Cheltenham Festival analysis: Novice chasers of interest including Two For Gold and Annamix

What is Annamix, exactly?

It's a fair question.

He was antepost favourite for the 2017 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle. And he was antepost favourite for the 2018 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

But the near-mythical Annamix wasn't sighted until December 2018, and he was beaten at 4/6 in a Limerick maiden. He did go on to win the following March - admittedly at Clonmel rather than Cheltenham - but was then beaten at a short price on his seasonal return at Fairyhouse in November.

A switch to chasing? You betcha. And an 11-length win no less on his first public start over fences at Fairyhouse (2m1f) earlier this month.

So we're vaguely up to speed, but where now?

It seems connections aren't exactly clear on that one as he's not entered at the Dublin Racing Festival but has been given three novice options at the Cheltenham Festival - namely the Arkle, the Marsh and the RSA.

Trainer Willie Mullins likes to keep his options open and he has done so again with his novice chasers this week, but he's only got two others entered in all three of the aforementioned races - Annamix joined by Easy Game and Tornado Flyer on the "just put him in everything" list.

He'd be a left-field Arkle contender (33/1 at time of writing) and may skip Cheltenham altogether with Fairyhouse and Punchestown a well-trodden alternative route for the yard. But it's definitely worth keeping track of his entries to see if he can muscle in on the action at Prestbury Park between now and the middle of March.

Conditional love

Having been entered for the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup prior to his run in the Classic Chase at Warwick earlier this month, one could be forgiven for overlooking the fact that The Conditional remains a novice over fences.

David Bridgwater admitted the big entry was a shade fanciful but wanted the option after his Irish import was raised to a mark of 142 from 137 following an eyecatching, and highly creditable, second in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury.

He was beaten quite a long way in the end at Warwick (22 lengths to be precise) but moved extremely well again through the race and his rating being eased a couple of pounds back to 140 may ultima-tely (you're way ahead here) prove to be a touch hasty.

Did someone mention the Ultima? Well, despite the RSA Chase and National Hunt Chase being added to his Gold Cup entry on Thursday, The Conditional would still appear most likely to be aimed towards the big, three-mile handicap on day one of the Festival.

He won in taking fashion over the same course and distance (exactly the same in this instance) as the Ultima at the Showcase Meeting earlier this season and he's now only 9lb higher than for that success.

He's not run a bad race since and, back over three miles and a furlong, on spring ground, he could still have a little room for manoeuvre in his battle with the assessor.

Fakir fancied to head down Marsh street

The Dublin Racing Festival will teach us a huge amount in both the novice hurdle and novice chase divisions, including which Cheltenham race Fakir D'Oudairies will be geared towards.

The Irish Arkle is among the most eagerly-anticipated races at Leopardstown as there appears a very strong crop of promising chasers in Ireland this year.

The likes of Bapaume, Melon, Cash Back and Notebook have all put down significant markers and Fakir D'Oudairies obviously found Notebook a bit too hot to handle when last seen over Christmas.

Prior to that he'd won his own Grade One over two and a half miles at Fairyhouse on December 1 and it's no surprise he has been given an entry in the Marsh Novices' Chase, as well as the Racing Post Arkle.

He's available at 12/1 for the former race whereas he's generally 5/1 (as big as 13/2 with the odd firm) in the Arkle betting and that doesn't quite add up.

The intermediate trip seems certain to suit come March, and beyond, and unless he wins well over the minimum distance at Leopardstown next weekend then that is more than likely where we'll see him at Cheltenham.

Champ is on the up

One entry for Champ at the Cheltenham Festival - in the novice ranks at least - with the RSA Insurance Novices' Chase the target for Nicky Henderson's eight-year-old star.

He's had three starts over fences so far this term but not gone beyond two miles, six and a half furlongs, while he was seemingly on the way to an easy victory before falling in the Dipper Novices' Chase over the extended two miles, four furlongs at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

So it was widely expected that Champ would retain the option of the Marsh Novices' Chase over the same course and distance as the Dipper (near as damn it anyway, strictly speaking the Dipper is run over 2m4f127yds, the Marsh 2m3f168yds - both on the New Course).

Henderson seems keen to run him again before the Festival with that late concentration failure in mind and, with the Marsh now effectively ruled out and the RSA his clear aim, we can presumably expect to see him stepping up to three miles for the first time this season in Ascot's Reynoldstown Novices' Chase in the middle of February.

It seems highly unlikely at this stage, but if he were to fall again in the build-up or suffer another chasing mishap then perhaps the Stayers' Hurdle - his only other Cheltenham entry - might come under consideration.

Go for Gold in NH Chase

Kim Bailey has quite a big call on his hands with Two For Gold, who looks to have earned a shot at one of the major races at Cheltenham after battling brilliantly to beat Hold The Note in the Hampton Novices' Chase at Warwick.

The runner-up has been extremely well supported for the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase subsequently and Two For Gold could potentially still tackle the Ultima, a race in which novices have done quite well in recent years, but that doesn't seem to be on connections' minds at present.

And why should it?

With a revised mark of 146 Two For Gold is getting towards RSA territory and could get the opportunity to enhance those claims in the Reynoldstown.

But I'd love to see this horse taking on the likes of Carefully Selected and Champagne Classic in the National Hunt Chase.

He's got National all over him further down the line which bodes pretty well considering he's only seven and 3-3 over fences. And his jumping is absolutely superb, something that can't quite be said of the big Irish duo at the top of the antepost NH Chase betting.

There are shades of Native River about Two For Gold, who wears his heart on his sleeve, and the prospect of him jumping away at the head of affairs over three and three-quarter miles on March 10 should be getting us all in the mood.

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