I can almost gaurantee that that fella Gillespie is the sort of man who keeps tinkering and tinkering with something, trying to make it absolutely spot on in his eye. He reminds me of the sculpter who the comapany I worked for sponsored. This was back in the late nineties, all new labour and stuff. Our head of PR was really a sort of lobby man trying to make a virtue out of blasting holes in the ground to the urbanites now in power. There was this scottish artist called something quinticentially pictish like Mad Rab Farquahart MacUrquartson the third. Somehow managed to get hold of the catelogue of a forthcoming soiree of fine art chiseled by our caledonian pal.A range hewn from a pinky grey flecked granite obtained from an obscure quarry outpost of ours somewhere near Ullapool. Amongst a host of names of objet d'arte the one that stood out for me was 'Boar With Severed Snout'. You can imagine the scene. A half tonne boulder sat on a hillock on a blowy moor. A hunched figure tip tapping away. There's a nice tusk there, just smooth it our a bit, grand. Just get the fine curvey chisel and knock it gently with the toffee hammer to get the right curl on the old tail. Think I'll just give it a kiss with the panel pin hammer to get that nose right.. Ahhh I've knocked the feckin nose off. I know waht I'll do, where the number of that sas fella. In a similar way 'let's move the last hurdle a bit this way, that's right I like that.' 'Let's move that second last fence just round the corner a bit to Fen Shui it a bit.' What else to fiddle with? Well there's plenty of scope for new events should the eventual permission for the Saturday extention arrive. What about a festival selling hurdle, a race for horses of sixteen hands minimum, bareback novice chase. Did you see last season's hillarious whippet racing. Trying to be a bit like a coursing type buckle,but with a very poorly thought out zig-zag (sensible dogs just ran in a straight line). Did they try it first? Probably only with EG's 12 year old over weight lab. Next time flush a few rabbits out if you've the nerve.
Trends for Triumph Hurdle for you to make some sense of:
YEAR WINNER SECOND THIRD
2010 1st Adonis (kem) 2nd Prestbury (chel) 1st Winning Fair (fair)
2009 1st Execution(Asc) 1st Finess(chelt) 3rd Spring (leo)
2008 1st C4(Don) 1st Finess(chel) 2nd Spring (leo)
2007 1st Finess(chelt) 2nd C3(Kem) 1st C4(Font)
2006 1st A.Baker(Sand) 4nd Finale(chep) 2nd Adonis (sand)
2005 1st Racing Post (Kemp) 2nd Premier (Kel) 1st V Ludorum(Hay)
2004 1st C4(Sand) 2nd Fen(Hunt) 5th Sharp Minds (Naa)
2003 1st C3(Kem) 1st Adonis(Kem) 1st Winning Fair(Fair)
2002 2nd Cashamns(Leo) 1st Cashmans(Leo) 3rd C3(Weth)
2001 Foot and Mouth
2000 1st Adonis(Kemp) 1st C3(Newb) 1st Mdn(Gow)
1999 1st Adonis(Kemp) 1st Nov(Thur) 1st PPower(Leo)
1998 1st Cat&Mouse(Sand) 1st Ripley(Sand) 1st BBridge(Leo)
1997 1st Grade3(Pun) 2nd Highclere(Newb) 1st Finess(chel)
1996 1st Ripley(Sand) 2nd Adonis (Kem) 1st Highclere(newb)
Clearly a win last time out is essential, especially if it's the Adonis. Irish not done well of late but Leopardstown form looks noteworthy especially the Spring.
COURSE
How did they get this meeting on? I had a good walk around the centre of the track today. The puddles were thick or solid with ice, the grassed ground was pretty well solid. People know old Simon C and pull his leg with his pre festival saga of 'I think it's too dry so I'll turn the taps on a bit'. Then irrespective of the actual conditions announces 'good to soft and good in places' on the Monday night. But to be fair to him and his team they pulled off a minor miracle today, fanastic effort. The course is known to most of us. It is a very stiff test, many undulations, stiff fences some taken running downhill. It is a bit idiosyncratic and does generate plenty of course specialists. One thing I did manage to do was take a close look at the cross country fences. Normally there are Stasi all over the place stopping you from getting close to the action and coralling spectators into a small paddock of a viewing area. Not today, and being able to view many fences close up showed how well laid out the course is, some right angle turns, on occasions only three strides betweeen obstacles, tricky landing side falls. It is a bit like the Hickstead Derby course in a way. I will view this with a lot more interest on the Tuesday now. Generally I use the Cross Country for beer break! For those not used to Cheltenham the centre viewing is a good way of getting close to the racing, but it is often cold for the festival and it is very exposed. There are loads of bars, my fav is The Arkle. Can't remember which bar or if it is still there but a poem was written on the walls of one 'Aubrey's up the money's down the English bookies quake. Come on m'lads and give a cheer, b'god t'is Cottage Rake'. Bred in the mighty Rebel County itself , there was a rumour that a bronze was to be commissioned and placed outside Mallow Station. It was objected to on the basis disrespect to the nearby Marian Shrine. A pity, as a tribute to one of the true greats of jump racing at the birthplace of steeplechasing itself would have been appropriate.
