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Thread: The Road To The 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup

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    Senior Member Grasshopper's Avatar
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    Clearly, Nico has a few that don’t fancy him on these pages.

    I don’t particularly subscribe to the ‘bad jockey’ theories, as I find all jockeys much of a muchness, but anyone crabbing him today is surely missing the bigger picture?

    If we accept the fact that this was all about Gold Cup readiness, then surely an assertive-yet-mindful ride was exactly what was needed?

    If so, then I’d say NdB has ridden something of a peach today. He’s taken them along at a fair old clip, ridden him into a few when he’s seen a stride, and generally got Champ jumping as well as he ever has. When the horse has put an extra one in at the last, he’s allowed him to pop it, and ridden him out to the line - almost certainly with the next day in mind.

    I’ve said here before that I reckon Nico is a ride-to-instruction jockey. By my reckoning, he has probably expedited connections request to the letter today.
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    Senior Member Frankel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grasshopper View Post
    I’ve said here before that I reckon Nico is a ride-to-instruction jockey. By my reckoning, he has probably expedited connections request to the letter today.
    Correct.

    Some of the stuff I read gives me a good giggle. Each to their own though!
    All comers, all grounds, all beaten!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Grasshopper View Post
    Clearly, Nico has a few that don’t fancy him on these pages.

    I don’t particularly subscribe to the ‘bad jockey’ theories, as I find all jockeys much of a muchness, but anyone crabbing him today is surely missing the bigger picture?

    If we accept the fact that this was all about Gold Cup readiness, then surely an assertive-yet-mindful ride was exactly what was needed?

    If so, then I’d say NdB has ridden something of a peach today. He’s taken them along at a fair old clip, ridden him into a few when he’s seen a stride, and generally got Champ jumping as well as he ever has. When the horse has put an extra one in at the last, he’s allowed him to pop it, and ridden him out to the line - almost certainly with the next day in mind.

    I’ve said here before that I reckon Nico is a ride-to-instruction jockey. By my reckoning, he has probably expedited connections request to the letter today.
    I crab Nico every opportunity i can. I cant today though, not sure what he was mesnt to do with Champ, and he’s probably ran the best race possible given the circumstances

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    Senior Member barjon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grasshopper View Post
    Clearly, Nico has a few that don’t fancy him on these pages.

    I don’t particularly subscribe to the ‘bad jockey’ theories, as I find all jockeys much of a muchness, but anyone crabbing him today is surely missing the bigger picture?

    If we accept the fact that this was all about Gold Cup readiness, then surely an assertive-yet-mindful ride was exactly what was needed?

    If so, then I’d say NdB has ridden something of a peach today. He’s taken them along at a fair old clip, ridden him into a few when he’s seen a stride, and generally got Champ jumping as well as he ever has. When the horse has put an extra one in at the last, he’s allowed him to pop it, and ridden him out to the line - almost certainly with the next day in mind.

    I’ve said here before that I reckon Nico is a ride-to-instruction jockey. By my reckoning, he has probably expedited connections request to the letter today.
    Yes, I have always rejected the idea that he is a bad jockey. On the contrary he must be a good jockey otherwise he wouldn’t have lasted five minutes at one of the top two yards in the country. Henderson never wants his horses given a really hard time unless it’s in a race that really matters and is absolutely necessary. With those instructions it’s always easy to criticise Nico when he follows them. Nonetheless I didn’t see him “leaving Champ to it” as HK loose schooled him. Seemed to me there were a few iffy jumps early on until he found his rhythm and the fiddle at the last. Just an impression I gained, rightly or wrongly.

  5. #565
    Senior Member tiggers1972's Avatar
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    It would seem that after yesterday that NJH (More festival winners than any UK trainer), and his stable jockey (last UK rider to be top festival jockey), actually know what they are doing.

    Funny that isn't it!

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    It says as much about the state of the 2m division.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tiggers1972 View Post
    It would seem that after yesterday that NJH (More festival winners than any UK trainer), and his stable jockey (last UK rider to be top festival jockey), actually know what they are doing.

    Funny that isn't it!
    Tigs, hope you mean re Champ as neither had a winner yesterday

    For clarity, I have a lot of time for Nico, but recently he has not been himself and hugely out of form with the way he’s riding! Think he’s lost some confidence for sure. 12% in the last 2 weeks... Chantry House at odds on is his only winner since the 9th which is crazy, with 7 short priced favs being over turned!


