Irish Saint Heads For Triumph Hurdle After Adonis Victory

February 25, 2013 Leave a comment

Trial races can often be overhyped but the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle has provided a fountain of clues in recent years for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Saturday’s renewal of the Kempton Park Grade Two may have helped paint a clearer picture of the four-year-old title, which takes place on the final day of this year’s meeting on Friday, March 15th.

Since the turn of the century, four winners have managed to use victory in the Adonis as a springboard to Triumph glory at Prestbury Park, with Snow Drop (2000), Penzance (2005), Soldatino (2010) and Zarkandar (2011) all etching their names in both crowns, but can Saturday’s winner Irish Saint emulate that quartet and progress to Cheltenham glory?

Sent off a 5/4 favourite for the Adonis, the Paul Nicholls trained Irish Saint appeared to have it all to do turning into the straight as Ruby Walsh became more and more active in the saddle, but the Ditcheat inmate gradually got rocking and rolling in the closing stages and eventually came upsides Vasco Du Ronceray.

Driven out after a good leap at the last flight, Walsh managed to cajole him past Nicky Henderson’s raider and he won by half-a-length which forced Bet365 to cut him to 12/1 for next month’s Triumph Hurdle, but with a strong bunch of four-year-olds set to line up at Cheltenham, he will need to produce a slicker effort than Saturday’s performance.

Outpaced in the middle of the race, Walsh had looked to be fighting a losing battle, but he showed he could well be a future stayer in the making as he was producing his finest work in the latter stages, as he reeled in Vasco Du Ronceray, who is 14/1 with Bet365 for the Triumph, and asserting late on.

A strong pace from the flag fall, the Triumph could well suit Irish Saint, but it’s debatable as to whether he possesses the required speed to be victorious in the race and there could well be a whole host of more attractive betting propositions in the current ante-post market for the 2m Grade One prize.

Irish Saint’s victory at the weekend saw Bet365 slightly trim Rolling Star’s price to 9/2 as he comfortably beat him in the Triumph Hurdle Trial on Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day and Henderson’s premier challenger for the crown could well be one of the leading contenders for the race and along with Far West (4/1) and Our Conor (9/2) is one of a trio of horses who spearhead the market with just over two weeks to go.

Vasco Du Ronceray may have finished a close second, but Henderson may opt to send him down the Fred Winter route, whilst Alan King’s mare L’unique (33/1 for Triumph) lost her unbeaten tag and looks to face a difficult task in reversing the form.

A potential improver from the race is Courtesy Call, who was making her hurdling debut for Henderson after a decent career on the Flat for Mark Johnston and having travelled well until the second last flight was just outclassed by the front two, but he is sure to improve and at 25/1 in the latest betting with Bet365 could be scribed into a few notebooks.

Filed under Cheltenham, Cheltenham Festival Races, Cheltenham Festival Trials, Kempton, Latest Racing News, Opinion, Paul Nicholls, Ruby Walsh, Triumph Hurdle Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Five to Follow From Ditcheat This Season

October 12, 2012 Leave a comment

The countdown is on! We’re just weeks away from the official start of the 2012/2013 National Hunt season and as such, I’m going to be doing a couple of previews of runners I like from the leading stables, starting with Paul Nicholls.

Champion National Hunt trainer, Paul Nicholls, knows that retaining his crown from his great rival Nicky Henderson will be a tough ask in 2013.

Anybody with an interest in racing will have recognised that a shift in the balance of power, particularly in the chasing division, has taken place over the last 12 months and it is now Henderson that holds the vast majority of the “ace cards” when it comes to graded races over fences.

Gone from Nicholls’ Ditcheat yard are the great Denman and Grand National hero, Neptune Collonges, who have both been retired and whilst no decision has been made about the future of Kauto Star, it has to be thought he won’t have more than a couple of races left in him, given he turns 13 this season.

Nicholls will however retain dual Champion Chase winner, Master Minded and the incredible Big Buck’s for the 2012/2013 National Hunt season. Bick Buck’s of course is on a 15 race winning streak over hurdles and looks pretty much unstoppable as he looks to extend that over the coming months in his ultimate bid to win a fifth consecutive World Hurdle.

Here are the five other Ditcheat inmates that I hope big things can be expected from during the forthcoming flat season.

Sanctuaire

The highest rated Novice Chaser ever stabled at Ditcheat, this six year old was a very good hurdler but he looks a real prospect over the bigger obstacles, winning all three of his starts. The latest of those was the Grade Two Celebration Chase on soft ground over 2 miles at Sandown where he had the highly regarded Somersby 17 lengths behind him in second place. He will be aimed at the Champion Chase this season but he is likely to be next seen in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December, a race that Nicholls has won seven times in the last ten years!

