The Irish Post, February 28, 2015
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DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jezki can land the Champion Hurdle again
‘It has to be Jezki in the Champion Hurdle’ T
HE OLYMPICS of jumps racing is fast approaching with this year’s Cheltenham Festival just around the corner. In years gone by, the Festival has thrown up a superb mix of narrative catering for all kinds of people, showcasing the greatness of horse racing. There have been stories like the people’s horse of Denman beating the superb Kauto Star to Gold Cup glory in 2008. There have also been icons of the sport, like the aformentioned Kauto Star and Istabraq, who have had their names written in Cheltenham folklore. Year in year out, there are returning champions whose names can be listed alongside Kauto Star and Istabraq, but this year there doesn’t seem to be. The closest name to that illustrious list is The New One, who runs in the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of this year’s festival. Nigel Twiston-Davies, the horse’s trainer, has come in for a bit of stick recently after running him at Haydock. Personally I think it was to extend the horse’s stamina, he has hardly been short of pace down the years. Jezki heads into the race as the defending champion and in the Champion
By Dougie Costello
Hurdle it’s often hard to wrestle the title away from the previous winner. In my view, he is the one to beat. He has been unlucky in Ireland, where he has lost twice to Hurricane Fly, who might be the horse that the public want to see win, but I don’t think his legs have the pace in this race, despite his fantastic unbeaten record around Leopardstown. Faugheen is the favourite for the Champion Hurdle, but I honestly do not think he is entitled to be. Maybe Willie Mullins is playing a smart game because he has never had to press him. Even Ruby Walsh, who regularly rides, says he never has to get out of third gear. The question is, how many more gears has he got? Jezki is the one for me in the Champion Hurdle this year. In the Champion Chase, Sprinter Sacre should
start as favourite but we have not seen much of him recently. Having said that, I do not think he has done too much wrong in his only previous race when he was beaten by Dodging Bullets. Paul Nicholls says Dodging Bullets has improved in the last year and now has the ability to push Sprinter Sacre hard. You would imagine Nicky Henderson, who trains Sprinter Sacre, may have taken him to the races not 110 per cent whereas Mr Nicholls would keep trying to press the buttons with Dodging Bullets. The Champion Chase is wide open and it’s going to be hard for Sprinter Sacre to repeat his past heroics given his heart problems. Dodging Bullets should be considered a better price than Sprinter Sacre because of this fact, but I do not think the winner will come from these two. Mr Mole is another horse trained by Mr Nicholls and I think he can surprise quite a few people by winning the race. He has stacks of ability and has great cruising speed and, for me, he looks like a winner of the Champion Chase. One of the races at Cheltenham that has a special meaning for me is the Triumph Hurdle that I won in 2012 on
Countryside Flame. It’s a tough race to win and it takes a champion to do that — winners of this race normally fare well in the World Hurdle later in their career. The top two in the market are Peace And Co and Hargam, both of whom are trained by Nicky Henderson. Peace And Co is unbeaten is all three of his starts, but they have all come on soft ground — what happens if the going is good come the Festival? Hargam impressed me at Musselburgh recently and he looks to handle all ground conditions extremely well. However, I think he has the look of a flat-track horse more than he has the look of a jumps horse. Whether that affects him here we shall see. Of course, the big race at Cheltenham is the Gold Cup and everything in the week builds up to the event. LORD WINDEMERE TO DO IT AGAIN It’s an event where you have to stay to win and I think Lord Windemere has it in him to win back-to-back Gold Cups. I’ve ridden him before and he does not force the pace, he’s a horse that enjoys coming off of a very strong pace. He won
the RSA Chase in 2013 before winning the Gold Cup last year — so he knows his way around the track very well. Silviniaco Conti might be the favourite but his odds are far too short in this race for me to be interested. The track does not bring out the best in him, even though Noel Fehily did very well on him last year. The track is more suited to other horses. Many Clouds has been in unbelievable form this year and reminds me of a younger version of Midnight Chase. He might be a top-notch handicapper but I feel he could be a horse more likely to win the Grand National than the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Whatever happens at the Festival this year, I hope it throws up some great memories like it did when I was a youngster. I remember rushing home from school to see the likes of Istabraq win and show their true class, which I love seeing. Sometimes there’d even be times when one of my teachers would wheel in the television for the whole class to watch the Festival, such is the passion for it in Ireland. If we get a fantastic story happening this year, hopefully it can inspire a new generation to fall in love with our sport.
