Our racing expert picks out the top performers from a massive weekend in the sport.
A significant weekend with so many Cheltenham pointers in virtually every category, it’s hard to believe we didn’t see at least more than one that will go on to Festival glory.
The significant performances began at Sandown on Friday when GLEN FORSA took the scalp of one of the main players for the Arkle in the shape of Kalashnikov. A race rerouted from Warwick the week before, Kalashnikov was expected to confirm his position at the top end of the Arkle market, but as it turned out, the betting for the big 2m novice chase at the Festival next month was turned completely on its head by this exciting seven-year-old. Having made the running to good advantage at Kempton previously, the son of Mahler was popped off in front to see whether he could get the short-priced favourite out of his comfort zone and it was apparent from an early stage that those tactics were having the desired effect. Jumping fast and accurately down the famous back straight at the Esher venue, Mick Channon’s soon had his main market rival in big trouble and in keeping up a relentless gallop all the way to the line, he landed the Grade 2 with plenty to spare. Even allowing for the fact Kalashnikov failed to run to his best, this was still a tremendous effort visually and on the speed figures (final circuit 4.6 seconds quicker than 131-rated older horse Not Another Muddle) and now he’s proven that he’s equally effective over the minimum trip, it would be a dangerous stance to rule him out of calculations come the Festival.
On to Saturday and it was difficult to know where to turn with so many stars on show and having been billed as one the races of the season, the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase didn’t disappoint. Having posted one of his career-defining performances over the same C&D previously, CYRNAME was a strong fancy to repeat the dose despite the level of competition going up a notch and for the second time on the spin, he left the watching crowd a gasp. Jumped off with a serious amount of purpose, Paul Nicholls’ seven-year-old was intent on causing as much damage as possible from an early stage and so it proved, as he put up one of the best performances on the clock by a chaser for some time. From Swinley Bottom onwards, it was apparent the son of Nickname had his rivals at full stretch and having been given a bit of a breather coming up the side of the course, he had enough reserves left in the tank to kick clear again in the home straight. Scoring by an eye-popping 17 lengths, he gives the handicapper no alternative but to pitch him into the 170 zone and based on this evidence, there’s not many that can live with this bold-jumping front runner when racing right-handed over this sort of trip.
Earlier on the card, a select bunch of novices went to post for the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase and in what turned out to be a war of attrition, MISTER MALARKY continued his rise up the ranks. Ridden off the pace set by the throat-cutting pair, Top Ville Ben and Now McGinty, Colin Tizzard’s gelding picked up the pieces left by the wreckage and even though he was out on his feet on the climb to the line after the last, he dug deep to find the sufficient reserves to hold on for victory. A likeable and honest type who comes from a family steeped with stamina, something like the four-miler at the Festival could well be within his range. Of those beaten, NOW MCGINTY deserves a great deal of credit for rallying to finish an honourable second after being ridden way too aggressively in the early stages and, he, too, would be an interesting contender in the same race at the Festival.
The big handicap hurdle of the day produced a convincing winner in the shape of AL DANCER and he looks bound to be one of the major contenders for the Supreme Novice hurdle off the back of this display. Despite being almost too keen for his own good in the early stages, the six-year-old grey settled down well enough mid-race to put some fuel back in his tank for the run for home and in running on strongly from the back of the second last, he pulled nicely clear of a decent field. Likely to better suited by an even stronger run race, the son of Al Namix will surely be a player of some sorts in the Festival curtain raiser providing the lid can be kept on his natural exuberance.
Although not necessarily a Cheltenham pointer, the 3m handicap on the card won by CALIPTO produced a strong set of numbers to suggest the form is worth following. Not the fastest overall speed figure on the card, the final circuit time by the winner, however, revealed the nine-year-old was operating at a pretty useful level for the grade. Held up well off the pace, the son of Califet had more in the tank than some of his more aggressively-ridden rivals when it mattered most, and that allowed him to run the last lap not only 1.2 seconds quicker than Clan Des Obeaux over the same C&D, but 2.6 better than Cyrname, who took the Grade 1 later in the day. Clearly, stepping up to 3m has been the making of Venetia Williams’ charge, and he’d rate an interesting contender if connections were to bring him quickly for the 888Sport Handicap Chase at Kempton next weekend.
Over at Haydock and the most notable performance regards the Festival arguably came via LISNAGAR OSCAR in the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices Hurdle. Not the fastest overall time on the card, but solid enough, the six-year-old gelding, however, put one of the most impressive displays by any Cheltenham festival aspirant, running the last circuit 1.4 seconds quicker than the juvenile contest won by Quel Destin over a mile shorter. Having just found enough to hold on previously at Chepstow, Rebecca Curtis’ inmate was much more convincing over this three-mile trip and the way he powered clear of some pretty useful opponents in the closing stages suggests stamina is very much his number one asset. Clearly improving at a rapid rate of knots, the son of Oscar has quite a few similarities to old stable mate At Fishers Cross, who took the Albert Bartlett several years ago, and with that contest at the Cheltenham Festival now the number one target for this likeable type, he will go there with all guns blazing.
Gowran Park also witnessed two performances of note, firstly DARUSSO in the Red Mills Hurdle. A fairly weak-looking Grade 3 on paper beforehand, the time figure suggested, however, the form could turn out to be okay and given how strong the Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding was at the finish, he could be an interesting contender for a nice pot in the future. Whether connections decide to stick to two miles or shift him back up in trip remains to be seen, but either way, the son of Konig Turf has clearly got a decent engine once in full cry and that weapon in his armoury will always come in handy as the competition gets stiffer.
MONALEE was the other star of show and he did his Festival credentials no harm by landing the Red Mills Chase with the minimum of fuss. Seemingly more at home being allowed to bowl along in front and eye up his fences over this intermediate trip, the logical target, therefore, would be the Ryanair Chase over 2m5f rather than being asked to put his suspect stamina on the line in the Gold Cup.
On Sunday, the amazing TIGER ROLL showed some established hurdles a thing or two when running out a surprising winner of the Boyne Hurdle and despite the temptation to tinker around with one or two more high-profile options at the Festival, surely connections will stick to plan-A and go for a repeat in the Cross Country Chase on-route to a tilt at regaining his Grand National crown.
CHRIS’S DREAM and CHAMPAGNE CLASSIC fought out a rousing finish in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novices’ Chase and while they each did their respective credentials no harm, they only further advertised the claims of BALLYWARD, who hammered the pair at Naas the time before. On this evidence, Ok Corral may have plenty on his plate trying to contend with Willie Mullins’ strong stayer over the gruelling four-mile trip.
