This is the race I have been waiting for all week at Cheltenham. Thankfully it is the first race of the day and thankfully all the horses have got to the race in form and in one piece. I am not really a big Ante Post backer but I have made an exception this year.
This is surely a race to sit back and watch as Master Minded cannot be beaten. His performance last year was unbelievable and one of the best ones I have had the fortune to see live. However, his performance…
The RSA Chase or the Sun Alliance as it was called is the so called `Gold Cup for Novices` however like The Arkle Chase I dont really see a horse in this field who will go onto challenge the older horses next season. I dont think the Gold Cup is that strong but the novice chasers dont seem that good. This is in direct contrast to the Novice Hurdlers who seem well up to standard and the likes of Hurricane Fly could head the betting on WBX.COM for the Champion Hurdle next year.
Once again the meeting has had its order ruined and the opening race on the Wednesday is now the National Hunt Chase and NOT the Ballymore Properties Hurdle. Why? Im not quite sure but this was previously my favourite days racing and now Im not sure!
With four previous winners in the race (Katchit, Sublimity, Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace) there is certainly enough experience going to post to take on red hot favourite Binocular. After failing to land `The Supreme` last year he is looking to win on the only course where he has tasted defeat at over hurdles.
The second race remains The Arkle and it doesnt look a vintage renewal to me. One thing to consider though about this race, (and in fact all races at The Festival) is that the Irish horses have been running on horrible ground all winter and the better ground they may get could see some horses show improved form.
We now see racing starting at 1.30pm which is all because of customer feedback that people appreciated an earlier start. So it is nothing to do with giving people an extra half an hour after racing to drink the Guinness then?
I have been `fortunate` enough to do a couple of preview evenings over the past few nights where I was giving my views along with some proper experts about the outcome of races next week.
I will move onto my selections for the Championship races later but here are the thoughts from the experts which some of you may or may not know…
I was up bright and breezy and joined by a crowd bigger than Kempton on a Wednesday evening as Nicky Henderson galloped some of his horses ahead of Cheltenham in a fortnights time.
Unfortunately due to the crowds I missed the first lot work which included My Petra but thankfully managed to see Zaynar work alongside Caraciolla and Aigle D’Or who galloped before Binocular and The Polomoche.
After the recent spate of abandonments in Horse Racing the BHA and Huntingdon Racecourse are staging a specially arranged fixture this Sunday.
The new card, which wont feature in any diaries or old fixture lists, sees a Class 2 Hurdle and total prize money of just under £50,000.