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L’ami Serge can take Supreme Novices Hurdle TUESDAY, MARCH 10 1.30 SKY BET SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1) – 2 MILES 110 YDS L’ami Serge ran out a convincing winner of the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown last month meaning he is undefeated in three starts since joining Nicky Henderson. He powered away from Jolly’s Cracked It by no fewer than 19 lengths, suggesting he could potentially be quite a useful sort. His trainer and jockey both seemed to indicate that he would improve for running on slightly better ground. He gained lots of experience in France last season prior to joining current connections and that should stand him in good stead. Douvan arrives on the back of two good wins at Gowran Park and Punchestown and he is likely to be partnered by Ruby Walsh. That can only enhance his claims and despite only having had two runs he is a major threat. The same connections have landed this race for the last two years with Vautour and Champagne Fever so they will be confident of more success. John Ferguson has his stable firing on all cylinders and Qewy cannot be underestimated. He was a useful sort when trained on the flat by John Oxx and he has made a smooth transition to his hurdles. He is improving with each run and he deserves his place in this line-up. L’ami Serge is taken to continue his progression and he can give Nicky Henderson his first win in this race since 1986. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 2.05 RSA CHASE (GRADE 1 NOVICE CHASE) – 3 MILES 110 YDS Coneygree missed all of last season due to injury but has more than made up for it with three consecutive wins is as many months. His jumping in the Denman Chase at Newbury was exemplary and he has previous course and distance winning form. He is the apple of his trainer’s eye and given his chance Nico De Boinville will be back on board. He was suspended for Coneygree’s latest win, but has built up an excellent relationship with the horse and they command utmost respect. King’s Palace has won all bar one of his completed starts in his 10-race career. He has already recorded three wins on the bounce so far this year, although the most recent of those was far from convincing. He could well be David Pipe’s next big star. Tom Scudamore knows his mount inside out and they could well pose the biggest threat. He is a dual course winner and better ground will certainly bring about further improvement. Southfield Theatre fluffed his lines when turned over at long odds on in a race at Newbury back in November. He was given a couple of months off and returned to winning ways at Exeter just a couple of weeks ago. Coneygree did look like a star in the making on his most recent start and if he is to rank as a contender for the Gold Cup next season he would need to win this race with authority. THURSDAY, MARCH 12 2.40 RYANAIR CHASE (GRADE 1) – 2 M 5 F Ma Filleule was far from disgraced when runner-up to Holywell in a Grade Three handicap at last year’s festival. She proved that run was no fluke when bolting in at the Grand National meeting at Aintree. She was
BETTING With Karl Hedley considered good enough to be sent over to Down Royal last November where she travelled well before tiring She has not been beaten far in her two most recent starts and will improve further when meeting the better ground. A step back to her favourite trip looks sure to suit and the weight she receives from her male counterparts can only add to her chances. Cue Card is somewhat of a course and distance specialist and won this race a couple of seasons ago. He has been disappointing since returning from injury, but this looks to be his chance to get back on track. He is likely to be on the pace from the outset and if allowed an uncontested lead he could will prove a tough nut to crack. Gordon Elliott is no stranger to festival success and his Don Cossack comes into the race seeking a fifth win of the season. He was still travelling alright when coming to grief in the RSA last year but he has done nothing but improve since. Ma Filleule seems to come to herself around this time of year and with her weight allowance she should be capable of going very close. FRIDAY, MARCH 13 2.40 ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1) – 3 MILES Value At Risk lost little in defeat when outpointed by Ordo Ab Chao at Cheltenham last month. That run may have come a little too