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    Quote Originally Posted by Flaggers View Post
    Tigs, hope you mean re Champ as neither had a winner yesterday

    For clarity, I have a lot of time for Nico, but recently he has not been himself and hugely out of form with the way he’s riding! Think he’s lost some confidence for sure. 12% in the last 2 weeks... Chantry House at odds on is his only winner since the 9th which is crazy, with 7 short priced favs being over turned!


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    The topic of the thread is the biggest clue Flaggers.


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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flaggers View Post
    Tigs, hope you mean re Champ as neither had a winner yesterday

    For clarity, I have a lot of time for Nico, but recently he has not been himself and hugely out of form with the way he’s riding! Think he’s lost some confidence for sure. 12% in the last 2 weeks...
    It's his form three weeks hence that counts.
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    Nico would be a 7lb claimer if he had to ride in Ireland and he wouldn't necessairly be value for the claim. He is awful, he can't settle horses. Now in genral the level of jockeyship is so awful in the UK that he gets away with it but no one can make a convincing case that he is riding well this year. There are countless examples of awful rides he was given horses.

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    As we've found out with Kemboy, it's rather easier to get a horse into a good jumping rhythm on a course with several fences in long straights (eg Newbury, Leopardstown, Aintree) than on the New Course at Cheltenham. You couldn't crab what Champ did on Sunday but you can't see him being able to run a similar race at Cheltenham while being hassled by Frodon and Native River.
    The older I get the better I was.

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    Does his prep mean that they are going to ride champ positively over the gold cup trip? Last in the RSA and earlier races they seemed determined to get him to settle off the pace.

    Looks like there is going to be plenty of pace on with Frodon, Native River and perhaps champ too

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    Quote Originally Posted by littlelad View Post
    Does his prep mean that they are going to ride champ positively over the gold cup trip? Last in the RSA and earlier races they seemed determined to get him to settle off the pace.

    Looks like there is going to be plenty of pace on with Frodon, Native River and perhaps champ too

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    He's a very short price to be ridden patiently.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slim View Post
    He's a very short price to be ridden patiently.
    Well then the prep run makes very little sense to me, both running over 2 miles and getting an aggressive ride over that trip!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by littlelad View Post
    Well then the prep run makes very little sense to me, both running over 2 miles and getting an aggressive ride over that trip!!

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    I loved it. That will have sharpened up his jumping. Sceau Royal is a good horse and he hanged with him until the death.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slim View Post
    He's a very short price to be ridden patiently.
    100% they hold him up the big one.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slim View Post
    I loved it. That will have sharpened up his jumping. Sceau Royal is a good horse and he hanged with him until the death.
    It was a brilliant run, far better than I expected. If they are going to be riding him quietly and settling him, I'm not sure if his jumping will benefit from that run.

    I think he isn't the cleverest jumper, so you are better off asking him/making his mind up, rather than trying to get him to shorten into his fences and settle him more generally

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    I think he's the most likely winner. The negative I see talked about is his jumping but he's safe generally and the odd error doesn't seem to affect his end of race performance. Also, if you look through the GC roll of honour it is littered with iffy jumpers. ABP himself misses fences out, Don Cossack came down in his RSA and failed to win the Ryanair after a shuddering error. Synchronised, Kauto Star even.

    Al Boum Photo this year very much reminds me of Enable when she was going for her third Arc.

    First win - for both was very clear cut.

    Second win - luck played a part. Questionable rides/decisions by the runner up in both races. Nico, if he doesn't switch Santini to Lostintranslation's outside after the last and instead stays between that horse and ABP he surely wins. That decision had to have cost him half a length.

    I think the third time is too much. Enable was vulnerable to a horse that actually stayed 12f well and ABP i dunno, Best Mate was much worse in his 3rd win and lucked out with the field. No matter how light a campaign a chaser has this race takes it out of them. I think ABP is a potential place lay.

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    Senior Member Frankel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tiggers1972 View Post
    100% they hold him up the big one.
    So do you think it made sense to ride him that way if that's the case?
    All comers, all grounds, all beaten!

    This perfect mix of poetry and destruction.

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    Yet still, people believe they know better than his trainer?
    Champ has proved tractable in his other races, and jumping at speed was just part of his training. Fairly sure he'll be right on the day.

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