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Nicky Henderson craves Cheltenham Gold Cup at end of troubled Festival

March 18, 2011 By simon

This article titled “Nicky Henderson craves Cheltenham Gold Cup at end of troubled Festival” was written by Paul Hayward at Cheltenham, for The Guardian on Friday 18th March 2011 00.06 UTC

National Hunt racing has treated us to Red Rum overcoming Crisp, Bob Champion beating cancer to win the Grand National and Dawn Run seeing off the boys in a Gold Cup. Nicky Henderson has his own dark obstacle to surmount in the Festival’s defining race on Friday. Long Run’s bid is no longer a straightforward Corinthian tale.

In the saddle, yes. When Sam Waley-Cohen boards Long Run in this Gold Cup he will attempt to become the first amateur since Jim Wilson in 1981 to win chasing’s most illustrious prize. Waley-Cohen, 28, divides his time between running a dental services firm with 150 employees and galloping round England upsides the likes of Ruby Walsh and AP McCoy.

Long Run, the joint-favourite with Imperial Commander, is his father Robert’s horse. Their quest is a family affair, maintained in honour of Thomas Waley-Cohen, Sam’s brother, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 20. This story of enterprise and togetherness is from the top drawer of steeplechasing yarns. But Henderson, Long Run’s trainer, has his own reasons for wanting to break his Gold Cup duck, and they stem from a need to protect his reputation.

Henderson is the emotional, bustling, old school master of Seven Barrows in Lambourn who described himself as “shattered” when the defending champion, Binocular, had to be withdrawn from Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle after the stable were told he would test positive for a banned substance if he carried the JP McManus colours round Cheltenham in the most important race for hurdlers.

The fuss started when a stablemate of Binocular returned a positive post-race A-test for a steroid administered 18 days before the event. Conventional veterinary wisdom was that the substance would clear after eight days. Alarmed by the positive result, Henderson plumped for an elective test on Binocular and scratched the Champion Hurdle favourite when the British Horseracing Authority told him the horse would fail a post-race test if he turned up in the Cotswolds.

Henderson is a trainer to the royal family and has won more than £1m in prize money this season. But there is more to this episode than an establishment figure narrowly averting a scandal on day one of the Festival. Indignation persists over the failure by Henderson and the British Horseracing Authority to announce that Binocular would not be able to run. The horse’s elective test showed positive on Thursday – but the disclosure was delayed until Sunday morning.

Three years ago Henderson was fined £40,000 and banned from making race entries for three months after Moonlit Path, owned by the Queen, tested positive for tranexamic acid, a banned blood-clotting agent. The vet who injected the royal mare with the banned substance, James Main, was recently struck off.

Against this background Long Run’s trainer has endured a miserable Festival, despite starting the week joint-favourite to send out the most winners, a title he has won eight times. With 37 Festival victories, he started the week only three behind Fulke Walwyn’s all-time record of 40, and sent a strong team headed by the country’s best young chaser, Long Run, who halted Kauto Star’s quest for a fifth consecutive King George at Kempton. Henderson declines to discuss these controversies. He is increasingly sensitive about the use of “doping” or “dope tests” in relation to incidents he regards as accidents or oversights. And he was known to be irritated when his runners on Tuesday were hauled off for post-race tests. His Cheltenham winners have dried up just when he needed a dose of cheer to lift the ill-feeling over how he delayed the Binocular announcement and the doubts about veterinary procedures at his yard.

So Long Run brings a darker hue of melodrama to the Gold Cup, with many punters pointing out that had a less powerful operation run into the kind of difficulties the Henderson yard encountered last week then condemnation would have been more stinging. There is no rush to cast aspersions in relation to the way Binocular’s Champions Hurdle preparation was mismanaged. But plenty feel there are unanswered questions and wonder how so many errors came to be made.

