Friday 21 November 2014 15:54, UK
This weekend promises to be another good one for fans of National Hunt racing with Grade One action at Haydock and some great supporting cards.
Philip Hobbs stole a march on his rivals by dominating the big Saturday races in the early part of the season, but Paul Nicholls fought back with success in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last weekend with Caid Du Berlais. Nicky Henderson is starting to hit top gear and Hobbs is still churning out winners right, left and centre as his momentum continues.
Let’s start off with the Betfair Chase, this weekend’s highlight. Nine horses have been declared for the three mile chase including last year’s winner Cue Card. Colin Tizzard’s eight-year old is entitled to have needed his run in the Haldon Gold Cup when fourth to God’s Own. That was his first run since finishing second in the King George on Boxing Day, where he sustained a stress fracture of the pelvis. The trip at Exeter was inadequate and we should see an improved performance on Saturday. He does have something to prove after that effort though.
As does one of his main rivals, Silviniaco Conti. His trainer Paul Nicholls is now operating at a 30% strike rate for November and his team are firing on all cylinders. Silviniaco Conti disappointed in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on his reappearance. It’s fair to say things didn’t pan out for him on ground too quick and over a questionable distance and he is bound to have come on for that run. He was third in this last year and won it in 2012. He is declared with cheekpieces for the first time which leads you to believe that his trainer felt he was keeping a bit back for himself. Like Cue Card he has to bounce back having suffered a high profile defeat, but both trainers are confident of much better on Saturday.
David Pipe is another trainer coming into this in good form. He sent out a nice double on Thursday and three winners at the Open Meeting last weekend. He runs the grey, Dynaste, who was second to Cue Card in this on his first run back last season. In the past he has run well (or won) after a break, so that shouldn’t be a concern. He was second to Silviniaco Conti at Aintree in April after winning the Ryanair at the festival. It will be interesting to see how the three rivals fare as they face off again.
Jonjo O’Neill doesn’t have his team operating at as good a strike rate as his peers, but he is sending out winners and Johns Spirit ran a cracker in the Paddy Power last Saturday. He saddles Taquin Du Seuil, whose first experience of this sort of trip came at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall and it offered encouragement that it suits him well. He was second to Menorah in that and wears the cheekpieces for the first time too on Saturday. The ground will be much more to his liking here and I’m hopeful of a big run.
Barry Geraghty comes in for the ride in AP McCoy’s absence which is another plus. Menorah doesn’t want any more rain, but if he lines up Richard Johnson will go to Haydock to ride him rather than take the good ride on Wishfull Thinking at Ascot. I think the ground will be too soft for him unfortunately. It was dry on Thursday night and into Friday when the ground was described as soft, good to soft in places, but there is heavy rain forecast on Friday afternoon and it could ease. It’s a superb contest and it’s great to see Cue Card, Silviniaco Conti and Dynaste take each other on again. Whatever the weather does it won’t concern Taquin Du Seuil. Despite the stable being a bit quiet I think the new kid on the 3m block can make his presence felt.
The Grade 3 Betfair “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle is always an interesting affair and it can sometimes harbour a well handicapped individual. David Pipe usually has something that sneaks in with a big chance and has won this four times in the past five years, but this year it revolves around the Nicky Henderson trained Volnay De Thaix, who is the clear 4/1 favourite with Sky Bet. He has 12 stone to carry after his easy win at Huntingdon. After that win Geraghty said he will jump a fence next season, so these mini-fences should be right up his street. Katkeau is one of the David Pipe entries.
Pipe won the race last year with Gevrey Chambertain and Katkeau just has 10.8 to carry, he picked up a 5lb penalty for a win at Cheltenham last week. He has had his problems, but looks progressive. Pipe also runs Vieux Lion Rouge, he has always looked like a chaser in the making.
Philip Hobbs’ Cesarewitch winner Big Easy was second to Katkeau at Cheltenham. It was a brave effort as the ground at Cheltenham was too soft for him and the same applies to the surface at Haydock if the rain arrives. Aubusson represents Nick Williams and Lizzie Kelly. The obstacles look like they will suit and this is bound to be a stepping stone to going chasing this season.
Sybarite has won his last three for Nigel Twiston-Davies. He has had six runs over fences in good company as a novice so these obstacles shouldn’t worry him. He has an 8lb hike in the weights to overcome for his reappearance win. Tim Easterby won this with Trustan Times two years ago (beat Holywell) and the eight-year-old is back for more. He won off 142, was eighth last year off 148 and runs off 147 this time round.
Spirit of Shankly has been helped by a breathing operation in the summer and came back to win at Aintree last month. He could be capable of running into a place at decent odds. Dara Tango is worthy of plenty of respect for Irish trainer Tony Martin. The seven-year-old hasn’t run over hurdles since November 2012 when fourth to Our Vinnie; beaten 1¼ lengths (his penultimate start), but came back from a layoff to win on the flat at Catterick at the end of October. That run showed he retains his ability after his layoff and he is dangerous to overlook.
The Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot has attracted a decent looking entry and Al Ferof won’t get just the one rival like he did when winning this last year. Nicholls has said that the horse will come on for the run and his main target is another crack at the King George, in which he was third last season. He has an exceptional record when fresh but this isn’t the be all and end all. Nicholls also has entered the talented but enigmatic Bury Parade.
The Hobbs-trained Wishfull Thinking has been plagued by breathing problems his entire career, but he showed how good he is when things go right when winning the Old Roan Chase on his reappearance in great style. Horses that suffer with breathing problems tend not to handle holding ground as it puts them under more strain and the ground at Ascot may not help if it’s tacky. His win at Aintree saw him beat Uxizandre who was fourth and he has franked the form in style with his win in the Shloer Chase last weekend. I hope Richard Johnson goes to Ascot to ride this horse rather than heading up to Haydock for Menorah and Big Easy, but they will be hard horses to desert.
Nicky Henderson runs Rajdhani Express, who unseated in the Old Roan Chase. Somersby goes well at this track but was well beaten in the Haldon Gold Cup. He made a bad jumping error so can probably be forgiven that. Fox Appeal is Emma Lavelle’s representative. He dead-heated with Theatre Guide at Kempton at the beginning of this month. Wishfull Thinking is a class act and if the ground is in his favour he will hopefully take all the beating.
I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the other big guns out this weekend, although many of them will be pretty short in the market. The New One makes his seasonal debut in the inaugural Betfair Price Rush Hurdle at Haydock, Melodic Rendezvous looks to be his main danger if he takes up this engagement rather than running at Ascot in the Coral Hurdle, in which Faugheen will be a real hotpot.
Melodic Rendezvous will run where the ground is softest and at the time of writing that is Haydock. He’s a real force to be reckoned with when he gets his ground. Trainer Jeremy Scott also has the option of running in the Fighting Fifth next weekend. The New One already has a run under his belt this campaign at Kempton and whilst his jumping wasn’t as slick as you’d like, he did what was required and that will have knocked the rust off him. He should be hard to beat, unless it comes up heavy and then Melodic Rendezvous would be a threat. Sam Twiston-Davies reported The New One in good form when he schooled him this week and he can take this en-route to the Champion Hurdle in March for which he is currently 100/30 with Sky Bet.
Incidentally, Faugheen is currently their antepost favourite at 3/1 and he runs in that Coral Hurdle at Ascot. Whilst he will be odds on, there are some decent horses running at fair prices in opposition. Faugheen is six from six and ended last season by winning Grade 1s at the Cheltenham festival and Punchestown. His win in the Neptune was impressive despite uprooting a couple of hurdles along the way and Willie Mullins said afterwards he thought of him as more of a chaser in the future. He stays over hurdles though and his unbeaten record is on the line, as is his position as market leading at the festival in March. He is quite a keen horse and on his first run back and over this 2m 3½ furlong trip he may run quite freely, which is a slight concern. Lac Fontana represents Paul Nicholls and this looks a good starting point for last season’s County Hurdle winner. He won the 2m 4f Grade 1 Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree after that, before disappointing at Punchestown. He seems to go well fresh, so that could have been a race too far and he looks an exciting staying hurdler this season.
Nicky Henderson’s Blue Fashion hasn’t run since finishing second to More of That at Haydock a year ago on his only start for the Seven Barrows handler. If he lines up too this race promises to be a cracker. He was well regarded in his native France and if he’s anywhere close to being fully wound up for this reappearance he should be in the mix. It’s hard to take on Faugheen for the win given his impeccable record but in the each way market I’d take a chance on Aurore D’Estruval to finish in the first three. She has the benefit of a recent run and whilst she gets an 8lb penalty for that Wetherby win, she gets a 7lb mares' allowance which will help.
Last year’s Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Vautour is set to make his debut over fences at Navan on Sunday for Willie Mullins. He is Sky Bet’s 4/1 favourite for the Arkle in March and 9/2 favourite for the JLT Novices’ Chase. He runs in the Beginners’ Chase over 2m 1f at 1.55pm. Mullins also has Ballycasey entered at Gowran Park on Saturday. He was entered in the Amlin Chase too but will stay closer to home for his first run of the season. He had a few jumping issues last season, including falling in a racecourse schooling session, but if he can get his act together over fences for his second season chasing he will be exciting. So, plenty to look forward to this weekend both domestically and in Ireland…enjoy!
Selections:
Haydock
Taquin Du Seuil in the Betfair Chase @ 11/2 with Sky Bet
Dara Tango in the Fixed Brush Hurdle @ 12/1 with Sky Bet
Ascot
Wishfull Thinking in the Amlin Chase @ 3/1 with Sky Bet
Aurore D’Estruval in the Coral Hurdle @ 14/1 with Sky Bet (each way)
Ireland
Ballycasey in the 2.45 Gowran Park on Saturday
