TimeformBlog

There were any number of promising performances at Cheltenham over the weekend, including a fair few that caused a shake-up in the Betfair ante-post markets for the Festival in March, but hopefully we have found a few who will be rewarding support somewhat nearer to hand.


Race two at Cheltenham on Friday, the Caspian Caviar Handicap Hurdle, was of a good quality and has thrown up three Timeform 'Horses In Focus', namely the winner L'Accordioniste, sixth-placed Cockney Trucker and the ninth, Art Professor. L'Accordioniste is undoubtedly a handicapper to follow, but of as much interest is Philip Hobbs's Cockney Trucker, who was beaten less than four lengths.

That distance is much more than looked likely at one point. In fact, commentator Mike Cattermole, rather prematurely, proclaimed early in the straight that "it's Cockney Trucker, who seems to have seen them all off". At the time Cockney Trucker was admittedly still going well enough in the lead, but another mistake at the last (flattened it) cost him and he was swamped soon after. Though his jumping wasn't fluent (went right throughout), racing the other way round at somewhere like Sandown or Ascot may well suit Cockney Trucker, and there was certainly enough in the run to suggest he's still just as useful over hurdles as he is over fences (winner over the bigger obstacles at Huntingdon in October).

Two races later on the card was a staying handicap hurdle, one which Time For Rupert (who strengthened his position as market leader for the RSA chase with his win at the weekend) had won the previous year. A handful shaped well with an eye on other races, none more so than Jonjo O'Neill's Synchronized, who is seemingly running over hurdles to protect his chase mark with the Welsh National in mind. The winner of the Midlands National at Uttoxteter off a mark of 143 back in March, Synchronized should be spot on for Chepstow later this month after his eye-catching sixth behind Lush Life and should prove competitive from 7 lb higher. Still twelve lengths down two out at Cheltenham, Synchronized finished with a flourish and will be well suited by the through test of stamina in the Welsh National, for which he's currently avialable at 8.0.

Whilst the Tingle Creek on Saturday was all about Master Minded, and rightly so, as the dual Champion Chase winner looked back to his best, third-placed Somersby is well worth a positive mention. Having reared over and unseated beforehand, Somersby shaped with much more encouragement than at Exeter the time before as he finished eight and a half lengths third behind Master Minded. However, sticking to two miles looked against him and he left the impression he's in desperate need of a return to further, doing all his best work in the closing stages. The way he's shaping up suggests the Betfair Ascot Chase might be a suitable pre-Festival target for Somersby, before a tilt at the Ryanair, for which he can be backed at 10.0.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Betting.Betfair blogger Simon Rowlands is back to give his views on the Tony McCoy/Racing UK debate and the champion jockey's case for Sports Personality of the Year.


It's been a good few weeks since I last blogged, and plenty has happened in that time, if not always a great deal of it on the racetrack due to the weather.

England has gained the upper hand in The Ashes but lost in its bid for The Football World Cup in 2018. Of rather less newsworthiness, Timeform has acquired a Head of Research and Handicapping (aka me).

The World Cup disappointment came just days after a BBC Panorama special which highlighted corruption at football's governing body FIFA, and it is at least possible that the programme had a significant part to play in the bid's failure.

While some chose, perhaps understandably, to blame Panorama, I would argue that a principle far more important than the privilege of hosting a World Cup was upheld. I would much rather live in a country in which the media is free to ask awkward questions than one in which no-one rocks the boat for fear of being thrown off The Gravy Train.

Which leads us on to the subject of Tony McCoy and Racing UK.

Unless you have been on another planet in recent weeks, you are likely to be aware that McCoy has a leading chance of being voted Sports Personality of The Year this coming Sunday: he is currently 1.97 to back on Betfair.

If you follow racing closely, you are also likely to know that McCoy is engaged in a feud with Racing UK on account of comments made by some of the channel's presenters concerning his ride on Get Me Out Of Here at Ascot on October 30.

McCoy was incensed by what he saw as implications that he had deliberately not ridden the horse to best advantage, and he has since refused to speak to Racing UK presenter Lydia Hislop, or to anyone else representing the channel. In a clear indication that things had gone too far, McCoy even theatrically swore on the life of his three-year-old daughter that he had not stopped the horse.

The situation was not helped by many of McCoy's friends and sympathisers taking up his cause. Alex Steedman, another Racing UK presenter but speaking on Timeform Radio, described an "anti-Racing UK atmosphere" in Lambourn. There are few less edifying spectacles, in racing or elsewhere, than insiders attempting to ostracise those perceived not to be "one of their own".

