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Another weekend of strong national hunt racing behind us, and the portfolio is in for a reight treat as we say up north, and is about to get more padding than the walls of Broadmoor, and probably just as difficult to understand. This season is gradually moving through the gears, with Cheltenham’s Open Meeting followed by Aintree’s Old Roan Chase card, and The Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby bringing some very interesting challenger from across The Irish Sea. Lots of high class pretenders out strutting their stuff early, so who has caught the eye?
He may have cheekily gone under the radar but not by my bins as I’ve been waiting for WAAHEB to run since missing the festival last year through injury. His only ever defeat came to the unfortunate deceased Lovethehigherlaw of Willie Mullins in the champion bumper at Punchestown in 2011 and he is all class. He was expected to go hurdling with a view of his main aim for the forthcoming season being The Supreme Novices Hurdle. A year on, he will be stronger and fitter and trained by Dermot Weld, is hardly a negative now is it. Saying he knows the time of day is like saying Stephen Hawking is a clever chap. That man AP McCoy is likely to ride should the five year old get to Prestbury Park, with his boss JP being rather fond of having runners, and more importantly winners around such hallowed turf. He took well to hurdling, and is the leading player already at the start of the season.
Another leading player in their novice division will be THE NEW ONE for Sam and Nigel Twiston-Davies. Like Waaheb, comes from a decent background in bumpers, winning at Aintree, and sixth at Cheltenham, and he has looked even better since taking on hurdles. He won a modest novice hurdle at Newton Abbot but travelled like a dream when stepped up to two and a half miles at Cheltenham in a race that is seen as an early prelude to the Neptune Novice Hurdle come March. He showed a smart turn of foot to win by three lengths and at the current odds on offer of 10/1 – Mr Chandler may be underestimating the King’s Theatre animal. Already a course and distance winner is a massive plus around Cheltenham, but you knew that already, right? You do now.
HANDAZAN won a juvenile hurdle at the second attempt, winning an all-out slugfest to beat the well-bred For Two of Graham Wylie and Paul Nicholls, on desperate ground at Aintree. That being said, there should be more to come, and let’s be honest, we all know how Alan King likes a tilt at the Triumph Hurdle. As does his owners, The McNeill family, who have purchased this horse for that very race. Bred and ran on the flat by HH Aga Khan, he has an illustrious pedigree, but more importantly an illustrious ante post price of 33/1. He will be gelded to calm him down, all that testosterone on the poor lad will be making his thoughts wander instead of lepping around Cheltenham, and on better ground, when he turns up on the day, he is more likely to be 3/1 than 33/1.
GO NATIVE was a ma-hu-sive eye-catcher with his first run back for two and half years on the flat three weeks ago, when absolutely lobbing along before finding little late on, but wasn’t pressed, there is more in store for him than a two mile handicap around Navan. Clearly as he won on Monday by six lengths at Galway under Nina Carberry, going wide throughout and yet still routing them. She knew how much she had underneath her (that’s what she said). He won The Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle in 2009/2010 season, and ended up going off 5/2 favourite for that year’s Champion Hurdle finishing tenth of twelfth, injured and out for two seasons. He’s back, he will be fresh and fit and the Noel Meade stable have started off flying. A friend of mine think’s he a cert.
The final eye catcher of the week was SIRE DE GRUGY who has really strong form in two mile handicap hurdles last season behind the likes of Zarkander, rated 148 over the smaller objects. His running style means he will thrive over a quickly run contest, which he is sure to achieve come Cheltenham the second week in March. As long as his jumping is up to scratch, he could be a big player, and he seemed to thrive over fences at Kempton last Sunday, running away to win by six lengths. Don’t get me wrong, he may be outclassed if something like Simonsig goes chasing, but, he looks a good bet for the multiples, and a nice each way poke… so to speak.
Eye-Catchers & Markets
Supreme Novices Hurdle - Waaheb 12/1 (Bet Victor, Boylesports, William Hill)
Neptune Novices Hurdle – The New One 16/1 (William Hill)
Triumph Hurdle – Handazan 33/1 (Bet Victor, Boylesports, William Hill)
Champion Hurdle – Go Native 33/1 (William Hill)
Arkle Chase – Sire De Grugy 20/1 (Bet Victor, Stan James, Ladbrokes)
The Yorkshireman - Jack Milner
Follow me on Twitter - @JJMSports
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