2012 Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer Preview

March 7, 2012 Leave a comment

Nicky Henderson

Nicky Henderson the pick to be the top trainer at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival

The betting is extremely close for the 2012 Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer Award, with Willie Mullins, the 5/4 favourite to retain his crown that he won for the first time 12 months ago after saddling four winners, including the magnificent Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle and will be hoping that the eight year old can repeat that success once again next week and get him off to a winning start on day one.

Others from his 30 strong contingent that is coming over from the Mullins County Carlow based stables in Ireland that have big chances include the mighty Quevega, bidding for a fourth straight win the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle. Although she has not raced this season, the eight year old is reported to be in good order and with so little opposition in the race, she would be appear to be one of the Festival’s “bankers”. Boston Bob should also provide the Irish maestro with a great chance of landing the Neptune Novice Hurdle and the stable also seem very keen on the chances of Sir Deschamps in the RSA Chase whilst Champagne Fever in the pick of his Champion Bumper entries, a race that he has won six times in the past 15 years!

Next in the betting to win the top trainer award is Nicky Henderson at odds of 2/1 which looks reasonable value when one considers the depth and quality of his entries. Of course he has the favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in Long Run, who will be looking to repeat his exhilarating win of last year and the yard are reportedly very pleased by the good form shown by 2010 Champion Hurdler, Binocular, who will be bidding to regain his title after missing the race 12 months ago.

Henderson’s stable jockey, Barry Geraghty, has gone on the record to say that his mount in the Arkle Trophy, Sprinter Sacre, is the best horse he has ever sat on which speaks volumes for his chances of winning the race and the horse has been one of the big “talking horses” ahead of this year’s Festival. Darlan looks a very good prospect in the Supreme Novice Hurdle while Simonsig is the 5/2 joint favourite to win the Neptune Novice Hurdle for the Seven Barrows operation. Bobs Worth has a great chance to win the RSA Chase, particularly if Grands Crus defects from this race to contest the Gold Cup, while Riverside Theatre will take all the beating in the Ryanair Chase. Despite the dominance of Big Bucks in the World Hurdle, Henderson has been quietly pleased with his Oscars Whisky who he believes will run a big race and prove himself capable of becoming a worthy successor to the three time champion.

Paul Nicholls of course trains Big Bucks, who for many, he is the “banker” of the meeting. Nicholls also has big chances in the Gold Cup of course with Kauto Star attempting to become the first horse to regain the Cup for a second time. As has been well reported, Kauto Star has had a minor setback at home after tumbling at a fence when schooling. Whether this has any lasting negative effect on the 12 year old remains to be seen and his absence would be a major blow for the Festival and the sport but the horse’s welfare must remain he paramount priority.

Nicholls is sweet on the chances of a number of his entries including Al Ferof in the Arkle Trophy, Zarkandar in the Champion Hurdle (despite Ruby Walsh electing to ride Hurricane Fly), Ted Spread in the County Hurdle as well as Kauto Star who, should he win the race for a third time will make the 2012 Cheltenham Festival the most memorable ever.

Other trainers who are likely to be seen in the winner’s enclosure are David Pipe, who amongst others will have the exciting Grands Crus representing his stable. Philip Hobbs too should be there or thereabouts with at least a couple of winners, while Alan King comes to the Festival with a stable bang in form and confidence sky high. Donald McCain has also been hitting the net regularly of late and although he had been reluctant to reveal the target for Peddlers Cross, the fact that he has now named the Jewson Novice Chase, should give him a great chance of coming away from the Festival with at least one winner, if not two. Jonjo O’Neill usually has his stable firing at Festival time and this year will be no exception, while Gordon Elliott, who saddled two winners at the 2011 Festival, will be looking for a similar score this time.

For this writer’s money however, it will be Nicky Henderson and his Seven Barrows team that will be lifting the top trainer prize in 2012. It would also be no surprise at all to see him saddle six winners!

Filed under Barry Geraghty, Champion Bumper, Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham, Donald McCain, Gold Cup, Jockey, Latest Racing News, National Hunt Races, Neptune Novices Hurdle, Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase, Ruby Walsh, Trainer, Willie Mullins, World Hurdle Tagged with , , , , , ,

Cheltenham Tips: Five Antepost Picks To Consider

February 27, 2012 Leave a comment

With Cheltenham fast approaching, it’s time to take another look at some of the horses being “talked up” to win at the Festival. Depending on what you read or who you speak to, there are a number of alternatives being touted for many of the races at the four day meeting but listed below are my five current best bets with just two weeks to go, some are more obvious than others but I’m confident that the current prices will all represent value come the days of the respective races.

