Worst gold cup i seen in donkeys years

totally agree glogs

My 1st thought was Denman he have beat them giving em 2 stone, as wud Kauto if at his best

How did The giant bolster reverse form with long run.
Fav run well below form.

Winner just outstayed them nothing more.

2nd ran a fantastic race - but honestly it should not be good enough to win a gold cup.

3rd - didnt jump well again and jockey was awful yet again.

Average renewal this year i have to agree with poster.

The trouble is we have been spoilt in recent years with the likes of Kauto Star , Denman and Best Mate .

Strange that you rarely see these 'worst' race threads prior to the off imo...

I've seen it all with that horse winning the Gold Cup.  No doubt improving but my word that's a rag winner.

Long run jumped well but failed to pick up at all.

Agreed , ever since the days of Imperial Call , through to Long Run we have had quality renewals.

For The Giant Bolster to look like the winner & Synchronised to win after being rousted for a mile & going nowhere entering the straight.

Would a professional have won on Long Run ?  I think so , should have kicked on at the top of the hill & run way from them imo.

Cool Dawn,  Cool Ground ......

It was great for us winners

reverse the jockeys and 3rd is 1st and vice versa.....mccoy worth 5l in this instance

Aviboyd
16 Mar 12 15:42
Joined:
19 Oct 01
| Topic/replies: 4,264 | Blogger: Aviboyd's blog
Strange that you rarely see these 'worst' race threads prior to the off imo...

---

er, thatll be because people havent watched it yet??

@ Anaglogs Daughter : you mean, the worst Cheltenham festival too.

Shocking race really.

The Giant Bolster ffs.

You'd see better around the gaff tracks.

Winner a one hit wonder...not a champion

Will do bugger all after this no doubt

Always makes things better if you are on the winner. I am assuming the people that thought it was a poor race weren't collecting.

Always makes things better if you are on the winner. I am assuming the people that thought it was a poor race weren't collecting.

Aviboyd i posted a couple of weeks ago that i thought this years race was substandard compared to recent years.

they will have to have to divisions for the gold cup next year to accommodate the 50 or so horses wanting a run.......can't seeing them being many in the rsa and the 3 mile handicaps, feck me anthony knott will currently be going mental after watching that.

Didn't have a bet on the race , I just like the Gold Cup winner to be a superstar , we were due one of these types of wins me thinks.

I didnt bet and thought it was a bad un', Sir Des Champs looks like a good bet for next year already.

Good point , you do wonder how Hunt Ball would have fared today.

Some quite brilliant pocket talk going on.

No pocket talk glossy, i had no betting interest in the race simply because i had no idea who would win.

Just think it was a poor renewal this year for various reasons.

Hunt Ball would have won that race today.

Lol pocket talk for calling it a far from vintage renewal.  Every GC winner must be an Arkle in Glossy's world.

I backed the winner at 14 and at 8 without Kauto/Long Run that's how poor i think it is. I win but that still doesn't take away the fact the finish wasn't even above average Handicappers it was just Handicappers. They went for the Gold Cup too early with Long Run. Busted a gut against top class horses to win. Not the same horse now.

Sprinter Sacre was the high point for me.  I prefer the flat   

EVERY DOG HAS IT'S DAY

A DOG HAD IT TODAY!

Get real - this was just an average Gold Cup. Perhaps not a vintage renewal but we've been spoiled by having a couple of superstars in Denman and Kauto these past few years (and Best Mate before that). Those are horses of a lifetime. Get used to the Gold Cup being won by good stayers like it has been for years and years.

4 days of cheltenham has ruin the festival but business is business

You appear to be agreeing with the general thrust of the thread Glossy (at least on my behalf).  Not sure why you are trying to appear as such a smartar$e.

was a cracking race though whatever the ability of the runners

I thought Long Run was the second coming? plenty thought he couldn't be beat

clearly not

As many have said, we've been thoroughly spoiled the last 10 years since Best Mate took over the mantle, then passed it onto Kauto and Denman and Long Run at his brilliant best last year.... Check out this list of winners prior to Best Mate. A few greats amongst them, but after L'Escargot, winning it twice was unheard of in 70s 80s and 90s.

