Tag: cheltenham gold cup

Outlander Must End Cheltenham Troubles to Triumph at Gold Cup

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Outlander will have to overcome a lot of obstacles and not just those on the racecourse at Cheltenham to win the famous Gold Cup. The Bay Gelding is one of the outsiders for the crown, with Cue Card and Native River considered the top two favourites to triumph at the festival.

Image credit: “Cheltenham Racecourse” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Carine06

However, the nine-year-old put in an impressive performance in his last outing at the end of 2016, finishing ahead of Don Poli and Djakadam to claim victory at the Lexus Chase.

The race proved that Outlander has the quality to match the best in the field and the ability to rise to the occasion under trainer Gordon Elliott and with Jack Kennedy at the reins.

As a result of the Bay Gelding’s form, it is backed among the horse racing picks at around 10/1 among leading bookmakers, which is well worth a punt, especially for placing in the top three.

Outlander had an excellent start to his career, winning his opening three races, culminating in a signature win at the Christmas Party Day Race at Fairyhouse Maiden Hurdle. However, inconsistencies plagued the Irish horse in 2015, although he did end on a high note with back-to-back victories at Puncheston and Limerick.

Outlander began 2016 on the front foot with another stellar outing at the Flogas Novice Chase in Leopardstown, which would be his final win under trainer Willie Mullins. During the summer, the Bay Gelding was removed from Mullins’ yard by owner Michael O’Leary and placed under the tutelage of Elliott.

The decision did not have an adverse effect on the Irish horse as he maintained his form, winning the Lexus Chase along with two second-place finishes at Puncheston and Down Royal.

Despite Outlander’s impressive form during 2016, one area of concern will be his performances at Cheltenham Racecourse. The nine-year-old has raced twice at the venue and failed to finish in the top five on both occasions. Last season he was unable to finish the race after a fall in the JLT Novices’ Chase, while a mistake in 2015 on the fourth fence led to a sixth-place finish in the Novices’ Hurdle. As a result, O’Leary and Elliott will be worried ahead of his third appearance on the course.

They have time to amend the situation – whether it’s the hurdles or the type of ground at the Cheltenham course causing the issues. Should Kennedy be chosen to take the reins in the Gold Cup he will have a challenge to keep Outlander on the straight and narrow.

Colin Tizzard’s horses will throw a further obstacle in the way of the Irish horse. Both Cue Card and Native River are on top form, with the former triumphing in his last outing at the Ascot Chase, while the Chestnut Gelding eased to victory at the Denman Chase.

 

 

Many Clouds battles to Grand National glory

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The Grand National produced another thrilling finish with Many Clouds holding off Saint Are. Monbeg Dude managed to salvage some each-way money from our ante-post portfolio in third with Alvarado in fourth for a second consecutive year.

The main story was Leighton Aspell winning back-to-back Grand Nationals after Pineau De Re in 2014. The winner carried 11st 9lbs and was making a quick reappearance after finishing a disappointing sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Most pundits shared the trainer’s view that perhaps he was past his peak for the season but owner Trevor Hemmings stuck to his guns and was rewarded with a third National triumph.

Alvarado’s effort in finishing fourth under Paul Moloney was maintaining a remarkable record of the Rucker family. They have now finished placed in the last seven Grand Nationals through State Of Play, Cappa Bleu and Alvarado. When you consider how easily things can go wrong, it is quite astonishing that Moloney has managed to weave his way around Aintree seven years in a row.

The fairytale ending for Tony McCoy looked a possibility at one stage but the champion jockey was sending out distress signals as soon as Aspell committed for home. The best news of all was that all horses and jockeys returned safely, although Balthazar King did suffer some painful injuries. I’m afraid that our Irish duo of Cause Of Causes and Spring Heeled never got into the race and did not look like Aintree naturals.

The horse which caught my eye for next year was definitely The Druids Nephew. His fall was desperately unlucky, just failing to get his under-carriage in place and slithering along the deck. That usually happens when horses are travelling so well that they over-jump. It was bad luck for Aidan Coleman who must have been starting to believe he was going to taste National glory having given  up the ride on Mon Mome in 2009.

Of course the weights are key to the National but we’ve seen horses like West Tip and Hedgehunter come back a year older and wiser. I wouldn’t be surprised if The Druids Nephew is trained for the race again in 2016 and 25-1 does not look too bad. If Many Clouds returns he is almost certain to be carrying top weight. His National run suggests that he has a leading chance in next year’s Gold Cup.