quickly following his electric debut for Harry Skelton when he hosed up at Newbury by no fewer than 22 lengths. He showed immense promise in Ireland when trained by Philip Fenton. This step up to three miles is seen as a positive step by his new connections and with him likely to improve for better ground it is hard to dismiss his claims. Black Hercules had no problem with the significant step up in trip when recording a first win over three miles at Cork back in December. He gave weight away all around on that occasion so he deserves extra credit. With Ruby Walsh likely to partner the gelding they will pose a potent threat. Martello Tower is held in high regard by connections and it was pleasing to see him run such a good race behind Outlander at Leopardstown last month. He already has the beating of No More Heroes and can confirm that form here. Caracci Apache is improving rapidly and beat Blaklion by the narrowest of margins at Doncaster last time. Value At Risk though looks to be a stayer in the making and this trip can encourage further improvement from six-year-old. With previous course experience under his belt he can make his presence felt. SELECTIONS TUESDAY, 1.30: L’AMI SERGE WEDNESDAY, 2.05: CONEYGREE THURSDAY, 2.40: MA FILLEULE FRIDAY, 2.40: VALUE AT RISK
SPLENDID AT SANDOWN: L’ami Serge cruised home to win the Tolworth Hurdle in January
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Price boost on all McCoy BY ED NICHOLSON, UNIBET
T
HE 2015 Cheltenham Festival will soon be upon us, and this year’s annual pilgrimage to Prestbury Park has taken on added importance to those within the betting and racing fraternities as it will be the last Cheltenham Festival in which living legend Tony McCoy will participate. McCoy shocked everyone a few weeks ago by announcing he would retire by the end of this season, which means he has one more attempt to add to his impressive 30 Cheltenham Festival winners, which includes two Cheltenham Gold Cups, three
Champion hurdles and one Queen Mother Champion Chase. At Unibet we’ve decided to offer price boosts on EVERY SINGLE ONE of Tony McCoy’s rides at this year’s festival. Put simply; you won’t find a better price on a McCoy-ridden horse once the first show comes in from the track, as we will go one price up from that which is available in the betting shops or on other sportsbooks online. And we’re also going to be price boosting EVERY SINGLE ONE of the 27 favourites at the Festival! Don’t forget we’ve got plenty of other offers on both McCoy and Cheltenham this season — in total 40 specials and 16 of the 27 races have been priced up before mid-February. And we are going Non Runner No Bet on the four Championship events (Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle,
World Hurdle, Champion Chase) at www. unibet.co.uk One of the more popular special McCoy bets has been on him to win at least one of four Championship races at evens, while he is 8/1 to win at least two of them and 100/1 to win three.
TUESDAY, MARCH 10 The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm) is the traditional festival curtain raiser and in seasons past the result can sometimes determine a whole Festival’s results for some bookmakers as the Irish have had many a banker win this one. This year, Irish trainer Willie Mullins has Douvan entered and he is our ante post favourite at 2/1. The twice-winning youngster has been odds on for both his hurdle races, winning at Gowran Park and then taking the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novices Hurdle at Punchestown. He looks a horse of any amount of potential and given he is Ruby Walsh’s preferred ride he cannot be ignored. Connections (trainer, owner and jockey) took this race 12 and 24 months ago with Vautour and Champagne Fever respectively, and Douvan can be another yet another Mullins bookie basher. Incidentally, Unibet are offering
Want to back Willie Mullins’ Faugheen to win Tuesday’s Champion hurdle at 5/1? Or is Annie Power your Cheltenham banker to win the Mares Final? We’ll give you 5/1 on that happening too!
THE CHAMP: Unibet’s Ed Nicholson speaks with AP McCoy
If you have yet to open a Unibet account why not take advantage of this amazing offer You can have up to £10 on either Faugheen at 5/1 or Annie Power at 5/1 – both horses are practically odds on favourites to win their respective Cheltenham races on Tuesday, so whichever you choose for your first ever bet with Unibet will be incredible value!
