Once again we face a week of uncertainty as regards the prospects of racing at the weekend. The Betfair Hurdle (formerly the Tote Gold Trophy, Schweppes Gold Trophy) is the big race of the week. Those who remember it as the Schweppes will be half expecting the meeting to be abandoned as it used to be even money whether or not the meeting would take place.
I have just read that one forecast has estimated 70mm of rain for the Newbury area. If that is true, we could be having a raft race instead! Assuming that particular forecast is wrong, let’s take a look at the Denman Chase.
The hot favourite here is the popular grey Al Ferof who was third in the King George VI Chase at Kempton. The thing about this one is that he is yet to win over three miles and it is personally reasonable to doubt his stamina. It is worth remembering that he won the two-mile Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he has only had three starts in the past couple of seasons.
I’m certainly prepared to take him on but the question is with what? Triolo D’Alene is my long-term Grand National fancy and I’ve noted that Nicky Henderson has pulled him out of two races recently due to the heavy ground. The weights for the National are due out next week and I can’t see him risking getting a late hike in the weights.
Harry Topper interests me after running on stoutly to finish third behind The Giant Bolster and Rocky Creek in the Argento Chase. His jumping was a bit deliberate at times and it was a bit of a stop-go effort. Newbury should suit him better and he has to be respected.
However, after last weekend’s Venetia Williams benefit, I am going to side with Katenko. He was fancied by a few people to run a big race in the Gold Cup last year before injury intervened. I wouldn’t quite put him in that class but he loves this ground and ran a stormer in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock.
He kept plugging away and was not beaten far in fourth place, a marked improvement on his previous efforts. The Williams horses last weekend ran as though they had improved a stone overnight and Katenko only needs a few pounds to go close here.
Katenko at 6-1 Bet Victor