Those who have followed McCoy's career from spotty youth to SPOTY favourite are likely to feel, as I do, that he is an extraordinary sportsman: both very gifted and unbelievably brave and dedicated. How else could he have stayed for so long at the top of a cutthroat profession that requires him to starve himself and put his life in danger on a daily basis?

However, the qualities that make a great sportsperson - such as an obsessive determination to come out on top - do not necessarily make for a great human being. Righteous indignation can come across as ugly bullying if the same uncompromising attitudes are adopted as on the racecourse.

Either Hislop slandered McCoy, in which case proper action would have been justified and should have been taken, or she did not. I have heard a transcript of her remarks and am sure she did not.

It is important that questions be asked by journalists and broadcasters, especially when the authorities - as in this case - fail in their duties to ask them in the first place. The way to counter difficult questions is to provide truthful answers. Besides anything else, people tend to respect you more for doing that.

Crucially, criticism of rides deemed to be inadequate in some way is a necessary counterbalance to praise. Praise, of which McCoy rightly gets plenty, is meaningless without at least the possibility of criticism.

Saturday's racing at Cheltenham featured the "Vote A. P. Gold Cup". McCoy was at his magnificent best in steering Karabak to victory in one of the supporting races. Hislop went about her business on Racing UK with typical professionalism, even getting an on-air kiss from Master Minded's owner Clive Smith at one point.

Kissing and making up would be too much to ask for in this particular feud. But McCoy has an opportunity to show that he is a champion off the course, as well as on it, by letting bygones be bygones in this instance.

If he does it before Sunday he will get my SPOTY vote for good measure, despite the fact that I backed Lee Westwood some months ago!


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

After several failed attempts, Fairyhouse look set to stage one of the feature meetings of the jumps season in Ireland this Wednesday and the perseverance of those involved should be rewarded with some top-class action.


The first of four Grade 1 contests on the card is the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle over two miles and, despite attracting just the six entries, it looks sure to prove a fascinating affair. The Willie Mullins-trained Zaidpour is likely to be a warm favourite. A useful one-mile winner on the Flat for Alain de Royer Dupre and a half-brother to Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar, he was installed as second-favourite behind Cue Card for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on the back of a very impressive win in a maiden at Punchestown on his hurdling debut.

Zaidpour is unlikely to have things all his own way, though, and the most interesting of the remainder look to be The Shepherd King and Carloswayback. Both are well worth their place, with the former barely off the bridle when making a successful hurdling debut at Galway and the latter open to considerable improvement on the back of his winning start over timber at Limerick. Another that deserves a mention is Noel Meade's Perfect Smile. Although more exposed than the aforementioned trio, the son of Anshan showed his well-being with an easy win at Punchestown in October and will have no problem with the likely testing conditions.

The Drinmore Novice Chase will probably be the main focus of attention, though, with Mikael D'Haguenet set to make his eagerly anticipated chase debut for Willie Mullins. The 2008/9 Ballymore Hurdle winner ended that season with a Timeform hurdles rating of 159 and can call upon the experience of one run over fences in France. He's joined by several other exciting prospects, including Punchestown maiden chase winner Noble Prince, who has the potential to make into a leading novice in light of his smart hurdles form. The Noel Meade-trained Realt Dubh may have had his share of injury problems, but he's quickly made up for lost time since sent over fences, jumping well and readily accounting for Gates of Rome in a Grade 2 novice at Punchestown last time. Jessies Dream looked much more assured than in a couple of tries over fences last season when winning at Galway and is another to throw into the mix for what is potentially the most informative novice run anywhere so far in 2010/11.

The Hatton's Grace Hurdle rounds off the top-class action and provides Solwhit with a good opportunity to reverse form with his Punchestown conqueror Hurricane Fly. Solwhit set himself up nicely for this race with victory over Voler La Vedette in a Grade 1 at Punchestown last month and promises to be better suited by the testing two and a half miles than the Mullins runner. The likes of Donnas Palm, Mourad and Powerstation have all come up short in Grade 1's in the past, whilst this is a much stronger renewal than the one Oscar Dan Dan took in 2009/10.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Saturday's card at Cheltenham was a good a NH meeting as you could wish to see, and the racing very much lived up to expectations. Timeform look back at a day where Festival clues abounded...


