IT HAS been a frustrating few days for me personally with my mounts all running well without winning, but at least I still have Cue Card to look forward to in the Gold Cup on Friday and I’m really buzzing about that.
It’s mostly a watching brief for me today, though, with only the one ride, Smart Talk for Brian Ellison in the new race, the mares’ novices hurdle. Like Cue Card, I’ve never lost on her, winning twice, and she goes into today as second favourite on the strength of her wins in class one contests at Haydock and Doncaster. Those wins were on different types of ground but I’ve no doubt that she prefers it closer to the heavy ground she won on at Haydock than the good ground it was at Doncaster.
That’s my only worry about her today. She would prefer it to be a bit softer to be at her absolute best but, that said, I’d still fancy her to run a big race and get placed at the very least. The handicapper has her on 149 and if he’s right she will be bang there, but I’d have to have huge respect for the odds-on favourite Limini.
Ruby Walsh has been talking about her in the same ‘banker material’ bracket as Douvan and that would have to have her rivals worried. I’d love to be riding in the World Hurdle and if I was there would only be one horse I’d be interested in. Hopefully, Thistlecrack can put the Colin Tizzard stable in good heart ahead of the Gold Cup and I make him my absolute banker of the week.
He really looks as unbeatable as a horse could be. His trials were so impressive, especially the Cleeve at Ascot, and if he runs like that today nothing will get near him. He’s a real machine. Ground won’t be an issue either as his win at Aintree last year was on ground similar to today.
As for his rivals, you could run the race without Thistlecrack half-a-dozen times and have half-a-dozen different winners, so there’s nothing in his league.
I wouldn’t be so keen on the short-priced favourite in the other big race of the day, the Ryanair Chase.
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Vautour has been re-routed there instead of the Gold Cup because he’s supposedly only 90 per cent fit. He might still be good enough to win today, but the fact that he’s not 100 per cent would make me go looking for value against him and I would look no further than Al Ferof at 14/1. He’s 11 now but he showed he’s not past it when third in the King George behind Cue Card. To me that’s the best trial for today’s race that’s been run this season. Al Ferof loves Cheltenham, having been second to Cue Card in the 2010 Bumper before winning The Supreme the following year.
The rest of today’s action looks very competitive but I wouldn’t put anybody off having a few quid on Garde Le Victoire for the Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson team in the JLT Novices’ Chase. He’s vying for favouritism with Bristol de Mai but I think he has the beating of him, having already beaten him on good ground.
Bristol de Mai would definitely prefer it softer in my book and Garde le Victoire looks absolutely rock solid.
ALTHOUGH I haven’t had a winner this week, it was an absolute pleasure to have a bit part in one of the most exciting Cheltenham moments in recent years, with Sprinter Sacre winning his second Champion Chase.
It must rank as one of the best training performances of all time for Nicky Henderson to bring Sprinter Sacre back to his best and claim the scalp of a horse of the calibre of Un De Sceaux in such fine style.
The race was run just as I thought it would be, and it really was exhilarating to watch it unfold on my fella, Gods Own. I couldn’t have been happier with how he ran to finish fourth and it’s very much onwards and upwards for him.
He will go to Punchestown next month, a track at which he is already a Grade One winner and will be a serious force to be reckoned with. Yesterday was only his third run of the season and his first back off a long break and where some of his rivals might go to Punchestown feeling the effects of a long season, Gods Own will be fresh as paint and a huge player.