Just go to unibet.co.uk, fill in the registration form to open a Unibet account and enter the words IRISHPOST-01 as the bonus code. Then, if your first bet is placed on either Faugheen win the Champion hurdle or Annie Power to win the Mares final (both on Tuesday) we’ll enhance the price you’ll get to 5/1 (the price boost will be added to your winnings within 24 hours) And as if that wasn’t enough – every single person who opens an account using the bonus code IRISHPOST-01 will automatically receive two FREE complimentary tickets to Lingfield, Southwell or Wolverhampton, to be used within the next three months, while one luckily randomly chosen new Unibet customer will also win a table for four with food and complimentary drinks at Windsor racecourse on Saturday 29th August.
The Irish Post, February
28, 2015
CHELTENHAM
FESTIVAL 2015
innovative odds on who will be leading owner at this year’s festival (number of winners) and Rich Ricci is our 6/4 favourite. We are also offering odds on who will be the festivals top jockey (Ruby Walsh is 2/5, AP McCoy is a huge 10/1) and top trainer (Willie Mullins is 1/5). The big Championship race of the day is of course the Champion Hurdle at 3.20pm, and that team again of Richi, Mullins and Walsh have the favourite in Faugheen. He took the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle last season here at the festival over five furlongs more — but this is exactly the same route the legendary three-times winning Champion Hurdle Istabraq took (1998-2000) and Faugheen is unbeaten at whatever distance he has tried (seven from seven). His biggest danger may be his incredible stable companion and dual Champion Hurdle winner himself, Hurricane Fly. The evergreen 10-year-old
has won a record 21 Grade one races, but there is line of thought that he is now better on flat courses and in Ireland. Another negative for Hurricane Fly though is his age. Since 2000, there have been 137 horses aged 10 or older to have run in Cheltenham Festival Championship races and just one has won (Moscow Flyer in the 2005 Champion Chase) when aged 11. Just to make the point, 12 of those have been favourites, 29 of them have been single figure odds horses and 67 have been at odds of 33/1 or bigger — so you would have expected more than just one winner. However, 13 have come runner-up including 11-year-old On His Own in last year’s Gold Cup. Tony McCoy will no doubt be aboard reigning Champion Hurdle Jezki, Unibet’s third favourite, in the colours of JP McManus. Those green and gold colours have been worn to many victories at the home of National Hunt
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out Pull ep and ke
And they’re off!
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horses at Cheltenham competitive renewal, Champagne Fever booked his place with a comfortable win in Ireland this month. Don Poli has many entries at this stage, but he looks most likely to run in the RSA at 2.05pm. The Willie Mullinstrained lightly-raced six-year-old (won five of just eight runs) took the Martin Pipe Conditional handicap at last year’s festival (2 mile 4 furlongs) and has won both his chases so far. He looks likely to stay and loves the course.
THURSDAY, MARCH 12 Vautour is a short-priced favourite with Unibet to land the JLT Novices chase, the opening contest on Thursday at 1.30pm. He won the opening race at last year’s festival but lost at odds of 1/4 over fences back in the Grade One Racing Post Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day where he made a number of mistakes. He has since won again, but did jump left-handed. The World Hurdle is the third Championship event of the meeting — this time for the staying hurdlers. McCoy has never won this event — the only one of the four Championship events he hasn’t won — and his intended mount, last year’s winner, More of That, is far from a certain runner at time of
record intact. That is plenty short enough for a competitive four-year-old level weights competition and there will surely be some each way action against the Nicky Henderson French recruit here. Bristol de Mai was an impressive winner of a Grade Two contest at Chepstow, and if you can forgive a flop at Sandown in a four-runner race, he would look a worthy of each way consideration and double figure odds. The big race of the day on Friday afternoon is undoubtedly the Cheltenham Gold Cup. McCoy has won two Gold Cup’s so far and he will be hoping that Holywell caps his Festival record by making it three. Holywell won at both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals last year and came back to form last time, and he is a two-times winning horse at the Cheltenham Festival having taken the Pertemps Final in 2013. He is a spring horse (has never won before January 22) and he makes a good deal of appeal to cap a wonderful Cheltenham Festival record for McCoy. Top rated horse is King George winner Silviniaco Conti. He has looked impressive this season, but some will remember him looking like the winner of last year’s Gold Cup, until tiring badly up that famous hill.