The intrepid Waley-Cohen family are entitled to separate themselves from this hullabaloo. Their mission retains its purity. They bought Long Run because he was a “spectacular” specimen, to quote Sam, and because they owned others from his family tree. In the King George, his jockey feels, horse and rider proved they belong on this exalted stage. But the Gold Cup is another level up. To see Waley-Cohen matching strides with Walsh, McCoy and co will be the most compelling amateur-professional clash since Mr J Wilson booted home Little Owl.

Mr S Waley-Cohen – mountaineer, helicopter pilot and motorbike rider – brings a thrilling edge to his hobby. “What you’re trying to do is take a horse to the edge of what it’s capable of,” he says. “The second you step back into the safety zone and say: ‘I can’t get it wrong, I can’t get it wrong,’ you’re not going to win. There’s an element of ‘throw your heart over it’ to persuade the horse about what you’re trying to do. And if it doesn’t work – boom!”

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Festival, Horseracing News Tagged With: Article, Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Comment, Horse racing, News & features, Nicky Henderson, Paul Hayward, Sport, Sportblog, The Guardian

Cheltenham Gold Cup Diamond Harry injury rules horse out

March 6, 2011 By simon

This article titled “Diamond Harry injury rules horse out of the Cheltenham Gold Cup” was written by Chris Cook, for guardian.co.uk on Friday 4th March 2011 19.51 UTC

Diamond Harry is injured and will miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup, his owner has confirmed. The eight-year-old, not seen in public since he was an impressive winner of the Hennessy at Newbury in November, had been the 12-1 fifth-favourite for the Festival race in a fortnight’s time.

“It’s racing, I suppose, and it’s life,” said a thoroughly dejected Paul Duffy, who reported that Diamond Harry had injured a suspensory ligament. The initial expectation is that he will be out of training for at least four months but that he should be capable of competing again next season, when Duffy hopes he can be aimed at the Gold Cup once more.

The decision of connections to give Diamond Harry just one race this season before the Festival has provoked vigorous debate, with opinion divided as to whether this is a wise move reflecting the new importance of the Cheltenham meeting or a pussy-footed tendency that undermines the sport.

Nick Williams, the horse’s trainer, gave support to those who take the latter view when admitting in the past fortnight that Diamond Harry had lost his spark and expressing regret that he had not given the horse at least one more race, possibly in the Argento at Cheltenham in January. That sentiment can only be deepened by the discovery of this injury.

Bad news of this kind is normally broken through Betfair, when the horse in question drifts suddenly in that firm’s ante-post market, but there was no drift on this occasion. As the news broke online, the exchange’s market was quickly suspended and a spokesman later said that all bets on the horse which had been pending would be cancelled.

Anyone whose bet had already been placed has lost their money, of course, and there was further bad news for some punters when Starluck was confirmed as a non-runner in Cheltenham’s Arkle Trophy. The grey is perfectly healthy but his trainer, Alan Fleming, now prefers the more modest route of a race at Sandown next weekend before a novice chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

Starluck was a comfortable winner on his chasing debut at Huntingdon last month but his rider, Tony McCoy, nevertheless suggested the horse might not be ready for such a serious test as the Arkle.

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Gold Cup, News, The Guardian Reports.... Tagged With: Article, Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Chris Cook, Horse racing, News, Sport

Imperial Commander on course ahead of Gold Cup at Cheltenham Festival

March 2, 2011 By simon

This article titled “Imperial Commander on course ahead of Gold Cup at Cheltenham Festival” was written by Chris Cook at Naunton, for The Guardian on Tuesday 1st March 2011 18.17 UTC

As omens go, it could hardly have been less auspicious. Nigel Twiston-Davies was forced to abandon his beloved but battered double-decker bus in a field after it became bogged down while ferrying a large party of journalists from his gallops back to his stables here, close to Cheltenham, on Tuesday.

Fortunately, the trainer is not a superstitious man and his cheery disposition did not waver during the muddy tramp back uphill to his home. He had, after all, just watched Imperial Commander, his Gold Cup winner, work three times up his five-furlong gallop, exuding power and seeming in robust health for this year’s race in a fortnight’s time.

