Hopefully we have already had a few winners, and writing this in advance of the first days proceedings, I am just hoping there have been a few winners on Day One to have kept us ticking over, and not have the emergency lump quite applied as of yet. That will most likely come in The Jonny Henderson Grand Annual, being the annually get out of jail and failure for most punters.
The first race of Day Two is The Diamond Jubilee National Hunt Chase. The National Hunt Chase is the most historic and arguably challenging race of the Festival, run on the old course, is run over four miles with twenty-four fences, making it a true stamina test. Willie Mullins, Champion Irish Trainer has the front two in the betting in Soll and Allee garde. Soll has had this race as his target since winning a Down Royal chase on February 1st over two and a half miles on heavy going. The seven year old son of Presenting looks to be an out and out stayer and has all the makings of a National horse. Similarly Allee Garde has shown good form this season since reappearing at Clonmel, winning comfortably, much like Soll, on two and a half miles on heavy ground. Alfie Spinner has shown good form this season in novice chases, running behind some much superior rivals, yet still demonstrating a good attitude. Harry the Viking has shaped like a stayer all winter, and has been the long time ante post favourite for this race and has leading connections, being trained by Paul Nicholls and owned by Sir Alex Ferguson. Teaforthree looks to be shaping up to be a very smart chaser since switching to the larger obstacles at the start of this season. The beautifully bred eight year old finished second to RSA hopeful Join Together on his debut, who has won another Cheltenham novice chase, with both winning further races. He was a comfortable winner of a three mile heavy ground run at Chepstow, beating subsequent winners Restless Harry and Cannington Brook in fine style, running on well towards the end. Beaten for pace in the Feltham Chase, he got back on track winning another novice chase at Chepstow, getting a smart ride from AP McCoy, with the form already working out well. JT McNamara has been booked, and that should further enhance his claims. Given the nature of TEAFORTHREE’s victories, I think the trip will be the making of him.
The Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle, or “The Neptune” as the Irish would refer to it as, is probably the most respected of the three Grade 1 novices hurdles. Boston Bob missed this for the Albert Bartlett, and the Gold Cup winner in waiting will relish the extra yardage on better ground. That leaves Simonsig as the favourite, and I think the Nicky Henderson striking grey is certainly opposable. He was out battled at Sandown against long time ante post favourite Fingal Bay, before beating much inferior opposition at Kelso when long odds on. He looks to be something of a bridle merchant, and could be easily out battled. A good pointer to this race is the Royal Bond Stakes in Ireland, won by SOUS LES CIEUX for Willie Mullins, who has an excellent record in the race with three wins in the last five years. The promising six year old has looked likely to improve on better ground and stayed on well in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown when long shot winner Beneficent stole the race from the front. Over an extra 3 furlongs on better, spring ground, could be the making of him, and Ruby Walsh is on board.
GRANDS CRUS and BOBS WORTH are two horses that I have already backed ante post fir the RSA Chase and I am delighted that both have got to their eventual target safe and sound. They will start favourite and second favourite and there will be no need to punt on the race with 8/1 and 10/1 vouchers already held firmly tight. They are the leading novice chasers in the country, and The Irish do not look to have a strong hand with Sir Des Champs Jewson Chase bound. It is marginal, but I expect the David Pipe grey to come out on top of Bobs Worthy by a narrow margin.
I still have no idea how FINIANS RAINBOW managed to get beat last time out at Ascot behind Somersby in The Victor Chandler Chase, when seemingly cruising two fences out, and I was already counting my money. He seemingly got outstayed that day by a course specialist and I still think Finians Rainbow has the class to take a race of this nature. He went too quick in last years Arkle, after freewheeling down the hill, and the consensus is that he was unlucky that day and was outstayed, He is bigger, stronger and fitter and I can see him getting the better of the current champion Sizing Europe if different tactics are employed, hopefully picking him off in the run in.
The Coral Cup is a race where the Irish usually have a good record, and land a good touch and a race that is usually a good, wide open handicaps for everyone to take a view on. Last years winner runs once more and CARLITO BRIGANTE has to be respected for the Gordon Elliot stable. He won well last year, and followed that form with good races behind champions Big Bucks and Quevega at Aintree and Punchestown. He has opted to run here instead of The World Hurdle, and that could be a sign how the stable fancy his chances. Similarly Get Me Out of Here, has similar good form this season, with his last two runs showing terrific efforts behind Oscar Whisky and Zarkander, who both go for championship races. With three seconds from four Cheltenham starts, he has good course form, and looks well handicapped.
VENDOR has been all the rage ante post in the Fred Winter, after even surprising trainer Alan King just how well handicapped he seemingly is. Backed in from 9s to 3s ante post, this is the supposed handicap good thing. I don’t have too strong an opinion of the race, and with The Irish having a large number of the field, in what could possibly be unexposed sorts, he is a tentative selection.
The bumper looks about as open as it has been in previous years, with the grip and spell of dominance and in particular Willie Mullins have, seemingly subsided with two consecutive winners for the home team. Cue Card won for the Tizzard's two years ago and they have another leading player, similarly bred and owned in the form of ROYAL GUARDSMAN. A good winner at Ascot last time out, he has a similar profile to that of his half brother, and given the form of the stable recently, he has to be short listed. So does NEW YEARS EVE for training sensational and bloodstock advisor to Sheikh Mohammed; J P Ferguson. With a startling strike rate, he has been a revelation, and has acquired some very good sorts, and this is clearly the pick of his bumper string, a two from two winner, who has Barry Geraghty aboard.
1.30 Teaforthree (Nap)
2.05 Sous Les Cieux
2.40 Grands Crus – Grands Crus/Bobs Worth Reverse Forecast
3.20 Finians Rainbow (Ew)
4.00 Get Me Out of Here (Ew) / Carlito Brigante (Ew)
4.40 Vendor (Nb)
5.15 Royal Guardsman / New Years Eve
The Yorkshireman - Jack Milner
No comments:
Post a Comment