1972 Glencaraig Lady
1973 The Dikler 
1974 Captain Christy 
1975 Ten Up
1976 Royal Frolic
1977 Davy Lad 
1978 Midnight Court 
1979 Alverton 
1980 Master Smudge
1981 Little Owl 
1982 Silver Buck
1983 Bregawn 
1984 Burrough Hill Lad
1985 Forgive 'n Forget
1986 Dawn Run 
1987 The Thinker
1988 Charter Party 
1989 Desert Orchid 
1990 Norton's Coin 
1991 Garrison Savannah 
1992 Cool Ground 
1993 Jodami 
1994 The Fellow 
1995 Master Oats
1996 Imperial Call 
1997 Mr Mulligan 
1998 Cool Dawn 
1999 See More Business
2000 Looks Like Trouble

what it does provide us with though for next year is a fascinating puzzle where we might have a winner from any number of horses whereas in the past few years its been a 2/3 horse race from the start of every season through to the race itself....if you've got a sneaky fancy for something at massive odds, today shows you've got a shout.

Exactly duffy, the 2nd proves there is still hope for the smaller stables.

I thought it was an exciting race if nothing else.

2013 Sir Des Champ, Long Run with a jockey, Weapons Amnesty, Hunt Ball. We mighn't have to wait too long to get a bit of class back in the race

Sir Des Champ certainly has the class. Hunt Ball, well it could carry on improving. Doubt they will ever change the jockey on Long Run. Also this years winner must have every chance next year as it stays forever.

last instalment ..bobs worth, burton port with a clear run at it

I also forget to mention the 2nd, now its jumping seems more secure it could well run well again next year.

We have been away for many years .... You have had it too good for too long.... but now we are back!!!!!

Revenge of the HANDICAPPERS !!!

I think the handicapper will have a major review. Handicappers winning and placed in Gold Cups..

er he was a grade 1 winner who was officially rated 3rd best won a major gold cup trial ,and was 1 of the few who was improving

Great race. How shocking of C4 that they never even chatted to Bridgwater. TGB ran a screamer and is a very good horse. Long Run runs like a staying handicapper these days.

best horse one on the day not a good jumper but big heart

formboy
16 Mar 12 15:42 Joined: 24 Sep 04 | Topic/replies: 369 | Blogger: formboy's blog
Long run jumped well but failed to pick up at all.

Duncster it seems they went too soon with Long Run, a boy among men last season and even though he won he looks like he's not got the finishing kick now. Took a lot out of him seems he's not up for a fight now. If Burton was in a different stable Long Run would have got beat last time out as well.

Sir des Champs , Last Instalment , First Lieutenant , Bobs Worth , Pandorama , Hunt Ball take your pick but I'll be amazed if the winner of next season's Gold cup ran in this years.

shouldn't forget quito de la roque. slowboat but stays as well as anything. probably wasn't right in the lexus.

Judorick

Those of us who rate Long Run highly will probably still do so as we will believe that had he taken it up a la Denman nearing the top of the hill he would have won today. What are your thoughts on your great white hope Burton Port?

ran below form clearly - gave weight and a beating to the giant bolster at newbury

but i can now say that i was convinced neither long run nor kauto would win and was massively against them in the ante post market... but i didnt wanna upset anyone by saying "they cant win" although I did point out they were statistically unlikely in my long notes thread

Everybody knocked Henrietta...

buts thats what you need to do to preserve Gold Cup winners.

Hes hardly been overraced ffs, we dont want the best horses only running twice a season

Disappointed with the content of this thread. Synchronised is a Grade 1 winner already.  I thought McCoy ran one of his best races and was a race of a lifetime and his horse was best on the day. What, exactly, do people want from a horse race? That the favourite will always win and your pockets/purses will be all the happier for it?

