13:30 – Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) – BALLYBURN
WILLIE Mullins’ star novice has only tasted defeat once in six outings and was last seen winning a grade one in impressive fashion at the Dublin Racing Festival. This victory came 7 lengths ahead of Slade Steel, who won the Supreme Novice Hurdle on day one. His late change of course to this race has been well covered and his last performance suggests he will suit the longer trip because of the way he extended his lead in the closing stages. He will face strong opposition from stablemate Ile Atlantique, who has been a small margin runner-up behind the likes of Firefox and more recently Readin Tommy Wrong in a grade 1 in January. Ile Atlantique has great quality but Ballyburn gets the pick based on his very consistent winning form.
14:10 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (Registered As The Broadway Novices’ Chase) (GBB Race) – FACT TO FILE
AFTER Gaelic Warrior’s success in the Arkle Novices’ Chase on day one, the way Fact To File destroyed him at Leopardstown is even more impressive. Considering how well he has taken to fences, his bumper form reads well too. He was twice a runner-up to A Dream To Share, including in last year’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, both by a respectable margin. He has yet to run beyond 2 miles 6 furlongs but was barely even stretched before Gaelic Warrior tailed off at Leopardstown so the full staying distance should suit well. Last year’s 1-2 from the Albert Bartlett, Stay Away Fay and Sandor Clegane feature, while American Mike who runs for Gordon Elliott has been supplemented to run in this race. Elliott’s charge has winning form ahead of Fact To File after he beat him at Navan over a distance of 2 miles 4 furlongs.
He was also well beaten by Gaelic Warrior in December and although he seems to have improved in one run since, it is hard to go against the favourite here.
14:50 – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) –
SA MAJESTE
STICKING with fancied runners, this time for the Coral Cup. As reported by the Racing Post, BHA hurdles handicapper Andrew Mealor said this horse was “the most difficult to assess in recent years”. This is due to beating a former Grand National winner in Noble Yeats in a novice hurdle in December, with the third only rated 105. Noble Yeats was nowhere near his best that day, but went on to win the Cleeve Hurdle in his next run and this horse will love testing conditions.
15:30 – Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) –
EL FABIOLO
BOASTS a perfect six wins from six starts over fences, including last year’s Arkle ahead of Jonbon. Was last seen winning by over 8 lengths at Leopardstown with Mares’ Chase favourite Dinoblue and Captain Guinness in behind. Occasionally gets in close but has incredible strength and seems to brush it off and has exceptional athletic qualities. Edwardstone may attempt to make all on heavy going again like he did at Newbury when he won the Game Spirit, but an honest pace should bring this runner’s qualities to the fore. While Jonbon has been exceptionally consistent to date, his last run here didn’t go to plan when he lost to Elixir De Nutz after a terrible jump at the top of the hill gave him too much to do. Things might not go to plan again here so, possibly against all logic, Captain Guinness gets the 3rd spot pick as he has previously finished runner-up behind Energumene and is also very consistent.
16:10 – Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country) (GBB Race) – COKO BEACH
DELTA WORK is bidding for a hattrick this year and has had a similar prep, finishing sixth in the Boyne Hurdle in his previous run. However, he finished sixth here in November which is worse than he did last season and he is now 11 years old. Stablemate Coko Beach has found great consistency this season, not once finishing outside the top three in four starts. The cross country course is reported to be softer than the old and new course, which works in this horse’s favour and in his last run he won a cross country chase at Punchestown last time out. Despite one or two awkward looking jumps at the new obstacles, he appeared to travel better than ever and ran out an impressive winner.
Foxy Jacks was also considered after impressing over course and distance in November ahead of Delta Work, but this field has a bit of added quality and he would probably need the testing conditions to dry up to level the playing field. He did wonder a lot late on last time out here and this time around he can’t take advantage of a nice handicap mark with everyone carrying 11st 7lbs.
16:50 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) – MADARA
HAS recently shown a massive improvement compared to the horse he was at the start of the season. Since he unseated his rider here in October at a rating of 132, he has ran a respectable sixth behind Triple Trade and Calico in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase. He then won a handicap worth £40,000 when well handicapped here on soft ground ahead of Calico and then followed it up by winning the listed Ryanair Handicap Chase at Leopardstown last month.
His recent improvement and with the conditions firmly in his favour over a lot of the prominent British runners means he could finish a hattrick with a win at the Cheltenham Festival. Madara’s trainer Sophie Leech has chosen the meeting for the ground and has told Sporting Life he is enjoying racing and gaining confidence which can only be good.
17:30 – Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Standard Open NH Flat Race) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) – YOU OUGHTA KNOW (Each Way)
LAST seen making a brave effort to finish just over 4 lengths behind Jeroboam Machin in the grade 2 Donohue Marquees Future Stars Flat Race at Leopardstown last month. The field was packed with quality, including last year’s Champion Bumper winner A Dream To Share who was well beaten in sixth and winners at listed level The Yellow Clay in fourth and The Enabler in fifth. Redemption Day finished 23/4 lengths behind Jalon D’oudairies at Leopardstown in December and he is second favourite in the market at the time of writing. You Oughta Know finished asimilar distance ahead of Redemption Day and was gradually extending his advantage so it was a good run and the quality he faced that day should have prepared him well for this race.
The current favourite, Jasmin De Vaux, looked exceptional when winning a bumper at Naas over 2 miles 3 furlongs and he could easily win but he didn’t face horses with much winning form so this horse represents more value
each way.
Hawkinsport 