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One of Unibet’s more popular special McCoy bets has been on him to win at least one of four Championship races at evens, while he is 8/1 to win at least two of them and 100/1 to win three FRIDAY, MARCH 13 The final day begins with what is usually the most difficult race of the entire meeting — the Triumph Hurdle. But this season Peace and Co is as short as 7/4 favourite to keep his unbeaten
WHAT’S THE
CRAIC? Patrick’s
ST day
AT
TOP TIP: Irish trainer Willie Mullins has Douvan entered in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and and he is Unibet’s ante post favourite at 2/1
writing. Favourite is the Paul Nichollstrained Saphir de Rhea who like connections’ multiple winner of this event, Big Bucks, is aborting a career over fences to take part in this event.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 Research has been undertaken that shows if you had backed any horse to win at the festival that had won one year
previously at the same festival, (2010 and 2013) you’d have made a profit of over 35 points from 78 bets (45 per cent ROI). And in investigating the 2014 results to this strategy the results were startling with Lord Windermere (20/1), Holywell (10/1) and Quevega (8/11) all winning — and 14 horses losing, returning a huge profit of 16.72 points. So, on Wednesday there may be a play for backing last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Sire de Grugy. The Sire was back on fire at Chepstow recently, and that performance puts him right back in the picture and he looks a great each way bet here. Unibet’s favourite is the Nicky Henderson-trained Sprinter Sacre who won this race two years ago. He has come back from having trouble with his heart to run well at Ascot where he got beaten by another of today’s rivals Dodging Bullets. In what is an ultra-
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MARCH
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racing since his Mister Donovan won the Irishman billionaire his first race at Prestbury Park in 1982. He is Unibet’s 5/2 third favourite to be leading owner. At 4pm the other Grade One race of the day takes place when the mares line up for Mares Hurdle Final. And something will happen here that hasn’t happened for six years — Quevega won’t win it! But the Willie Mullins team are more than likely to win it for a seventh consecutive time as they have Unibet’s favourite Annie Power. Incidentally, Unibet are offering odds on Willie Mullins winning one of the four Championship events (1/3) at least two of them (7/2) and at least three (33/1).
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Mullins to bring over strongest team yet H
AVING claimed three of the last four leading trainer titles at the Cheltenham Festival, Willie Mullins is still adamant that his current crop of horses are the best yet. Mullins could have up to 50 runners involved at Cheltenham and the Irish Champion trainer has outlined his hopes for the main contenders.
MULLINS ON… ARCTIC FIRE I am not discounting Arctic Fire in the Stan James Champion Hurdle. He is improving all the time. He was beaten by a head in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle last year and horses have come on from that to win the Champion Hurdle. He has always shown me plenty at home and when he was a three-year-old I thought this fella was better than any of them. I still don’t think we have seen the best of him. He will love the strong pace at Cheltenham and we know he likes the track. If he doesn’t win at Cheltenham, he will win a good race over hurdles at some point. ALVISIO VILLE He is still in the Sky Bet Supreme and Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdles. We have taken him out of the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdles, although I would have left him in it. I would imagine connections are favouring the Supreme. ANNIE POWER She is in great form and has hit every target we have set her. My aim at the moment is the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle. We will see what happens with the World Hurdle but it will be a tough ask going three miles first time out in Cheltenham. She will probably be a bit fresher as well and that is another point to consider. You can say she didn’t have the stamina last year because of the fact she didn’t settle. BALLYCASEY He is in the Ryanair Chase and a couple of handicaps. He will probably travel because there are not a lot of options for him. I think he is better than he showed at Ascot. BLACK HERCULES He is in good form and is more than likely to go for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. BOSTON BOB I was disappointed with him the last day. He will go for the Betfred