Judorick

I think the shock of seeing him out with the washing must have scrambled your senses. The Giant Bolster gave Burton weight at Newbury. The puzzling question remains why Long Run also hammered The Bolster when giving him weight in that race.

I've given my view. I appreciate yours is that Long Run isn't that good. Which doesn't explain why he shat on the likes of Riverside Theatre in a King George as a five year old and in the same season won a gold cup as a six year old.

It does beg the question whether you would rather be wrong for the right reason or right for the wrong reason. You were the one who made the money. So it's me who is crying.

I'll get you next year.

A great race and a good winner ridden by a great jockey!
That KS should not have been in the race at all. Too much media hype and ballyhoo.
They dote on a trainer who has ruined both Denman and KS.

Synchronised is a hardy winner who could get up the hill and motor on at the finish.
The dentist's horse is also bggrd, imo.
This is a hard and brutal game.

eeternal it was nothing to do with saying Long Run isnt a good horse just that he was an unlikely back to back winner and being able to lay kauto meant I could lay Long Run without too much fear as the money I took on kauto reduced the liability sufficiently

I was playing the stats that's all

Knee jerk reactions over Long Run here.

He ran flat, below par but to say he is finished is daft. I was actually surprised that he won last year considering he had not dazzled at Cheltenham in his 2 previous attempts. Long Run perhaps lined up for the race and thought fecking hell not again.

I sometimes think some horses feel deflated running around Cheltenham, the fences are unforgiving and if they hit 2 or 3 it can start to play on the horses mind. I think Long Run was not enjoying it today and other horses were bothering him, so he threw in  the towel. He said to himself `feck this bollox`

Thats what i think anyway.

I could be wrong on this because I'm going to give it a couple of days before I review the race but it seemed to me that he was cantering all over them at the top of the hill which doesn't suggest to me that he was running flat at that stage. In fact he seemed to jump with far more zest than last year and only made a couple of relatively minor mistakes instead of about 4 more serious one last year.

personally i think long runs run a decent race, people are talking as if it never got in the race and was beaten out of sight.maybe  it wasnt as strong a race last year as we all thought, denman  and  kauto may have been  well below previous standards, take those two out of last years race and long run may just of been repeating last years performance.s not ru against the winner before so theres nothing to say that hes run below form by getting beaten by him, as for the gian bolster , well he went off like a loony last timeand this time he travelled into the race hence  he ran much better.todays effort by long run doesnt mean he cannot ever win anothe gold cup just that hes probably just got a similar chance to many others.to be honest i think its more interesting when the season starts and theres a list of a dozen possible  contenders plus  any improvrs/ previous season novices that can  have a chance.i think we can safely say now that midnight chase isnt remotely good enuff  to wi a gold cup now.

anyhow more importantly the best race of the meeting ech yer is the foxhunters  where the nap obliged.

My view FWIW is that they went too quick. Denis O Regan should get his hole kicked for taking on Midnight Chase who was going to go quick enough anyway. Time for Rupert would have lasted a long time if given a proper ride.

The gallop made for a false result imo. The same race tomorrow would produce a different result. Of course one could say that about the Gold Cup nearly every year, remember Nortons Coin

They are all good imo, take nothing away from synchronised, or Mcoy, they won fair and square. Beat the best around on the day, what more can they do?

im with you dementia,theres some utter tosh spouted on here.im a massive fan of the bolster and didnt think he would be in the first 6 but maybe he`s a different horse around cheltenham because when he`s stood up he`s ran some tremendous races around prestbury.if all the form stood up as it should i for one certainly wouldnt be driving a poxey forklift in a factory for peanuts!!!!it was great when kauto and denman and so on and on were around but theyre not there anymore so lets just enjoy what weve got and admit some of us got it wrong,but unfortunately theres an awful amount on here wont admit that so its far easier to say "it was just a poor handicap".well done synchronised and team bridgwater and the bolster

Was a great win for  synchronised. He was there or there abouts throughout most of the race. Looked like he may then have been out of it but his stamina powered him through. A monster performance to keep on going.

