Rock on ruby

Wnt like the ground

Can´t understand for the life of me why they´ve slapped blinkers on him tomorrow. I backed him last year and had planned to do so again tomorrow, but not now. It´s not as if the horse has ever done anything wrong in any of his races, and he always runs well at Cheltenham, but with no obvious pace in the race there is as much chance that he runs a bit free as he takes to the blinkers.

I´ve already backed something else ew.

The horse is by Oscar. There will be no problem with the ground. Must be in the shake up. I'll be hoping THE FLY can do a Comedy Of Errors. Should n't let my heart rule my head.

I really worry about the lack of pace for this one. His 2 best runs have come off strong gallops in the CH last year and the Gerry Feilden at Newbury. Overturn was a gift from god last year for him.

On a side note, I would love to see Countrywide Flame bowl off in front at his own pace. Alot of his wins on the flat came from making all and I genuinely think its his only chance of winning by setting fractions he is comfortable with rather than following a possible grade 1 pace.

maybe the plan is to make the running , what you think

I've been hugely against both Rock & Ruby & Zarkandar since the last race & until about 2 weeks ago.

In the last 2 weeks the ground has gone against Grandouet & imo brings Zarkandar back into the picture. I'm afraid this race is between Zarkandar & The Fly. My view is unchanged on RoR & the pressure has been on Harry Fry & he's cracked, the blinkers are nothing but a sign of weakness.

I'm not brave enough to lay him but IMO he's probably the place lay of the festival..

RoR would not have won last years CH if you ran it another 10 times over, he got away from the field & Hurricane Fly had run his race prior to getting to the start. Conditions tomorrow couldn't be more different.

I'm against the horse.

The soft ground is a major negative.

So is the decision to fit blinkers. I don't believe connections would make a change like that if they were 100% satisfied with the way his preparations had gone.

Like Stooz says, watching replays of last year's meeting, while he won on merit, it's clear that Rock On Ruby absolutely had the run of the race. Things are unlikely to unfold quite as perfectly this time around.

And finally I can't shake the mental image of Darlan cantering all over him at Doncaster, before that tragic fall. ROR won the race but he didn't look like a champion in waiting.

Obviously he has a shot, but I'd rather lay than back him at around 5/1.

His run last year is underrated imo. Although he did get the run of the race, he won cosily. However, with the ground and the apparent lack of pace, as well as the odd decision to add blinkers, I doubt he'll repeat it this year.

Personally I'd just give HarryF some credit here. He's obviously reviewed the race several times with Fehily to eek out some more improvement and they think they've got something. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. They know the horse better than anyone so if they feel they need the horse more focused up the hill then that's perfectly acceptable. They claim he sparkled in them last week on the gallops so its obviously had some effect.

I know this next bit will seem insensitve but please I don't want anyone to be offended by it.....But I seriously don't think Darlan would've beaten him last time. Thought ROR was being lazy and that allowed Darlan to close up sweetly on him but I genuinely don't thinl Darlan would've got by him if he had skipped over the last. I think that's what Fehily and Fry want to prevent...ROR griding his way to the front and then letting one of the speed horses get back at him. 

FWIW.....thought Zarkander and The Fly were comprimised with rather BS preparations last year. In Zarkarder's case everything seemed geared up to winning that Betfair Hurdle first time out and feel it took alot out of the horse. That was one helluva gruelling race at Newbury. He's got the heart for a fight that's for sure.

With HurricaneF....at one point last season it looked like he might miss the Festival altogether but then WM rushed him into the Irish Champion...don't think he was ever happy with the horse last year and Cheltenham aint the place to be rolling up half baked.....Horse lacked the acceleration at a cruicial point because he wasn't on his game imo. Think he's back to his old self again.

So I'd expect those two to be more of a threat this year.

Should be a great race.

I just don't get the ground issue with Rock On Ruby. All his wins bar the last one have been on Good to Soft and he travelled like the winner for most of the International before blowing up. The conditions that day were heavy bordering on unraceable. He may not win tomorrow but if he doesn't it won't be the ground that beats him imo

racingptpok     11 Mar 13 22:06 
The horse is by Oscar. There will be no problem with the ground. Must be in the shake up. I'll be hoping THE FLY can do a Comedy Of Errors. Should n't let my heart rule my head.


Same applies to Binocular,never happened since the 1973/75

And I kinda agree with your point about Darlan ELG. I wouldn't go as far as saying ROR would have won but the race was far from over for me.  Ruby idled all the way up the run in and had Darlan jumped the last I think he'd have given him a scrap all the way to the line

And I kinda agree with your point about Darlan ELG. I wouldn't go as far as saying ROR would have won but the race was far from over for me.  Ruby idled all the way up the run in and had Darlan jumped the last I think he'd have given him a scrap all the way to the line

one thing is for sure it will go close , at the price and my feeling it will be more prominent than usual im going to go in with boots on and trade before the hill ,

you cant pick a definate in races like these but im attracted to the price

im not sure of the stats but i doubt very much if any other defending champions go off 5s plus especially since the field is small , just seems immense value

good luck whoever you back and hope your ahead come tea time fri

On the issue of the going, Noel Fehily has said several times in recent weeks that the horse wants good ground.

I'm also fairly sure that connections have ducked out of other races in the past when the going was testing.

It's a factor. I was looking at backing the horse each-way last week, but the combination of the ground and the unexpected decision to fit blnikers has put me off.

BTW, Spotlight in the Racing Post tomorrow puts up Rock On Ruby and Grandouet, so supporters can take some encouragement from that.

Fav will take some beating if they mess about early. Who's gonna lead? Rock On Ruby might have to make the running. He could set a storming gallop and set it up for his mate Zarkander. Out of the four main contenders, ROR is the first crossed off the list. Grandouet has had problems and would prefer better ground I think. That leaves Hurricane Fly and Zarkander. I think the winner comes from these two. Around Even money coupled, not the worst double your money bet you'll see.

You can argue the case for Hurricane Fly either way.

On the one hand, conditions tomorrow should suit. On the other, he'll need to produce a career-best performance at the age of 9 in order to win the race.

I thought Luke Harvey made an interesting observation on Monday. He reckoned the Fly was sweating heavily and was visibly upset in the parade ring last year and that he was beat before the start. Anyone planning to back the horse might want to play as late as possible, just to be sure history doesn't repeat itself.

What was the last CH winner to wear blinkers?

Hardy Eustace?

Im going to stick my neck out and say ROR makes the running , im 100% sure its spot on for tommorow and just needs to do what its done before to go close

no certainties and tough race but also nice price

I can't have a horse with 1st time blinkers on ground he doesn't like.

Grandouet will have strengthened up and not sure the ground is an issue for him. Think he will run a cracker.

If ROR makes the running, which I suspect he will as he doesn´t want a crawl, he will have to be at the very top of his game to win imo. Last year, some of the big guns were too busy watching each other and ignored ROR and Overturn, thinking wrongly that they would take each other on and come back to them, but they won´t make the same mistake this year.

If ROR was trained by mullins or nicholls or hendo , what price would it be ?

The Race is driving me Nuts,every time i look at it i change my mind.

I think the reason the CH is so hard is that nobody can predict with confidence how the race will be run. If nothing makes it a true pace it could be a sprint up the hill with half a dozen in with a chance...if it wasn´t the big race on day 1 it would be one to leave alone imo.

ROR is the champ right now , and heading towards 6s

Nice price for a champ