THE RACING
The opening race was a juvenille hurdle which has thrown up only one triumph hurdle winner in the past dozen or so runs, but four of the last five winners have filled first or second back here in March. I had seen Local Hero run at Doncaster and was in two minds as to whether he will make into a Triumph winning horse in my view. Whlist he has plenty of pace and really battled dourly up the hill to win today, his jumping was a bit sketchy and I would say still not swift enough to convince me he will win. I think that whoever wins the Adonis in February on the statistics is to be respected plus I still believe that Sams Winner is the juvenille with the best form so far but based on recent history he will need another run and that run needs to be a win. Second home was Third Intention who had run with much promise in a debut win at Newbury. Jumped well again (including out-jumping the winner at the last) but was overhauled up the hill (showed no signs that he lacks stamina or that he is in the least ungenuine). The third was the Timeform part owned Indian Daudaie who whilst not entirely fluent did jump well in the main and stayed on well up the hill without excessive encouragement (not given the hardest run I have seen) Worth keeping an eye out for what kind of mark he is alloted with the Fred Winter in mind. Of the others the steady early pace meant Maoi ChinnTire and Akula were flattered by their proximity and Mark Twain ran as well as he can which is a lot lower than his current handicap mark.
Tony McCoy enquires as to when schooling for Local Hero is likely to start
The second race on the card was a novice handicap chase over 2m5 and the jumping of all contestants was very novicey and there must be some doubt as to whether any of these on present form can be backed with confidence in next races as a clear round is taken on trust. The winner was the one paced and strong staying top weight The Giant Bolster who is aimed at RSA (can't see it winning). Rodi Greene must have been knackered as he worked very hard to cajole TGB home. I thought he may have used the whip a bit more frequently than the rules probably permit. But then I couldn't quote the law and as I didn't hear of an enquiry he must have been waving it around alot. A bit like that old sketch of the orchestra conductor and the fly.(???). Pearlysteps, Vino Griego and Ravethebrave all ran with enthusiasm making up for what appeared to be a lack of natural agility. To gauge the merits of these novices and their potetnial based on current evidence just compare and contrast with Wishfull Thinking to see how a novice can jump (in the third race today).
The third was the 2m5 Grade 3 Murphy Group Handicap Chase which was run at a very good pace with several who like to push along the pace. The race was won by the very progressive novice Wishfull Thinking (wearing tongue strap for the first time). He had previously tried to defy a penalty at Cheltenham behind Reve de Sivola and was an unlucky and hampered second impressing with his jumping. He is obviously well suited by this course and distance emerging from this showing as one of the best middle distance novices seen out to date this season. His jumping alone makes him appear to have a good chance at the festival and personally I would prefer to see him in The Jewson (The Golden Miller) rather than RSA. Mainly because I have an interest in him running in that event. Little Josh and Buffolo Bill both wanted to take on the pace and were soon in bother. Calgary Bay ran and jumped well staying in pretty good style to be a clear second behind what might well be seen as a handicap snip in retrospect. Thus providing optimism that Calgary Bay is well in himself. If handicap mark roughly holds he may be a live Festival Plate chance ( come on Mr Handicapper the winner was only a fair novice and on that a drop of 3 pounds would be about right). Third home was Backbencher who was staying on ok but clobbered the last. Noland ran out of steam about a mile out, Chapoturgeon jumped and ran poorly and The Sawyer never looked like making it a hatrick of wins in this race.