I think it looked a proper race. It is a staying chase and Synchronised stayed well. If Sir Des Champs is as good as he looked he will be a welcome edition to the race next year and we all know Bobs Worth stays up the hill at Cheltenham. Cant wait for next year.

Perhaps not the classiest renewal but a great race.

Synchronised won in a quicker time than Denman in 2008 and Kauto in 2007 and 2009.

How can it be when it contained the winners of 3 recent gold cups?

On paper it must be one of the best ever.

3 ?

Yep Long Run must have thought "bugger this" and threw in the towel at an early stage.

How far was he beaten ?

Oh yeah,about 3 lengths.

And a track record for this century what a plonker the OP is

They must have walked around 

Yesterday TIME 6m 36.19s (fast by 0.81s)

2011-WINNER-LONG RUN 6-11-10 Owner-Robert Waley-Cohen; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Mr Sam Waley-Cohen; SP- 7/2F
2ND-Denman 11-11-10 Owner-Paul Barber; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Sam Thomas; SP-8/1
3RD-Kauto Star 11-11-10 Owner-Clive Smith; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-5/1
13 ran, Time-6m 29.60s, Dist-7, 4

2010- WINNER - IMPERIAL COMMANDER 9-11-10 (IRE) (Our Friends In The North) Nigel Twiston-Davies Paddy Brennan 7/1
2ND DENMAN (IRE) (Paul Barber & Margaret Findlay) Paul Nicholls 10-11-10 Tony McCoy 4/1
3RD MON MOME (FR) (Vida Bingham) Venetia Williams 10-11-10 Aidan Coleman 50/1
11 ran, Time-6m 43.90s, Dist-7, 23

2009- WINNER - KAUTO STAR 9-11-10 Owner-Clive Smith; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-7/4F
2ND-Denman 9-11-10 Owner-Paul Barber & Maggie Findlay; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Sam Thomas; SP-7/1
3RD-Exotic Dancer 9-11-10 Owner-Sir Robert Ogden; Trainer-Jonjo O’Neill; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-8/1
16 ran, Time-6m 44.95s, Dist-13, 2.5

2008- WINNER -DENMAN 8-11-10 Owner-Paul Barber & Maggie Findlay; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Sam Thomas; SP-9/4
2ND-Kauto Star 8-11-10 Owner-Clive Smith; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-10/11F
3RD-Neptune Collonges 7-11-10 Owner-John Hales; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Mick Fitzgerald; SP-25/1
12 ran, Time-6m 47.84s, Dist-7, sh

2007- WINNER -KAUTO STAR 7-11-10 Owner-Clive Smith; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-5/4F
2ND-Exotic Dancer 7-11-10 Owner-Sir Robert Ogden; Trainer-Jonjo O’Neill; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-9/2
3RD-Turpin Green 8-11-10 Owner-Trevor Hemmings; Trainer-Nicky Richards; Jockey-Tony Dobbin; SP-40/1
18 ran, Time-6m 40.46s, Dist-2.5, 2.5

2006- WINNER -WAR OF ATTRITION 7-11-10 Owner-Gigginstown House Stud; Trainer-Mouse Morris IRE; Jockey-Conor O’Dwyer; SP-15/2
2ND-Hedgehunter 10-11-10 Owner-Trevor Hemmings; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-16/1
3RD-Forget The Past 8-11-10 Owner-Sean Mulryan; Trainer-Michael O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-9/1
22 ran, Time-6m 31.70s, Dist-2.5, 7 4/1 Fav Beef Or Salmon (11th)

