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Preview
14 Mar 2008
Day 3 Cheltenham
Festival
A look back over yesterday and once again we had a performance
that was just mind blowing in the shape and form of Master Minded
who gave a lesson to the now former champion chaser in jumping and
travelling, we now have a horse that would match the big 3 from a
few years ago and unless one of the novices proves to be top echelon
we could be looking at a dominating period for the horse and his
already high profiled connections. Sure to be campaigned correctly
he is only 5yo and is sure to hold his form for the fore sable
future.
The Festival has already been proven to be one of the best in
recent years as Inglis Drever did manage to create history by
storming up the hill in front for the 3rd time and if it wasn't for
the injury in the mud 3yrs ago he could well have 4 world hurdle
titles next to his name and amongst the 4 time winners such as Arkle
& Istabraq at this meeting and the greatest hurdler of all time,
well played to connections of the horse and Howard Johnson and each
jockey that has rode him to victory of course.
The Royal sun alliance chase wasn't a vintage race but the winner
is a horse that you have to admire as he is like a katchit over
fences. Mention for Boychuk In the Racing Post Plate, even though
the winner won with authority a better jump down the back he would
have been involved having tailed off after that effort that knocked
him out of his rhythm, he flew home up the hill and wasn't far of
getting placed, one to keep in mind. Well done to Our Vic who
deserved his day?
The final day of the 4 and another bumper card to get on the way
as we move courses. The ground is on the soft side of good and any
more rain it could well become soft for the final day. We start on
race 2.
1.05 Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle
The wait is over if you have been waiting for this event after a
2 day delay the former Royal Sun Alliance hurdle lines up and it
looks quite a decent field for this event as the staying novice
brigade shape up well. The Irish will be looking for the
Forpaddytheplaster to take this race after looking very impressive
last time when dispatching cork all star who didn't cover himself in
glory in the Supreme Hurdle. This longer trip should suit him, as he
gets stronger as the race goes on and is sure to improve.
BreedsBreeze the Tolworth winner has been set some fairly stiff
tasks this season by his trainer and has done nothing but improve,
certain to be a chaser with a future next season he is the great
hope for his owner of giving him future success like Best Mate.
Stays well he should improve in time for more distance and looks
ideal for next seasons royal sun alliance chase, which he could be a
short price for after this race today. Group Captain has been a bit
of a talking horse so far with his trainer looking most forward to
the running of this horse today and ear marked it as his most
exciting prospect of finding a winner. In Choc Thornton if the horse
is good enough then he will get the assistance required to give it
his best shot and with a fair amount of improvement promised for
this trip and the ground not likely to cause to many problems he
could well be hard to beat up the hill and rates as a live chance in
this race.
The Favourite is likely to be in the golden hoops of JP Mcmanus
in the shape and form of Aigle D'or and could be the start of a good
final day for Nicky Henderson. Unlucky with Binocular in the supreme
for the same connections, they will be looking for compensation in
the staying division of the novice hurdle and with course form
already in the book he is likely to go close under McCoy who could
well end the day as leading jockey of this meeting which would be
quite a feat for the champion jockey who was laid up stricken just a
few weeks back. On form in the book has something to find with
Breedsbreeze on what they have achieved but is more unexposed and
certainly likely to show more improvement as we haven't got anywhere
near to the bottom of him yet.
Advised Bet - Aigle D'Or 2pts
win @ 5-1
1.40 The Coral Cup Handicap
Often one of the hardest handicaps to find the winner of as there
is so much that can happen in the race with a tight packing fields
and the hurdles coming quick and fast and the last two seasons the
winner has been quite fancied and run away with the race and it may
take some finding but there is certain to be a handicap blot amongst
the dead wood that usual vacate this handicap.