Zarkandar

Winner of the Triumph Hurdle as a juvenile in 2011, great things are expected of this half brother to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, Zarkava. He was finishing best of all when fifth in the Champion Hurdle last season and looked the likely winner of the Aintree Hurdle when he fell three from home. He will be far more experienced this term and with further improvement like, he looks certain to be the choice of stable jockey, Ruby Walsh, for the Champion Hurdle again this season.

Themilanhorse

After four wins at Novice Hurdle level last season, a feat which very few achieve, it is likely that this six year old will be asked to take on bigger obstacles at some point this term for which his size and range looks tailor-made. His seasonal target will only be decided once his form is established but current thinking suggests that given his proven stamina, he could be aimed at the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next March.

Black Thunder

A couple of eye catching wins in Novice Hurdles last season saw me add Black Thunder to my note book as “one to watch” and I’ll be following him again during the Autumn and Winter. Whether he starts off over hurdles before switching to fences remains to be seen but he’s definitely got the profile of a chaser and is one of real note.

Rolling Aces

Anybody who backed this runner on his final two starts last season may have got their fingers burnt as he came across from Ireland with a big reputation and after winning his firs start for Nicholls in a Novice Hurdle at Wincanton, he was beaten when odds on at Taunton in December and again, disappointed at Wincanton last time out in a Handicap Hurdle.

He arrived at Ditcheat after winning a Point-to-Point in Ireland and I have no doubt that he’ll be running over fences this season and I’m happy to follow him as I think he’s got the makings of a good horse.

Filed under Cheltenham Festival Races, Latest Racing News, National Hunt Races, Paul Nicholls Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Hurricane Fly Picks Up Where He Left Off In Leopardstown Seasonal Debut

January 30, 2012 Leave a comment

Following his hugely emphatic win on his much delayed seasonal reappearance in the Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday, Hurricane Fly has been shortened to around the 4/5 odds on mark to retain his Champion Hurdle title at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The Willie Mullins eight year old looked as impressive as ever defeating his four rivals with consummate ease and chalking up a seventh success win in the process.

Mullins had earlier in the season expressed concerns with the ‘champion’s’ progress at home which prompted him to withdraw him from his two intended earlier season starts. However, whatever was troubling him then certainly isn’t now and he looks a sure fire banker for the Festival. Should he win at the Festival he will emulate the back to back wins of Hardy Eustace in 2004 & 2005 and will have a chance next season to equal the three straight wins of the great Istabraq from 1998-2000.

Bookmakers have reported some support for the likes of the Nicky Henderson pair, Grandouet and 2010 Champion Hurdle winner, Binocular as well as Paul Nicholls, 2011 Triumph Hurdle winner, Zarkandar. However, they are well behind the favourite in the market and based on Hurricane Fly’s latest run they will be well behind him too at Cheltenham.

Zarkandar, the half brother of course to the great ‘Arc de Triomphe’ winner, Zarkava, has yet to be seen this season, but he is the lime up for his reappearance at Newbury in a fortnight’s time in the Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle over two miles. The five year old in fact is the 8/1 favourite to win at Newbury but he will need to run well and get close to a mark of 151 if he is to have any chance against Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham for which he is also an 8/1 chance.

Unaccompanied, who was second behind Zarkandar in the 2011 ‘Triumph’ has progressed nicely so far this season. The Dermot Weld five year old won a Listed event back in November over two miles and followed that up with a decent win in the Grade 1 Istabraq Hurdle on 29th December. In that race he had the Willie Mullins trained second string for the Champion Hurdle, Thousand Stars nearly two lengths behind, although he was in receipt of 10lbs. Unaccompanied can be backed at anything between 16-25/1 for the Champion Hurdle.

Binocular of course having missed the Cheltenham Festival last year has been struggling of late but returned to winning ways with a workmanlike performance to win a second successive Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park last month. In that race he proved just too strong for the improving Paul Nicholls trained Rock On Ruby, although he too would appear to have the Champion Hurdle as his Cheltenham target.

Grandouet, who is the 11/2 second favourite for the Champion Hurdle, bounced back from his fall at Wincanton in November to win the first Betfair Hurdle at Haydock, defeating Marsh Warbler by eight lengths in the process. He then followed that up by taking the Grade 2 International Hurdle at Cheltenham, this time by four lengths from the very ebullient Overturn from the Donald McCain stable.

Filed under Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival Races, Cheltenham Festival Trials, Latest Racing News, Leopardstown, Ruby Walsh, Willie Mullins Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Pearl Swan & Grumeti Confirm Triumph Hurdle Credentials After Event Cheltenham Battle

January 30, 2012 Leave a comment

In terms of tactics Ruby Walsh rode a master class of a ride on Pearl Swan in the Triumph Hurdle Trail at Cheltenham on Saturday which sadly for him, was marred by the horse hanging to the right and bumping into the leader Grumeti coming up the hill. Although Walsh still managed to get his horse in front at the line by a short head he was later demoted into second place after the Stewards Enquiry confirmed the contact affected the result.

