Remastered: Could run in the Ultima
Remastered: Could run in the Ultima

Ben Linfoot's Weights & Measures | Getting in and getting on as Cheltenham Festival handicap weights released



Getting in the groove

The Cheltenham Festival handicap weights were not unveiled out of a knackered, old, red, 19th-century briefcase, but on Zoom thanks to Oli Bell and two BHA handicappers, Martin Greenwood and Andrew Mealor.

Rishi Sunak’s budget numbers will come under slightly more scrutiny today, but with now less than two weeks to go to the Cheltenham Festival it’s all about those 28 races at Prestbury Park on these pages and the release of the weights is always met with great excitement in the Sporting Life office.

It’s not quite the same working from home and I miss discussing what the Martin Pipe cut-off point will be with Matt Brocklebank by the water cooler – and canvassing opinion would’ve been hugely welcomed on this occasion thanks to a tricky set of circumstances.

Greenwood says the handicap entries are about 20 per cent down due to various reasons – namely Covid-19 with a sprinkle of Brexit thrown in for good measure – and fewer social entries (I dislike that term but can’t think of another) combined with a reduction in Irish runners makes estimating the cut-off points extremely difficult to decipher.

On top of that we have the Gordon Elliott situation. His hearing is on Friday and the BHA made positive noises today about not having the ‘intention to stop horses from running’ and ‘the will to see the best horses taking part at Cheltenham’ might well see plenty of the Elliott handicappers turn up, one way or another.

At the moment we just don’t know, but despite all of this the handicappers gave their views on what the likely ‘getting in’ mark for each handicap would be, with Greenwood estimating the chasers and Mealor the hurdlers:

  • Ultima Handicap Chase – ‘Around the 140 mark’
  • Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase – ‘Low 140s this year’
  • Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase – ‘140 or perhaps higher this year’
  • Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase – ‘30% less entries, around 135 or higher’
  • Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle – ‘Low 120s to mid 120s’
  • Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle – ‘Around the 135 mark’
  • Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle – ‘Low 130s’
  • McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle – ‘Around 133/134’
  • Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle – ‘Low 130s’

One quirk was in the Pertemps, as Monday’s rearranged qualifier at Punchestown came before the weights were released but after the cut-off point for taking into account form.

The first two from the race aren’t entered, but the third home, Milliner, is, and he probably would have been raised about 3 or 4lb to around 130 had the handicapper been able to raise him.

As it is he’s rated 126 and, ironically, that probably won’t be enough to see him get in. Lynwood Gold, who qualified in sixth for Jessica Harrington, will make the cut off 134.


The Pipe pick

Un Temps Pour Tout (left) won the Ultima twice for David Pipe

David Pipe was interviewed and his handicappers are always worth a second look at the Cheltenham Festival given he’s won 11 races of that type at this meeting since 2007.

Three of those were in the Ultima and two were in the Kim Muir – and by the sounds of it he fancied levelling those scores up given his preference was to run REMASTERED in the latter.

The handicapper scuppered that by rating him 1lb above the ceiling mark of 145, so if Pipe does go down the handicap road – and the National Hunt chase gives him an option not to – then it will be in the Ultima, a race he’s won with Un Temps Pour Tout (twice) and An Accordion.

He said: “Obviously Martin put him up a pound too high! It was a really good performance [at Ascot], it probably wasn’t a great Reynoldstown but he beat the horses that were put in front of him.

“He battled all the way to the line, which in the past, over hurdles, he probably wasn’t the most resolute, but you can’t question that this season.

“He’s a real good jumper of fences and that won him the race at Ascot.

“He’ll go for the Ultima or the 3m6f novice chase. A lot of his form is on soft-heavy ground, so we would prefer it on the softer side, but saying that I was looking through his form the other day and he finished second to a certain Dashel Drasher [on good to soft ground at Newbury over hurdles].”

It might be tough for Remastered off 146 in the Ultima. But he’s an improving novice in the right hands and if he does take the handicap route rather than the National Hunt Chase that could well be a tip in itself.

