Gordon Elliott seeks more success at Cheltenham

Cheltenham Festival tips: Mark Howard Portfolio Part Nine - Coral Cup

Horse Racing

Tue March 22, 2022 · 4y ago

It's week nine of our man's Cheltenham Festival portfolio and he expects Gordon Elliott to win the Coral Cup for a third time.

Racing betting tips: Chetenham Festival ante-post

1pt Saint Felicien in Coral Cup at 12/1 (Betfred, BetVictor, Coral, William Hill - NRNB)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Gordon Elliott is responsible for 12 of the 110 entries in the Coral Cup on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. Seeking his third win in the two miles five contest following the victories of Carlito Brigante (rated 142 in 2011) and Diamond King (149 in 2016), arguably his most interesting contender is the lightly-raced SAINT FELICIEN.

A five year old by Saint Des Saints, he was an eight lengths winner on his hurdles debut (15 runners) at Auteuil in France in March 2021 when trained by David Cottin. That proved to be strong form with the second, third, fourth and fifth all subsequently returning to the Parisian track and gaining victories. The runner-up Gallipoli is now a Listed hurdle winner and Grade 2 placed. Dual champion jockey James Reveley partnered Saint Felicien that day and feels he is ‘top class.’

Subsequently bought for a king’s ransom by agent Alex Elliott on behalf of Brian Acheson and Robcour, he joined Gordon Elliott but was only a novice over hurdles until the end of November last year. Making his Irish debut in the same two miles novice event at Gowran Park in November which has been contested by Grade 1 winners Douvan (2014), Sharjah (2017), Franco De Port (2019) and Galopin Des Champs (2020), he led early on and stayed on strongly to beat half a dozen rivals by upwards of two and a quarter lengths.

His jumping was slick and Davy Russell’s mount always appeared to be in control. His nearest pursuer that day was Slip of The Tongue who was only beaten six lengths by Champion Hurdle hopeful Teahupoo in a Grade 2 at Limerick next time before winning a Listed novice hurdle at Punchestown last month.

Forced to miss an engagement in a conditions hurdle over two miles three at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve having been found to be lame, Saint Felicien was back in action in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas a month later. Sent off odds on favourite, he sat close to the pace set by stablemate Felix Desjy and struck the front between the final couple of hurdles.

Headed at the last, he couldn’t match the finishing kick of the 150 rated Darasso even though he was in receipt of five pounds from Joseph O’Brien’s winner, who has since chased home the aforementioned Teahupoo in the Grade 3 Red Mills Trial Hurdle.

Considering he had been entered in the Champion Hurdle a few days earlier, it was a slightly underwhelming display by Saint Felicien, but his performance strongly suggested a step up in trip is in order. Interestingly, Elliott entered him in the Scottish County Hurdle at Musselburgh a week later in order to get a UK handicap mark. The assessor obliged and he doesn’t look overburdened off 147.

In addition to the Coral Cup, the gelding is entered in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle but the final race of the Festival is restricted to horses rated 145 or less. Saint Felicien reminds me of another ex-French five year old who won the Coral Cup twelve years ago.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Spirit River won at Auteuil in March 2009 and arrived in the UK with a similar profile. Campaigned over two miles, he stepped up in distance for the first time at the Festival and stayed on strongly to beat Tullamore Dew off a mark of 141.

The Coral Cup is a race which has been kind to those towards the summit of the weights. Sky’s The Limit carried 11st 12lb and a rating of 144 to victory in 2006, Medinas won off a mark of 148 seven years later, while William Henry edged out the 153 rated Wicklow Brave when rated 151 in 2019. It is only a few weeks ago that Saint Felicien was been touted as a live outsider to challenge Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle. He could have been let in lightly here off such a mark, especially over this longer trip.