Timeform react to the performances of Put The Kettle On and Monkfish in snaring big prizes at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Thrilling but not vintage Champion Chase
Unfortunately, Timeform’s highest-rated jumper in training Chacun Pour Soi fluffed his lines in the big race of the day, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which instead went to the admirable mare Put The Kettle On – who created her own piece of history by becoming the first mare to win the race.
However, the fact that the field finished in something of a heap – with less than ten lengths covering the first seven home – illustrates that it wasn’t a vintage renewal of the race.
Timeform chase handicapper Phil Turner said: “The gallop wasn’t anything like so strong as expected and things got pretty muddling late on, with runner-up Nube Negra and fifth-placed Sceau Royal, in particular, among those with possible hard-luck stories. The stopwatch backs up this view too, with the Grand Annual run in a faster time some seventy minutes later. Indeed, if those times were taken literally, that would make the Grand Annual winner Sky Pirate an 11lb better horse than Put The Kettle On, which clearly isn’t the case at present.”
“The poor timefigure limits the view that can be taken of the race, and Put The Kettle On must rank as a below-average Queen Mother Champion Chase winner for now. Even if the 7 lb mares’ allowance is added to her current Timeform rating of 160, there have been only three other Champion Chase winners rated lower than her this century – namely Newmill (2006), Dodging Bullets (2015) and her former stable-companion Special Tiara (2017).”
“None of that will bother her connections, though, and they deserve plenty of credit for being bold and taking on the boys here instead of the easier pickings on offer in the newly-instigated mares’ chase on Friday. She’s now won seven of her nine starts over fences, whilst the trademark battling qualities that saw her get back up here should continue to stand her in good stead.”
Chacun still tops charts
Meanwhile, despite his odds-on reverse, Chacun Pour Soi (Timeform rating c176) remains the highest-rated runner from the 2021 Champion Chase field.
Turner explained: “Chacun Pour Soi comprehensively beat Put The Kettle On by more than eight lengths on their only previous meeting and it looked for much of the way that he was going to confirm those placings – indeed, he traded as low as 1.15 in-running on Betfair after taking the lead in the straight!”
“He has posted several other performances in the past which place him a notch above what he showed here today and they shouldn’t be ignored now, for all it’s clearly disconcerting that he couldn’t get the job done after being produced to win his race. Perhaps the slower-than-expected gallop counted against him more than most as it meant he raced a shade too exuberantly, with the fuel gauge running dry close home as a result. Either way, his aura of invincibility has gone for the time being – particularly as Tuesday’s Sporting Life Arkle winner Shishkin is now on the horizon!”
Monkfish avoids late drama
There relatively few instances in Cheltenham Festival history where the result has been significantly affected by a final-fence departure.
The 2013 RSA Chase was one such case, when leader Boston Bob crashed out at the last whilst looking the likeliest winner, and Paul Townend must have briefly sensed a déjà vu moment when Monkfish got the last all wrong in the latest renewal of that race (now sponsored by Brown Advisory).
Happily, Townend was able to maintain the partnership on this occasion and the giant chestnut remains a hugely exciting prospect even though, strictly speaking, his latest Cheltenham success didn’t require him to be at his best.
Timeform chase handicapper Phil Turner explained: “Monkfish’s win at Leopardstown last month actually came in a stronger race than the one at Cheltenham today – several potential rivals dodged him to run in the National Hunt Chase instead, whilst the two closest to him in the betting today blundered away their chances early on the final circuit.”
“As a result, he didn’t need to run to his best in order to win today, but he won with stacks in hand despite that last-fence scare and remains a hugely exciting prospect.
"His Timeform rating is unchanged on 167p (he ran to 155 today), a figure which already puts him firmly in the picture for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.”