The triumph hurdle gets the day started on the fourth and final day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival and Willie Mullins saddles no less than 7 runners including the 3 at the top of the market! We're then treated to the 2 mile handicap hurdle followed up by the 3 mile novice hurdle. The festival blue riband and feature race of the day, the Gold Cup, is then followed up by the Foxhunters, the Mares Novices hurdle and finally the Martin Pipe handicap hurdle for conditional jockeys.
JCB Triumph Hurdle - 2m 179y - Grade 1
While I do believe that Gala Marceau is very talented, she was fortunate enough to have the race all her own way in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown last month whereas Lossiemouth on the other hand had everything go against her. When the Mullins-trained pair previously met in the Leopardstown Grade 2 on boxing day, Lossiemouth demonstrated her superiority when winning in fine style by 7 and a half lengths. I would expected a similar outcome in a match come the Triumph hurdle.
Another of Mullins seven-strong hand in the race is Bloody Destiny who looks destined to have a fine career. He was an 18-length winner beating Common Practice by 18 lengths that day and previously saw off Sir Allen with ease by 5 lengths, giving him a stone.
Sir Allen finished 11th in Tuesday Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle but that doesn't tell the full story. He was a little awkward at his hurdles in the final stages of the race and hung left. It's also worth keeping in mind that he was giving weight away to all bar 3 rivals. including 12lbs to the winner and 13lbs to the runner-up including their claims.
7/12 winners of the Triump Hurdle have come from the Spring Juvenile Hurdle which Lossiemouth contested vs Gala Marceau and if it wasn't for the horrendous luck in running, I firmly believe Lossiemouth would have emerged victorious. Willie Mullins did not seem to pleased after the race, claiming that Paul Townend had given her far too hard a race despite the writing being on the wall and the race lost, however, watching the race back, she was not pushed too hard and should have come out of the other side and recovered well enough.
While Blood destiny is still on the up, preference is for Lossiemouth. Her task will be made a little easier against Blood Destiny with her 7lb claim, which I think will be the difference between the pair.
Selection: Lossiemouth to win - 7/4
County Handicap Hurdle - 2m1f - Class 1
Willie Mullins is responsible for 6 of the last 12 winners of the County Hurdle and I believe he will make it 7/13 courtesy of Hunters Yarn.
The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede owned gelding was entered into the hotly contested Supreme Novices hurdle as well as the Ballymore Novices hurdle with the eventual target looking highly likely to be the former novice contest. Admittedly it was then a little surprising to see Hunters Yarn being intended to run in the county hurdle. He looks like a horse is in on the up having won his maiden at the 2nd time of asking, it appeared to come together when beating Barry Connell trained Quirke's Gate by 13 lengths giving 10lbs away with complete ease. That facile victory was followed up with a solid win over smart novices Imagine, who is currently 2nd fav in the Martin Pipe, and Royal Bond 4th Inothewayurthinkin. I feel that this is a grade 1 winner in waiting and running in the county hurdle off a mark of 147 could be potentially lethal. Paul Townend also opts to ride Hunters Yarn over Grade 1 winner and top weight Sharjah, Winter Fog and Saint Sam.
Selection: Hunters Yarn to win - 6/1
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - 3m - Grade 1
Corbetts Cross heads the betting for this years 3m novice hurdle contest. He was recently switched to Emmet Mullins yard before notching his first victory for the trainer before being purchased by none other than JP McManus following recent narrow success at Naas over 2 miles.
The horse has shown versatility throughout his career to date having won over 2m, 2m5f and 3m. While a superb trait to have in a horse, I'm not a fan of regular chopping and changing of trip for a horse and prefer a more consistent campaign in terms of trip. He comes in off the back of a win over 2 miles.
Next up in the betting is the McNeil owned Three Card Brag, trained by Gordon Elliot. He too comes into the race off the back of a win in a in a novice hurdle. The impression he gives is that the further he goes the better, however, having not yet proven than, becomes difficult to back given he also lacks big field experience having raced a maximum of 8 rivals on one occasion.
Hiddenvalleylake is a horse has has has success in a big field, winning his maiden hurdle in a field of 23 runners over an intermediate trip before following up win another fine victory over 3m in a grade 3 novice hurdle. He was then beaten a half-length by Montys Star to deny him a 2nd Grade 3 success.
Paul Townend opts to rid Embassy Gardens of the Mullins-trained trio. Beaten comfortably by eventual Grade 1 winner and Ballymore contender Good Land, general consensus was that he would improve for a trip, and proved that theory to be the case when victorious last time out in a 3m novice hurdle at Naas beating 109 rated Kilbree Warrior by 35 lengths. There could potentially be more to come from this horse.
Preference, however, is for Patrick Mullins mount and last years Champion Bumper 9-length 4th Seabank Bistro. He had forms ties with The Nice Guy, winner of last years Albert Bartlett going into the 2022 Champion Bumper race when he travelled well enough throughout the race on boggy ground before staying on one paced to the end. I wrote about Seabank Bistro in reflection of last years festival when listing some horses to take away and keep onside. At the time I explained that I thought he would want a long distance trip and now he will get what I hope will be a suitable 3 miles.