Cheltenham Gold Cup instead of the Ryanair Chase because if he won that, everyone would be asking why he didn’t go for the Gold Cup. CHAMPAGNE FEVER I would imagine, with the way the cards are falling, Champagne Fever will go for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. You would think after his performance at Gowran that he should go for the Ryanair Chase but I think connections are favouring the Champion. He has won twice and been beaten a short-head in three runs over two miles at Cheltenham. You probably need a two-and-a-halfmiler to win the Champion Chase anyway, so I’d rather have a crack at that and fail than go for the Ryanair. DJAKADAM He is on course for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup and I think the extra couple of furlongs will help him. If you look at our three horses in the Gold Cup, his latest performance was the best of the three, even though it was only a handicap. Gowran is a fair test of any horse, especially in that ground. He had seasoned handicappers slogging away in behind him while Ruby was swinging from four out. He had top-weight as well and I think it was a Gold Cup performance. I am putting a line through his run at Newbury. We could not get a run into him beforehand because of the dry weather and he wasn’t fit enough. DON POLI I nominated the Toby Balding National Hunt Chase for Don Poli back in November but I think the Gigginstown team and Bryan Cooper are favouring the RSA Chase. A lot will depend on what they want to do as they have a lot of horses in both races. I look at his style of running and think the four-miler will really suit him. I love his style of racing and since they changed the conditions, I think the four-miler is becoming a classier race. I thought Valseur Lido was an RSA horse but I think connections want to go for the JLT Novices’ Chase. They also have Very Wood for the four-miler and one or two others, so it will depend on where they go. DOUVAN He is very good and there have been no problems. He is marked in for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle — end of story. He
has got lots of ability and each time we ask him to do something, he comes up with the answer. He just does everything right and is as nice a horse as we have ever had going to Cheltenham. He is a fair machine. DISCOSIMO He will hopefully go for the JCB Triumph Hurdle. The form of his win at Gowran suggests he might be the best of our three in the Triumph. FAUGHEEN He is doing everything right. Nigel Twiston-Davies has questioned what Faugheen has beaten and I am going to side with him on that for the time being! I thought Faugheen might go chasing this season, but when we analysed everything and looked at the fact that he hadn’t been beaten, everyone was keener for him to go back hurdling and Vautour to go chasing. To have a potential champion hurdler in the yard is huge, rather than a horse going for the Racing Post Arkle Chase. We thought Vautour could possibly win an Arkle and possibly be a Gold Cup horse one day and we weren’t as sure about Faugheen doing that. I did not want to travel to England again for a prep run and I didn’t want to take on Hurricane Fly in the Irish Champion. We prepared Faugheen for the Red Mills Trial, but after a good discussion with Ruby, we felt he didn’t need any more experience. We looked up the stats and have seen plenty of horses that have gone straight from Kempton to Cheltenham without a run. I think people look too much into stats, especially ones only going back 10 years or so. I prefer to look back 25 or 30 years. GLENS MELODY She is very good and has done everything right this year. She showed last year that she is well up to winning a mares’ hurdle and the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle is her aim again. HURRICANE FLY He has done everything right
