The time looks right to take on Hendo’s House
TRIALS Day at Cheltenham is a final chance for Festival hopefuls to have a spin around Prestbury Park and lay down a marker for March.
The easiest race to solve could be the Cleeve Hurdle, where Champ is rightly odds-on to follow up his Long Walk win from before Christmas and confirm himself as a leading player for the Stayers’ Hurdle.
McFabulous comes with stamina doubts over this trip at Cheltenham, while Lisnagar Oscar and Paisley Park have it all to prove again, so Champ is a clear pick, but his odds of 1/2 aren’t very exciting.
Also carrying the famous green and gold hoops of JP McManus is Chantry House in the Cotswold Chase (2:30pm).
A late gamble saw him jump off as the 3/1 favourite for the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day, but he fluffed his lines and was pulled up two thirds of the way round.
Many will be wading back in at around 4/5 to win back the turkey money, and if he puts his best foot forward they may well be rewarded, but AYE RIGHT is a gritty opponent who’ll make sure Chantry House is put to the test.
Harriet Graham’s nine-year-old landed the Rehearsal Chase at a snowy Newcastle under top-weight when last seen in November.
He made most of the running that day and, apart from getting in a bit close to the last, put in a bold display of jumping.
He’ll look to go and enjoy himself out in front again, ensuring a sound gallop and a true jumping test. He looks the value at around 4/1.
We’ve got another six weeks or so until Ireland fully descends on Cheltenham, but County Meath trainer Gordon Elliott isn’t waiting until then.
His record at jump racing’s HQ is superb, with 50 winners in total and a brilliant profit & loss figure of +73.42 to a £1 level stake.
PIED PIPER, bred and formerly owned by The Queen, won’t boost that P&L figure by much at around 13/8, but he still looks a good bet in the Triumph Hurdle Trial (12:45pm).
The son of Derby winner New Approach earned a rating of 96 on the Flat before being sold for £220,000, and his first run over obstacles at Punchestown was very promising.
The horse who finished second to him, Vauban, was well-fancied at 4/9 on the day and remains second in the betting for the Triumph, but he was beaten fair and square by Elliott’s charge.
Whether he handles the course is taken on trust at this point, but I’m willing to take that risk about a horse who looks very classy.
The main danger comes from Paul Nicholls’ Iceo, who was last seen bolting up by 17 lengths at Kempton in December.
That was a seriously impressive performance, and one that screamed ‘Triumph’ when he powered home in front of the stands.
The form of that race has to be questioned, though, with nothing in behind that day doing much since, and it looks comparatively weak to the hurdle Pied Piper won over in Ireland.
POINTERS
Pied Piper 12:45pm Cheltenham
Aye Right 2:30pm Cheltenham