We have a new ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle, Menorah now on top after his impressive success in the International Hurdle. In beating two highly exciting prospects in Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti by four and a half lengths and half a length, Menorah confirmed himself a high-class hurdler, settling matters with an impressive turn of foot before the last.

In terms of form, Menorah didn't need to improve upon what he did when winning the Greatwood the time before, but it's difficult to argue with his position as the 5.4 favourite for the Champion based on this year's runs, for all his form is still a bit short of what Binocular achieved when winning the race last season.

Cue Card lost his unbeaten record in finishing second, but emerged with plenty of credit and remains an exciting prospect. He looked to be going best turning in, but was unable to match Menorah's turn of speed before the last. The likelihood of a stronger pace should suit him in the Champion Hurdle, and he'd still be a serious contender if sent down that route (currently available at 44.0 to back), while if kept to novice company he will prove very hard to beat in either the Supreme or the Baring Bingham, currently a 3.6 shot for the former and a 16.0 chance for the latter.

Silviniaco Conti was conceding 4 lb to the pair that beat him, and ran respectably, but he wasn't quite in the same form that saw him run out a highly impressive winner of the Ascot Hurdle in November. He is another who will be suited by a better gallop in the Champion Hurdle, and is certainly no forlorn hope for that race, currently a 19.0 shot for the race.

Big Buck's still stands astride the staying hurdle division, and will continue to prove very hard to beat in the World Hurdle come March, but if he does slip up then the one to benefit could be Karabak, who proved himself as good as ever when winning the Relkeel Hurdle, for his first success since 2008/9. Karabak is at least as well suited by three miles as two and a half, and is now the 16.0 second favourite behind Big Buck's in the World Hurdle market.

Of those who finished in behind, Celestial Halo showed that an abortive spell over fences hadn't knocked him back, not far off his best form in fact despite getting hampered somewhat, while Zaynar was rather lit up by blinkers, racing too freely, and didn't shape all that badly in the circumstances.

Karabak may be the main challenger to Big Buck's in the staying hurdle division this time around, but last season the horse who could lay claim to that title was Time For Rupert, who has made a big impression in winning both his starts in novice chases this term. Time For Rupert produced a really taking performance on Saturday, firmly establishing himself as one of the top novice chasers around in landing the odds by eight lengths from Chicago Grey. His hurdles form suggests there is even better to come from Time For Rupert over fences, and he's already very much the one to beat in the RSA Chase, for which he is currently the 4.8 favourite.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Hopefully, the weather will be better this week than the one just gone and we can look forward to some regular jumps racing...


Monday December 13

Temperatures are set to rise slightly, which bodes well for the prospect of racing at Ayr and Plumpton. There is also jumping at Cork, while the all-weather action takes place at Wolverhampton.


Tuesday December 14

An otherwise quiet Tuesday may well be enlivened by the prospect of Grade 1 jumping action at Punchestown where the rescheduled John Durkan Memorial Chase meeting is due to take place, though at the time of writing the track reportedly remains unraceable. The day's other meetings take place over jumps at Catterick and Folkestone and on the all-weather at Southwell.


Wednesday December 15

The better of Wednesday's two jumps meetings is the one at Newbury , though the fixture at Bangor also looks above average for midweek fare. The polytrack action continues at Lingfield and Kempton, the highlight being a seven-furlong listed contest at the latter track's twilight card.


Thursday December 16

They go over jumps at Exeter, Towcester and Clonmel on Thursday, and on the all-weather at Kempton and Southwell.


Friday December 17

The best of six NH races at Ascot on Friday is the Grade 2 Noel Novices' Chase over two miles and three furlongs. The day's other jumps meeting takes place at Uttoxeter, with all-weather cards at Southwell and Wolverhampton.


Saturday December 18

There was a jumps wipe out on the corresponding Saturday last year, with Ascot, Haydock and Newcastle abandoned, but hopefully the weather will have picked up enough for them all to take place.

Ascot's card is particularly strong, with the Long Walk Hurdle, in which Big Buck's is sure to take all the beating, and the Ladbroke Hurdle being the highlights. The former may well prove one sided, but the latter is one of the most competitive handicaps of the season. Lingfield is the venue for the all-weather action, while there is also a card scheduled for Navan.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Menorah was an impressive winner of Saturday's International Hurdle at Cheltenham and now trades as joint favourite for the Champion at the Festival in March.


