Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) – Final Demand
FIRSTLY, after the events of the Champion Hurdle, everybody take a breath.
This €230,000 recruit won a grade 1 at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival last month and was incredibly impressive. A big, strong galloper who despite his size is very nimble over his obstacles and is yet to show any relenting in his engine to date. Wingmen finished behind on that day, a horse who also has form finishing 3rd behind The Yellow Clay which gives the form some context. When winning last time out, Willie Mullins was particularly impressed by the winning distance he achieved, saying it would have been enough to win by “a length or two” but he won by 12 lengths and Mullins especially liked his speed after the final hurdle. The New Lion makes 2nd here after J P McManus bought this horse for a rumoured sum of £1 million after his dominant victory in the Challow Hurdle in December. Dan Skelton’s star novice is 4/4 so far in his career and confirmed himself by far to be the best in Britain over this distance last time out. We have yet to see anything get near to making a dent in his seemingly bottomless stamina. Final Demand appears to be a very complete athlete and just gets the nod ahead of him but it would be no surprise if The New Lion won. The previously mentioned The Yellow Clay gets 3rd spot thanks to his own impressive grade 1 form but a lack of softer ground sees him miss out on top spot in the verdict.
14:00 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (Registered as the Broadway Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) – Ballyburn
THIS horse ultimately has a brilliant record and has only been beaten twice in 11 starts under rules. He lost by 21/2 lengths to Firefox who went on to be a consistent performer, placing in multiple graded races over hurdles. The other loss, more notably, came in December when he lost to the incredibly gifted
Sir Gino at Kempton, still trying and not disgraced 2nd. He subsequently won the grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival last month, displaying great travelling ability and the same relentless stamina that makes him so prolific. Dancing City may prefer the ground to be softer but his sheer strength should see him in the picture. With form ahead of The Jukebox Man and Better Days Ahead on his record, he clearly has quality and it should see him defy any going concerns to get a place. The latter mentioned Better Days Ahead runs here and he holds festival form after winning last season’s Martin Pipe. If it doesn’t rain he won’t mind the going as much as some others in the race and he makes 3rd spot.
14:40 – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) –
Impose Toi
AFTER the events of Champion Hurdle Day, Nicky Henderson’s yard still have a lot of chances left for the remainder of Cheltenham. As long as the ground remains some description of good it will benefit many of his runners and Impose Toi is one of them. Relatively fresh, with only eight runs in his career, and never out of the top three this horse always seems to give a punter a run for their money late on. He has ran three times in fields with 15 or more runners, with a win and two places and the win came at Cheltenham in November 2023 in a novices’ handicap hurdle. The ability to run well in a big field is at a premium in the Coral Cup where the field can get tightly packed and the battling qualities he showed when winning at Newbury in November after an 11 month lay off was very positive. Ballyadam was last year’s runner-up while carrying 12 stone and has been kept fresh after winning a hurdle race at Punchestown in December ahead of Saint Sam. It is possible that signified a return to fitness and the weight shouldn’t bother him this time round when challenging for a place under Rachael Blackmore. Be Aware might be a tad short in price to look at each way but consistently finishes 2nd since winning his maiden last January. I would expect him to make a place again for the yard who have won the last two renewals with Langer Dan.
15:20 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (Limited Handicap) (GBB Race) – Stumptown
GAVIN Cromwell’s charge won the cross country chase here in December ahead of many of the same horses he faces here. He absolutely cruised in the late stages, ridden patiently by Keith Donoghue to win by a length to Mister Coffey. His low and accurate jumping saves plenty of energy and he travelled all over the field that day which makes me think he can definitely carry the 6lbs extra to victory here. At eight years old, this horse could also be a tad fresher than many of his rivals, with a lot of the more notable horses being 10 or older.
Mister Coffey might just run bravely in defeat once more as he runs off a similar mark to that December run and should be able to repeat such a strong performance. Coko Beach finished 2nd to Vanillier last time out at Punchestown and has been treated much kinder in the weights than on that occasion so he just scrapes a place in the verdict.
16:00 – Bet MGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) –
Solness (Each Way)
MUCH like the Jango Baie race yesterday, I would probably go with Solness each way for safety if betting on this race on its own. I would go with Jonbon if putting a small stake on an accumulator. It almost feels like too many of the big-name favourites have missed out already but I can’t bring myself to back Jonbon here because of some worries I have considering the short price. He should win as a few of his likely challengers haven’t lined up and he is the best he has ever been. He has bags of stamina and gains well when jumping uphill like he did at Ascot last time out, where he also seemed to finish quicker than ever. He should suit Cheltenham down to the ground but the results on paper tell a slightly different story as he has never won at the festival which is EASILY forgivable for the quality of opposition he has faced. Yesterday we saw what a fast pace can do to a race and although Jonbon gains uphill over his fences he can be awkward at times. A blunder at the top of the hill cost him last year’s Clarence House here and Solness will set a rapid pace, which could very well force a mistake out of Jonbon. This race has also seen plenty of favourites lose in recent years but this would be one of the bigger shocks given how much Nicky Henderson’s market leader stands out on paper. Solness probably holds the best form of any Irish runner in the race after the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase and is on a hattrick. Marine National has regularly placed in Ireland’s biggest races this season and his travelling ability should see him in the picture late.
16:40 – Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) – General Medrano (Each Way)
EMMA Lavelle’s charge won a nice handicap at Newbury in November ahead of the consistently 2nd Beau Balko. The speed of his finish was particularly eye-catching and allowed him to open up a winning margin of 9 lengths. Since then he has run twice with a distant 4th in a small field behind Javert Allen under 12 stone, followed by a close 2nd in a handicap at Doncaster late in January. His hold up tactics may work well up the Cheltenham hill and jockey Ben Jones boasts a victory already after winning the last on Haiti Couleurs yesterday. Last year’s winner Unexpected Party is up 6lbs in the ratings since last year’s renewal and trainer Dan Skelton knows how to stay ahead of the handicapper, so I would expect his runner to be involved. The King Of Prs is fresh off the back of a grade 3 success in Ireland ahead of American Mike and Midnight It Is. Because he hasn’t finished outside the top three in all three of his starts this season and he is in good form, he could also make a place here.
17:20 Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Standard Open NH Flat Race) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) – Gameofinches
IT could be a good day for Caroline Tisdall, who also has ownership in
Final Demand who was the pick in the first. We’ve only seen this horse once and he was never forced to come of the bridle, but his debut couldn’t have looked more like a piece of easy work and he seemed to glide along on the testing soft ground. Paul Townend takes the ride so seems to be the yard’s first choice and the Mullins yard has a great record in this race with 13 winners and four of those in the last five years. Kalypso’chance thoroughly impressed on debut, leaving the field behind distantly strung out, with Soir De Garde, a half brother to
State Man, a distant 15 lengths 2nd. He followed that up by winning a listed flat race at Navan which is a course that can produce a Cheltenham winner due to the undulating ground. He isn’t without a chance Gordon Elliott had been a bit quiet on day one but this horse has shown both speed and battling qualities which will be needed here. Bambino Fever is another from the Mullins yard that shows a lot of promise. She is 3/3 under rules, won a grade 2 for mares last time out and will of course get the mares’ allowance in the weights. She should be in the picture.
Hawkinsport 