Nonetheless it was a very revealing trial for the Triumph Hurdle itself in March, for which neither of them have been made the favourite. Indeed the Bookmakers found it difficult to split them in the market quoting the pair at around the 8/1, with Sadler’s Risk from the Phillip Hobbs stable holding sway at the top of the Triumph Hurdle market with odds of 7/1.

Walsh held the Pearl Swan up at the rear of the field until unleashing a furious attack two from home managing to pick off the leader Grumeti on the line, crossing a short head in front. It was not a great way to lose a race of course, and it also led to a 3 day ban for Walsh, but despite his hanging, the manner in which he completed the last half mile of the race was extremely impressive. Moreover, trainer Paul Nicholls believes he will improve hugely for the run and believes he is a very real contender to win the ‘Triumph’.

Grumeti had gone off in the Trial as the 7/4 joint favourite and while he justified the betting, Baby Mix, who he had shared favouritism ran poorly, finishing last of the six runners. Baby Mix had previously ran over course and distance back in December and won in cracking style by 7 lengths and had many pundits believing that he was the Triumph Hurdle winner designate. However, Tom George’s charge failed to maintain the pace and faded rapidly from two out and finished like a horse way out of his depth. Notwithstanding, the plan is still to run him in the ‘Triumph’ at Cheltenham for which he now has odds of 20/1.

Sadler’s Risk rose to prominence with an outstanding performance in a competitive Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton Park a fortnight ago winning as he pleased by 17 lengths. He will of course need to confirm his potential by stepping up to graded company but on the evidence of his Kempton Park run, then he should be able to take that step comfortably.

Surprisingly bookmakers are reporting plenty of support for the Dessie Hughes trained Minsk, who has yet to race over hurdles, but who has been a good winner on the flat taking the honours by over five lengths in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh back in October. Hughes intends to debut him over hurdles in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in 12th February, a race won in 2011 by the Dermot Weld trained, Unaccompanied, who went on to finish second in the Triumph Hurdle behind Zarkandar. Currently Minsk is a 10/1 shot to win the 2012 Triumph Hurdle.

Filed under Cheltenham Festival Races, Latest Racing News, Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Phillip Hobbs, Ruby Walsh, Trainer, Triumph Hurdle Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Grandouet Puts Himself In Champion Hurdle Picture After International Win

December 14, 2011 Leave a comment

Grandouet was shortened into 5/1 second favourite to give trainer, Nicky Henderson, a third Champion Hurdle winner in four seasons after a scintillating four length victory in the Grade 2 International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. It was a win at the first time of asking in the company of older horses and he became the first four year old to win the race since Binocular this renewal in 2008.

In winning the four year old who was third in last season’s Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham removed any fears Henderson harboured regarding his ability to handle the Cheltenham undulations. He also confirmed at the same time that he can find an extra gear after being held up in a strongly run race; credentials that are normally associated with Champion Hurdlers. Jockey, Barry Geraghty, timed his run to perfection on Saturday, but admitted later that he actually got to the front a little too soon and he never timed his jump at the last with any great authority. Nonetheless he confirmed that the Grandouet has improved enormously from last season and was highly

Although he missed the last in an overall sense he hurdled very well and is clearly getting to grips with his technique these days. It will be remembered that he tipped up two from home, when coming to win the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton race earlier this season. Henderson confirmed that he is likely to be seen next in the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle in February before heading to Cheltenham.

Grandouet in fact was the first horse this season to get the better of Donald McCain’s Overturn, who had to settle for second place after setting a cracking gallop throughout. He fought tooth and nail with both Grandouet and the third home, Brampour, but just lacked that extra bit of class to win. That said, McCain is confident that Overturn, who defeated Henderson’s 2010 Champion Hurdler, Binocular in the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle last month, is more than capable of reversing this result with Grandouet. He believes that the better ground in March and running on Cheltenham’s new course will be in his charge’s favour and that race will remain his target. The Bookmakers however were not so convinced with Boylesports offering him at 20/1 whilst keeping defending champion, Hurricane Fly as their 6/4 favourite.

Brampour, who was representing the Paul Nicholls stable ran a good race to finish third, but he seemed outclassed by Grandouet and he was out-fought by Overturn. Nicholls later confirmed that the four year old had been suffering with pus in his foot for the three days before the race and that they were unable to mount him until the Saturday. He believes that they can find the four lengths that he needs to overhaul Grandouet and although he will be rested for a spell he too will be aimed at the Champion Hurdle at the Festival.

The big disappointment in the race was the Phillip Hobbs trained Menorah, who had gone off as the 5/2 joint favourite with Grandouet. However, although going with the pace for a mile and half he struggled from that point, failing to come off the strong gallop, finishing in fourth place over 13 lengths behind the winner. The 2010 Supreme Novice will now be sent back over fences with the Arkle Challenge Trophy his season’s target.

Filed under Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham, Nicky Henderson Tagged with , , , , , , ,

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