Mark Boylan
It’s hard to believe that in less than three week’s time, the runners will emerge onto the racecourse greeted by the monumental roar that signals the start of the Cheltenham Festival. In truth, the build-up to the Festival is often a tense excitement, mixed with nerves and anticipation for the season showcase and this year’s meeting holds plenty of questions in the Championship races – particularly after the departure of reigning champion-hurdler Faugheen through injury, writes Mark Boylan.
His loss to the greatest show on turf is enormous; in the National Hunt world, this is an Olympic Games without Usain Bolt. As is the case for all followers of horse racing, our fingers are firmly crossed that this breathtaking beast of a horse can return to full strength and attempt to regain his crown next season.
Wide open
Faugheen wins the 2015 Stan James Champion Hurdle (photo: Dave Boylan)
With the odds-on favourite now out of the picture, the door is now wide open for a new star to grace the Champion Hurdle stage, yet trainer Willie Mullins still holds a key player in the shape of Nichols Canyon after Arctic Fire was also found to be injured this week and out for the season. This brings the likes of The New One, Peace And Co, Identity Thief and Top Notch into the equation as well.
Without meaning any disrespect to the aforementioned horses who obviously have substantial ability, if one of them were to win the Champion Hurdle, this would have to be considered as a poor renewal by the race’s standards. However, as has been widely speculated, I believe that the Colonel of Closutton still has the ace card up his sleeve with a different Rich Ricci owned runner (who doesn’t appear to have any other live contender for the race).
Girl Power
Let’s talk about Annie Power – yes, Annie Power! Two words that brought tears to the eyes of many a racegoer at last year’s Cheltenham Festival when she came to grief at the final flight – costing punters somewhere in the region of €50m to €100m. She returned from a lay-off to coast home against much inferior rivals at Punchestown last week when showing plenty of keenness and importantly, the spark that has set her a class apart from her female adversaries. Simply put, if she lines up in the Champion Hurdle – she is the one to beat.
She can often be too free-going over 2m4f and further (as was seen in the World Hurdle of 2014) and she should be able to settle far more kindly in the Champion Hurdle scenario; there are no doubts in my mind that she has the pace for such a contest. I have believed for quite a while that this mare is certainly considered to be amongst the greatest mares of all time and I would personally love nothing more than for her date with destiny at the Cheltenham Festival to be against the geldings in the ultimate test of the hurdler. Deliberations have surely begun in Mullins’ base in County Carlow – let’s hope the dream is still alive for Annie Power to bid for glory in the Champion Hurdle.
Arkle form looks value in Ryanair
God’s Own before the 2015 Racing Post Arkle (photo: Dave Boylan)
In what looks to be the most open grade one contest of the entire meeting, many punters are on the hunt for some value in the Ryanair Chase market and I believe the second and third place finishers in last year’s Arkle hold the key.
God’s Own (Tom George) and Josses Hill (Nicky Henderson) – priced as big as 33/1 and 14/1 respectively – both hold invaluable Festival form behind Champion Chase favourite Un De Sceaux (Willie Mullins), as well the prospect of better spring ground allowing them to show their full potential.
Tom George’s charge posted a career-best performance on the first day of the Festival last year, momentarily giving a scare to Un De Sceaux’s supporters in the home straight when finishing two lengths ahead of Josses Hill. After being lightly campaigned this season, there is every reason to believe God’s Own can run similarly in the Ryanair Chase, where he is unlikely to meet an individual with the pace of Willie Mullins’ electric chaser.
Josses Hill at Cheltenham 2015 (photo: Dave Boylan)
Josses Hill similarly ran the race of his life over fences at last year’s Festival, suggesting that the Cheltenham hill brings out the best in the Nicky Henderson trained gelding. A frequently clumsy jumper, the eight year-old appears to put his best foot forward whilst racing off a strong pace which often is provided in the Ryanair.
The pair met on their most recent start at Kempton with Josses readily seeing off God’s Own, but that form should not be taken completely literally with Kempton Park a very different amphitheatre to Cheltenham. At appealing each-way odds, God’s Own and Josses Hill are perhaps a pair to keep on the right side of in this year’s Ryanair Chase.
Rocco ideal for ‘Four Miler’
The JP McManus owned Minella Rocco ran an eye-catching race in defeat at Ascot last weekend, booking his place in the National Hunt Chase on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. The Shirocco gelding stayed on very well over an extended 2m7f in the Reynoldstown Chase (grade two), giving the impression that four miles on a good surface would be well within his reach. I was blown away by this horse’s physical attributes when I saw him at Haydock earlier this season and with trainer Jonjo O’Neill usually noted for priming his horses for the most important week of the year, Minella Rocco could easily make his odds of 14/1 looks very big on the day. It’s also worth noting that Jonjo is the most successful trainer in the history of the race, landing the spoils on five occasions with Front Line (1995), Rith Dubh (2002), Sudden Shock (2003), Native Emperor (2004), Butler’s Cabin (2007).
Barters looks bombproof in Bartlett
At the time of writing, Barters Hill looks unstoppable in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on the final day of the Festival. Little is needed to be said about his profile – a perfect seven out of seven including a 12 length grade one victory. His form ties in with some of the leading novice hurdlers in Britain and Ireland and there appears to be a real lack of challengers to him in this grade one contest. With odds of 11/4 still available, Barters Hill could almost be considered as my banker of the meeting with less than three weeks to go before the most exhilarating four days of National Hunt racing.