The Druids Nephew 2016 Grand National @25-1 Skybet

Bookies braced for McCoy factor

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A busy racing weekend was completely overshadowed when Champion jockey Tony McCoy announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season.

Although there had been rumours of McCoy hanging up his riding boots for some time, the media seemed to be taken completely off guard following the victory of Mr Mole in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury. Most eyes had been on former two-mile champion chaser Sire de Grugy who had blotted his copybook when unseating Jamie Moore. Even the day’s feature race, the Betfair Hurdle, was run in a strangely subdued atmosphere as racing tried to absorb the news.

McCoy, or “AP” as he is widely known, will be crowned champion jockey for the 20th consecutive time at the end of the season. Considering the high risk nature of his job, that is nothing short of remarkable. He has had his share of injuries over the years but has kept coming back for more. He has been part and parcel of the National Hunt scene for so long that he is bound to be sorely missed.

In the meantime, the bookmakers are bracing themselves for a surge of support for McCoy’s mounts for the rest of the campaign. His win on Carlingford Lough on Sunday gave us a taste of what to expect if, and when, he boots home a winner at the Cheltenham festival and Aintree. His Hennessy win was a vintage McCoy ride, recovering from a mistake to drive back up to his rivals and grind out an unlikely victory.

Carlingford Lough has already been cut to as short at 8-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup while he remains a more realistic 12-1 with William Hill. Shuttthefrontdoor is currently joint-favourite for the Grand National at 20-1. Trainer Jonjo O’Neill is planning on running him in the Gold Cup as well but Aintree is his number one target.

When McCoy ended his 15-year wait for a Grand National winner on Don’t Push It in 2010, bookmakers estimated that the champ had cost them around £50million. If Shutthefrontdoor gets to the National with McCoy in the saddle, he will almost certainly start favourite. Were he to end his career on such a high note, it would rate alongside the greatest racing memories like Dawn Run, Desert Orchid and Red Rum. It couldn’t possibly happen could it?

Carlingford Lough – Cheltenham Gold Cup @12-1 William Hill

Shutthefrontdoor – Grand National @20-1 William Hill

Betfair Chase Preview

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Cheltenham’s Open meeting ended in frustration with Sametegal just touched off in the Greatwood Hurdle on Sunday. That was a terrific run under a big weight and he will surely pick up a decent prize before too long.

If that meeting has blown away the cobwebs for National Hunt fans, they can now look forward to the return of the Gold Cup winner in Haydock’s Betfair Chase on Saturday. This race has been dominated by Paul Nicholls, largely with the help of a certain Kauto Star but also with Silviniaco Conti winning last year.

Not everyone was convinced by Silviniaco Conti, even though he hardly put a foot wrong on his way through to the festival. His unfortunate tumble at the third last left a load of unanswered questions and we could get some answers this weekend. It certainly appeared as though he was travelling as well as anything at the time but it was too far out to make a confident judgement. Nicholls admitted to being gutted whilst Ruby Walsh was his usual unflappable self and refused to be drawn on whether or not he’d have won.

With Walsh now enjoying a rich harvest for Willie Mullins in Ireland and Daryl Jacob riding at Ascot, it falls to Noel Fehily to partner the gelding on Saturday. The trainer has stressed that it is only logical that Jacob rides Zarkandar and Al Ferof and points out that Fehily has ridden the horse to victory earlier in his career.

Bobs Worth only appeared twice last season, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. For those of us who are old enough to remember, it revives memories of Henderson’s training of See You Then prior to his Champion Hurdle victories. We won’t be seeing much more of Bobs Worth this season but it seems safe to assume he will be fit enough.

Looking beyond the big two, you have to respect Dynaste after David Pipe’s Sunday four-timer. His horses seemed to keep finding extra, reminiscent of Pipe senior in his glory days. This is a cracking race as I see Silviniaco Conti and Dynaste as the two horses most likely to give Bobs Worth a run for his money at Cheltenham in March.

Tidal Bay is an intriguing runner after his fine win over hurdles at Wetherby but will need everything to go right to win this. Long Run is best watched after his poor run first time out whilst I am still not convinced that Cue Card will stay this trip. I think 11-4 is a fair price for Silviniaco Conti and 7-1 is too big for Dynaste with Pipe in flying form so I’ll take those two against the field.

Silviniaco Conti 11-4 BetVictor

Dynaste 7-1 Coral