Matt Brocklebank highlights a handful of horses who are still worth considering when taking the Non-Runner No-Bet concession into account.
LORD ACCORD – 14/1 (Ultima Handicap Chase)
Neil Mulholland laid his cards on the table some time ago with Lord Accord, nominating the Ultima as his big spring target, and the local trainer is looking to take the same route as the same stable’s The Druids Nephew who had his previous start in the Cleeve Hurdle prior to winning the Festival handicap in 2015.
With a rating of just 137, he was looking in danger of missing the cut before Wednesday's six-day entries were revealed, which now leaves him needing only three to drop out in order to definitely make the Tuesday race.
Mulholland has sensibly put him in the Kim Muir as back-up but he'd be a bit unfortunate to be balloted out of the Ultima now and although the threat of some significant rain would be a negative for Lord Accord, that might not materialise until later in the week anyway. If it happens to be deemed too wet we’re nicely covered by the NRNB concession.
GAILLARD DU MESNIL – 6/1 (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase)
Willie and Patrick Mullins appear to have been in a mini-battle over this horse’s Cheltenham target from the start if the year, and the amateur jockey hinted strongly that he’d be ideally suited to the National Hunt Chase – a Grade 2 contest over the 3m6f trip on Tuesday.
However, the very latest from the trainer is that the experienced seven-year-old is still giving him a bit of a “headache” and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he ended up having another shot at the Grade 1 on Wednesday, with the same owners also having Ramillies for the longer race (he’s also entered in the Brown Advisory but has no Grade 1 experience).
Third in the race last year behind L’Homme Presse and Ahoy Senor, Gaillard Du Mesnil has not quite matched that level of form in three starts this season but he has run well in another trio of top-class novice events, winning on the only occasion he’s been asked to tackle 3m.
I’ve backed Gaillard Du Mesnil for the Grand National antepost and the NH Chase would obviously be the less taxing ‘prep’ for Aintree, but I’m keen to oppose the relatively raw Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory and reckon 6/1 could quickly become 5/2 if Mullins’ grey horse runs in this instead.
SAINT ROI - 9/1 (Grand Annual Handicap Chase)
Mullins has left Saint Roi in the Sporting Life Arkle at the six-day stage but the horse has a much better chance of winning the Grand Annual the following afternoon and JP McManus seems unlikely to miss the trick.
Saint Roi hacked up in the County Hurdle when heavily backed here three years ago, and was third to Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle just last March. While things have been up and down since then, he did win a Grade 1 novice chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and is totally unexposed after three starts over fences.
He didn’t get further than the fifth in the red-hot Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out but that’s surely going to coax connections down the handicap route at Cheltenham as they won’t go quite as quickly as in the championship race. He’ll be held up as usual though and those tactics often pay dividends in this race in particular.
IRISH HILL – 14/1 (Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle)
On the subject of potentially not making the final field, it’s going to be quite tight for Irish Hill but the Coral Cup tends to cut up far more than most of the other Festival handicaps due to so many cross-entered horses who have the County Hurdle and the Martin Pipe as alternative options (not to mention the Grade 1 novices).
Paul Nicholls couldn’t hide the fact he’s absolutely desperate for Irish Hill to get into Wednesday’s race, meaning Harry Cobden would be able to keep the ride having been on board for two of the horse’s three wins this season.
That includes last time out at Ascot when winning a really competitive contest, one which could receive a notable boost this weekend with runner-up Zoffany Bay among the favourites for Saturday’s Imperial Cup at Sandown.
Nicholls was responsible for the last five-year-old winner of the Coral Cup (Aux Ptits Soins) and although that one had a very different profile as he was making his debut in the UK after being snapped up from France, Irish Hill looks one of the most progressive handicappers in the champion trainer’s yard and a revised rating of 134 won’t be beyond him in time.
MONVIEL – 33/1 (County Handicap Hurdle)
Zoffany Bay has a leading chance in the Imperial Cup but I’m also going to keep a close eye on how Monviel gets on as he’s another with a Festival entry to his name (County Hurdle).
An unexposed six-year-old, Monviel ran with promise when eighth in the Imperial Cup 12 months ago and it’s worth stressing the ground was pretty atrocious and it was his handicap debut.
It’s no surprise then that he put that experience to good use first time back this season at Ascot, bolting up from the front under a low weight.
The assessor hit him quite hard with a 10lb hike and Philip Hobbs set the horse another stiff task in the Betfair Hurdle last month but he again ran well, looking to find the ground too quick but plugging on after a mistake three from the finish.
Monviel has little or no chance of making the cut for the County as things stand but a 5lb penalty could bring him into the equation with enough defectors and he’s definitely another young horse with a lot more to offer going forward.
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