Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece you can read my in-depth review of Saturday’s big race action at Cheltenham.
Cheltenham Trials Day Review
Cheltenham Trials Day produced a fantastic nine race card. Decent sized fields, exciting finishes, and Cheltenham festival clues aplenty.
You don’t often see a Saturday card where all the races where worth watching. Add in some good races at Doncaster including the valuable Sky Bet Handicap Chase and it was just what the sport needed.
I’m going to go through each of the nine races. However, before that a quick look at the going and times. The going description was soft but looking at the times it was much closer to good than soft.
JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)
Comfort Zone and Scriptwriter fought out a good finish with the former just getting the verdict. Both juveniles were carrying Grade 2 penalties for wins in Grade 2 company. However, it was Comfort Zone who prevailed by ¾ length. He’s now won his last two starts since finishing a 6 ¼ length 3rd of 10 to Triumph Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth. I doubt the latter connections will be losing much sleep after this race.
I wouldn’t be quick to dismiss Comfort Zone’s Triumph Hurdle claims. Whilst its hard to see him giving 7lb to Lossiemouth in March. He’s very professional, and just gets the job done. And he’s also proved his effectiveness at the track. Peace And Co (2015) and Defi Du Seuil (2017) both won this race before going to success in the Triumph. He’s a best priced 10/1 for the Triumph which is fair enough.
Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Stage Star was the first leg of a Paul Nicholls handicap treble. The 7-year-old a useful novice hurdler last season was always up with the pace which proved a wise move on the chase track on Saturday. He jumped well under top-weight and gained some much needed experience of the Cheltenham fences. I don’t think the race took too much winning. Runner-up Datsalrightgino proved his stamina for 2m 4f and should be able to add to his sole chase success.
The winner remains with potential and will be back in Graded company next time with the Turners Novices Chase back here in March the likely target. He’s a best priced 16/1 for the Turners but wouldn’t be for me.
Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
Back On The Lash back on a good mark gained another success over the Cross Country course. He’ss be back here for the Cross Country Chase in March. However, that’s not a handicap and I will do well to confirm placings with the third Delta Work on level terms.
Delta Work was 4 ¾ length behind the winner but was trying to concede 16lb which just proved too much for the 10-year-old. He remains the one they all have to beat in March as he bids for back to back successes in the Cross Country.
Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase (Grade 1)
Ascot’s loss was Cheltenham’s gain as the race produced a pulsating finish. The race had been expected to be a match between Energumene and Edwardstone. However, Editeur Du Gite hadn’t read the script. The latter front jumped soundly out in front. Although it looked like Edwardstone had come to win the race when heading him on the run, he rallied in the final 110yds to get back up and win by head.
Edwardstone ran a cracker in second. If he had been a couple of lengths closer when making his effort he might well have won. He probably used up a bit too much energy in the hottest part of the race.
Energumene was a disappointment in third. Not sure what to make of his run. I think he was beaten when making a mistake at the last. I suspect he will be ridden more forcibly in the Champion Chase and softer ground wouldn’t go amiss there either.
Editeur Du Gite’s win blew the Champion Chase betting wide apart. Edwardstone now finds himself favourite ahead of Energumene and deserves to head the betting. Editeur Du Gite was cut to best priced 5/1 for the race and it would be unwise to dismiss his claims. Sire De Grugy completed the Clarence House/ Champion Chase double in the same colours in 2014. And given Editeur Du Gite course form you wouldn’t rule him out doing the same.
Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase
The first time cheekpieces had the desired effect on Il Ridoto who gave Paul Nicholls a second win on the day. Always up with the pace the first time headgear enabled the winner to get up the hill which he hadn’t done on his last two starts here. The winner seems likely to come back here for the Plate at the Festival and the 6-year-old could be capable of defying a rise in the weights.
Runner-up Fugitif looked like he would follow up his recent Chepstow win when heading the winner two out. However, he ran around under pressure on the run in which allowed Il Ridoto to get up close to home. Given his finish I would expect to see Fugitif in some sort of headgear next time and that could make all the difference should the pair meet up again. The front two pulled clear of the rest so can expect a rise in the weights.
Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (Grade 2)
I must confess I had written off Ahoy Senor after a couple of poor jumping displays this season. However, the 8-year-old put altogether to get the better of Sounds Russian in the final 100yds to win this Grade 2 contest. It was good to see the winner back to his best. He’s very talented and has great engine.
Runner-up Sounds Russian made it a 1-2 for the North. He’s a very likeable staying chaser who continues to progress. His jumping was good until a bad mistake four out. But for that mistake he might have been a couple of lengths further ahead of his rivals and that could have made all the difference at the finish.
Grand National Winner Noble Yeats had beaten the first two in the Many Clouds Chase. He got outpaced four out but was staying on at the finish to get within 2 ½ lengths of the winner at the line.
The disappointment of the race was 5/4 favourite Protektorat. He was far to keen on his first start since winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock on seasonal return and could only finish fourth. His freshness aside I suspect he wasn’t right on the day.
Gold Cup Graveyard
If you fancy any of Saturday's runners for jump racing's blue riband race. It’s worth bearing in mind that this race has a poor record as a Gold Cup Trial. Since 2008 horses who ran in this race prior to the Gold Cup are 0 winners from 30 runners, 3 placed.
Ahoy Senor’s back on the Gold Cup trail after this success but his jumping which once again was far from perfect and will be even more severely tested in a strongly run Gold Cup.