“He’s easy enough to get fit but we’ve worked quite hard at it,” Twiston-Davies said. “He’s had two racecourse gallops, so if he’s not fit then, he never will be.”

Those words will be warmly welcomed by backers of the horse, not seen in public since he won the Betfair Chase three months ago, sustaining a cut which became infected and ultimately caused him to miss the King George. There have been persistent rumours about the horse’s supposedly unfit condition since then, sustained by the apparent dissatisfaction of his jockey, Paddy Brennan, after a gallop at Warwick last month.

By contrast, Brennan was full of enthusiasm after a spin round Kempton on Saturday. So what had changed in the interim?

“Absolutely nothing happened,” Twiston-Davies insisted. “One thing that everybody should learn: never have jockeys, with a horse like that, ride work. [Brennan] was disappointed because another horse went better. That horse [Oscar Magic] then bolted up in the Kempton bumper.

“I knew it was a superb piece of work. Paddy doesn’t like getting beat, same as all of us, but that work was exceptional.”

A cheerful man who nevertheless expresses himself fiercely, Twiston-Davies dismisses any suggestion that his horse, now 10, might be on the old side for a Gold Cup winner. “Statistics are fools,” he says and names the rivals he most fears as “the old brigade, the Denmans and Kauto Stars. They’re the ones that have proved it … but, having said that, he’s beaten them.”

The hackles are up again as he discusses Khyber Kim, “the forgotten horse of the Champion Hurdle”. Runner-up in last year’s race, the nine-year-old is reported to have had “muck in his lungs” after flopping last time out and the trainer expects better at the Festival.

“Everybody forgets he’s the second- or third-top-rated horse in the country. Why is he forgotten?”

Someone suggests that, despite his protestations, the trainer is happiest when his horses are cast in the role of underdog. “Yeah,” he agrees. “So he can stuff it up ‘em when he goes and wins the Champion Hurdle.”

He is not so comfortable about the expectation that naturally follows from the yard’s treble on the Friday of last year’s Festival. “It’s more exciting when you’re doing something you’re not supposed to do,” the trainer said. “It’s nowhere near as much fun this year.”

On the other hand, last year’s meeting was not much fun for the first three, winnerless days, leaving him fearing the worst. “I’d gone to bed at eight o’clock on Thursday in a dreadful temper because everything seemed to be going wrong.

“Again this year, I can see us going into the last day, having not had a winner and feeling very nervous. But all our good ones, the favourites, are on the last day. It’s an awful long time to wait.”

Those last-day runners include Baby Run, who carried the trainer’s son, Sam, to victory in the Foxhunters last year and will be partnered by another son, Willie, this time. There is also Sybarite, described yesterday as “my next possible Imperial Commander” in the Albert Bartlett.

If the day goes well, it is to be hoped Twiston-Davies can find time to relish his success. “If you win a big race … your life’s no longer your own,” he reflected. “You don’t really have a chance to enjoy it. The next day, you have runners at Ffos Las and Uttoxeter. They all get beat and you feel absolutely shit again. When you have quite a lot of horses, you don’t ever really get a chance to lie back and think, my God, that was good.”

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Filed Under: News, The Guardian Reports.... Tagged With: Article, Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Chris Cook, Features, Horse racing, Imperial Commander, News & features, Sport, The Guardian

Claims Five: The only horses Nicky Henderson has run in the Gold Cup

February 25, 2011 By Carl Harris

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This article titled “Claims Five: The only horses Nicky Henderson has run in the Gold Cup” was written by Chris Cook, for guardian.co.uk on Friday 25th February 2011 10.00 UTC

Nicky Henderson stands an excellent chance of becoming the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival when the great meeting takes place next month. He has had 37 winners, three fewer than Fulke Walwyn, and is expected to send loads of fancied runners this time.