Walking in at the start of the Murphy's where the novice Wishful Thinking outjumped a top handicap field
Argento (previously called Cotswlod) Chase over 3m1 was the big race of the day and seen as a Gold Cup trial although none of the last five winners have followed up. The weakening favourite was Punchestowns who had failed to see out an extended three miles over hurdles. He was soon off the bridle today and never got near to challenge as such on the running is probably best aimed at the Ryanair or the Aintree 3 miler. The winner was the resurgent Neptune Collonges who jumped great and was soon clear. Although winning distance was rapidly reducing it was probably a fairly cosy win. Tidal Bay never seems to jump completely straight or completely fluent. He does however stay very well up the hill here and did so again today although the finishing proximity probably flattered a bit. The Tother One was not always jumping well in comparison to the rest and may not have stayed. Madison De Berlais generally ran a not totally detatched last.
Neptune Collonges helps Nicholls announce that his horses back in good nick if they were ever really out of touch
They went a steady early pace in the Neptune hurdle which is ususally a good gauge to long term stayers including very useful and a fancy for this year's Gold Cup Diamond Harry and top class stayer Restless Harry who has been placed in the World Hurdle. The very cramped price for Backspin in such a good race was a bit of a surprise. This appeared to be on the back of winning The Challow last run. Admittidly form which represented the most impresssive inthe field before the start. The winner was Bobs Work who had run very well over course and distance in his most recent outing and again looked very genuine when repeating the effort to win well staying on strongly up the hill. The second, Rock On Ruby, was very impressive jumping well and looks a real prospect. Drive Time looked a bit fresh going down and pulled a bit, despite jumping fine in the main hit 3 out weakened quickly by 2 out to be pulled up appearing to have something was amiss (he had been noted as having a knock causing a cut last time out). It was a surprise that Brunswick Gold did not set the pace which had suited at Doncaster. A return to those forcing tactics is likley to give him more chance of a win. Backspin had every chance at the second last but didn't seem to quicken or stay thoroughly, It may also be that he did not completely settled in a fairly muddling early pace. As such he may be best over a testing course and over a well run 2 miles (could be an interesting Supreme runner). Whilst the third home was Happy Simpson who ran with much credit but not as fluent as the first two.
Milling around before two exciting staying prospects Bobs Worth and Rock On Ruby battle out the Neptune
The Cleeve Hurdle has been won by some great stayers in the past including Big Bucks and this was won by the exciting grey Grand Crus. He had been impressive in two handicaps earlier in the autumn at Haydock and Cheltenham. Upped in class he was hacking throughout and won in a canter from a very good field. He is without doubt a fine adversary to the fantastic Big Bucks. You cannot gauge the form between the two at the moment as neither has been extended yet this season so why bother betting just enjoy potentially a great spectacle. Knockara Beau put up a fine front running performance. Organisateur missed out the third from home and was soon flat to the boards finishing tailed off. Bensalem was not disgraced whilst Mobasher stayed on well to be third
Grand Crus and Tom Scudamore announce that the World Hurdle is now the most eagerly awaitied race at the festival
The meeting rounded off with a Class 2 handicap hurdle over 2m1 which was a close run afair won by the thoroughly genuine Art Professor who is well suited by Cheltenham an assessment based on previous outing and confirmed today. His renewed effort just overhauled Alazari who had looked like he had the race in the bag halfway up the hill, it's a painful sport. The favourite was Cunning Clarets a mudlark best held up. This in not always the best tactic at Cheltenham and when making a mistake when begining to make a run around 4 out he pretty well had the stuffing knocked him out of him and was eased. Could be worth watching out for when back in the Border and Scottish tracks over 2 miles.
How did they do next three runs to a £10 stake (EW 20/1 or greater)
Local Hero (Negative)
405 up £30
Outclassed in top juvenilles
Indian Daudai
54(20/1)F 0 down £40
Fair each way fourth but was not in general anywhere near as good as I had hoped
Wishfull Thinking up £40
21(9/4) 1 (11/4)
turned out to be probably the best novice chaser of the year but has come out with a massive mark so will bin at the end of novice year
Calgary Bay down £10
F
fell in national and I am never keen on backing ex national hotses during follow up season so binned after that run
Rock on Ruby up £15
2 3 1 7/2
one of top novice hurdlers laast season and comes out with a good mark and I will continue to back, won the Gerry Fielding so I am keeping him for now as can make into a top hurdler this season