Leopardstown 15th February

[Spooner]

:ok

[Spooner]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February 13:10 - Ebadiyan Ebadiyan has won his last two races in fine style, he bolted up at Naas by 22 lengths and then went onto Punchestown and won in good style again when beating Tharawaat who had some decent form in the book by 8 lengths. He should take the beating here and ill take him over the Mullins horse. @ 13/8 Paddy Power (bog)

[Spooner]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February 14:15 - Cousin Vinny Taking on Hurricane Fly with Cousin Vinny as I really like this horse, Hurricane Fly had the beaten of Cousin Vinny a couple of runs ago but I think that form can be reversed, that was his first run over hurdles. Has since gone onto win his next two races well and will give hurricane fly a good race today. @ 9/4 bet365 (bog)

[diamond1924]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February I'm going with Cooldine, Cousin Vinny and Neptune for wins. Think Tranquil Sea will chase home Cooldine and Notre Pere doing likewise if Neptune flops. I thought Neptune looked like a horse that needed the run LTO and fell when tiring under pressure. He should be stripped fitter and expect him to run to form.

[Spooner]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February Hurricane Fly N/R....

[WoodyTHFC]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February 1.10 Ebadiyan 2.5 pp bog 15 pts I like Ebadiyan for his maverick trainer. A former useful horse on the flat with Oxx, he seems to be improving all the time over hurdles. A few starts back he was behind a couple of these who have not run since and need to be respected now. However Ebadiyan has run twice since and twice won nicely since, showing much improved form. Given that, he is the selection today. 1.40 Shirley Casper 6 lad 7.5 pts e.w The top one here for this competitive handicap interests me going into a handicap for the first time. Shirley Casper was a classy performer in bumpers, won a grade 2 and good enough to be placed in both the chelt. and punch. bumpers. Even over hurdles she showed initial promise, placed in a grade 3 on debut. Since then she still hasnt managed to win and questions have been raised about here will because a couple of times she has had seemingly every chance without managing to win. However back at 2m today (lto over further she appeared not to get home) and in a handicap off 117 which may turn out to be a fair mark, she is an e.w selection. 2.45 Cooldine 3 lad 15 pts Now a few may be looking at this race and thinking why I am not going for FPTP who I have already backed for the Arkle. However I personally think they are going the wrong route moving him up in trip, a fast 2m (ie. Arkle) at this stage of his career would be fine but over 2 and half miles he hasnt shown me he can get home fully and he demonstrated that for me in the ballymore last year and even in defeat to Trafford Lad earlier this season. I sort of half want him to travel like the winner and not get home from an ante post point of view. Anyway the one I have gone for here is Cooldine who has not established his form yet over fences like say a Trafford Lad but shapes a classy horse still who has a lot still to come. I liked him over hurdles last year when he ran up a real sequence and I felt he showed lots of promise with a really nice win on his chase bow. I dont know what they were doing running him over 2m lto as he needs a trip and he ran as such in that race when not disgraced when third over an inadequate trip at grade 1 level. Today he has a trip more to his liking and with Mullins in top form, he is the selection. 3.50 Neptune Collonges 1.8 pp bog 15 pts Class act of the field for me. His third in the GC last year proved his class which he had been suggesting at for a while including wins at punch. in grade 1s. Lto he was still travelling very well before an unfortunate fall and who knows what would have happened between him and ED but whatever you think of it, he was still running a perfectly fine race at the time and a similar run (if completed) may well be good enough today. For today I dont see another ED in the field. The Listener is the other class act but not really at this trip imo if they really force which stamina types of NC and NP will and Im not sure Notre Pere quite has Neptune Collognes' class as good as his improved form has been of late. The Paul Nicholls runner for me.

[mowgli77]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February Pandorama 2.15 Leopardstown 5 wins from 7 races, likes soft ground and won a Grade 2 by 26l, slamming Alpha Ridge that had previously won in listed and Grade 3 company. Disappointed last time out when 2nd in a Grade 1 but I can forgive it that one poor run and expect it to go well today. Impressive over 2m4f and drops back to 2m2f today but I think this could challenge Cousin Vinny for the lead and make it a real test over the shorter trip. Neptune Collonges 3.50 Leopardstown I think this horse is slightly over rated but still think its good enough to win here today. The Listener seems to have been getting progressively worse but has C/D form yet I don't think its a top class Grade 1 horse. Notre Pere is a danger but has to improve and I feel if Neptune jumps round ok it wins. Has won on soft and heavy and worthy favourite. *I've also got these 2 in a treble with Robby Bobby 4.00 Southwell*

[Trotter]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February I can see one of the outsiders winning the Gold Cup.......... The ground is a worry for Neptune Collonges - he's fallen the last couple of times he's run on really testing ground The Listener hasn't looked great this season having changed trainers. He also fell here last time when Neptune Collonges took him on for the lead. Could be the same again today. Notre Pere and chelsea Harbour are pretty dour staying chasers who might lack the class and be unsuited to a small field Grade race. That leaves Thyne Again and Fistfullofdollars and I like both of them. Thyne Again is a smashing looking horse, chestnut with white flashes, loves soft ground, has won in grade 2 and grade 3 company. Finished 4th in the Arkle last year. He's never won at 3 miles but always looks like he is a stayer in the making. With a small field and the possibility of fallers this could turn into a crawl-sprint and Thyne Again has a good turn of foot Afistfullofdollars hasn;t run for nearly a year, but has won after a break before. Has won at grade 2 level, finished 7th in the Gold Cup last year, he definitely gets the trip and will love the ground. The worry about him is this year off - he's the oldest horse in the race but has hardly ever run, which suggests a chronic problem. Today might be the day to catch him. Bit of a toss up but I'm going to plump for Thyne Again.