I really like the chances of his Long Run in the Gold Cup but I haven’t got round to backing him yet and one of the reasons for that dithering is this: I’m put off by Henderson’s lack of success in the race. Amazingly, he has saddled just five individual horses for the Gold Cup and none of them managed to get into the frame.

Of course, he hasn’t often had the right material. I think of Henderson as a trainer of speed horses and, if pressed to justify that, would point to the five Champion Hurdles, the five Triumph Hurdles and the three Arkles.

He may be the best trainer of two-mile handicap hurdlers in the time I’ve been following the sport. On the other hand (and this may be my prejudice), I have quite a few memories of his horses fading after travelling well when stepped up to longer distances.

Still, I don’t really think his Gold Cup record is something that should be held against Long Run, whose background is quite different to those Henderson has fielded before. Here are the losers in question.

1) Raffi Nelson pulled up in 1981

Ridden by Steve Smith Eccles, Raffi Nelson had won what is now the Argento Chase at Cheltenham in 1980. That didn’t seem to earn him much respect on Gold Cup day, however, as he started at 100-1 and was pulled up before the second-last in Little Owl’s race.

“He was a good handicapper, but he wasn’t really Gold Cup class,” Smith Eccles told me. “He was outclassed in the race but he was a nice ride to have – he was a good little jumper with no quirks.”

The experience may not have been a happy one for Henderson, who didn’t send out another Gold Cup runner for 21 years. Imagine, a whole generation during which the man who may shortly become the most successful in the meeting’s history did not have a runner in the Festival’s biggest race.

Some great horses passed through Seven Barrows in those years: See You Then, Remittance Man, The Tsarevich, Travado and Stormyfairweather. Henderson had plenty of Festival success and was twice champion trainer, but he didn’t go near the Gold Cup. Until . . .

2) Bacchanal 12th in 2002

I really fancied Bacchanal for the Gold Cup, to the extent of persuading my editor at Racing & Football Outlook to let me tip him on the front of our Cheltenham edition. The World Hurdle winner in 2000, he would have been a leading fancy for the RSA Chase in 2001 if the Festival had not been abandoned because of foot and mouth.

Bacchanal didn’t seem a natural jumper of fences, but he won four of his first five chases and was a good third to Florida Pearl and Best Mate in the 2001 King George, a long way clear of the previous year’s winner, First Gold. He got outpaced in the closing stages that day but Cheltenham’s greater test would surely suit him more than it would the two that beat him at Kempton.

Sent off at 6-1, he was a major disappointment, jumping erratically and looking beaten with eight fences to go. He finished 50 lengths behind Best Mate, winning his first Gold Cup. The only horse behind Bacchanal was Looks Like Trouble, who suffered a recurrence of a leg injury in mid-race and never ran over fences again. My editor was not happy.

3) Marlborough 4th in 2002, 11th in 2003

Two years older than Bacchanal, Marlborough was supposed to be Henderson’s second-string in 2002, when he was a 12-1 shot. He’d also won at the 2000 Festival, but only in the William Hill Trophy, a mere handicap, and he’d been hammered 12 lengths by Bacchanal in the Aon at Newbury.

On the other hand, that had been his first race for 10 months and he had been a lot closer to Bacchanal at the last, before blowing up. He was unbeaten in two starts over the Cheltenham fences and entitled to respect in any race there.

He made several mistakes in the Gold Cup but kept on keeping on, finishing 16 lengths adrift of Best Mate but comfortably ahead of the other seven finishers.

Marlborough produced a career best effort the following winter to be second to Best Mate in the King George, when he still had a winning chance at the last, but he seemed to be feeling his 11 years by the time of the 2003 Gold Cup. He never got into it and was beaten 60 lengths.

4) Irish Hussar pulled up in 2004

Was Henderson getting a taste for the blue riband of steeplechasing? Having shunned the race for much of his career, he had a runner for the third year in a row.

Irish Hussar would have had a more obvious chance in the Cathcart, in which he’d been a good second the year before. He’d run a fine Gold Cup trial when narrowly beaten by Shooting Light in the Aon but few could see any of the field denying Best Mate his hat-trick, and certainly not some 16-1 shot who had never won outside novice company.

