Mark Howard has a big-priced fancy on day one of the Cheltenham Festival while he also considers a tricky-looking Gold Cup at the end of the week.
History has a knack of repeating itself. Two years ago, Altior nearly missed the Champion Chase having been found to have some pus in a foot a couple of days beforehand.
Thankfully, Nicky Henderson’s four times Festival winner recovered in time and despatched Min and co by upwards of seven lengths to register the first of his two wins in the two miles championship event. News broke on Sunday that the ten year old was lame with a splint problem and isn’t certain to take on Chacun Pour Soi and Defi Du Seuil on Wednesday.
Fingers crossed the ten times Grade 1 winner lines up this week as he bids to emulate Badsworth Boy by landing the prize for a third successive year. The trio going head to head will evoke memories of the golden era of Azertyuiop, Moscow Flyer and Well Chief in the two mile division.
The ground conditions on the opening day look set to be testing with plenty of rain forecast for the second half of Monday. However, the outlook for later in the week is more encouraging with the genuine belief the final couple of days could be staged on good to soft, which bodes well for the chances of both Lostintranslation and Clan Des Obeaux in the Gold Cup.
Despite the fact Gordon Elliott has confirmed outstanding novice Envoi Allen will contest the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on Wednesday, the opening Sky Bet Supreme on Tuesday looks a cracker.
The likelihood of stamina sapping conditions will play to the strengths of Asterion Forlonge, Chantry House and Fiddlerontheroof and may blunt the speed of Abacadabras and Shishkin. Nicky Henderson, who has won the race three times, has a strong hand and it would be folly to discount his third string Allart, who has barely come off the bridle to win novice hurdles at Ludlow and Doncaster. The Shantou gelding is a real unknown quantity.
The head of Seven Barrows throws four at the Champion Hurdle in a bid to win it for an eighth time. One of the most intriguing questions going into this year’s Festival is regarding Epatante’s effectiveness at the track.
A bitter disappointment in the mares’ novice hurdle last year, she has looked a top notcher at Newbury and Kempton this winter and we are about to find out whether she can cope with the undulations of Cheltenham equally adeptly. There aren’t the same concerns surrounding stablemate Pentland Hills who won the Triumph Hurdle but equally he needs to start finishing off his races having travelled strongly in both his outings this campaign.
The clash between Benie Des Dieux and Honeysuckle in the David Nicholson mares’ hurdle is one to saviour. The former has won eight from nine since joining Willie Mullins with her only defeat coming in unfortunate circumstances last March when tripping up at the last, while the latter has crossed the line in front in all eight of her career starts.
Something is going to have to give. Marginal preference is for the Rich and Susannah owned mare because she has been and done it at the home of National Hunt racing.
One at a bigger price towards the end of the card on Tuesday. Jeremy Scott has never trained a Festival winner but Champagne Court may redress the balance in the novices’ handicap chase. The former pointer ran very well in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow in October before recording bloodless wins over fences at Sandown and Plumpton.
Only fifth at the Trials meeting in January, it was very much a case of getting a third run in to qualify him for this and the predicted rain won’t do his chances any harm either. The seven year old ought to give us a run for our money.
Champ’s RSA Chase bid on day two will receive plenty of column inches during the next forty eight hours. I don’t think there is too much doubt that the horse named after AP McCoy is the most talented in the field but he hardly arrives on the back of an ideal preparation. The Grade 1 winning novice hurdler, who finished runner-up in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2019, overcame mistakes to win twice at Newbury before finally hitting the deck at the penultimate fence in the Dipper Novices’ Chase at the track on New Year’s Day.
Denied a confidence booster at Kelso in February, the McManus-owned gelding goes into battle with a few questions to answer. The longer trip will help but his jumping will be the key. Plus, Reynoldstown winner Copperhead and previous Festival winner Minella Indo will ensure he doesn’t have everything all his own way. The latter looks rock solid having won at Navan last time and the form has received a boost in the interim.
Minella Indo’s stablemate A Plus Tard looks one of the best bets of the week in the Ryanair Chase. The Cheveley Park Stud owned gelding won the novices’ handicap chase in a hack canter last year off 144.
Henry De Bromhead’s six year old has progressed again this term beating Chacun Pour Soi over an inadequate two miles in Grade 1 company at Leopardstown over Christmas. Quick ground meant he swerved the Dublin Racing Festival but it could prove a blessing as he arrives here fresh and is racing over his optimum conditions of two and a half miles on a left-handed track.
Frodon never runs a bad race on the New course at Cheltenham and Paul Nicholls believes this charge can win the prize for a second time, something Albertas Run managed nine years ago. Min will not be short of supporters either having finished runner-up twice at the Festival. This will be the first time Willie Mullins’ five times Grade 1 winner will have tackled the New course but I am not convinced he relishes the uphill finish.
Indeed, there must be every chance Frodon and Min will compromise each other’s chance by forcing it from the front and setting it up for the more patiently ridden A Plus Tard. Expect Rachel Blackmore, rather than Bryony Frost, to be taking the plaudits on Thursday afternoon.
Finally, McManus, Joseph O’Brien and Jonjo O’Neill teamed up to win the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle last year with Early Doors.
The triumvirate are at it again in 2020 with the Front View being well touted for the two and a half miles event on Friday. An eyecatching second at Thurles last time in Graded company, it is worth noting both Champagne Classic (3rd) and Blow by Blow (1st) contested the same ‘prep’ in 2017 and 2018 respectively before winning here.
Things tend to come in threes and with conditions set to dry out, the ground should be perfect for the five year old on Friday. Enjoy the Festival.
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