Morning all,

Inside today’s main piece. You can read my final thoughts on a fantastic four days at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival which include a couple of eyecatchers.  Plus, there’s a Tuesday selection from

Cheltenham Wash-up

A thrilling week of racing is over for another 12 months. The home team did better last week than most people expected. Indeed, it was only 11-10 to the Irish going into the final day. However, it was a clean sweep for the Irish on Friday.

Mullins Dominates

Willie Mullins dominated the meeting winning ten of the 28 races and it should have been 11 as Galopin Des Champs had the Turners Novices Chase at his mercy when falling at the last. It was four more winners than Mullins saddled last season and beat his previous record of eight in 2015.

Honourable mentions for Henry De Bromhead who landed the Champion Hurdle/Gold Cup Double for the second year running and Venetia Williams. The latter who hadn’t had a winner at the festival since 2013 had 2 winners from 11 runners + 33.25. She also had four more horses place. If you had backed all her runners each way the profit would have increased +73.30.

It was a frustrating meeting for Gordon Elliott. He only had two winners from 60 runners over the four days and lost the highly regarded Ginto who broke down when making his effort in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on Friday.

Rides of the Week

Besides Rachel Blackmore’s winning ride on A Plus Tard in the Gold Cup two others standout. The first was Derek Fox on Corach Rambler to win the Ultima Handicap Chase on the Tuesday. Coming to three out he had still had plenty to do but Fox weaved the horse through the field to lead in the final 110yds and win going away. The winner is a hard ride but the jockey was seen at his very best.

The other ride of the festival was Danny Mullins to win the Stayers Hurdle for a second year running on Flooring Porter. It was a complete contrast to the Fox ride. Mullins got Flooring Porter in a good jumping rhythm out in front and was able to dictate the fractions which he executed perfectly.  It was the perfect front running ride from the jockey.

The Good, the bad and the unlucky

The good

The star performance of the week came from Constitution Hill and his demolition of a strong Supreme Novices field on day one. It was the best novice hurdle performance that I can remember at Cheltenham. He could now head to Punchestown and there’s a chance he could take on Honeysuckle there.

Other notable performances came from Honeysuckle, Allaho, Sir Gerhard, Vauban, and the very likeable L'Homme Presse.

The bad

A couple of big blowouts last week.

Firstly, we had Shishkin bombing out in the Champion Chase. He was never travelling from the off and he was pulled up. Was it the heavy ground that caused his awful performance or had a hard race at Ascot left its mark?  We shall find out more next time he runs which could well be at Sandown in next month’s bet365 Celebration Chase.

The second flop of the week was Hillcrest in the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle. The 7-year-old was sent off the 9/4 favourites for Friday’s race but was never travelling or jumping with any fluency from early in the race and was pulled up before three out. It looks like connections will draw stumps on the campaign with next season’s novice chase campaign in mind.

The unlucky

It must be Galopin Des Champs who was a dozen lengths clear of a toiling Bob Olinger when coming down at the last in Turners Novices Chase. Ok, the eventual winner may not have been at his very but the Mullins horse had made him look very ordinary. The bold jumping six-year-old remains the best novice chaser around despite this mishap.

Where will go next season?  Well, the bookies have him as 5/1 joint favourite with A Plus Tard for next season’s Gold Cup. However, after Thursday’s race Willie Mullins also suggested that he could drop back to 2m for the Champion Chase for which he’s a best priced 10/1. I’m still hoping he will be aimed at the Gold Cup but we’ll just have to wait and see.  

Cheltenham Eyecatchers

Here are two eyecatcher from last week’s action and both trained in Ireland.

James’s Gate – Willie Mullins

As impressive winner of a Punchestown bumper on his racecourse debut. The 5-year-old improved plenty for his debut. Finishing a 6 ½ length 3^rd of 20 to Facile Vega in Wednesday’s Champion Bumper. He’s yet to race on ground better than heavy. However, he should be fine on better ground and rates a high-class hurdling prospect. He raced on Thursday like he will be suited by 2m 4f+ when he goes hurdling next season. Facile Vega is already the 4/1 fav for the 2023 Supreme so the Ballymore looks an ideal target for him. Especially as his owners sponsor the race. He’s a best priced 16/1 with Coral & Ladbrokes for next season’s race and if he takes to hurdling those odds will look very attractive.

Freedom To Dream – Peter Fahey

Freedom To Dream had looked interesting on his handicap hurdle debut in Friday’s Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle. A winner of a Punchestown Maiden Hurdle on a return from a 697-day break back in November. He improved again on his nest two starts when runner-up in a Grade 2 at Limerick over Christmas and then 4^th of 7 to Minella Cocooner in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival. Racing off a mark of 135 he put in a personal best on RPR’s when a 4-length 4^th of 23 to Banbridge. On drying ground, he found 2m 4f a little on the short side. Outpaced two out he was doing his best work on the uphill run to the line. In another stride he would have caught Hallow Games for third. He will remain competitive in staying handicap hurdles at the rest of the big Spring festivals.

Tuesday Racing

Once again, its all about the jumps today with fixtures at Market Rasen, Wetherby. Exeter and Clonmel. Small fields are the order of the day at both Market Rasen & Exeter but I do have handful of interest at the latter track and one at Wetherby.

Exeter

3:01 – Classic Ben is on a long losing run but he’s dropped down to a winnable mark. He was in the process of running a big race when falling here two starts back and then finished a 5-length 2nd of 13 in the Devon National over C&D last time.

Morning Spirit is another on handy mark. He finished a 1¾ length 2nd of 17 here in December and then fell five out when still seemingly going well here last time. The first time cheekpieces are applied today and if he stays today longer trip shouldn’t be far away.

3:36 – Ballybreeze put in a career best effort on RPR’s when finishing a 1 ¼ length 2nd of 5 to Hacker des Places in handicap at Chepstow last month. The winner has since gone onto finish third in a valuable handicap hurdle at Sandown.  This is his first start beyond 2m 1f. However, on pedigree he should be suited by the step up in distance. He’s been keen on his last two starts but if the 6-year-old settle better the are races in him off his present mark.

Wetherby

3:46 – Fern Hill was a runner-up on his first two starts over fences before a laboured effort in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot last month. This is easier and he did win both starts over hurdles here. If the ground isn’t too quick, he looks set to go close.

Grand Mogul jumped well when beating three rivals on chase debut at Kelso (good) last May but put in a disappointing effort on a return from a 9-month layoff at Exeter (soft) last month. Hopefully the drying ground will see a better performance from the 8-year-old.

5:31 – Dan Skelton is 3-3 with his bumper runners at Wetherby in the past two years. If you had backed all three you would have made £8.13 profit to a £1 level stake. He saddles Hitching Jacking who finished runner-up in an Irish point in November and looks interesting on stable debut.

Tuesday Selection:

Exeter

3:36 – Ballybreeze

Good luck with your Tuesday bets.

John