Equinties - thinkin' of gold

Gm Equinauts

Keep pumping this thread, we’re giving away more bet slips.

Let’s dive in.

HEADINE ROUND UP

THINKIN OF GOLD

It seems like JP McManus has made his mind up – FACT TO FILE is going to the Ryanair. Well, that isn’t cut and dry, but we got confirmation yesterday that INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN will be supplemented for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

This does mean a few things. Firstly, as we said in the opening line, McManus has all but admitted that FACT TO FILE will be heading to the Gold Cup, and this pretty much backs up Willie Mullins’ comments from earlier this week. 

Secondly, this probably means that Aintree will be a no-go for the 8/1 ante-post favourite. Yes, some horses have gone from the Gold Cup to the Grand National before, but the 22-day break this year would be tight enough for two gruelling races.

To be honest, the comments surrounding this horse have been weird all year, but what else should we have expected?

He’s trained by Gavin Cromwell, a notoriously tight-lipped trainer, and owned by JP McManus, the most influential owner in our sport who likes to keep his cards almost inside his chest.

One minute the horse was never given a Gold Cup entry to avoid temptation, then he wasn’t going to the Nash to protect him, and now he’s going to try and tackle a red-hot GALOPIN DES CHAMPS on potentially nice ground in a Gold Cup. All of that for £25,000 as well!

Weird campaign, but you’d have to say he has his chance. The form of his Mildmay success ahead of HEART WOOD, IROKO, and CHIANTI CLASSICO looks neat, and he is properly unexposed. He ran a fine race in the Irish Gold Cup, so why not take on GALOPIN again at a track INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN has won at before? But yes, FACT TO FILE will now surely be off to the Ryanair and there’s still no news on SPILLANE’S TOWER. Aintree? More: 

https://www.racingpost.com/news/festivals/cheltenham-festival/inothewayurthinkin-set-to-be-parachuted-into-gold-cup-equation-at-supplementary-stage-this-weekend-aYCos6x1Bx4h/

DOWN TO DAME

For a fair amount of time, a few have wondered if GALILEO DAME would go to the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle rather than the Triumph Hurdle. She would get 10lbs from her elders, she would take on horses she hasn’t been beaten by yet, and it would be over the same course and distance as the Triumph.

Well, it looks like the wishes could be occurring as the racing industry rumours are that she will be heading down this route. 

She’s a classy horse, once rated 96 on the Flat (finishing second to HAMISH at the Curragh and raced in the 2024 Irish Oaks) on all types of ground.

Although she gets the weight, this year’s crop of Irish juveniles, maybe all the juveniles in fact, isn’t vintage. It certainly isn’t on the same level as last year’s crop of juveniles.

She finished second to HELLO NEIGHBOUR in a Grade 1 on her final start, and HELLO NEIGHBOUR is the third-fav for the Triumph. Ultimately, not many people fancy him for the Triumph and GALILEO DAME doesn’t jump that well. She’d have a chance, but she would look like the obvious type to be over bet when wanting to take on the market principles in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Anyway, is there anything we can take from this rumour? Well, she must be showing something nice at home, and it’s worth looking back on her form. She finished second to WENDROCK on her hurdles debut, and WENDROCK gives a direct line into a few Fred Winter hopefuls. 

He finished third on his hurdles debut at Navan to TOTAL LOOK and BEYOND YOUR DREAMS, both of whom are well-fancied for the Fred Winter. If you’re a fan of these, you might be thankful to hear this news.

SOME CONFIRMATIONS

It’s that time of the Cheltenham build-up where connections start to confirm their horses for certain races. Here are the recent ones and our thoughts on them. THE WALLPARK is going to the Stayers’ Hurdle and not the Pertemps. Interesting. 

The Pertemps looks like a nightmare this year. The likes of JERIKO DU REPONET, DODDIETHEGREAT, and WILL THE WISE make it really tricky to work out, but THE WALLPARK looked like the solid one to be honest.

Does JP fancy JERIKO that much that he is happy to keep him there as the main contender?

Maybe. That’s a lot of faith on the shoulders of one who has been less than consistent this season. THE WALLPARK would have been tough to beat in this we think.

Speaking of McManus, CREBILLY is going to the Ultima. His last ‘best’ effort came in the Plate last year when he was a horse for the wise guys, and he nearly won in fairness to him. 

He needs to jump better, that’s for sure, but he should stay. He stayed up the hill in the Plate and he won over 2m3f on Exeter heavy, so he should handle three miles. Has he been stopped all season or is he just not that good?

Unsure. And finally, as suggested last week, it looks like the Grand Annual is on the cards for JPR ONE. We don’t hate this at all. He won the Haldon Gold Cup off 149 when beating a subsequent two-time Grade 2 winner DJELO, and the ground should be right for him. He hasn’t been over-raced, he’s a classy horse, and a rating of 156 could be lumbered. 

He could be the obvious one who is, well, not obvious!

RISK ON

No bet’s yesterday, today there might be a few betting opportunities to be posted on X @equinties feat. another Cheltenham Festival slip giveaway.

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