CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL (Day 2)

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.. The Cheltenham Festival . Day 2


The best news of the day was that Annie Power and Ruby Walsh got up, unscathed. Once you knew that she did and he did, you could set about trying to assimilate the day. Some day.

You knew that the Willie Mullins team was strong, and that it was a little front-loaded, that a lot depended on the opening day. But to genuinely expect four winners would have been to look at the glass and conclude that it was overflowing. And it wasn’t just four winners, it was the 1-2-3 in the Champion Hurdle as well as the 1-2 in the Supreme to boot. It was a day of days for the champion trainer.


Three winners for Ruby Walsh including the Champion Hurdle, two for Paul Townend, one for Barry Geraghty, one for JP McManus and Gordon Elliott and Jamie Codd, five Irish-trained winners and the 1-2-3 in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for Irish trainers to go with the Mullins 1-2-3 in the Champion. St Patrick’s Day is next Tuesday, not this Tuesday, right?


The Mullins juggernaut may continue on Wednesday. Closutton representative Nichols Canyon has been favourite for the Neptune Hurdle for a while now, but it may be that his stable-companion Outlander could have his measure. The Gigginstown House runner was a really progressive bumper horse two seasons ago, he won his first three and was so highly regarded that he was sent off as favourite for the Champion Bumper at Punchestown in 2013.


We didn’t see the Stowaway gelding after than until he made his debut over hurdles at Fairyhouse last November, and he duly landed the odds in impressive fashion. He was beaten by Martello Tower in a Grade 3 race at Limerick’s Christmas Festival on his next run, but that was over three miles on heavy ground, and Martello Tower is a really talented young staying hurdler, high in the betting for Friday’s Albert Bartlett Hurdle. He lost no caste in getting out-stayed by Barry Connell’s horse.


Back over two and a half miles at Leopardstown in January, Outlander exacted his revenge on the Mags Mullins-trained gelding. Not only that, but he travelled well through his race and he showed a really impressive turn of foot on the run to the final flight to put the race to bed.


Two and a half miles appears to be his optimum trip for now, he goes well on goodish ground, and that turn of foot could be a potent weapon in the context of this race.


Continuing the theme, Champagne Fever could provide the champion trainer with his first ever Queen Mother Champion Chase.


Thought of as a potential Gold Cup horse at the start of the season, the grey – another Stowaway gelding – just didn’t get home in the King George on his first attempt at three miles in December. He raced a little too keenly through the early stages of the race and, while he travelled well into the home straight, he faded over the final two fences, as his early exertions took their toll, to finish fourth.


Dropped back down to two and a half miles, he fell at the last fence in the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles when he was being challenged by Don Cossack, but Don Cossack is a high-class horse, a worthy favourite for Thursday’s Ryanair Chase. Also, Champagne Fever looked very good on his most recent run, also over two and a half miles, in landing the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last month. That was a good confidence-booster, an ideal springboard to Cheltenham.


While Champagne Fever is ostensibly bred for stamina, it is over two miles that he has excelled at the Cheltenham Festival. He won the Champion Bumper three years ago, he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle two years ago and he was beaten a head in the Arkle last year. We know how important previous Cheltenham Festival form is in the context of this week, and Susannah Ricci’s horse is almost three for three in Grade One races at the Festival over the minimum trip.


A strongly-run race over two miles at a stiff track on good ground could represent optimum conditions for him. And at least we know that the yard is in form...

Donn McClean

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Cheltenham

Horse

15.20 1 CHANPAGNE FEVER
15:20 2 CLARCAM


Huntingdon

Horse


14:55 4 Red Anchor
17:30 10 Chipenko 11 Cougar Kid

Southwell

Horse


14:30 2 Age Of Innocence 7 Khajaaly
17:40 3 Very First Blade

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Channel 4 Racing commentator Simon Holt previews the second day of the Cheltenham Festival with Sprinter Sacre selected to strike.


2pts win Sprinter Sacre 3.20 Cheltenham at best morning price - Still capable of landing the day two feature despite his problems

1pt e.w. The Young Master 2.05 Cheltenham at best morning price - Has handicap experience to draw upon and looks the value call

1pt e.w. Volnay De Thaix in 2.40 Cheltenham at best morning price - Quality performer who can defy his big weight

The prospect of ground similar to when SPRINTER SACRE took the jumping world by storm two years ago offers hope that this brilliant but physically troubled chaser can return to something like his best and win a second Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

The giant nine-year-old's problems involving a fibrillating heart and a tendency to bleed internally have been well documented but he retains a good deal of ability judged on his second to Dodging Bullets in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January.

