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Have it your own way.

I agree but think it would help if opinions were expressed as such and not as fact.

I agree with every aspect of what you say except the bit I've changed to red.

I think for him to have run on up the hill when unfit over a trip just half a furlong short of the Gold Cup trip is a...

Correct.

But...

Frodon was on the way back from having been let down following the CC performance. He was well short of peak fitness. Nicholls commented after the race that he felt Frodon...

Assuming Maruco's 172+ for ABP is correct it will be interesting to see what he has for Frodon. RPRs say ABP improved something like 9lbs on all known form yesterday to 178. They had 175 earlier this...

I'm looking at around 169 myself, Maruco, but I'll come up with something more deeply researched later in the week.

Willie Mullins, it has to be said, was long overdue that win.

But spare a thought for the brother. He was on all the Mullins horses (he's a huge fan) ante-post at prices from 16/1 to 33/1... bar...

So how about Frodon for next year's Gold Cup?

I noted Nicholls saying later yesterday that they'll probably 'try something different' next year.

Did I hear NDB say they were thinking of dropping MB back to two and a half miles?

I'll have a wee think about that. He ran well the other day considering his prep.

I half-expect MB to do something better at Aintree but will worry about that nearer the time.

I imagine Santini...

... which says it all for me since I went low with last year's race.

I look forward to taking closer look at the race in due course but my fear as it developed was that it was falling apart from early on.

Native River not getting going early.
Bellshill departing....

Yes, hence 'seemingly' as that's how it appeared, although I'm not convinced it was stamina; rather, I'm coming round to the idea that it was a physical thing rather than a Wayward Lad issue with the...

I was talking through the race on the phone with the brother last night.

There's a glorious uncertainty about this year's race.

Taking the likely protagonists in betting order:

Presenting...

Seconded.

I'm still keen on his chances too, G-G. I'm not even sure he'll need nursed round. I don't expect him to make the running but if he is allowed a soft lead it could be a case of heaven help the rest....

Followed you in at 16/1 NRNB/BOG. Sickness insurance really. While I reckon he is probably by some way the best horse in the race I still worry that he looked too much like Wayward Lad last year for...

I was one of the ones who thought MB was a good thing. I genuinely expected him to win by clear daylight and all through the race until the last fence still thought it would happen. I still think...

This, for me, is one of the major de-coders of the race.

In a proper race, I'm always looking for a lower-rated horse that gets such a ride, not over-raced and able to run to its max as other...

For me it's shaping up as bang average, like last year's.

I can see the logic in saying it's a good one if you believe last year's was a good one, or a poor one if you take a worst-case-scenario...

I admit it's an angle I hadn't considered but he's only turned seven and was trained before with big Saturday hcaps, rather than Cheltenham in March, in mind.

FWIW, Frodon covered the final circuit to the final fence as fast as either of the two shorter races. He was slightly slower from the last but given he was short of peak fitness and was dossing in...

I mentioned elsewhere that maybe Frodon wasn't quite fit and I've read another race report in which Nicholls states openly the horse was short of full fitness.

In the same report, Henderson says...

I'm not sure Frodon needs to lead. He just needs to be on his game on the day.

Rail movements mean they ran an extra 151 yards today, taking the overall distance to 3m 1f 207y, not that short of the Gold Cup trip which might end up being run on better ground.

If Frodon was...