Festival Fever: The key weekend runners with the Cheltenham Festival in mind

Saturday - Ones To Watch

LISNAGAR OSCAR – 14.05 Haydock

Lisnagar Oscar may have won the Stayers' Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival, but he arguably didn't put up the best performance by a staying hurdler on the day – Sire du Berlais clocked a faster time and earned a higher Timeform rating when winning his second Pertemps Final over the same course and distance.

Last year's Stayers' Hurdle form is not strong by championship standards, but next month's renewal looks a much more interesting event thanks to the emergence of Thyme Hill, the resurgence of Paisley Park and Sire du Berlais making the switch to graded company. It's hard to see Lisnagar Oscar retaining his crown at Cheltenham – odds of 33/1 say as much – but he'd go close in Saturday's Rendlesham Hurdle if running up to his best.

The issue is that he has failed to fire on either start this season and needs wind surgery to have had a positive impact. Others make more appeal at Haydock, most notably On The Blind Side, who has been in fine form this season. (Tony McFadden, Timeform)

NASSALAM - 15.14 Haydock

There are only four runners in Saturday's juvenile hurdle at Haydock, but it is still a race high on intrigue as it features two of Britain's most promising four-year-old hurdlers in the shape of Monmiral and Nassalam.

Monmiral has won all three starts over hurdles and was impressive in the Grade 2 Summit Juvenile Hurdle at Doncaster last time, but Nassalam heads the Timeform ratings and looks the one to beat. Nassalam created a huge impression on his first couple of starts for Gary Moore, winning a couple of uncompetitive affairs by a cumulative margin of 108 lengths, and he was sent off the evens favourite for the Grade 1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle as a consequence.

Nassalam met with defeat at Chepstow, but he arguably enhanced his reputation, moving through that race like a horse at home in top company and finding only a progressive, battle-hardened rival too strong.

Nassalam should benefit from that experience and retains the Timeform 'p', indicating he can do better, so he still appeals as one of Britain's leading Triumph Hurdle hopes. The Irish juveniles, headed by Quilixios and Zanahiyr, set the standard as things stand, however. (Tony McFadden, Timeform)

SONG FOR SOMEONE – 3.18 Wincanton

Tom Symonds has been somewhat reluctant to commit Song For Someone to the Unibet Champion Hurdle, so perhaps he will be swayed definitively one way or the other following the Betway Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

The six-year-old has been much improved this season, winning the Coral Hurdle and Unibet International Hurdle at Ascot and Cheltenham respectively, beating Christmas Hurdle winner Silver Streak along the way.

He first showed he had the tools for the top two-mile hurdles in this race when it was rearranged at Kempton last year, and with his runs since then in mind it would be no surprise if he emerges as the chief threat to the mares Honeysuckle and Epatante in the Champion.

Symonds is pondering Aintree as an alternative to Cheltenham, while suggesting he wouldn’t run at both spring festivals, so Saturday’s race looks an important one with his next target in mind.

Another victory in good style in a key Champion Hurdle trial might just force Symonds’ hand, but this looks no gimme with Navajo Pass and Goshen in the field. (Ben Linfoot)

GOSHEN – 3.18 Wincanton

Could Goshen still develop into a Champion Hurdle contender this season?

We’ll find out on Saturday as he bids to right the wrongs of his seasonal reappearance when he pulled too hard to do himself justice at Cheltenham, where he weakened to a 29-length last behind Song For Someone.

Sent off the 6/4 favourite that day, his five-year-old season was eagerly awaited following his unlucky unseat in last year’s Triumph, where he got rid of Jamie Moore with the race at his mercy.

Given how the second, third and fourth from that race, Aspire Tower, Allmankind and Navajo Pass, have performed this season, there is no doubting the natural ability of Goshen, it’s just a question of if his energies can be channelled in a positive way at this stage in his career.

A small field, but good quality, Kingwell is an ideal test for him. He gets 6lb from both Song For Someone and Navajo Pass, too, so the opportunity is there for him to re-establish himself as a major Champion Hurdle player. (Ben Linfoot)

CYRNAME – 3.35 Ascot

It all went wrong for Cyrname in the King George on Boxing Day, but when he finds himself in times of trouble a return to 2m5f at Ascot usually does the trick.

Admittedly, last year, in the 2020 renewal of the Betfair Ascot Chase, things didn’t work out so well. Sent off the 4/11 favourite to bounce back from his 2019 King George beating, he fell at the last when his winning chance had already gone.

But if the Cyrname that put together three superlative performances together over this track and trip in 2019 turns up, then they are all playing for place money.

Indeed, if the Cyrname that won the Charlie Hall earlier this season is on view you can probably say the same, and Paul Nicholls has applied cheekpieces in a bid to ensure his 172-rated chaser (he’s 13lb clear on official ratings) is on his A-game.

Now he’s proven himself left-handed the Cheltenham Festival is more on the radar for this horse than ever before, but a home game win looks essential on Saturday if we’re to see him in the Ryanair or even Gold Cup at Prestbury Park next month. (Ben Linfoot)

THE WORLDS END – 17.00 Haydock

The Worlds End showed smart form in novice chases a couple of seasons ago and won the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot last term. He clearly possesses more natural ability than most horses he will meet in hunter chases, so it's understandable that he was well backed on his first start in that sphere at Warwick this month.

The Worlds End, on his second outing for Olly Murphy having left Tom George, failed to justify that support and finished third, running to a level some way shy of what the Cheltenham Hunters' Chase favourite Billaway has achieved in Ireland this season.

