Check out Lydia Hislop's Road To Cheltenham update on the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Timico Gold Cup
On the same day that Cue Card was ruled out of the King George, Whisper was ruled in – despite trainer Henderson’s evident reluctance because he deems stable companion Might Bite to be “yards and yards and yards in front of him”.
He complained that the official handicapper’s entirely proportionate 12lbs rise for Whisper’s narrow loss to the well-treated Total Recall in the Ladbrokes Trophy, more than nine lengths clear of the third, was “absurd” and “the most almighty clobbering”.
But perhaps the most grating element of the reassessment soon became obvious.
“We were thinking we’d put him away for the National,” Henderson admitted. “But [the handicapper has] taken him out of that as well.”As a result, Whisper has “nowhere to go”… so he’s going to Kempton for the King George.
His Newbury defeat very much earned the right to attempt such Grade One targets, even if last season’s RSA Chase suggests his trainer’s relative ranking against the winner is largely justified.
The right-handed track might also be of concern, even though he beat Clan Des Obeaux there in the match that gained him that costly 4lb penalty in the Ladbrokes Trophy. He has looked neither as fluent nor as comfortable when racing that way round compared with his best performances.
The Grand National, on the other hand, could very much suit and it’s to be hoped that Henderson rethinks that decision, too. Connections of Blaklion will certainly hold that hope, given Whisper’s participation would be likely to add up to less weight for their horse at Aintree.
Henderson also revealed that he may not need to give Might Bite a racecourse gallop prior to his Boxing Day engagement, so pleasing has his preparation been to date.
“He’s not a horse who needs a huge amount of work. I know Nico [de Boinville, his rider] was very, very pleased with his work on Saturday,” he reported. “He seems a much sharper horse this year. He looks feisty and well and is working much better than he did last year… The place [Kempton] suits him and everything is right, so all we’ve concentrated on is getting ready for the King George.”
Sizing John definitely misses the King George but trainer Jessica Harrington hasn’t yet confirmed he will contest What-Was-The-Lexus either.
Whereas Disko ships to Kempton for Gigginstown, Outlander joins Road To Respect and Valseur Lido in that Leopardstown event where Eddie O’Leary says he expects them to encounter both Sizing John and the elusive Yorkhill. At least someone can read Mullins, then…
The absence of Sizing John enables Fox Norton to represent the late Alan and Ann Potts at Kempton, where a strong showing could lead to that horse heading Gold Cup-wards, too. His stablemate Thistlecrack, the titleholder, “schooled well this week” according to trainer Tizzard.
“We might have been a bit kind to him [before Newbury] but we were always catching up and always thought we needed a race for the King George,” he asserted, in revisionist vein. “He’s come out of it and looks completely different. He’s tightened up.”
Finally, 2015 Gold Cup winner Coneygree may be back on the track sooner than initially imagined after pulling up with a breathing issue in the Ladbrokes Trophy last month.
“He’s had his wind op and we’re looking to have him back on the track around the end of January, beginning of February,” trainer Mark Bradstock said. “If the Cotswold Chase came a bit quick, which it might, we could look at something like the Denman Chase.”