Sounds Russian deserves to take his chance in the Gold Cup after this run. More testing ground in March would suit him and he would be a lively outsider if he got it.
Noble Yeats ran arguably the best Gold Cup Trial of the first three. Giving 3lb to the winner and 6lbs to the runner up he’s entitled to get closer to the front pair in the Gold Cup. The cheekpieces he wore to win the Grand National haven’t been applied so far this season and after this run I expect to see them back on next time.
The bookies pushed out Protektorat to 20/1 for the Gold Cup after this performance. That seems a slight overreaction to me. That said he will be surprised if he can better last year’s third placed effort.
Dahlbury Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle (Grade 2)
French challenger Gold Tweet caused a 14/1 surprise in winning this Grade 2 contest. Dashel Drasher got a fairly uncontested lead out in front and ran his usual game race. However, the 10-year-old had no answer to the strong travelling winner’s pace once headed after the last. This was a clear best by Gold Tweet who improved for the step up to 3m. He needs to be supplemented if he’s to run in the Stayers Hurdle in March but you would think connections will roll the dice in an open division. Paisley Park was sent off the 13/8 favourite in his bid for a fourth successive win the race. He didn’t really pick up two out and merely stayed on into third. A modestly run race didn’t suit the 11-year-old who didn’t run anywhere near to the form of his Grade 1 Kempton win over Christmas.
Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Classic Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 2)
An intriguing 2m 4 ½ f novice hurdle was won by Rock My Way. The 5-year-old had looked a useful prospect when finishing 1 ¼ length 2nd of 13 over C&D on his hurdles debut. Always in a prominent position he ran out a 1 ¼ length winner from 5/4 favourite Pembroke. He idled inside the final half furlong but was always holding the runner-up.
Rock My Way has got entries in the Ballymore & Albert Bartlett at the Festival, and you would think the latter over 3m would be his likely target. If he goes for the Albert Bartlett, he’ll likely come up against Weveallbeencaught who beat him last time. Pembroke improved again and is useful prospect himself, but he was just outstayed by an equally improving winner.
SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle
Hacker Des Places was the third handicap winner on the card for Paul Nicholls. The 6-year-old made it 5 from 11 over hurdles. Taking up at the last, he went a couple of lengths clear but probably hit the front two soon and wasn’t doing much on the run to the line. He’ll now head for next months Betfair Hurdle at Newbury for which he’ll get 5lb penalty.
Runner-up Might I seemed to appreciate the drop back to 2m 1f and although he got with neck at the finish the winner was always in command. Pikar was 3 ½ lengths back in third and ran well on just his second start in handicap company. The 100/30 favourite Punctuation failed in his bid for the five timer but wasn’t disgraced in fourth. Albeit he didn’t look the easiest of conveyances when hanging left on the run in.
Cheltenham Trials Day Verdict:
A good meeting for Paul Nicholls. Normally in January were talking about his runners running below form due to their flu jabs. And coming into this year’s meeting he was 2-25 on Trials Day since 2016. Well, he certainly put that right on Saturday with three winners.
It was a rough day on the betting front. Fugitif, Sounds Russian and Dashel Drasher all finished second and I decided not to go with Rock My Way. So, I was left wishing that I had stayed on holiday for a further day.
From a racing perspective though it was thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of racing with some good performances and plenty of exciting finishes. As for Cheltenham Festival clues since 2016 fifteen Festival winners had their last start at this meeting. No doubt there will be a winner or maybe two to come out of Saturday’s races.
Now its over to next weekend and hopefully some sensational action at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Monday Racing
Plenty of racing on Monday afternoon. It’s moderate stuff but competitive enough with fair sized fields. The Class 3 Visit racingtv.com Handicap Hurdle at Huntingdon (3:25) looks the race of the day.
Huntingdon
3:25 – Homme Public began this season as he ended last season with a win. Ran just as well in defeat when 4 ¼ length 3rd of 9 to Love Envoi at Sandown on his next start. Below his best at Musselburgh (soft) on New Year’s Day but will appreciate today’s better ground.
The Pink’n a useful hurdler two seasons back shaped well back in the sphere for the first time in two years when a 5 ¾ length 4th of 9 at Taunton 3 weeks ago. Capable of going close if building on last time.
Course & distance winner Head Law completed a hat trick over hurdles when winning at Southwell in April and likely needed the run when a 5 ¼ lengths 3rd of 7 to Deere Mark at Kempton 16-days ago and is one to be interested in.
Whizz Kid must be respected if reproducing his 2 ¾ length 4th of 16 to Hacker Des Places in a better race at Aintree in April. Ran better than his pulled up effort in the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle last time suggests. Got tired on heavy ground after the third last at Kempton. The drop back to 2m will suit. Yard in decent form and I can see the 7-year-old getting into the money here.
Monday Selection:
As I’m torn between Whizz Kid and Head Law in the Huntingdon handicap hurdle. I’m heading to Hereford for today’s selection.
Hereford
3:25 – Eaton Collina won a handicap hurdle here in February and has shaped with enough encouragement on his three starts over fences to think he can win races in the sphere. Looked to be in the process of running a good race in front, when stumbling on landing and unseating his rider four out at Wetherby 16-days ago. Trainer has a good record at her local track and has been among the winners in the past 14-days. I can see the 8-year-old going close if none the worse for last time’s mishap. I would prefer a bit better than the 6/1 that's available as he's got stamina to prove but that price looks acceptable to me.
Eaton Collina – 6/1 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook.
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John