Scu Says “Daklondike is favourite and a worthy one at that”

The Gold Cup picture looks a good bit different now, following Sizing John’s defeat at Leopardstown. It’s even more wide open. Might Bite is a worthy favourite after his win at Kempton, and his position has now been strengthened. From a personal point of view, I feel that Thistlecrack is now very much back in the mix.

The Gold Cup has been blown wide open. I’m sure Sizing John will come back and there will probably be a horse we haven’t even considered that will shorten into single figures for the race by the day. Sizing John was that horse last year, and was running over two miles at this stage twelve months ago. He then won the Irish Gold Cup and went off single figure odds to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. So there may well be a horse lurking at around 50/1 that we haven’t considered that will shorten come the day.

It just shows once again how hard it is to keep these top horses fit and firing on all cylinders year in year out. It really makes you appreciate even more the likes of Kauto Star, Best Mate, Denman, Cue Card, etc. To keep coming back every year they need to be really tough and the trainers have to use all their skills to do it

I’ve watched the King George back a few times and I was just so impressed with the ease with which Thistlecrack moved through the race. It is always a relentless gallop in the King George. They go fast for the first circuit and then go faster. You have to be able to run flat out for three miles. If a horse is slightly under the weather, or having a bad day, they are not just beaten, they drop away completely. In other races even these horses can run well to a point but in the King George they are gone.

I think there’s more to come from Thistlecrack. He’s getting back on track now and there’s still plenty to play for.

SATURDAY

12.40 Newbury – Irish Prince

Irish Prince has shown a level of ability in his bumpers. He’s run two similar races. I think he’ll end up being a staying chaser I’m sure but this race is a nice starting point for him. He’ll have to improve on what he’s shown in his bumpers to get in the shake up