You couldn't rule out a better effort from The Worlds End given the level he reached at his best, but the suspicion is that he's not as good nor reliable as he once was, which will make him vulnerable in the top hunter chases. (Tony McFadden, Timeform)

Sunday - Ones To Watch

COKO BEACH – 1.05 Navan

Coko Beach’s novice chasing season took a serious step forward when he beat much more experienced horses in the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran at the end of January.

That was his first run in blinkers and his first go at a trip three miles or over, but he belied his relative inexperience to run out a ready four-length winner off a mark of 138.

Bumped up to 150 after that, his attentions are now switching from handicaps to the top novices and he’s still in everything bar the Sporting Life Arkle at Cheltenham, with the National Hunt Challenge Cup looking his most likely port of call at present.

Gordon Elliott has a fantastic record in that race, but he already has the favourite in Galvin for it this year, so perhaps Coko Beach can put forward his claims for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase when he lines up in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan on Sunday.

Either way, he’s one to keep a close eye on this weekend with the Festival in mind. (Ben Linfoot)

LOSTINTRANSLATION – 14.25 Newbury

Lostintranslation proved he was a top-class chaser when beating Bristol de Mai in that horse's cup final in the Betfair Chase at Haydock last season, and he ran a cracker when a close-up third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

It's easy to make a case that 25/1 for this year’s Gold Cup is too big a price for a horse of his ability, especially as none of last season's novices has taken a big step forward and made a compelling case, but there are significant questions that need to be answered after two dismal efforts this season. He was well beaten in the latest renewal of the Betfair Chase and his physical frailties were again evident in the King George as he was pulled up having bled.

The Tizzard yard is going better now than it has for most of the season but, on balance, Lostintranslation remains one to oppose until he starts to show more spark. Clan des Obeaux was also below his best in the King George last time, but he at least ran respectably and is the one they all have to beat in the Denman Chase. (Tony McFadden, Timeform)

TIGER ROLL – 2.47 Navan

There has been a lot of Tiger Roll chat this week after the Randox Grand National weights were released and he takes another step towards Aintree at Navan on Sunday.

The Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle has become a familiar prep for him ahead of the spring festivals and it said something about his 2019 superpowers that he was able to win this race after 93 days off as a prep for what were brilliant Cheltenham Festival and Grand National successes.

Last year he wasn’t as impressive in a 14-and-a-half-length fifth, but it still served as a nice stepping stone towards the Cross Country where he was blown away by Easysland.

Pulled up when last seen in the Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in November, victory is not important on Sunday, but a performance with at least a hint of sparkle is, and Gordon Elliott won’t want him to be beaten too far ahead of his spring campaign.

The small matter of going for a fifth Cheltenham Festival win will hopefully be on his agenda after this, before a shot at history at Aintree. We just need to see the sparkle. (Ben Linfoot)

FURY ROAD – 2.47 Navan

Tiger Roll is not Elliott’s only concern in the Boyne Hurdle and his Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle hopeful Fury Road will be better fancied to get back on the winning trail in the race.

He looked in great nick when kicking off his season with a comfortable victory in a Grade 2 at Punchestown in November, but couldn’t justify 13/8 favouritism in the Grade 1 Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle at a time of year when a few of Elliott’s didn’t perform to their best.

That race was dictated by Flooring Porter after he was gifted an easy lead, though, so this gives Fury Road the chance to get his head back in front - although the 2m5f trip might be on the sharp side for such a dour stayer.

His neck third to Monkfish in last year’s Albert Bartlett, where he was ahead of the unlucky-in-running Thyme Hill, is a good indicator of this horse’s class, however, and victory at Navan would be a timely reminder of his Cheltenham claims. (Ben Linfoot)

CHAMP – 15.00 Newbury

You would have got a big price about Champ's next race being over two miles after watching him surge up the punishing Cheltenham hill to win the three-mile RSA Chase on his final start of last season.

That was a remarkable effort from Champ, who looked held for most of the straight before Barry Geraghty conjured a power-packed finish to overhaul Minella Indo and Allaho inside the final 50 yards. That is a top-class piece of form and there's little doubt that Champ is the most talented horse in the Game Spirit, while Newbury is clearly a course that plays to the strengths of this imposing type as he has won all four starts at the venue.

However, he has never run at a trip around two miles over obstacles and it is surely well shy of his optimum given how strongly he stayed in the RSA.

The specialist two-milers ought to have too much speed but Champ – who has had a wind operation since last seen – should find this first racecourse appearance for 11 months aiding his preparation for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. (Tony McFadden, Timeform)

CADZAND – 15.35 Newbury

Novices have an exceptional record in the Betfair Hurdle and have won seven of the last ten renewals. It is, therefore, unsurprising that two novices head the betting for this year's renewal in the shape of Soaring Glory and Cadzand. Soaring Glory is making his handicap debut but Cadzand made the most of a generous opening mark at Kempton in December, readily quickening three and a quarter lengths clear of his rivals in the style of a horse with a fair bit more to come.

He has a 9 lb higher mark to contend with here but, given his upwardly-mobile profile, deserves to be high on any shortlist. His Cheltenham target will depend on how he fares in the Betfair Hurdle. If he wins the Betfair Hurdle off a BHA mark of 138 it is likely he would be towards the head of the weights in the County Hurdle (last year's topweight ran off a mark of150).

The Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, for which he holds an entry, would then come into the reckoning, and the likes of Get Me Out of Here, My Tent or Yours and Kalashnikov have all gone close in the Festival opener after winning the Betfair Hurdle.

Cadzand would probably need to win the Betfair Hurdle to justify that entry, however, as his Timeform rating of 136 is 12lb lower than Appreciate It's figure. (Tony McFadden, Timeform)