Chacun Pour Soi can provide Willie Mullins with victory in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, according to Mike Cattermole.
Such a shame that Altior will not have the chance to defend his title in the Queen Mother Champion Chase today, which appears to leave it for the two young stars, Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi, to fight it out.
Either would be a worthy winner.
As a dual Festival hero – he has won the Triumph Hurdle and JLT Novices’ Chase already – Defi Du Seuil will be the one to beat for many after a faultless season which has yielded the Grade 1 double of the Tingle Creek and Clarence House Chases.
However, these two have clashed before of course and Chacun Pour Soi was very impressive when handing out a four-length-plus beating to Defi at Punchestown last May. It could be that Defi was not quite at his best but there was no denying that Chacun looked very good that day.
He apparently needed the run behind A Plus Tard at Leopardstown over Christmas but was back to his best when beating the multiple Grade 1 winner Min on the same course last month and he should be even better for this.
Barry Geraghty knows a thing or two about two-mile chasers and has every confidence in Defi Du Seuil but Chacun Pour Soi is narrowly preferred in what should be a cracker.
One horse who also might be capable of getting in the mix is Dynamite Dollars who was not fully wound up behind Altior at Newbury.
Envoi Allen’s form received huge boosts on day one from Abacadabras in the Supreme, Darver Star in the Champion and Honeysuckle (though Darver Star) and the unbeaten hurdler looks even more of a good thing in the opening Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Connections feel as though this is the trip needed now for last season’s Bumper winner. He does look exceptional and it will be a big shock if he is beaten.
One horse who could reward an each-way play at a massive price, though, is Shakem Up’Arry whose 11-length second to Shishkin at Newbury was not a bad effort at all. Especially as Ben Pauling reckons that ‘Arry is no two-miler and that the step up in trip is going to suit him perfectly. He may surprise a few at massive odds.
Robbie Power prefers Slate House to stablemate Copperhead in the RSA Novices’ Chase and there is no doubt that his choice has a touch of class. But Slate House also has a history of breathing problems, whereas Copperhead looks a resolute galloper as he showed when landing the Reynoldstown Chase in style at Ascot.
It was difficult to evaluate that form but Dave Bass was on the runner-up Two For Gold and he was extremely impressed; the clock confirmed it.
Minella Indo, winner of the Albert Bartlett last year, warmed up with a win at Navan in January but has only had two chase starts. He was a slightly superior hurdler to Allaho who also comes here with just two chases behind him.
That leaves Champ, who could beat all of them but whose jumping is a puzzle. He has looked anything but a natural and crashed out here in January.
The Coral Cup offers any amount of possibilities but it is interesting to see Canardier, last year’s fifth, back here under his new trainer Willie Mullins. Although Dermot McLoughlin, his former handler, is no fool. He is 4lb higher this year and Paul Townend is on Franco De Port, well held by Stormy Ireland (ran well in the Mares) last time.
Traffic Fluide was in the process of running a massive race on his comeback over fences at Ascot, only to fall at the last and running him over hurdles is intriguing as he is 12lb lower than he is over the larger obstacles. He hasn’t raced over hurdles for two years.
Dame De Compagnie will be hard to keep out of the frame. She won well here three months ago after an encouraging fifth over an inadequate trip in the Greatwood and is Barry Geraghty’s pick of the McManus quintet.
Tiger Roll is hard to oppose in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase as he bids to equal Golden Miller’s record of five Festival wins. I wonder how Might Bite will handle this new discipline?
The Boodles Fred Winter is as tough a race as there is all week but at least Repetitio has some course form, having beaten the older horses here in December and this has been the target ever since for shrewd handler Nigel Hawke.
With Willie Mullins stating that Appreciate It is one of his best chances all week in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, who am I to disagree with him?
However, Israel Champ is a likeable type who has shown smart form and looks to have a sound each-way chance.
SELECTIONS: 1.30 ENVOI ALLEN, SHAKEM UP’ARRY (EW), 2.10 COPPERHEAD, 2.50 TRAFFIC FLUIDE, 3.30 CHACUN POUR SOI, 4.10 TIGER ROLL, 4.50 REPETITIO, 5.30 ISRAEL CHAMP (EW)
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