FABULOUS fare this weekend with Cheltenham leading the way and Thistlecrack fully expected to cement his position as the most exciting chaser either side of the Irish Sea.
So brilliant in the staying hurdle division last year, he has rewarded every single bit of faith the Colin Tizzard team had in him by making a rapid ride to the top over fences as a novice.
The icing on the cake so far was his display in the King George VI Chase at Kempton over Christmas, with a bold-jumping display that left his stablemate Cue Card toiling.
Although on paper not facing that sort of test in the BetBright Trial Cotswold Chase, his one less-thanperfect performance this season was here a couple of runs ago and his jumping and ability to really come up the hill in March over three and a quarter miles is going to face an examination from the likes of Many Clouds.
The stable has not been in the greatest of form just of late, either, but such is his engine it will be a shock of almost seismic proportions if the seven-year-old has not done more than enough jumping the last and is anything but still odds-on for the Gold Cup when the dust has settled.
Un De Sceaux must take all the beating in the rearranged Clarence House Chase.
Willie Mullins’s charge might have been given something to think about by Ar Mad had the race taken place as planned last week at Ascot, but Gary Moore has now opted to swerve the Grade One and wait for Ascot next month.
In his absence, Special Tiara, who was not in the race originally, could be the one to give the favourite most to think about, although he has never actually won at Cheltenham.
If the Philip Hobbs-trained Defi Du Seuil is as good as he looked at Chepstow at Christmas he cannot be opposed in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.
The four-year-old slammed the useful Evening Hush by 13 lengths in the Finale Hurdle, leaving connections of the well-regarded runner-up scratching their heads.
Unowhatimeanharry is shaping up as very much this year’s Thistlecrack for the long-distance hurdles and should continue in that vein in the Cleeve Hurdle.
Starting in a handicap hurdle in November 2015 at this track, Harry Fry’s budding superstar is on an eight-race winning streak that has taken in victory at the Festival in the Albert Bartlett.
Southfield Royale should give a bold account in the Sky Bet Handicap Chase at Doncaster.
The seven-year-old ran a fine fourth in the four-miler at Cheltenham last March, having finished second in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton before that.
He has not been seen since disappointing at Punchestown, when, in all probability, Cheltenham had left its mark.
He has reportedly taken a bit of time to come to hand, but clearly has more to come over fences and trainer Neil Mulholland has been well amongst the winners of late.
Vroum Vroum Mag has a real dash of class to proceedings on Town Moor, where she is impossible to oppose in the olbg.com Doncaster Mares’ Hurdle.
Her one defeat since joining Mullins came in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, but normal service was quickly resumed in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Always a bit under the radar with stablemates Annie Power and Faugheen grabbing the attention, the hope is she will again take a leading role at Cheltenham in March, where she has a plethora of entries, over fences as well as hurdles.
Cloudy Dream is taken to continue his progression in the Sky Bet Lightning Novices’ Chase.
Malcolm Jefferson has a really nice team of horses this season and Cloudy Dream has played his part so far, winning his first two starts over fences and finding only the exciting Buveur D’Air too good at Haydock.
Jefferson’s strength in this division was nicely evidenced last weekend whenWaiting Patiently floored hotpot Politologue at Haydock.
The expensively-bought Give Me A Copper looks a real chaser in the making but there are good races to be won with over the smaller obstacles first and the Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle fits the bill.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
Nap: Southfield Royale (3.40: Doncaster)
Double: Defi Du Seuil (12.00: Cheltenham)
Treble: Un De Sceaux (1.45: Cheltenham)
Yankee: Thistlecrack (2.15: Cheltenham)