The experience around Cheltenham last year will be a big boost and the soft ground shouldn't be an issue for him. He came swinging around the bend with American Mike and Facile Vega that day and was outdone for pace in the soft ground however, stayed on well up the hill and I think this will be an advantage for him in the race.
He won his maiden hurdle at the third time of asking in Naas beating Franciscan Rock by two and three-quarters of a length, who went on to win a maiden of his own next time out by four and a half lengths. Prior to that he was beaten by useful Monbeg Park before meeting Albert Bartlett favourite Corbetts Cross over what I believe to be an inadequate 2m5f trip, giving the Corbetts Cross 10lb including the jockey claim.
They meet in the Albert Bartlett of level weights and over a trip which is sure to suit Seabank Bistro.
Selections:
Seabank Bistro each way - 22/1
Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase - 3m2f 70y - Grade 1
The fesitval blue ribband is a race full of depth which includes two former gold cup winners, a grand national winner, a King George winner and an Irish gold cup winner among multiple Grade 1 winners and previous festival winners and stars.
This years favourite Galopin Des Champs looks like he was made for this race. Winner of the 2021 Martin Pipe and if not for a fall at the last fence last year, a Brown Advisory novice chase winner. Since his fall last March, he has gone on to notch 3 consecutive Grade 1 wins including the Irish gold cup at Leopardstown by 8-lengths from stablemate Stattler.
Next in the betting is A Plus Tard. 2022 winner of the Gold Cup and trained by Henry De Bromhead who's team has started to fire bang in time for the festival. However, he was last seen pulling up in the betfair chase at Haydock and would require a leap of faith at the current odds. I also tend not to back horses reappearing in the gold cup.
Paul Nichols saddles Bravemansgame who will be looking to follow up his King George win on boxing day with a Gold Cup win tomorrow. He won his King George impressively enough but I have reservations over him tomorrow. His last run at Cheltenham saw him beaten handsomely by Bob Olinger in the 2021 Ballymore Novices hurdle where he gave a tame effort at the end of that race when facing the hill. My fear is he that he wouldn't be good enough to battle up it this time around either. He was also withdrawn from the 2022 festival on account of the ground. The same ground which he will get tomorrow.
Noble Yeats needs no introduction as the 2022 winner of the Aintree Grand national. His season reappearance came in Auteuil where he was pulled up, before notching a listed chase success at Wexford before a 3 length victory in the Many Clouds Grade 2 chase over today's Stayers Hurdle 3rd Dashel Drasher who is a better chaser than a hurdler.
Noble Yeats was then a 2 and a half-length 3rd to Ahoy Senor in the Cotswold chase where he stayed on stoutly all the way to the line. I think he can hit the frame in the gold cup with an improved performance which can be expected.
Conflated is a former Irish Gold Cup winner and probably ran in the wrong race last year when falling in attempt to win the Ryanair Chase. He as been kept fresh for this since winning the Savills chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. The form of that race probably isn't the strongest and an improved performance would be needed to win this especially with doubts over whether he could stay the extra quarter-mile.
Last years National Hunt chase winner, Stattler, looks to have improved this year despite being beaten last time out. He was giving away 7lbs to former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo that day and the additional 2 furlongs should play into his hands.
Former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo has a huge task on his hands if he is to win this years renewal and has a key trend to overcome in terms of age with 11/12 previous winners all being aged between 7-9.
Ahoy Senor should be respected but he will need to be on his A-game from a jumping perspective which has been found out at Cheltenham in the past. He would also need to improve considerably to feature in the places.
Protektorat and Royale Pagaille will relish the soft conditions but will also need to produce career bests and more in order to have any place claims.
American Grand National winner Hewick, Sounds Russian and Eldorado Allen complete the line up.
Selections:
Galopin Des Champs to win - 7/4
Noble Yeats each way - 12/1
Foxhunters Open Hunters' Chase
Selection: No bet
Mares' Chase - 2m4f 127y - Grade 2
Selection: No bet
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle - 2m4f 56y - Class 2
One each way play in this race for the sole festival runner for joint-trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerreiro. The JP McManus owned Iroko has form behind two smart juveniles from last seaosn in Grade 1 winners Porticello and Knight Salute finishing 16 lengths behind each of those rivals on two separate occassions. His reappearance came with success at Wetherby in a handicap hurdle beating 122 rated Foster'sisland giving 3lbs away and running on very strongly.
He then followed up with an impressive 14-length victory over a solid yardstick in Rafferty's Return when prominent throughout before being pushed along 2 out and beginning to extend his lead when approaching the last before winning eased down.
Iroko was raised 10lbs for that victory, however, you do feel there he has some weight in hand with the manner of his latest win and is clearly still improving. He has been kept under wraps since then, presumably to protect his handicap mark for tomorrow's Martin Pipe.
The booking of smart conditional jockey Aidan Kelly is a booking of note. He also rode Salvador Ziggy to a second-placed finish in today's Pertemps Final handicap hurdle.
Selections:
Iroko each way - 8/1 (20/1 antepost)
Good luck.
James
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