Kicks for Free leads the weights after a quite taking performance
last time but has his work cut out from top weight here and may find
one or two to good for him at the weights. Bedlam Boy is another who
looks a little high in the weights after a decent season last year
where he won back-to-back races in the mud. The performance at
Aintree behind Tidal Bay gives him allsorts of chances in this
handicap and the Newcastle form prior to that run has been well
franked this season and with a light campaign in which his return
race was a sharpener for this event he could well be overpriced if
improving once again which isn't out of the question as he has ideal
conditions.
Song of songs looks to have quite a lenient mark after winning
all out at Wincanton over a trip that may have been slightly short
for him and could prove to be a handicap blot for James Bones
Fanshawe who has landed a touch here before for JP Mcmanus and rates
as a eye catcher of a low weight. The champ is back for the horse
and the extra distance is certain to bring about more improvement
from the horse and he could make a mockery of his current mark.
Superior Wisdom for a small yard has done nothing wrong and deserves
his chance in this handicap, while Noel Meade Clanzar is interesting
here under the guidance of Slippers Madden. The first strings for
the yard Orbit O Gold has some graded form in his native Ireland,
but has looked a little hit and miss at times.
Philip Hobbs has a strong hand in this and county Zen who got a
little outpaced over a shorter trip should improve for this trip and
may well turn out to be the best for a yard who will be looking for
joy in handicaps at this meeting with out a stable superstar to
there name.
Advised Bet - Song of Songs
1pt e/w 13/2
2.15 The Truimph Hurdle
This could be a great day for JP Mcmanus whose hurdlers all seem
to have strong chances today at the festival and if Francheok who is
a warm favourite turns up in the form he has shown this season he
could well take this in the same manner as last years winner and now
champion hurdler Katchit. Trained by Alan King he should take all
the beating here with much in his favour.
Brought earlier in the season, he could repay his new owner
straight away here, already proven to be the leading juvenile, his
only defeat came at this track when he had to give weight away and
went down fighting. However most of the leading fancies for this
race have either missed the race or been kept away from the jolly
and today could be his first real test which he is certain to go
close in.
Silver Hand for Ireland is eye catching having had only two
outings over hurdles and the Meade yard look to reverse form with
Beau Michel now the yard are in better form and given that it is
only 3L there is reason to believe he is capable of turning the form
around here today. Serabad is the most exposed horse in the field
but often runs with credit he is capable of grabbing a place but
needs to improve again to take this while the Paul Nichols Pair of
Five Dream who has won well in handicaps and Celestial Halo who
needs to bounce back to form are well respected in the make up of
this race.
The favourite is likely to take all the beating and no surprise
it is some people banker of the meeting, if you backed him antepost
at 7-1 you are laughing as 6/4 is not a price to backing the
favourite at with some very unexposed runners in the race, this one
could go to Ireland.
Advised Bet - Silverhand 1pt
e/w @ 12-1 (BF15's + 3's)
3.30 The Gold Cup
We skip the 3M novice hurdle for a spot of lunch and to get into
the swing of things for the biggest race since the Mill house &
Arkle Gold cups of the past and while there has been decent horses
in between the two times, there has never been a more eagly awaited
contest then this, with two stable mates battening all before them
so far, the reigning champ versus the talented contender.
Denman is a superb athletic galloper with gears to go with it,
while Kauto running style and ability to quicken is so fetching it
is hard to tell what horse is the best suited to this track. Kauto
Star could be a bridle horse with a strong cruising speed that finds
when asked, where as Denman is all size and length. Usually the
bigger horse prevails in terms of ability but the speed of Kauto
legs is quite special and when falling at Exeter and remounting we
saw just how quick the horse is when asked, Will Denman be able to
take his rival apart and break his heart it is to be seen and
whoever wins will no doubtly become the best rated horse since Arkle.