In a race that was always going to cause a shake up in the market for the Champion Hurdle, last year's Supreme winner Menorah was eventually sent off as favourite against his year-younger rivals Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti and didn't disappoint his backers.

Although Cue Card looked to be going just as well at one point, Menorah responded when asked by Richard Johnson early in the straight and romped away up the hill for a four-and-a-half length victory.

Menorah is now disputing favouritism with Nicky Henderson's Binocular for the two-mile showpiece at Cheltenham in March, with the pair currently trading at 5.5.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

There are potentially three NH fixtures for jumps-starved punters to get stuck into this weekend, and one of them happens to be just about the best card you're likely to see all year outside of the Festival. Timeform look ahead to the action at Cheltenham and elsewhere...


It may only hold Grade 2 status, but the nineteen-furlong International Hurdle (15:05) may well be the best race run over timber so far this season, with three of the top six in the Champion Hurdle betting set to locks horns.

The Supreme Novice and Greatwood winner Menorah just about sets the standard on the strength of his victory in the latter contest here last month, and currently trades at 2.92. However, Menorah probably isn't open to the same amount of improvement as either of his main rivals, namely Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti.

The former is without a doubt the most exciting novice hurdler in training, and his trainer Colin Tizzard clearly has no reservations about pitching him in at the deep end on just his third start over timber. Betfair punters certainly think Cue Card is up to the job as he just about shades favouritism at 2.90. Silviniaco Conti is certainly not to be underestimated, having produced a high-class effort when winning the Ascot Hurdle last time, and he looks a big price in relation to the front two at 3.9.

A field of sixteen will face the starter in the Vote AP Gold Cup (14:30), a two-mile-five-furlong handicap chase. Timeform ratings point to it being an extremely competitive heat, the top- and bottom-rated horses separated by just 8lb.

The market certainly reflects this view as seven of the runners currently available to back at 12.5 or shorter. A couple of recent course winners head the market, namely Dave's Dream 6.2 and Little Josh 6.8, the former coming out just top on Timeform ratings 1 lb ahead of Irish raider Psycho.

The sole Grade 1 event on the card is the two-mile Tingle Creek Chase (13:55), salvaged from Sandown's abandoned meeting last weekend. The race appears to be at the mercy of the top two-miler in training Master Minded, who looked back to his brilliant best when making a winning reappearance at Ascot last month. He has plenty in hand on Timeform ratings and currently trades at a shade of odds on 1.91 ahead of last season's Arkle runner-up Somersby 9.8 and the seemingly rejuvenated Gauvain 10.0.

There is plenty of quality on the rest of the card, with three further Grade 2 events scheduled, namely the Triumph Hurdle Trial (12:10), Relkeel Hurdle (13:20) and the Albert Bartlett (Bristol) Novices' Hurdle (15:40).

Cheltenham stages Saturday's only jumps meeting, both Doncaster and Lingfield having been abandoned. However, the all-weather action rolls on as the latter course stages a replacement fixture on the polytrack to go with meetings at Southwell and Wolverhampton.

Huntingdon's Peterborough Chase meeting was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday, and though that wasn't possible, there is a good chance that it will still take place in a new slot on Sunday, given that temperatures are reportedly set to remain above freezing over the weekend. The Grade 2 Peterborough Chase (14:05) over two and a half miles is the highlight of the season at Huntingdon and this year's renewal certainly looks up to scratch with the likes of Twist Magic, Riverside Theatre and Kalahari King all featuring among the entries.

Fakenham's Sunday card has already been abandoned, but there is hope of further jumping at Cork where there are three Graded events on the card, the best of which is the Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase (13:45) over two miles.

The day's only all-weather card take places in the afternoon at Southwell, but further afield there is top quality action in the Far East as the Hong Kong International meeting takes place at Sha Tin. The first of four Grade 1 events on the card is the Vase (06:00), followed by the Sprint (06:40), Mile (07:50), and rounding off with the Cup (08:30). There is plenty of European interest across the card, with perhaps the two most interesting contenders from these shores being Paco Boy in the Mile and Snow Fairy in the Cup.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

With so little jumps racing taking place at the moment, it's the all-weather that provides our latest race to watch.


Race two at Lingfield on Tuesday December 7, a fillies' maiden over a mile, wasn't the most competitive according to the betting, nor in the event for that matter as Hawaafez ran out a ready winner, but there was more potential than in most races of its type for the time of year.