this season. If he was two or three years younger, he would definitely be favourite as he has done everything a clear favourite should have. People say he can’t win because of his age but he is class. Some people say he doesn’t run his best in Cheltenham but I am not so sure. He has won two Stan James Champion Hurdles from four starts and I think I had two good excuses for the times he got beaten. When he was really right going into Cheltenham, he has won. Horses have to be really right on the day or they will struggle. I felt going into his last two runs last season that he wasn’t sparking as he can — he was just going through the motions. So far this year, he has not shown any of those signs. Paul Townend rides him and is a great indicator. He can tell me down to the ants how the horse is training and is giving me positive feedback all the time. It would be my dream result for the whole of Cheltenham if Hurricane Fly could win a third Champion Hurdle. He is our king but if Faugheen rises and wins it, then there is obviously great potential there to win another. KALKIR He is set for the JCB Triumph Hurdle now. He put in a very good performance behind our mare at Leopardstown last time and I think he will improve from that. MAX DYNAMITE I think he is more of a Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle horse. McKINLEY I don’t know what we are going to do with McKinley but my initial thought would be the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle. NICHOLS CANYON I reckon he will end up in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle. He will have no problem staying the extra distance and some people have said he could be another Inglis Drever for his
owner. He stays two miles on the Flat and can go out to any trip. ON HIS OWN He has so much stamina and the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup is all about stamina. He jumps well enough — although he gives up a bit of ground going out to the right — and the test really suits him. He loves an end-to-end gallop and I am hoping he will be there again at the finish. OUTLANDER It will more than likely be the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle for Outlander. I think he has Neptune written all over him. He disappointed me in Limerick and because of that probably surprised me a bit when he won in Leopardstown. PETITE PARISIENNE It was not a surprise when she won last time out as she was very unlucky not to win first time up at Punchestown. She is a very classy mare and will have a good chance in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. PONT ALEXANDRE It will be a struggle for him to make Cheltenham but I have given him a couple of entries. He is just all right and it will probably be Fairyhouse or Punchestown for him. He would have to surprise me over the next couple of weeks. SHANESHILL I will have to see how he works in the build-up because he missed a bit of time. He is coming back and because the owners [Graham and Andrea Wylie] have Black Hercules for the Albert Bartlett and Nichols Canyon for the Neptune, he may end up in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. That is the plan at the moment but Shaneshill has a good bit of work to do first. TELL US MORE Tell Us More will go for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle
but it will depend how he gallops between now and then. I would prefer to keep him to the Neptune but he has to come back right and please me at home before he goes to Cheltenham at all. UN DE SCEAUX He has made a brilliant transition to fences. We didn’t take on the best over hurdles last season, although he went to France and beat the best over there. If he takes to jumping fences in Cheltenham he is going to put up a big show in the Racing Past Arkle Chase. It is going to be a huge test for him given his style of racing — he goes flat out. He is the type of chaser you love to train. He is a proper two-miler and is really exciting to watch. His style of racing is heart-stopping almost but that’s the way he is. Punters and bookmakers have decided that if he stays up, he wins… and I am happy to go along with that! VALSEUR LIDO I think the gap between the Drinmore and his last run was the reason he got beat. He will improve for that. What wins the Moriarty usually goes on to the RSA Chase and that’s the way I would like to go with him but it might not suit Gigginstown and their other horses, so I can see him going for the JLT Novices’ Chase. He will be a contender in both races. VAUTOUR If something happens to Un De Sceaux, then he could go for the Racing Post Arkle but at the moment Vautour is going for the JLT Novices’ Chase. He won the other day but I still have a good bit of work to do to get him back where he was last December. I think he can go any trip. He is bred to stay but has the stride and speed for two miles. The JLT is where I want to go with him. VROUM VROUM MAG She is in three or four races at Cheltenham but I doubt she will go. There is a mares’ race in Limerick and she will probably go there but we will see.