Supreme Novice Hurdle – Midnight Game @ 10/1 (general)

Trained by Willie Mullins, the five year old Midnight Game has done nothing but improve all season at the yard, evidenced backed up by his two wins in decent company in his last two starts. Owned by Gigginstown Stud Midnight Game has been placed in Listed races on the flat in France and has taken to hurdling with a great deal of enthusiasm and provides Mullins with a great chance of kicking off the 2012 Festival with a winning start for Mullins in the “curtain raiser”.

Arkle Challenge Trophy – Sprinter Sacre @ Even Money

It does not take a genius to realise that this Nicky Henderson trained six year old has everything a young chaser needs. He has proven that over fences at least he has few peers over 2 miles and the excitement expressed at the Seven Barrows Yard is absolutely genuine. Based on what he has shown over the bigger obstacles this season, it is hard to see anything other than Sprinter Sacre landing the Arkle on day one.

Menorah from the Phillip Hobbs stable delighted connections with his 13 length win at Taunton at the end of the year which he followed up by winning again next time. His fall last time should be forgotten as he is can be expected to repay anyone who backs him each way in the Arkle as a bigger priced alternative to Sprinter Sacre.

RSA Chase – First Lieutenant @ 7/1 (general)

All the hype of course as to the likely winner of this race is centered on David Pipe’s Grands Crus but over in Ireland there is a strong body of support for the Mouse Morris trained, First Lieutenant. Second last time out in the Grade 1 Fort Leney Chase over 3 miles at Leopardstown behind the brilliant Last Instalment, this 7 year old is primed to take full advantage of Last Instalment’s absence for the rest of the season. He has been specifically laid out for the RSA and will come to Cheltenham with the stable expecting to win and it’s worthwhile risking that the Grands Crus camp opt to go for the Gold Cup as if that is the case, then the current 7/1 will look massive about this genuine Irish Raider.

Champion Chase – Wishfull Thinking Each Way @ 16/1

Having been disappointing all season, trainer Phillip Hobbs remains confident that the best is yet to come from last year’s Jewson Novice Chase second. He is reportedly working extremely well at home and should he bring that form to the track then he should enter the reckoning in this race. One for the shortlist and a definite each way bet at 16s.

Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle – Vulcanite

This four time winner on the Flat has trainer Charlie Longsdon and connections highly excited and they believe that the five year old is perfectly suited to win this Grade 3. He has taken to hurdling with great aplomb and although seven lengths back when second last week in a Newbury Novice Hurdle, Longsdon believes that the run will have him spot on for the County Hurdle.

Filed under Arkle, Cheltenham Festival Trials, Latest Racing News, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Bobs Worth In Reynoldstown Bid En Route To Cheltenham

February 16, 2012 Leave a comment

The Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase that takes place at Ascot on Saturday looks the type of race that might reveal a few answers to the outcome of a couple of the championship races at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

The race which has traditionally been a good one for favourites, which should bode well for the Nicky Henderson trained, Bobs Worth, who is sure to be a major market fancy. Henderson in fact has saddled the winner of this race for the last two years, Burton Port in 2010 and Master Of The Hall 12 months ago and believes that it is the perfect warm up race before Bobs Worth goes to Cheltenham for the RSA Chase.

Last seen out when third behind Grands Crus and Silviniaco Conti on Boxing Day in the Grade 2 Feltham Novice Chase at Kempton Park, Bobs Worth will improve for that experience. However he will have Silviniaco Conti against him again on Saturday who is one of two highly rated young chasers from Ditcheat in the race. The other Join Together is a dual winner of two novice staying chases this season and who should take the step up in class with comfort. Stable jockey Ruby Walsh has elected to ride Silviniaco Conti in preference to Join Together, which should inform punters which of the two to be backing.

The Alam King trained, Walkon is an interesting entry whose blunders last time out in a Novice Chase over 2m2f at Newbury in December cost him what would have been a decent victory. That race in fact was won by Cue Card who had been an original entry in this but will now go straight to Cheltenham. Before that Walkon had made a successful debut over fences by winning a decent looking Novice Chase at Exeter where he had the once highly regarded, Zaynar 6 lengths behind. King also intends to run his 6 year old Invictus in the race.

Others worthy of consideration is the Pam Sly owned and trained, Helpston, as well as Emma Lavelle’s Penny Max. Helpston has shown great consistency in a range of Novice Chases, winning twice so far this season before finishing a creditable second behind According To Pete in the Grade 3 Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day. Meanwhile Penny Max has won twice this season , firstly in a Novices Limited Handicap Chase and secondly in the Plymouth Novice Chase at Exeter last month. Both will be stepping up in class, but both come to Ascot in good form and well prepared for big runs.