Kicking King won in 2005
© racing-images.co.uk

 
2005- WINNER -KICKING KING 7-11-10 Owner-Conor Clarkson; Trainer-Tom Taaffe IRE; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-4/1F
2ND-Take The Stand 9-11-10 Owner-The Courters; Trainer-Peter Bowen; Jockey-Tony Dobbin; SP-25/1
3RD-Sir Rembrandt 9-11-10 Owner-Alan Hordle; Trainer-Robert Alner; Jockey-Andrew Thornton; SP-12/1
15 ran, Time-6m 42.9s, Dist-5, 8

2004- WINNER -BEST MATE 9-11-10 Owner-Jim Lewis; Trainer-Henrietta Knight; Jockey-Jim Culloty; SP-8/11F
2ND-Sir Rembrandt 8-11-10 Owner-Alan Hordle; Trainer-Robert Alner; Jockey-Andrew Thornton; SP-33/1
3RD-Harbour Pilot 9-11-10 Owner-Kays Syndicate; Trainer-Noel Meade IRE; Jockey-Paul Carberry; SP-20/1
10 ran, Time-6m 42.60s, Dist-.5, 1.25

2003- WINNER - WINNER -BEST MATE 8-12-00 Owner-Jim Lewis; Trainer-Henrietta Knight; Jockey-Jim Culloty; SP-13/8F
2ND-Truckers Tavern 8-12-00 Owner-Margaret & Ray Scholey; Trainer-Ferdy Murphy; Jockey-Davy Russell; SP-33/1
3RD- Harbour Pilot 8-12-00 Owner-Kays Syndicate; Trainer-Noel Meade IRE; Jockey-Paul Carberry; SP-40/1
15 ran, Time-6m 39.00s, Dist-10, 2.5

2002- WINNER -WINNER-BEST MATE 7-12-00 Owner-Jim Lewis; Trainer-Henrietta Knight; Jockey-Jim Culloty; SP-7/1
2ND-Commanche Court 9-12-00 Owner-Dermot Desmond; Trainer-Ted Walsh IRE; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-25/1
3RD-See More Business 12-12-00 Owner-Sir Robert Ogden and Paul Barber; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Joe Tizzard; SP-40/1
18 ran, Time-6m 50.10s, Dist-1.75, 8 9/2 Fav Looks Like Trouble (13th)

2001-Cancelled

2000-WINNER-LOOKS LIKE TROUBLE 8-12-00 Owner-Tim Collins; Trainer-Noel Chance; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-9/2
2ND-Florida Pearl 8-12-00 Owner-Violet O’Leary; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Paul Carberry; SP-9/2
3RD-Strong Promise 9-12-00 Owner-Exors of the Late Geoff Hubbard; Trainer-Chris Kinane; Jockey-Robert Thornton; SP-20/1 12 ran, Time-6m 30.3s, Dist-5, nk 9/4 Fav See More Business (4th)
12 ran, Time-6m 30.3s, Dist-5, nk 9/4 Fav See More Business (4th)

1999-WINNER-SEE MORE BUSINESS 9-12-00 Owner-Paul Barber and John

After almost three decades of searching, JP McManus found the key to Gold Cup success was in his own hands, writes John O'Brien irishindependent.ie

IT is an enduring appeal of the Cheltenham Festival that, even when equine quality falls short, the genius of those holding the reins never fails to leave a warm glow. So years pass by when the big championship races throw up less than vintage renewals, a doleful mix of hard luck stories and freak results. When it is left to those above the saddle to provide the most lasting and cherished memories.

In the aftermath of Friday's Gold Cup nobody got carried away into thinking we had just seen a performance for the ages. In a way, that hardly mattered. Witnessing Tony McCoy at his incomparable best seemed more than ample consolation. From the precise moment when a hopeless looking cause became almost inevitable victory, fully three fences from home, the race unfolded as a reminder of McCoy's unflinching drive to be first past the post.