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Course specialist Dodging Bullets can win on Wednesday
HOT SHOT: Dodging Bullets is in excellent form
TUESDAY, MARCH 10 3.20 STAN JAMES CHAMPION HURDLE (GRADE 1) – 2 MILES Faugheen was seen as a banker by many at last season’s festival and they were proved right when he dotted up in the Novices Hurdle. He remains undefeated following eight career starts and showed that he is in rude health by winning at both Kempton and Ascot during the winter months. The form of his last race was given a healthy boost last weekend following a facile success by the third-placed Blue Heron, who romped home in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton. Ruby Walsh will not decide on his mount until the 11th hour, but Faugheen has won for Paddy and Emmett Mullins in the past. Whilst Ruby being on board would only increase Faugheen’s claim, it is not necessarily the end of the world if he is not. Hurricane Fly has proven that age means nothing in this game. He comes in search of a four-timer and is clearly enjoying this second coming. He is a two-time winner of this race in the past and clearly commands ultimate respect. There won’t be a dry eye in the house if he can pull off a memorable third win. The main British challenger is The New One. He too comes in excellent form and in search of a six-timer himself. The heavy going looked to have him in trouble for a stride or two when last seen out at Haydock, but like all good horses he won despite the ground. Conditions should be much more to his liking, but he has shown in the past that when it comes to the big occasion he can get himself into trouble. Faugheen has been absolutely devastating this season when seeing off his rivals. There is
BETTING With Karl Hedley more improvement expected and he looks solid at this stage. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 3.20 BETWAY QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE – 2 MILES Dodging Bullets looks the one to beat in an exciting renewal of this race. He has been in excellent form all season including when winning the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the Clarence House Chase at Ascot. He has clearly benefited from his breathing operation last summer and being a three-time course and distance winner in the past he has to be high on any shortlist. The form of his recent wins have been franked subsequently by the likes of Balder Success and Third Intention. In a race which could cut up quite a bit he looks a solid option. Champagne Fever has two ways of running. He is either brilliant or rubbish. He returned to winning ways a couple of weeks ago at Gowran Park and that will have done his confidence the world of good. He should still maintain the speed to be effective back at two miles and Willie Mullins is confident that he can get further improvement out of the popular grey gelding. Sprinter Sacre was ultimately disappointing when beaten by the selection last time whilst Sire De Grugy looked a pale imitation of his former self on his seasonal reappearance. Paul Nicholls has landed this race no fewer than
four times in the past and it would be of little surprise if he were to do so again. THURSDAY, MARCH 12 3.20 LADBROKES WORLD HURDLE (GRADE 1) – 3 MILES Whisper may have fluffed his lines on his seasonal reappearance at Exeter but like most Nicky Henderson runners he will improve a bundle for it. The step back in trip would also have worked against him on that last run so a return to a more suitable distance is certainly in his favour. He loves the hustle and bustle of big fields and proved that when wining the Coral Cup at this meeting last season. He clearly enjoys the track and has made the frame in three of his last four visits to Cheltenham. This has been elected as his main aim all season and he looks overpriced at this moment. Monksland has improved on each start so far this season and was only just touched off by Dedigout at Gowran Park. The form of that race was given a boost when Dedigout won again at Navan next time out. Noel Meade seems to have got him back to somewhere near his best and he has to be respected. Saphir Du Rheu struggled to win over the course and distance last time and may prove more vulnerable in a much larger field. Whisper is proven at the trip and the track and may well be capable of giving Nicky Henderson his first win in this race since 2000.
November. He saw off some decent rivals that day including Rocky Creek, Boston Bob and First Lieutenant. His next race came in the Lexus Chase at Fairyhouse during the Christmas period where again he got up to win beating the likes of Carlingford Lough, On His Own as well as previous Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Lord Windermere and Bob’s Worth. The form was boosted further when Carlingford Lough went on to land the Irish Hennessy and this rapidly improving eight-year-old has to be a serious contender for the crown. Silvianco Conti comes having won the Betfair Chase and the King George. He is clearly in excellent form and if conditions were to get anywhere near soft he would shorten further in the market. His form around Cheltenham leaves a lot to be desired, but he ran well for a long way when fourth last year. He looks a most obvious danger. Carlingford Lough should now be at peak fitness and is likely to have the legendary AP McCoy in the saddle. He has something to find with the selection on their previous meeting, but this is the place where dreams are made and it is not impossible to see that form being reversed. His jockey will be giving it his all in a final attempt at winning jump racing’s most prestigious prize. Road To Riches comes in the form of his life and it would be no surprise if he were to give Ireland back-toback-wins in this fantastically competitive steeplechase.
FRIDAY, MARCH 13 3.20 BETFRED CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP CHASE – 3 M 2 F 110 YDS Road To Riches went into many a notebook when recording a facile success at Down Royal last
SELECTIONS TUESDAY, 3.20: FAUGHEEN WEDNESDAY, 3.20: DODGING BULLETS THURSDAY, 3.20: WHISPER FRIDAY, 3.20: ROAD TO RICHES
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