Marcus Tregoning sent out his second winner of the month in the shape of Hawaafez, who had shaped well on her debut over the same C&D two weeks earlier. Sent off odds on against eight rivals on Tuesday, Hawaafez had little trouble confirming that promise and did little to alter the view that she's a useful performer in the making, confidently ridden off the pace and coming through to score readily by two lengths from Baisse.

Henry Cecil's runner-up Baisse has just as much potential, however, bearing in mind she was having her first start, especially as she is bound to want further in due course (High Chaparral half-sister to a useful winner at up to a mile and a quarter). Reined in early under Kelly Harrison, Baisse was staying on strongly up the inner in the straight and is expected to improve with the run behind her, particularly when she gets the chance to go beyond a mile.

Al Khatma ran her race in third despite racing too freely and will surely be found an opening in maiden company before long, but looking further back it was sixth-placed Secoya who caught the eye. Ralph Beckett's filly has shaped with promise on each outing and is almost certain to get a mark that underplays her true ability, which she's yet to reveal, again not subjected to a hard time when beaten nine lengths on Tuesday.


(Read moare at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Hopefully, the Tingle Creek which has been rearranged for Cheltenham on Saturday, won't be lost to the weather for the second time in a week, as it promises to be a most exciting contest, with two-times Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Master Minded looking to add to his success at Sandown two seasons ago.


Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has won the last five runnings of the Tingle Creek and looks to have an excellent chance of making it number six, with two of his previous winners entered, namely the aforementioned Master Minded (2008) and dual winner Twist Magic (2007 & 2009).

The market revolves around Master Minded (currently trading at 1.97), who is on something of a recovery mission this season after what was a pretty disappointing campaign in 2009/10. Although the dual Champion Chase winner managed to win last season's Game Spirit, he ran poorly when attempting to gain a third successive renewal of the two-mile showpiece at Cheltenham, leading his trainer to express doubts in the close season as to whether his star had trained on.

However, Master Minded looked more like his old self when running out a ready winner of the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot on his reappearance last month, jumping superbly and travelling really strongly under a patient ride. His performance rating for that win was 168+, which suggests that he's capable of getting back to his very best (he was Timeform rated 182+ at one point), so it's going to take a massive effort to beat him if he's on his game.

Master Minded's closest market rival is stable-companion Twist Magic, who refused to race at Punchestown late last season and was again difficult at the start when making his reappearance in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, so much so that the trainer's assistant Dan Skelton was fined for hitting the horse.

Once underway, however, Twist Magic did at least show he retains all his ability, finishing half a length behind stablemate Tchico Polos, to whom he was conceding 20 lb, and he also found more for pressure than has sometimes been the case. He's simply not an ante-post proposition, though, as there is the risk of him not even starting, while his record around Cheltenham leaves plenty to be desired, too.

Other credible contenders come in the shape of Nick Williams' Gauvain and Henrietta Knight's Somersby.

Gauvain might be eight years old, but he's lightly raced enough after missing 2009/10 to think there's more improvement in him, especially after such a promising start for his new stable, having left Charlie Mann prior to his reappearance. A useful novice for Mann, Gauvain beat Forpadydeplasterer by four lengths in a minor event at Cheltenham on his debut for Williams last month, and although his main rivals were probably below par, it was encouraging that the patiently ridden Gauvain jumped much better than he had at times for his former stable, so it's not hard to see him progressing again. At around 9.0, he's good value to take advantage should Master Minded not turn up at the peak of his powers.

Last season's Arkle runner-up Somersby is still relatively unexposed over fences, but he does have a bit to do to turn around Haldon Gold Cup form with Twist Magic, who finished three lengths in front of him. Somersby looked to need the run at Exeter, with his jumping becoming more ragged as he tired, but as well as he travelled, there is a feeling that sticking to two miles mightn't be the best way forward with him.

Kalahari King and Petit Robin both deserve a mention, too, the former having finished third in last season's Champion and sure to be all the better for his reappearance at Kelso, while the latter has himself placed in the Queen Mother, third to Master Minded back in 2009. However, places are probably what the pair will be playing for again on Saturday.

