Alex Hammond previews this weekend's International Meeting at Cheltenham
Last Updated: 12/12/14 5:27pm
Cheltenham takes centre stage once again this weekend with their International Meeting.
The Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, known as the December Gold Cup, is the feature betting race on Saturday and there is also plenty of interest elsewhere on the card, notably in the International Hurdle. Can Nicky Henderson’s Vaniteux beat the established top level performer The New One?
The Caspian Caviar Gold Cup is being run at 2pm, so let’s hope that negates the problem that several racecourses have been having recently of the low sun causing the omission of a few, if not several, fences. The weather is set to be bright and sunny on Saturday, so it’s a relief that the track officials have taken the decision to run it earlier in the afternoon.
Caid du Berlais heads the market and will be a popular selection for Paul Nicholls after his win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but he’s mighty short in the market for a horse that had to work hard for that win. He’s only a five-year-old, and while the French bred horses seem to mature quicker than some, it’s a big ask to win two big chases just a month apart, even if he has only been raised five lbs for his troubles. John’s Spirit pushed him all the way to the line that day and he will have known he was in a fight.
David Bridgewater has done well with the decent horses he has had in his care, notably The Giant Bolster, and No Buts be the latest horse to fly the flag for the stable.
Alex Hammond
At the opposite end of the weights is the Evan Williams-trained Barrakilla. This will only be his fifth run over fences for the former point-to-point winner and he is still unexposed. He had his first run since the end of last year at Sandown last month and he ran well to finish third to Sound Investment.
Barrakilla was sent off favourite that day, but looked like the run would do him good and he should be a different proposition here. He was raised just a pound for that run and should be very competitive here. His stable are relatively quiet at the moment which is the only negative I can find.
No Buts runs for David Bridgewater. Bridgey has done well with the decent horses he has had in his care, notably The Giant Bolster, and this could be the latest horse to fly the flag for the stable. His horses have been amongst the winners of late and this horse comes into the race having beaten Sound Investment at Newbury a couple of weeks ago, which gives us a line of form with Barrakilla.
No Buts ran in the same Sandown race as those two rivals, but needed that outing and he is on the up. His trainer felt he won despite the track at Newbury and feels the stiffer track at Prestbury Park will be much more to his liking. He has only had seven starts over fences and jumps well so he’s very much on my shortlist.
Malcolm Jefferson sends Attaglance down from his Yorkshire base for the contest. The horse has run well at this track in the past, including at the festival in March when he was second to Present View in the Novices’ Handicap Chase. He was a bit unlucky that day and the fact that he is zero from 10 over fences shouldn’t be a completely off putting stat.
Nicky Henderson has Ericht entered in this and also the two-mile Handicap Chase earlier in the day. He was well beaten by Caid Du Berlais in the Paddy Power and has work to do to turn that form around even though he’s five lbs better off with that rival here.
Niceonefrankie comes here off the back of an incredibly easy win at Ascot for trainer Venetia Williams. He was hiked up 13lb for that win which makes life much tougher for a horse that doesn’t have many secrets from the handicapper. He looked primed for that day (he was winning it for the second successive year) and he would have to win off a career high mark (at the age of 8) if he is to win this ultra-competitive handicap.
Darna takes a step up in class for Kim Bailey having won his fourth race over fences at Sedgefield last time out. That was his first run for two years and while he didn’t beat any superstars that day, it showed he retained his ability after a long period on the sidelines with leg problems. Before his layoff he looked decent, winning three of his four starts in novice company and after a 10lb hike in the weights for that reappearance win, he needs to show some of his earlier promise. He will strip fitter for that run and is one to keep on the right side of.
Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies teamed up to win this race last year with Double Ross and the trainer has A Splash Of Ginge entered this time round. While Sam will be riding Caid Du Berlais for Paul Nicholls, this horse will be a decent ride too. He’s a useful novice and with just three chase starts to his name there should be more to come. He won a novice here on his penultimate start, but there’s no getting away from the fact he was disappointing back here last time out and has to put that behind him. His yard are firing in the winners at the moment and there’s every likelihood he could bounce back.
Philip Hobbs has been ‘Mr Saturday’ this season and he has Carrigmorna King entered. He’ll have to brush up his jumping to figure here though as he made errors when well beaten behind No Buts at Newbury last time out.
Easter Meteor will be bidding to win this for the Pipe stable, who have been pretty successful in it in the past. There are no secrets with this horse now and he doesn’t look to have been given a real help by the handicapper; he’s just one lb lower than when sixth in the race last year. His latest run (in which he pulled up) was his first for David Pipe so he may well improve.
Easter Meteor used to be trained by Emma Lavelle and she runs former Paul Nicholls inmate Edgardo Sol. He has top weight to carry and life looks tough off his current mark. So, an ultra-competitive contest as you’d expect and I’m going to take on the hot favourite with the David Bridgewater-trained No Buts who looks like a potentially nice horse in the making and looks to offer a bit more value.
Selections
No Buts in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup @ 7/1 with Sky Bet
The New One in the International Hurdle