Another runner who has won his last two starts is the Ian Williams entry, Baile Anrai, which came in Novice Chases at Towcester at Christmas and at Leicester last month. Before that the 8 year old took on Silviniaco Conti in a Grade 2 Novice Chase at Wincanton and was in with chances before he fell three from home. He clearly did not suffer for the experience coming out to win twice and would have a squeak of a chance in this with a clear round.

Filed under Ascot, Cheltenham, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Indecision Over Grands Crus Festival Target Leaves RSA Chase Picture Wide Open

February 13, 2012 Leave a comment

Last Instalment has emerged as a leading RSA Chase hope following Leopardstown win

With still no clear indication from the David Pipe stable as to where Grands Crus will be aimed at the Cheltenham Festival, the betting remains somewhat confusing for anybody looking to untangle the RSA Chase in hope of finding some antepost value.

Grands Crus was due to run in the Reynoldstown Chase at Newbury last weekend but with that race being cancelled and excluded from the rearranged card for this coming Friday, it is unlikely that the seven year old will have another run before the Festival and as it stands, connections are non-committal as to their preference as to which race, the RSA Chase or the Cheltenham Gold Cup they wish him to enter, leaving punters to hold their bets for either race.

Currently Grands Crus is the 2/1 favourite for the RSA Chase, with Bobs Worth from the Nicky Henderson yard next best at 4/1, while Sunday’s PJ Moriarty Novice Chase winner, Last Instalment, is rated an 8/1 chance alongside First Lieutenant. In the Gold Cup market, Grands Crus is the 7/1 third favourite, behind Long Run and Kauto Star.

Whether Grands Crus runs in or not, the RSA Chase remains an eye-caching race, particularly now that Last Instalment, confirmed his likely presence in the field following his very impressive front running victory in the ‘PJ Moriarty’ over 2m5f at Leopardstown at the weekend. Trainer, Phillip Fenton, confirmed that the seven year old, who is now unbeaten in four starts over fences this season, will head for the RSA and represents one or Ireland’s best hopes for Festival success.

In winning at Leopardstown, he held off the challenge of the Willie Mullins pair of Lambro and Call The Police, seeming to have improved from his last run when winning the Grade 1 Fort Leney Novice Chase over 3 miles also at Leopardstown in December. In that race he had First Lieutenant, also a major RSA player well beaten six lengths behind and he looked every bit a Cheltenham Festival good thing.

Tony Martin’s Bog Warrior also attracted attention of punters as a potential Cheltenham Festival winner at the weekend, with his bloodless 11 length victory in the Opera Hat Novice Chase at Naas over two miles. This win put the eight year old back on course for Cheltenham after falling in his previous start in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase over 2m at Leopardstown at Christmas. Before that of course he spectacularly won the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase over 2m4f by 31 lengths a race where First Lieutenant was pulled up. The win has earned Bog Warrior a 12/1 quote from Ladbrokes for the RSA Chase and a 16/1 quote from the same Bookmaker for the Arkle Challenge Trophy but much like Grands Crus, a decision to which he will run in has yet to be made.

Filed under Arkle, Cheltenham, David Pipe, Gold Cup, Latest Racing News, Leopardstown, Nicky Henderson, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase, Willie Mullins Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Join Together Could Be The Darkhorse In RSA Chase

January 17, 2012 Leave a comment

The RSA Chase is widely recognised as one of the major races at the annual Cheltenham Festival and is a leading Novice chase at the meeting aimed at producing the best staying novice chaser in the country.

It is run over a slightly extended three miles and for reasons that are not always obvious the race has produced a fair amount of shocks, with favourites, at least until recently not really justifying themselves.

Possibly and even more significantly perhaps is that only very few winners have gone on to bigger and better things which in some ways downgrades the overall value of the race although this could be a tad unfair. However, it is interesting to note that not one of the last three winners, Bostons Angel in 2011, Weapons Amnesty in 2010 and Cooldine in 2009 have won a race since. Indeed, Bostons Angel has failed miserably in two starts this season, Weapons Amnesty has not run since his win and Cooldine simply never progressed.

That said, it is not all doom and gloom, the 2008 winner, Albertas Run for instance has come back to the Cheltenham Festival to win the Ryanair Chase over 2m5f in both 2010 and 2011, while Denman who won the RSA in 2007 became the first horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following season since Looks Like Trouble 2000. In fact only seven past RSA Chase winners have ever gone on to win National Hunts most prestigious prize which considering the aim of the race is a very surprising fact.