There's every chance that Paul Nicholls will notch up another Tingle Creek win, with only the mighty Moscow Flyer having taken the prize away (twice) from Ditcheat in the last eight seasons, but backing Master Minded at odds on isn't much of an ante-post play and we certainly wouldn't want to take a price beforehand on Twist Magic given his antics last time, so it might be worth having a few quid on Gauvain, whose excellent trainer Nick Williams has already worked wonders with the formerly suspect jumper.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Officials at Cheltenham are confident of beating the deep freeze for their valuable two-day meeting later this week, with a bumper eight-race card planned for Saturday due to the Tingle Creek Chase being rerouted from Sandown's abandoned meeting last weekend.


The main betting race on Saturday, however, comes some thirty-five minutes later in the form of the December Gold Cup, Cheltenham's long-standing pre-Christmas handicap chase over twenty-one furlongs, which has undergone several name changes since its original sponsor Massey-Ferguson bowed out back in 1982. This year's renewal carries the "Vote A.P." tag as it becomes the latest vehicle in the sport's orchestrated campaign for Tony McCoy to be voted winner of the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, for which the record-breaking champion jockey currently heads the betting having made the final shortlist of ten. In truth, McCoy probably finds all of this tub-thumping rather embarrassing, but he will still be very keen to win Saturday's race named in his honour, particularly as his boss JP McManus has three possible runners at this stage - Dancing Tornado, Sunnyhillboy and Finger Onthe Pulse.

This trio all contested last month's Paddy Power Gold Cup and, in total, nine of the eighteen five-day entries are set to reoppose from that race. As a result, it is hardly surprising that Paddy Power winner Little Josh figures prominently in the betting, particularly as his record of four wins from his last five completed starts over fences suggests he could still be open to improvement. It is also a bonus that Sam Twiston-Davies is now free to continue his partnership with the gelding (the rerouted Tingle Creek means he can defer a riding ban for another day) and his 3 lb claim is clearly a plus. However, front-running tactics increasingly seem to be an advantage in autumn big-field handicap chases at Cheltenham nowadays - primarily due to the course being narrowed in order to preserve ground for March's four-day Festival meeting - and Little Josh could prove vulnerable off a 9 lb higher mark as he bids to become the fourth horse to win both races in the same season. In addition, the likelihood of a smaller field reduces this perceived bias towards front runners, whilst it is traditionally a bit easier to make up ground from the rear on Cheltenham's New Course (the Paddy Power is run over the Old Course).

Therefore it could be worth giving another chance to several of Little Josh's victims from last month, though twelfth-placed Finger Onthe Pulse (McCoy's choice on that occasion) is probably best avoided due to his inconsistent profile. The patiently-ridden Dancing Tornado did very well to finish runner-up that day (still had plenty to do three out) and seems McCoy's most likely mount for Saturday, though his tendency to make mistakes could prevent him from building on that good run. Instead, Sunnyhillboy may well be best of the McManus trio, even though he could manage only seventh behind Little Josh. He was simply left with far too much to do on that occasion (not given an unduly hard time once it was clear he wouldn't reach the leaders) and remains an interesting horse for races of this nature, particularly as he's potentially well handicapped on his course-and-distance second to Great Endeavour at last year's Festival.

The only snag for McCoy is that Sunnyhillboy will have to carry just 10-02 (which is below McCoy's minimum weight in recent years) if last year's winner Poquelin stands his ground. Poquelin has an excellent record over these fences in recent years and, although his fifth behind Little Josh last month was a shade disappointing, he represents decent value at current odds despite his welter burden. Paul Nicholls is also likely to be represented by the novice Robinson Collonges, who has looked an exciting prospect when winning both completed starts this autumn, though the handicapper has taken absolutely no chances with him, whilst his jumping is sure to be put under greater scrutiny than previously.

Nicky Henderson is also set to be double handed, with the giant Mad Max likely to have his supporters again on the back of his fourth behind Little Josh, when shaping as if that run might have been just needed. It is probably significant, however, that stable jockey Barry Geraghty appears to be siding with Dave's Dream at this stage, the gelding having looked transformed by a breathing operation when running away with a two-mile handicap at Cheltenham last month. This longer trip is an unknown quantity, though.

The trip is also the main concern with Irish raider Psycho, though his recent defeat of Osana at Naas suggests that he's better than ever at present and clearly warrants respect. Similar comments apply to Mathui even though he's currently set to race from 2 lb out of the weights, the gelding simply much improved for the switch to David Pipe's stable this autumn. The aforementioned Great Endeavour looks that yard's first string and, although only sixth behind Little Josh last month, he raced rather too freely that day (also taken wider than ideal) and remans competitively handicapped.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)