On a different note in last week’s column I highlighted the claims of Pipe’s UMBRIGADO ahead of the Paddy Power Plate and, while I was hoping for a slightly more positive update in terms of a confirmed target, all hope is not lost on that score just yet.

“If Umbrigado takes his chance... he’s not a certain runner at Cheltenham, he’s in the Grand Annual and the Plate. He’s got a lot of talent, won his last two, he’s lightly-raced, only six and still improving."


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Cheltenham Handicaps Racecards


Jonjo’s favourites

Sky Pirate wins at Warwick
Sky Pirate, the Grand Annual favourite, winning at Warwick

Jonjo O’Neill has won two of the biggest handicaps of the season already thanks to Cloth Cap in the Ladbrokes Trophy and Soaring Glory in the Betfair Hurdle and he’ll have his sights set on plundering a Festival pot or two, as well.

TIME TO GET UP is only in one race at Cheltenham, the only race he’d likely get in, the Kim Muir, and he looks to be in that perfect position of being virtually assured a run while likely to be in the bottom half of the weights.

After just three runs over fences, including a career-best performance when he won easily stepped up in trip to beyond three miles at Wincanton last time, he’s nicely unexposed with the promise of plenty more to come.

Jonjo won this race with Sunnyhillboy for owner JP McManus back in 2012 and history could well repeat itself with Time To Get Up, who still looks well treated up 8lb for that latest victory. It’s no surprise he’s trading as Kim Muir favourite.

He’s not the only O’Neill jolly in the Festival handicaps as SKY PIRATE still heads the betting for the Grand Annual despite having the Sporting Life Arkle as a serious option.

There is no doubt a hell-for-leather two miles looks right up his street judging by his transformation over the minimum trip this season, but he might well have somewhat shown his hand after two handicap victories already this campaign.

A heavy defeat to Arkle hopeful Allmankind at Warwick last time may well push O’Neill back down the handicap route, but winning at Grand Annual off a mark as high as 152 has never been done before - and it would be some achievement from this reformed character were he to break down that barrier to success.


Two more on the radar

Trainer Anthony Honeyball
Anthony Honeyball: Has an interesting Martin Pipe runner, after all

Now we’ve got the weights for the Irish team the trawling through the handicaps can really begin but there are two that I’d like to highlight while we get started.

SAGE ADVICE (20/1 General) is one for Dr Richard Newland, as he’s been on the radar for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle ever since he trotted up at Kempton in January.

He was way below that form when last in a three-runner race at Fontwell last time out, but I revisited his profile after a horse he was a close-up second to at Warwick, Cabot Cliffs, bolted up under a penalty at the same track last week.

I’m inclined to forgive him what was a qualifying run at Fontwell, as he didn’t hurdle well at all that day in the small field and he could be seen to much better effect amongst horses at Cheltenham.

The way he travelled behind Cabot Cliffs the time before makes me think he’s the sort of type that might just enjoy a Fred Winter and off 127 he’ll be of interest judging by his first two starts.

Finally, with it looking like you’ll get in the Martin Pipe if you’re rated in the low 130s there must be a good chance Anthony Honeyball’s GUSTAVIAN will get in the race off 135.

I had another Honeyball horse in mind for this race as I wrote in the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide, so my interest piqued in this horse given he emerged as the stable’s only entry.

Highly progressive in handicaps this season, he’s won his last two and scored on his first go at 2m4f last time at Uttoxeter like a horse that had any amount of improvement in him over the trip.

He’s experienced with six hurdles runs under his belt and I’m a big fan of his conditional jockey, Ben Godfrey, who has ridden 11 winners for Honeyball at 35% - including being 2/2 on this horse.

Picking a Martin Pipe runner isn’t easy right up until declaration time, but you can get 25/1 Non Runner No Bet and if he runs at Cheltenham it will be in this race.


Previous Weights & Measures


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