The antepost market for the 2012 renewal has the David Pipe trained Grands Crus as a relatively short priced favourite with odds around the 7/2 mark. However, it is known that the owners, Roger Stanley and Yvonne Reynolds are in favour of taking their chances with him in the Gold Cup instead and Pipe does not disagree with them. Should that be the case then the race will become a very open affair, with the Nicky Henderson good thing, Bobs Worth the likely favourite.

Bobs Worth of course was no match for Grands Crus when the two met in the Grade 1 Feltham Novice Chase on Boxing Day, but proved a very tenacious sort when holding off the challenge of Cue Card in Grade 2 London Pride Novices Chase at Newbury over 2m4f at the end of November. He has already proven his staying credentials by winning the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle over three miles at the 2011 Festival and providing Grands Crus does defect to the Gold Cup then Bobs Worth with odds currently of 5/1 certainly looks the one to beat.

Irish challengers have usually performed well in the RSA Chase, with fifteen past winners, including the last three mentioned above and they have a very lively raider this year in the form of Last Instalment. Trained by Phillip Fenton, this 7 year old has progressed beautifully this season winning all of his three starts over fences. These included a terrific performance when defeating First Lieutenant by six lengths in the Grade 1 Fort Leney Novice Chase over three miles at Leopardstown at the end of last year, a win which marked him down as a big player this year. He is currently around the 8/1 mark.

Paul Nicholls who has saddled two winners of the RSA Chase and has an interesting entry this time in the form of Join Together, who is a very clear staying type who has won his last two starts over fences. Certainly his 12 length success in the Rymans Stationer Novice Chase in December had Nicholls purring and which forced bookmakers to shorten to around the 10/1 mark to win the race. He could be the one to monitor as the race draws ever closer.

Filed under Cheltenham, Cheltenham Festival Races, Latest Racing News, Paul Nicholls, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase Tagged with , , , , , ,

Grands Crus Set For Chasing Career

October 26, 2011 Leave a comment

Following his 10 length victory in the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle over 3 miles at Cheltenham in January this year, the David Pipe trained Grands Crus suddenly became a very genuine contender to win the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Of course for the six year old to win such a race he would have had to overcome the prodigious ability of dual World Hurdle champion, Big Bucks, who by the time Grands Crus was winning the Cleeve Hurdle had already claimed two seasonal victories in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle and the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, both over 3m1f and both at Newbury. His next stop was to equal the feat of Inglis Drever and win the World Hurdle for a third time.

The performances of both, but particularly Grands Crus illuminated the stayers hurdle picture which had previously looked like one in which Big Bucks was going to routinely remain champion. All of a sudden punters and pundits had something to ‘get their teeth into’ and speculation mounted ahead of the race that Grands Crus was the ‘real deal’ and that Big Bucks might actually get beat.

In the event of course, the race, although a very good one, saw  Big Bucks win comfortably, despite jockey Ruby Walsh losing his whip after clearing the final hurdle. Grands Crus ran with great vigour and got himself into position to mount a challenge but was seen off by the champion, who won going away by 1¾ lengths.

Pipe offered no excuses, confirming that Grands Crus was beaten by a better horse on the day, but maintaining that his horse would be back to challenge the champion again, this time in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle, over 3m1f at Aintree’s three day Grand National meeting. This time, although a good race once again, the battle was won even more emphatically by Big Bucks, who finished 5 lengths clear of the Pipe runner, while Grands Crus was 7 lengths ahead of the third horse, Won In The Dark. It was Big Bucks 12th successive victory over 3 miles or more and confirmed him as arguably the greatest staying hurdler the world has ever seen, Grands Crus however, was beginning to lose his tag as the ‘Young Pretender’.

Undaunted, Pipe decided to run Grands Crus in France and take on the challenge of winning the Grade One, French Long Distance Champion Hurdle over 3m2f had to offer. This time, with Tony McCoy on his back, Grands Crus although negotiating an attacking position from four fences out, could not sustain his attack, arguably beaten by the distance, but more likely through lack of ambition on the day. He ended up in sixth place, over 11 lengths behind the winner, Thousand Stars, who himself could well become an even bigger challenger for the Big Bucks long distance hurdle crown this coming season.

As for Grands Crus, the Pipe stable appear to have given up on the idea of beating Big Bucks and have confirmed that he will embark on a novice chase campaign during the 2011/2012 season. The RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March is likely to be his seasonal target, for which, somewhat ridiculously, he has been installed already as the 8/1 favourite without even jumping a fence! However, should Grands Cruse take to the bigger obstacles, with his debut likely to be in November, you can expect that price to get even shorter btu I’m happy to let others take that risk and watch from afar but if his translates his hurdling ability to chasing, he’ll be an exciting prospect!

Filed under Cheltenham Festival Races, David Pipe, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase Tagged with ,

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