Surprisingly, all three national hunt meetings went ahead on Saturday despite the heavy rain of recent days. With inspections called at Sandown, Ffos Las and Wetherby, I had virtually given it up as a lost cause and focussed on the all-weather at Lingfield.
Admittedly, Sandown had been forced to abandon their hurdle races in favour of an all-chase card, but it was turf racing nonetheless. Nicky Henderson elected to run Oscar Whisky with good prize money on offer and little in the way of opposition. Sent off at 1-6, I was beginning to wonder if he may be pulled up at one point. Barry Geraghty clearly wasn’t that happy on the horse but was still close enough if his two rivals wilted in front of him.
That is pretty much what happened but I wonder what effect that race will have on his Cheltenham plans? Both trainer and jockey felt it was simply the going and the fact that Oscar Whisky is a stuff horse. With rain still lashing down in many parts, there were precious few genuine Cheltenham prospects on show but I believe the Welsh Champion Hurdle is a different matter altogether.
Since backing Saphir Du Rheu to defy a 15lbs rise in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton, I’ve become a fan of the grey. I was quite confident that he could defy another 13lb hike at Ffos Las and he duly obliged, but only just. The reason was a terrier-like performance from Henderson’s Whisper who had finished nearly ten lengths adrift of Saphir Du Rheu at Sandown.
Whisper had gone on to win easily since and the net result was that he was 16lbs better off with the Nicholls’ horse. Harry Derham, who must be just about the best 5lb claimer about, elected to make the running and Andrew Tinkler followed his every move. The two horses drew nearly 20 lengths clear of the third horse on the run to the line, Saphir Du Rheu clinging on by a short head.
The bookmakers have put up Saphir Du Rheu as favourite for the Coral Cup but I don’t think he will run. Nicholls is itching to put him over a fence and is already talking Gold Cups. I just don’t see him running the horse with the best part of 12 stone on his back in a 30-runner field. As far as I know, there are no such provisos about Whisper and he looks worth a bet at 16-1.
Whisper (Coral Cup) at 16-1 Paddy Power
