Cheltenham Festival: Donn McClean with five Irish handicappers to follow
The leading pundit completes his build-up to Cheltenham with five Irish horses expected to outrun their prices in handicaps this week.
You Raised Me Up (Martin Brassil)
You Raised Me Up didn’t run at Cheltenham last year. Third in the Ladbrokes Hurdle at the 2020 Dublin Racing Festival, he was an 11th-hour withdrawal from the County Hurdle, a race that was run on ground that would have been softer than ideal for him.
Martin Brassil’s horse was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle at Listowel in September and, given a nice break after that, he returned to win a good novices’ hurdle at Naas last month. He quickened up nicely that day, and he kept on well to get the better of two talented novices in Petibonome and Feelgood Island.
That is a race that Martin Brassil won in 2019 with City Island, who then went to Cheltenham and won the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
You Raised Me Up is a novice who has raced just six times over hurdles, but he proved in the Ladbrokes Hurdle last year that he was well able for the hustle-bustle of a big-field handicap. And Martin Brassil has his horses in tremendous form these days. He has had three winners a second and two thirds from just eight runners in March for a level-stakes profit of €54.
Champagne Gold (Henry de Bromhead)
Turns out, the point-to-point in which Champagne Gold finished second at Boulta in December 2019 was a hot point-to-point. The first four home have now all won their maiden hurdles and, in addition, the fourth horse, Minella Escape, now a stable companion of Champagne Gold’s, was travelling like a likely winner in a Grade 3 contest at Navan last month when he came down at the second last flight.
Champagne Gold won his maiden hurdle at Wexford in October, and he stepped up on that next time when he finished third behind Fakiera and Fire Attack in the Grade 3 Monksfield Hurdle at Navan in November over two and a half miles. Given a nice break after that, he returned in the Ladbrokes Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival last month, and he put up a career-best performance in finishing second behind Drop The Anchor.
The Irish handicapper raised him by 7lb for that run to a mark of 139, and the British handicapper has given him a mark of 144, but he still has the potential to progress beyond that mark. Out of a half-sister to Azertyuiop, the County Hurdle on Friday may be the logical race for him, but he also holds an entry in the Martin Pipe Hurdle on the same day, and he will be of interest if he lines up in either.
The Bosses Oscar (Denise Foster)
The Bosses Oscar ran a big race in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival. Held up right out the back early on, third last with a circuit to run, he travelled well down the hill and he came under a ride from Sean O’Keeffe as they raced around the home turn. No better that 16th or 17th as they straightened up for home, he was staying on well down the near side when he was squeezed out a little at the final flight, and then was slightly hampered by the fall of his stable companion Column Of Fire on the landing side of the obstacle. In the circumstances, he did well to stay on as well as he did to take fifth place.
He battled on well to win at Thurles on his debut this season, and he has finished second in both his races since, both over three miles, behind subsequent Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle winner Flooring Porter in the first, and in the hugely competitive Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival in the second.
The Irish handicapper raised him by 5lb for that run to a mark of 143, and the British handicapper has rated him 8lb higher. That sets him a tough enough task, racing off a mark of 151 in the Pertemps Final, but Sire Du Berlais won the race last year off a mark of 152 and, a six-year-old who has raced just seven times over hurdles, he has the potential to progress over stayers’ trips.
Milan Native (Denise Foster)
Milan Native was impressive in winning the Kim Muir last year. He moved to the front on the run around the home turn, and he kept on well over the last two fences to win by almost two lengths from Kilfilum Cross. He left the impression that he had more in hand than the bare winning margin, he appeared to be idling on the run-in.
His current handicap rating of 149 for the Ultima Chase is 8lb higher than the mark off which he won the Kim Muir last year, but that should be well within range. He has had a wind operation since he was well beaten in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, and the better ground should help. He is still relatively unexposed as a staying chaser, and we obviously know that he goes well at the track.
Druid’s Altar (Joseph O’Brien)
Druid’s Altar is twice as big a price as his stable companion Busselton in the Fred Winter Hurdle, but the Mastercraftsman gelding could run better than the market is predicting.
Rated 86 on the flat after winning his maiden at Listowel in September, Joseph O’Brien’s horse was well beaten twice by Zanahiyr before the turn of the calendar, but he kept on well to take second place behind Teahupoo after Youmdor’s departure in a juveniles’ hurdle at Fairyhouse in January, and he stepped forward from that last time when he won a rated novices’ hurdle at Naas.
He was challenged by Zoffanien on landing over the final flight that day, but he found lots on the run-in to win going away, and Zoffanien enhanced the form of that run when he won next time back at Naas.
That rated novice hurdle has been a good pointer to the Fred Winter Hurdle in the past. Joseph O’Brien won it with Band Of Outlaws in 2019, with Coko Beach back in third, and those two finished first and second in the Fred Winter Hurdle the following month, while Aramax won the Naas race last year before following up in the Fred Winter.
Druid’s Altar is not as unexposed as some of his rivals, but he is tough and he is talented and he is still progressive, and Hugh Morgan is a good young rider who will take off 5lb.
For more of Donn's work visit www.donnmcclean.com
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