Trainer Nicky Henderson has been giving out some very positive vibes since that eagerly awaited return on ground that was softer than ideal, and Sprinter Sacre could run a stone below the form of his brilliant defeats of Sizing Europe (in this race) and Cue Card at Aintree in the spring of 2013 - and still win.

Those performances earned him a rating of 188 and, while nobody realistically expects him to reach that lofty level again, the fact that last year's Champion Chase winner Sire De Grugy is rated 172 illustrates a large degree of breathing space.

Like Sprinter Sacre, the defending champion has had his problems this season and didn't reappear until Newbury's Game Spirit Chase in early February when he blundered Jamie Moore out of the saddle at the third last. Sire De Grugy appeared likely to come off second best that day behind easy winner Mr Mole but has since enjoyed a useful confidence booster under a big weight in an uncompetitive race at Chepstow.

Neither of his efforts, in my opinion, prove that he is back to the form of last season when, in Sprinter Sacre's absence, he won five times including when slamming Somersby by six lengths here (Special Tiara sixth) but, providing this doesn't come too soon after Chepstow, he must be a big player again.

Dodging Bullets has been this season's star two-miler having landed the Tingle Creek at Sandown before accounting for the selection at Ascot.

Paul Nicholls appears to have produced a masterstroke with this horse who, before this season, had tended to fall short in top class company and, before his latest success, had always seemed best in the first half of the season.

However, Dodging Bullets, only fourth to Western Warhorse and Champagne Fever in the Arkle here last year, might just be best with plenty of give in the ground and drying conditions coud make it difficult to confirm that recent form with Sprinter Sacre.

Champagne Fever, a Festival favourite having won the bumper and the Supreme Novices at this meeting before his Arkle second 12 months ago, looks bound to run well again dropping back from longer trips.

The grey patently failed to stay three miles when fourth to Silviniaco Conti in the King George at Kempton over Christmas, then fell when possibly looking held by Don Cossack at Thurles before justifying odds-on favouritism at Gowran Park. All in all, he has had a slightly patchy season but his Festival record warrants him much respect.

Mr Mole, a stable companion of Dodging Bullets, has been another fine advertisement for his trainer's skills winning all three of his starts this season having looked a very tricky character in the past. Judged by a slight reluctance to line up at Newbury last time, he retains a few quirks but deserves his place in the field with A P McCoy aboard.

In the RSA Chase, Don Poli is many people's idea of one of the bets of the meeting but I will take a chance on THE YOUNG MASTER providing a minor upset.

Neil Mulholland's six-year-old has been a relentless improver winning nine of his last 11 races on the Flat, over hurdles and fences. Ignoring a harsh technical disqualification after romping to victory in the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton earlier in the season, The Young Master is unbeaten in four races over the larger obstacles and improved yet again to beat Houblon Des Obeaux at Ascot in December since when he has been laid out for a Festival attempt.

Don Poli, winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle here 12 months ago, has impressed in two chases so far, beating the well regarded Apache Stronghold in a Leopardstown Grade One in late December. An out and out galloper, he was also entered for the 4-miler as was The Young Master and the RSA is a race in which stamina can be paramount.

In the Coral Cup, VOLNAY DE THAIX may have the class to defy top weight of 11st12lb, less Peter Carberry's 3lb allowance.

A decent novice last season when second to Irving at Ascot and fifth to Lac Fontana at Aintree, he has appeared to make great strides this term, hacking up on his reappearance at Huntingdon and chasing home Rock On Ruby here in December.

A defeat at Haydock in between can be forgiven as Volnay De Thaix appeared not to stay three miles and this course and distance could prove ideal in an admittedly hot race.

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No issues for Mullins' heroes


Willie Mullins reports his runners from a memorable first day of the Cheltenham Festival to be none the worse for their exertions.


Mullins saddled an amazing four-timer, claiming each of the Grade One features on the opening card with Douvan, Un De Sceaux, Faugheen and Glens Melody.

However, the latter was a somewhat fortunate winner of the OLBG Mares' Hurdle as stablemate and hot favourite Annie Power was clear coming to the last flight, only to crash out.

Mullins told Channel 4's The Morning Line: "All the horses seem in good form. There's a few that are a bit stiff and sore but they will be fine. It's nothing that any athlete wouldn't be after a football match or whatever. "

Ruby Walsh partnered three of those winners but was denied a memorable fourth win as he was aboard Annie Power.

He added: "Annie Power is grand. She's here and she's fine. It's unfortunate that she tipped up, but that's racing isn't it?

"A lot of them went home, barring Hurricane Fly and Annie Power. They stayed but the rest of them are all gone."