[bowles10]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February 3.50 Big race Just got a sneaky feeling that The Listener could win this again, always runs well here & a repeat win in this race would have been the seasons target. Fell early in the Lexus chase but can take these along today & may just have the pace set to run the legs off these others. I am not convinced by Neptune as yet & will not take a short price. 5/1 Bet365 (BOG)

[Tedthewolf]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February 3.15 TURTLE TIME LUCKY E/W Will make a descent chaser in time but can put up a bold show in this hurdle race imo. 4.25 ST MATTHEW E/W 25/1 GAR PP This old horse did me a few favours in the past when with Sue Smith will back e/w incase it pops up which is always possibile .

[Spooner]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February Well done Mowgli with Pandorama, CV looked to have that in the bag :sad

[diamond1924]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February What was Mullins doing there on CV? Good thing is, that defeat possibly should ensure that CV's Chelt prices don't get savaged too much.

[Tipster5000]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February One to watch for the future Alexander Severus got trapped in a made good headway at the finish.

[Tipster5000]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February Unlucky Ted with Turtle he was besides Alexander Severus but it wasa bunch finish which didnt help either.

[diamond1924]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February I liked the look of Flag of Honour cut through the field (all green, no. 9), almost got up on the line.

[Spooner]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February

1.10 Ebadiyan 2.5 pp bog 15 pts I like Ebadiyan for his maverick trainer. A former useful horse on the flat with Oxx, he seems to be improving all the time over hurdles. A few starts back he was behind a couple of these who have not run since and need to be respected now. However Ebadiyan has run twice since and twice won nicely since, showing much improved form. Given that, he is the selection today. 1.40 Shirley Casper 6 lad 7.5 pts e.w The top one here for this competitive handicap interests me going into a handicap for the first time. Shirley Casper was a classy performer in bumpers, won a grade 2 and good enough to be placed in both the chelt. and punch. bumpers. Even over hurdles she showed initial promise, placed in a grade 3 on debut. Since then she still hasnt managed to win and questions have been raised about here will because a couple of times she has had seemingly every chance without managing to win. However back at 2m today (lto over further she appeared not to get home) and in a handicap off 117 which may turn out to be a fair mark, she is an e.w selection. 2.45 Cooldine 3 lad 15 pts Now a few may be looking at this race and thinking why I am not going for FPTP who I have already backed for the Arkle. However I personally think they are going the wrong route moving him up in trip, a fast 2m (ie. Arkle) at this stage of his career would be fine but over 2 and half miles he hasnt shown me he can get home fully and he demonstrated that for me in the ballymore last year and even in defeat to Trafford Lad earlier this season. I sort of half want him to travel like the winner and not get home from an ante post point of view. Anyway the one I have gone for here is Cooldine who has not established his form yet over fences like say a Trafford Lad but shapes a classy horse still who has a lot still to come. I liked him over hurdles last year when he ran up a real sequence and I felt he showed lots of promise with a really nice win on his chase bow. I dont know what they were doing running him over 2m lto as he needs a trip and he ran as such in that race when not disgraced when third over an inadequate trip at grade 1 level. Today he has a trip more to his liking and with Mullins in top form, he is the selection. 3.50 Neptune Collonges 1.8 pp bog 15 pts Class act of the field for me. His third in the GC last year proved his class which he had been suggesting at for a while including wins at punch. in grade 1s. Lto he was still travelling very well before an unfortunate fall and who knows what would have happened between him and ED but whatever you think of it, he was still running a perfectly fine race at the time and a similar run (if completed) may well be good enough today. For today I dont see another ED in the field. The Listener is the other class act but not really at this trip imo if they really force which stamina types of NC and NP will and Im not sure Notre Pere quite has Neptune Collognes' class as good as his improved form has been of late. The Paul Nicholls runner for me.

Good stuff again Woody. :cheers

[diamond1924]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February Neptune wins chased home by Notre Pere, wish I'd done the SF on that one.

[stewartd14]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February I am a strong supporter of Neptune for the GC and I'm happy with that run. Stayed the trip out well in soft going and has to go close. Will post up the tip in the ante post thread shortly. 8/1

[RuleBritannia]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February

I am a strong supporter of Neptune for the GC and I'm happy with that run. Stayed the trip out well in soft going and has to go close. Will post up the tip in the ante post thread shortly. 8/1

Jumped well and travelled well, kept up to his work close home but done everything he needed to. Notre Pere, looks a little on the slow side for 3m, but should be a contender in a race like the Grand National over longer. The rest were beaten out of sight.

[mileni4uk]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February The stiffer test at Cheltenham will suite Neptune more. He can gallop all day long. If the ground is on the slow side I fancy him and Denman to fight out the finish. Of course if Denman is reported well and back to his best or somewhere close to it. Had NC at 14.5 and now layed at 7.6. With the recouped money will probably back Denman. Only awaiting news from owner and trainer.

[mowgli77]

Re: Leopardstown 15th February I can't believe I got a winner in Pandorama in that race as Cousin Vinny was all over it, jockey was cheekily taking a look behind and that must have been long odds on in running to win. I'd have liked to have seen what it found off the bridle but I think i'll be on Cousin Vinny for Cheltenham, travelled like a dream and really should have beaten mine. Neptune Collonges won well enough but the form of that race is nothing special and The Listener was awful, it had course and conditions to suit and went backwards and struggled. I'm not sure Neptune will even finish in the 1st 3 of the Gold Cup and i'd prefer Albertas Run ew at 20's than that one.