Three top quality days have been and gone at Cheltenham. It is now time to reflect on the action and search for the valuable pointers for the season ahead.
Friday
I fancied Tanks For That at the Festival when he disappointed in the Grand Annual and I was tempted to back him here but kept my money in my pocket on this occasion. In the end he ran out a convincing winner after looking in trouble rounding the home turn. The disappointment was Crack Away Jack but I do think he is a horse worth following. He is lovely stamp of horse and I cannot help but feel that there is plenty more to come. He made a bad mistake, having jumped well, at a crucial stage and that put paid to his chances. He also looked a little outpaced but kept on in pleasing fashion. Fortunately, Nicholls had said he might appreciate further so I didn't back him in the end. I must say I was very tempted because he really was a lovely horse to look at. My immediate thought was that he would be one for the December Gold Cup next month. This run should put him spot on and the step up in trip should see him to better effect. He simply must have a race in him off of 142 and he remains firmly in the notebook for the time being.
I was really looking forward to the 2m Novice hurdle. I was impressed with Prospect Wells at Chepstow and fancied him to make it two from two over the sticks. In the end he just went down in a super battle with Steps To Freedom. Despite the steady pace it was pleasing that the right horses came to the fore, with Ericht, a smart Bumper performer last season, filling 3rd place, nicely clear of the remainder. The impression was that both could be smart and look really decent prospects for the winter ahead. I am sure that they will take high rank in the Novice Hurdling division because this seemed a race of considerable depth.
The big clash was the last race on the card. I made sue that i had a good look at this exciting bunch of Novice Chasers in the pre-parade ring and they looked well up to scratch. The first thing to say is that I can easily see why the Twiston-Davies Camp is so keen on Sybarite. He is a big and powerful, and a gorgeous looker. However, he continues to be a disappointment on the track. I think he will probably need softer ground and a longer trip to be seen to best effect. Whilst he is a stunning horse, i don't seem him as the successor to Imperial Commander, certainly on the evidence i have seen on the track. Grand Crus looks to have grown since last year and he looked far better balanced than last season. Champion Court still looked a little raw, as did Cue Card. They were without doubt a decent bunch and it was obvious that this was a collection of talented animals.
In the race, the departure of Cue Card was a disappointment because it left plenty of questions still be to be answered. He still looks 'novicey' and that must be a worry for his followers. His jumping technique is still a little ragged and he will need a fair bit of schooling to bring up to scratch in that department. He is clearly decent but i get the feeling that he might just fall short of top class over fences too. In contrast, Grand Crus looks the smart recruit we had hoped for. I admit that he jumped better than I had anticipated but I still stand by my comments. He jumped well in the main but I still think he might be prone to be odd error. The one time he was wrong, he got away with it after a guessy jump at the ditch. There can be no doubt that this was an impressive display against some useful horses. He travelled strongly and powered up the hill as Champion Court came to challenge. He will be a force to be reckoned with but I still have that question mark in my mind over his jumping. When he is tired, they are racing and he's being challenged I can see it coming under pressure. I may be wrong, and if I am, he has every chance of going right to the top. Champion Court looks a good young chaser too and he will be seen at his best when he steps up to 3m. Zaynar also ran a good race and he might be recapturing his old enthusiasm though is still likely to find it tough in the very top races.
I must say that I was a little surprised to see Grand Crus shortened to as short as 4/1 for the RSA. He is a worthy favourite, no doubt about it, and this was an impressive fencing debut, but I would still rather have Peddlers Cross for the Arkle, especially at a bigger price. His jumping at Bangor was right out of the top drawer and i am very excited to see him return to action in the coming weeks.
Saturday
The Juvenile Hurdle featured the British debut of the highly regarded Hinterland. He already had a facile Listed Hurdle success in his native France and a tall reputation to his name. In the race he did not disappoint. This was a very good field with Ozeta (Listed winner over hurdles and on the flat), Secret Edge (Listed Hurdle winner) and Hollow Tree (facile debut hurdle winner) all in opposition. Hinterland travelled very strongly and jumped well throughout the race and ran out a comfortable winner. The margin of victory was only 3 lengths but i think he was value for more than that. The reason being that he travelled far too strongly for his own good and was understandably a little tired in the closing stages as a consequence, though he stayed on in really pleasing fashion. He will need to learn to settle a little better, but with the maestro Ruby Walsh on his back, he has every chance of doing so. He is now a best priced 10/1 for the Triumph Hurdle and i thought that on this evidence those quotes were fair, and possibly not as stingy as they might have been. He is certainly very exciting for the future.
In the Paddy Power Gold Cup Great Endeavour from the David Pipe team atoned for last seasons disappointment with a ready victory. He was a clear second favourite behind Long Run in last year's renewal but could only finish 6th. 12 months on he was always travelling powerfully and fairly bounded up the hill to score by 7 lengths. Quantitativeeasing and Divers, the 1st two home in the Centenary Novices Chase at the Festival, filled 2nd and 3rd spots respectively from a few pounds out of the handicap. 4th was the virtually unmentioned Nicholls runner Aerial who ran a pleasing race without ever threatening the leaders.
There were a few disappointment stories in the race, none more so than Mon Parrain. He never jumped with the fluency that had so defined his two previous performances on these shores. To my eye his effort was too bad to be true and it will be interesting to see whether anything comes to light. He cannot have become a bad horse overnight and it might be that a step up to 3m round a flat track will see him to best effect. I was convinced that he would be travelling powerfully down the hill but in the end he was struggling early in the back straight. This was hugely disappointing and he has questions to answer. That said, i would not be writing him off just yet.