Not that it was all about the jockey. In Synchronised, McCoy did not have a reluctant or unwilling partner. It was just that the nine-year-old wasn't built for the supreme physical demands of a Gold Cup and had to be kidded and prodded along from an early stage to maintain any semblance of a winning chance. In those circumstances Synchronised, unquestionably, had the most fitting partner: horse and rider in perfect harmony.

The week was blessed with so many memorable riding performances that McCoy's brilliance on Synchronised would not have guaranteed him the ride of the week accolade. A day earlier Barry Geraghty had cajoled a similar performance from the error-prone Riverside Theatre to edge McCoy and Albertas Run in the Ryanair Chase. Of Geraghty's five winners during the week, none were harder earned or would leave a greater impression.

For true horsemanship, though, it was impossible to look beyond Paul Carberry on Bellvano in the concluding Grand Annual Chase. The trainer Nicky Henderson had six runners in the field and the choice of Carberry for the tricky eight-year-old who cannot be at the business end too quickly was thoughtful and inspired. The poise and sheer neck to sit so far out of his ground while others kicked early for home: who else but Carberry could have pulled it off so spectacularly?

It is true too, of course, that just as all bad rides don't end in defeat, not all great rides guarantee victory. Andrew Lynch didn't leave Cheltenham with a winner, but still managed to enhance an ever-growing reputation. Faultless in the defeat of Sizing Europe in the Champion Chase, Lynch delivered Voler La Vedette to challenge Big Buck's dominance in the World Hurdle a day later only to find the reigning champion inpregnable. Still, he had given the mare every chance of victory and was, correctly, given plaudits for the ride.

That the same maturity was absent when assessing Sam Waley-Cohen's performance on Long Run in the Gold Cup was regrettable. The criticism of Waley-Cohen was born from the widespread feeling that an amateur rider had no place on jump racing's biggest stage, a harsh judgement barely modified after his victory 12 months previously. Instead of celebrating it as a virtue of the sport, many regarded it as a travesty that the jockey was allowed to line up alongside greats like McCoy and Ruby Walsh.

Yet beyond naked prejudice regarding his riding status, what exactly did Waley-Cohen do wrong? In a strongly run renewal, Long Run plugged on gallantly to finish third, three lengths behind Synchronised, and that, as the evidence suggests, is as good as the horse is right now. In three previous races this season the alarm bells had been ringing: sluggish jumping, lack of a kick at the finish. None of this was Waley-Cohen's doing. Much of the criticism aimed at the rider for not booting on sooner and for getting hemmed in on the inside as the field turned for home seemed like needless nitpicking. It made no allowance for riding instructions nor for the fact that, 12 months earlier, he had done much the same thing, biding his time behind Denman until the second last before nosing in front and streaking up the hill to victory. There's nothing to suggest different tactics would have elicited a different result.

Ultimately, the race delivered a good champion. It always does. For sure there's a sense of a lull at the top of the chasing tree right now with the departures of Denman and Kauto Star and as we await a new generation of stars -- possibly led by the hugely exciting Jewson Novices Chase winner Sir Des Champs -- it could be argued that Synchronised's connections helped themselves to a soft Gold Cup during a period of transition.

That perception would not bother them, though. It is nearly three decades since JP McManus first set out to win a Gold Cup and the years brought nothing but crushed dreams and, probably, a growing despair that the great race would ever fall his way. How charming then that deliverance should finally come through a small, gutsy gelding bred by McManus's wife, Noreen, at their own Martinstown Stud in Limerick? The key lay in his own hands after all.

By the great sire Sadler's Wells, they could never have imagined a day like Friday. If lucky, Synchronised would win a few on the Flat and, one day, develop into a smart two-mile hurdler, if never in the same league as his cherished half-brother, Istabraq.

A Cheltenham Gold Cup? No, whatever else he was born to do, Synchronised had not been bred for that. As for the man on top? That was another matter entirely