It's a match up to saviour and one that will put racing on the
map. It is a two horse race as billed but Exotic Dancer if coming
here with a clean prep would seriously worry the top two around here
and Tony McCoy has often said he feels Exotic Dancer has what it
takes to win a Gold Cup, it just isn't helped being around in the
era of Kauto Star. Question marks over does Kauto Star stay, well he
stayed well last season and was going away in this years King
George, he should get the trip at a sound gallop and should get
round as he is very adapt at correcting himself. Denman has only
tasted defeat once at this track and with give in the ground his
supporters will be hoping that doesn't happen again. Its very hard
to split the two and don't let your heart rule your head is my only
advice. No value in either so no bet, but I want Kauto to win but my
head is telling me Denmania will be at bursting point come 3.40
today.
We catch our breath and await the grand annual.
4.40 The Grand Annual
Nicky Henderson will want to win this handicap again and his last
winner of this handicap has had the same lay out to two years ago
when making all around here to win in gutsy fashion. Greenhope
however has a couple of years under his belt now and even though
gentle raced he may need to drop a few more lbs in the handicap and
the better option may be his other runner My Petra who is at the
head of the market of a low weight.
A decent run behind Noland last time hasn't been franked but this
is a much easier race then this seasons Arkle and he could be yet
another Novice as a handicap blots. Lord Henry had a good prep for
this race and comes here in hope, not always straightforward he has
gone well at stiff tracks in the past and rates as a unexposed
chance for trainer Philip Hobbs.
Last years winner Andreas dropped away a little tamely last time
but will have been looked after since that comeback run, lost the
championship for Ruby Walsh last season when Choc Thornton steered
him to victory he will be looking to win this event again. The Irish
have a decent challenger in Maralan who is on a bid for a hatrick
and improving all the time while Enlightment at the foot of the
weights needs to find more improvement and could well have it in his
locker.
Almaydan and Calatagan are two more likely to run well after
decent efforts this season, while it be wrong not to mention the
chances of Hasty Prince as fixture in this race and looking to
reverse form with Andreas on last seasons running. My Petra is
likely to go close and could land it again for a likely emotional
Nicky Henderson.
Advised Bets - 1pt win Maralan
@ 12-1 (BF13's) + 2pts win My Petra @
5-1 (BF11-2)
5.20 The County handicap hurdle
Never the easiest race to end the card but the county hurdle is
always a charge to the finish line and if your horse is in with a
chance at the last you can guarantee it will be pumped right the way
out to the line as the jockeys go gung-ho for a Cheltenham winner.
Hopefully by this stage everyone will be up for the festival or at
least drunk!!!
Unexposed flat horses such as Freeloader and Mountain have a
tendency to be a bit soft and It's a surprise to see Mountain in
this handicap as he was well thought off, the last run was to bad to
be true and he shouldn't be one to trust in the getting out stakes,
Freeloader has been off for quite a while and even though going well
fresh he doesn't strike me as a bet.
I'mSIngingtheblues catches the eye in this handicap having
travelled up so well last time at Kempton before getting beaten off
by more sprinting types. Looks likely to go over fences next season
he is suited to this 17F around Cheltenham where he has shown some
very good form and with the likes of Snap Tie running a place back
on Tuesday he is one that could well be ahead of the handicapper
under 11 stone 3lbs. Wannago is the form choice coming into this
handicap but the Irish novice Dark Bolero isn't without a chance
with a nice weight pull against Imsingingtheblues on Cheltenham
form. The Irish have strong hand in this handicap with Eagle Pass,
Victram and the Tony Martin trained favourite Psycho and wouldn't be
no surprise to see them retain this prize after losing the champion
hurdle on Tuesday.
Open looking affair and Mon Michel who departed early at the
weekend could give Gary Moore another 2M success, he was well
fancied at the weekend and should be picking up one of these soon
enough he rates as another danger. Premier Dane finished well last
season and has grade 1 class to call on he rates as a chance with
Nicky Richards looking to get a much needed festival winner.
Advised bet - 1pt e/w I'Msingingtheblues
@ 11-1 (BF12's+3's)
Best of luck all
Well Chief
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