pretty sure it'd be Douvan
pretty sure it'd be Douvan
Watching last year's QMCC Douvan jumped badly early and left his back legs behind in a couple of fences and then put that short extra stride in at the fence after the stands.
He he will have to jump much better this year - question I suppose us when did he injure himself in the race last year?
I'll crack the jokes thank youOriginally Posted by granger
Considering WPM will only tun him if he is 100% sure he's ok that's about as daft a question as it gets,
Patrick Mulling would throw a dicky-fit if you asked him that.
Douvan would be 2 stone better than Min and even Altior wouldn't get him off the bridle.
I don't think you quite realize Douvan is a deity among horses..Pegasus himself couldn't beat him when he's right.
Hope that clears that up for you
Formely Fist of Fury
Danny Mullins said at a preview Douvan is working better then he ever has in the past. I doubt he will be 4/1 On the day with Ruby on board.
Kind of like your early season hopes for YanworthI'll crack the jokes thank you
Patrick Mulling would throw a dicky-fit if you asked him that.
Douvan would be 2 stone better than Min and even Altior wouldn't get him off the bridle.
I don't think you quite realize Douvan is a deity among horses..Pegasus himself couldn't beat him when he's right.
Hope that clears that up for you
Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done
Bihay yersail.I'll crack the jokes thank you
Patrick Mulling would throw a dicky-fit if you asked him that.
Douvan would be 2 stone better than Min and even Altior wouldn't get him off the bridle.
I don't think you quite realize Douvan is a deity among horses..Pegasus himself couldn't beat him when he's right.
Hope that clears that up for you
Both Altior and Min are in a completely different league to any other 2-mile chaser he has faced to date, and I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to see both of them have his drawers down......assuming he even makes it to Cheltenham.
"Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".
SlimChance, March 2018
Having Douvan in the CC would be the best possible thing to happen to Altior.
I can't think of a better horse to set the race up for Altior. The track record could be at risk despite the ground.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Had to be early doors or even before the race. Some injuries don't show up until they actually race. Ricci went from saying he was in fantastic form early on in the season to saying they were never 100% happy with him on the build up to the QMCC a couple of months after the race.....not saying he wasn't talking through rose colours but there's a possibility he went there carrying the fracture.
I like many was glued to the screen to watch the race but by the 3rd fence I knew something was wrong....no doubt in my mind he was carrying the injury going into the race or copped it at the 1st fence or at the latest the 3rd
Formely Fist of Fury
I take what Ricci says with a pinch of salt.
I hope he turns up in his best form so we can all see. I should also take what Danny Mullins said with a sackful.
Ruby said he thought the injury was caused when he slipped and put in an extra stride in to the fence after the stands as I recall.
Last edited by Ardross; 1st March 2018 at 4:56 PM.
Well aren't you the neg head? I would say Douvan is 2 stone better than any thing Altior or Min especially have faced.
Min wouldn't get Douvan out of 1st gear.....I can only assume you are assuming he is still carrying an injury to come across with something so wildly off the mark
Formely Fist of Fury
Bit of a contradiction there Tanlic. No doubt in your mind it was before the race..................... or maybe between fences 1 - 3
I don't think there's any doubt he did it over the first 3 fences, but that's just my opinion.
Douvan beat Simply Ned 15L into 3rd in the G1 2-mile chase at the Leopardstown Xmas meeting in 2016, doing so 'readily'.
Min beat the same horse at the DRF by 12L, doing so 'easily'.
Altior beat Fox Norton 13L in the Game Spirit conceding weight, whereas Douvan beat the same horse 11L in the Arkle off levels.
The only two-stones that are relevant to this particular discussion, are that ones that pass for brain-cells in that heid of yours!
Last edited by Grasshopper; 1st March 2018 at 6:18 PM.
"Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".
SlimChance, March 2018
Rightly or wrongly (and he ain't no Aidan with a new one every year), Willie would consider Douvan as up there with the best that he's ever had. If he shows up in top shape, he wins and 4/1 nrnb is massive.
The older I get the better I was.
There's no need for you to jump to Mullins defence every time a word is said against one of his horses, archie. I'm well aware how good Douvan is - me and Tanlic are just shooting the sh*it here.
"Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".
SlimChance, March 2018
Not jumping to Willie or Tanlic's defence here, Grassy, just passing on the information. I haven't taken the price yet myself!
The older I get the better I was.
Grasshopper (1st March 2018)
The thing that gets me is not what Willie says which is next to nothing nor what Danny says but what yer man says and yer man won't have anyone say anything is within stones of Douvan. Of all his years in racing says yer man he has never seen a horse do thing so easily like kick good horses like Faugheen and Vautour aside like they were selling platers. TO ME YER MAN KNOWS YA KNOW
Formely Fist of Fury
Talking about info I sent this tweet to wpm the other day...
@WillieMullinsNH Right Willie time for an update on Douvan...chance of making it over 50% or under 50%? Don't avoid the bloody question
Then it hit the press giving percentage odds...coincidence or not?
Formely Fist of Fury
Anyone here think Altior might bounce ?
Ground at Newbury was terrible for a season debut and memories of Hurricane Fly in 2012 still hurt.
Just asking ....
I don't think so. Quite the opposite, for me.
He was fit to race in November and didn't have a hard race at Newbury. He'll do a Sprinter.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Altior had an easy race at Newbury Eddie. He didn't need to come out of second gear, and to my eye he couldn't have had a more perfect prep. Also Henderson stated he was only ever off for two weeks for his Op and was race fit anyway.
On the Douvan subject, there can be absolutely no doubt that Douvan would be the number one if both he and Min are sent to the race. If Willie thought Douvan was going to be beaten by Min he'd split them up.
I'm not sure that Douvan will beat Altior though. Everyone is talking about how good a Champion Chaser Douvan is, but what is Willie's comparison from his own Champion Chaser's of the past? He's never had a Sprinter Sacre or a Remittance Man in his stable. Henderson is the only one of the two able to make a direct comparison to a true great Champion Chaser, and the feeling I have is he rates Altior with those two great names.
For what it's worth I think Douvan has the engine, but he's never totally convinced me with this jumping, and foot perfect and fast over his obstacles is an absolute must if he's going to serve it up to Altior.
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