Lets face it he was too big at 7's,when you consider the price of the fav who is not as good as he was coming back from setbacks(even at his best he kept beating a three miler) and Min is no world beater,in fact 7's imo was an insult.

ftv

UDS is a top class hores with top Grade 1 form over 2 and 2 1/2m.
If he were to be entered in two races on the same day at those two distances I would be of the opinion that if I knew he was going to be ridden as he was yesterday,he would have a better chance of producing his best at the lesser distance.
I have always thought that, and I don't think the formbook has enough evidence to say I am definitely wrong.
I genuinely think that 2m on suitable ground, letting him do his stuff as he wants,is the best way of getting the best performance from him.
Yes he stays futher,hes won a Ryanair,but a horse that has his speed out in front that stays further,now that's some weaponry in a top 2m race.