Galopin Des Champs and Energumene head the big-name entries this weekend as we round-up the horses you won't want to miss if the racing beats the weather.
Friday
Of course, this whole article depends on the weather Gods playing ball. It’s going to be cold later this week and some more meetings could fall by the wayside. Fingers are firmly crossed for Cheltenham and Doncaster, who have made provisions in the way of frost covers and fleecing.
Both racetracks are due to race on both Friday and Saturday and while Cheltenham’s International meeting hardly begins with a bang, it does begin with a number of horses of interest to the dyed in the wool National Hunt fan.
Take Delta Work, for example. Gordon Elliott’s horse was involved in one of the races of the Cheltenham Festival when he got the better of his much more famous stablemate, Tiger Roll, in the Cross Country Chase. He’s back, as are whisky makers Glenfarclas, for the opening Crystal Cup Cross Country on Friday, and it would be fascinating to see the Grand National third try and give lumps of weight to this cheese-wedge hopping crew.
I’m also looking forward to seeing Gentle Slopes in the British EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle. Milton Harris’ five-year-old is all set to make his hurdling debut here after bolting up by four lengths in a bumper at the last Cheltenham meeting. This might be too sharp for him but he’s a nice prospect, as is Attaca for Nicky Henderson in the Altior colours.
The rest of the card is a bunch of handicaps which should get the punting juices flowing at least. Real stars of the sport are in short supply, but Dusart is declared for the closing Citipost Handicap Hurdle and he’s a fascinating prospect.
Is he a Stayers’ Hurdler? Is he a Grand National possible? Will he end up in the Pertemps Final? All won’t be revealed after his performance off a mark of 150 in this race, but the Brown Advisory fifth is an interesting horse and his campaign starts now, following wind surgery.
Saturday
We didn’t mention Doncaster on Friday with good reason, but things step up a notch on Town Moor on Saturday and there are some nice horses all set to race if the fleecing does its job.
The bet365 December Novices’ Chase is a Grade 2 in name and, while it doesn’t quite deliver in reality, it could be worth keeping an eye on The McNeill Family’s Autonomous Cloud seeing as they have won this race with Keeper Hill and Threeunderthrufive in recent years. AC ran a cracker on chasing debut at Worcester behind the more experienced Sam Barton on October 19. In the Doncaster race, Mahler Mission and Gentleman At Arms bring the best hurdles form to the table.
On the same card, Nusret and Scriptwriter could deliver a right race for the Listed bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle, judging by their last-time out wins, while Storm Control’s dwindling mark at a track he likes makes him the one to consider from the closing three handicaps.
The really good stuff is reserved for Cheltenham, was it ever thus, with the aforementioned Nusret and Scriptwriter also entered up in the opening JCB Triumph Trial at Prestbury Park.
Monmiral could bid to shake off defeat by Jonbon in the Bearrene.com Novices’ Chase, but it’s a race his trainer Paul Nicholls has a surprisingly bang average record in. Rival Nicky Henderson has won it four times in the last nine years, though, and he had Bold Endeavour in at the five-day stage this time around. He won at Leicester on Wednesday, though, so this would be an audacious double.
Nicholls has a better record in the day’s feature, the AIS December Gold Cup, with Unioniste and Frodon (x2) having won the trophy for him three times in the last decade. Il Ridoto and Simply The Betts form the Ditcheat challenge this weekend, but who knows if his thriving protégé Dan Skelton will run antepost favourite Midnight River?
It’s not a vintage Unibet International Hurdle, but I Like To Move It is likeable and Epatante looks dangerous getting the sex allowance with no Constitution Hill to kick her out of the way this time. They look the two to concentrate on, but Nicholls’ Knappers Hill adds a layer of intrigue after he made all to beat Sceau Royal last time.
If Nigel Twiston-Davies and Nicholls don’t get to fight that race out they may well get to do just that in the next, the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Outlaw Peter represents Nicholls, Weveallbeencaught runs for Twisters. Nice prospects. It could be a cracker.
Ireland takes centre stage on Sunday, but don’t miss Appreciate It if he takes up his Navan engagement in the 2.11 Durnin Workshop Beginners’ Chase on Saturday. It’ll be his chasing debut and he could be one of the Irish monsters to bring Jonbon down a peg or two in March.
Sunday
If Appreciate It doesn’t run at Navan he could run at Punchestown Sunday in the William Beginners’ Chase at 2.35. Mullins has interesting new recruit Flame Bearer in this race, too.
The Punchestown feature is the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase and Mullins has won this prestigious contest seven times in the last nine years. Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs will be an odds-on jolly to turn that record eight in the last 10. The Irish Gold Cup winner, Conflated, heads the opposition.
From one Mullins aeroplane to another as over at Cork Energumene looks set to reappear in the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase. After Edwardstone announced himself as a huge player in the two-mile division in the Tingle Creek, all eyes will now be on the reigning Queen Mother Champion Chase hero on Sunday. Captain Guinness, impressive at Navan first time out, looks the main danger.
On the undercard, the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Chase looks potentially informative. Mullins, of course, looks to have a big chance with Allegorie De Vassy, but look out for Colm Murphy’s Impervious, as well. She impressed at Wexford on chasing debut.
If there’s one race to watch at Carlisle on Sunday it’s probably the Pertemps qualifier at 2.10. Gordon Elliott has five entries at the five-day stage, including his two-time Final winner Sire Du Berlais, while owner-mate Flight Deck, trained by Jonjo O’Neill, will be worth having half an eye on with the Final in mind. He won this qualifier last year, but didn't make it to Cheltenham in March.
Some weekend in store. Let’s hope the frost covers do their job.
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