Wishfull Thinking started favourite after a huge gamble in the morning. He jumped boldly out in front and was probably always doing too much. He folded entering the straight to finish 6th, a fair way off the winner. Phillip Hobbs reported that he may have just needed the run. He is another who is worth keeping on side. His best form was away from Cheltenham last year and it might be that a sharper flat track will allow him to perform to his best. He does appear to have plenty of pace so it will be interesting to see which route connections take with him. I wouldn't rule out a tilt at the Champion Chase if he were mine.
My own fancy for the race was Noble Alan at a tasty looking 20/1. He had travelled supremely well at Market Rasen last time, only to unseat 2 from home. He had also been moving easily when falling 3 out in the December Gold Cup last year. And, unfortunately, it was more of the same this time too. He looked to be holding every chance having made stylish progress to close on the leaders before unseating 4 out after a bad mistake at the ditch. I remain convinced that he can win a race of this nature. He is one for the December Gold Cup if allowed to take his chance.
The concluding 3m Novice Chase produced a terrific race. In the end it was the Nicholls/Walsh combination who came out on top courtesy of a game performance from Join Together. His jumping was excellent, barring one mistake early in the back straight for the final time. In a ride of pure brilliance, Walsh allowed his mount time to recover before gradually feeling his way back into the race to lead entering the straight. He kept on well and found plenty from the back of the last to win by a length and a half. Nicholls suggested that he will be suited by soft ground and a trip, and, on this evidence, i wouldn't disagree. He might be one for the 4m Chase at the Festival if the ground is slower than good, and one for the Nationals in years to come. Restless Harry jumped poorly and paid for it in 3rd. He is another decent animal but i think will just fall short of top class over fences, especially if his jumping does not improve. He may revert to hurdles after this effort.
Sunday
Last year's Supreme winner Al Ferof was a warm order to win his chasing debut after swerving a potential clash with Peddlers Cross at Bangor last week. The reason for that was so Ruby could take the ride. He jumped a little over-brave in the early stages but really warmed to his task as the race progressed and looked very professional by the end. He was hard on the steel and ran out a very easy winner. You could not have asked for any more than this and he will be a threat to all. Nicholls had previously suggested that he might be suited by a step up in trip but in his post-race interview he seems to state that the Arkle was very much the target.
Gauvain provided a jumping exhibition to take the Shloer Chase for the second year running. Woolcombe Folly looked very lethargic and he is probably best avoided until he shows some sparkle. He is now saddled with a hefty handicap mark and is possibly not quite up to championship class making him very tricky to place. This seemed a perfect opportunity, and was his 'target' according to Nicholls, making his defeat, and more particularly the manner of defeat, most disappointing. The winner took this race in good style 12 months ago but failed to build on that promise. He looked good here once again so hopefully he can build on this performance this season.
The Greatwood was wide open on paper and so it proved in the race, with any number holding a chance jumping the last. Olofi and Moon Dice were arguably a little unlucky as they found themselves short of room, but the way Brampour stormed up the hill under Harry Derham must make it doubtful that either could have won. After winning at Ascot i thought he may have left his chance there but he improved again and seems to be progressing rapidly. He might not be quite up to Champion Hurdle class but is surely worth a place in some of the trial races to see where he stands. He is sure to be rated in the mid to high 150s after this and that will leave him with another 10lbs improvement to make to challenge the very best. He might be capable of that, he might not. What is certain is that he has given connections two fantastic days this season already so anything more must be considered a massive bonus.
Walsh was seen at his best in the following Intermediate Handicap Hurdle. This race was won by Grand Crus 12 months ago and this time Rangitoto took the honours. He looks every inch the chaser in the making and he is surely just marking time before tackling fences. He looked a little outpaced on good ground over 2m5f but tackled the hill with relish to finish stronger than anything. 3m will suit him better and there is sure to be more to come.
Fingal Bay maintained both his unbeaten record and his growing reputation in the 2m4f Novice Hurdle. He travelled well before a mistake at the second last slightly upset his rhythm. Even with that blunder he powered up the hill to win going away by 3 and a half lengths. He is exciting and looks sure to figure in either the Neptune of the Albert Bartlett at the Festival in March.
The well touted Montbazon was ultimately a little disappointing in the concluding Bumper. He travelled well but found little up the hill to finish 3rd. He just failed to quicken when asked and whether that is down to the hill or being outpaced i'm not sure. He is still and exciting prospect but i am sure the King Team were hoping for a better showing than that.
Conclusions
Some excellent action, and in particular a feast of exciting novices. You would like to think that there will be at least a couple of Festival challengers amongst them.
Two To Follow:
In defeat, i think Crack Away Jack is one to take from the meeting. He jumped well, apart from his one mistake at a crucial time, and travelled as if a step up in trip would suit. He kept on well and was probably closing at the death. There must surely be a decent 2m4f Handicap Chase to be won with him off a mark of 142.
In victory, i was most impressed with Hinterland. He is already something of a hype horse but the way he travelled through the race was most taking. His jumping was electric and he is an exciting prospect for chasing in a few years time, but, for the time being, he looks well capable of following in the footsteps of Celestial Halo and Zarakandar as Triumph Hurdle winners for Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls.
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