The eight-year-old Irish Hussar ran rather as though he was still a novice that day. He made two serious mistakes, rallying gamely from the first but ending his chance with the second. He was pulled up two fences later, eight from home.

5) Barbers Shop 7th in 2009

A royal runner in the Gold Cup! Barbers Shop had come close to giving the Queen a Festival winner in 2008, when beaten just a neck by Finger Onthe Pulse in the Jewson.

Barry Geraghty, the winning rider that day, should have been dragged off to the Tower. Instead, he got the leg-up on Barbers Shop the following season, after the retirement of Mick Fitzgerald.

The new partnership began with a close second to Imperial Commander, who was getting 3lb from them in the Paddy Power. There’s a piece of form that doesn’t look too shabby now.

Barbers Shop won an intermediate chase at Sandown in December, his last run before the Gold Cup, for which he started at 10-1. Considering the opposition (Kauto Star, Denman, Exotic Dancer, Neptune Collonges), odds of 10-1 suggested he was a pretty good animal, but he looked weak in the race.

Sticky over the fourth-last and third-last fences, he faded quickly, having cruised round for most of the way. It seemed the performance of a non-stayer but Henderson pointed out that he was only seven and entitled to do better after another year of maturation.

Alas, Barbers Shop seems to have gone the wrong way. A decent fourth to Denman in the 2009 Hennessy and third in the following month’s King George, he was well beaten on all four starts last year and has not been seen since being pulled up in Diamond Harry’s Hennessy. If he turns up at the Festival next month, it will be for a handicap hurdle.

We now know that, just four days after Barbers Shop ran in the Gold Cup, Henderson was told of the positive test for tranexamic acid returned by Moonlit Path, also owned by the Queen. Flattering as it must be to have royal patronage, the down side looks pretty daunting if you ever have to break a piece of news quite so appallingly bad as that one.

Henderson must be hoping there would be nothing like a first Gold Cup winner to put the Moonlit Path blues behind him.

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Filed Under: Horseracing News Tagged With: Article, Blogposts, Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Chris Cook, Claims Five, Horse racing, Sport, Sportblog

Kauto cut for Gold Cup as punters begin to overlook King George flop

January 21, 2011 By Carl Harris

Kauto Star has been cut to 8/1 (from 10/1) by the sponsors for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup as punters begin to overlook his disappointing run in the King George VI Chase last weekend.

Paul Nicholls’ revelation that the horse has been suffering from a ‘low grade infection’ has seen support for the two-time Gold Cup winner as he aims to bounce back to make it a hat-trick in the Cheltenham showpiece. As a result of this support, Imperial Commander has eased at the head of the market to 7/2 (from 3/1).

“Kauto Star’s King George performance has polarised opinion but punters clearly thought the 10/1 represented value as he’s been well-supported for the Gold Cup since he was found to be suffering from an infection,” said totesport spokesman George Primarolo.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Master Minded will face eight rivals in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot for which he is the 4/7 favourite with totesport. Somersby is next in the market at 8/1 and also heads the market without the favourite at 7/2.

King Fontaine and Maktu have been installed as the 11/2 joint-favourites for the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock on Saturday by totesport with Becauseicouldntsee and Buffalo Bob both at 13/2.

The Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Chase and the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle are the highlights of a cracking card at Leopardstown on Sunday and Quel Esprit and Realt Dubh head totesport’s market for the former at 10/3 whilst Hurricane Fly is the 1/2 favourite to win his fourth Grade 1 hurdle on the bounce.

Victor Chandler Chase – totesport bet: 4/7 Master Minded, 8 Somersby, 9 Petit Robin, 10 Mad Max, 12 Crack Away Jack, 16 Gauvain, Kalahari King, 20 I’m So Lucky, 25 Tchico Polos.

1/5 1-2-3

Victor Chandler Chase (without Master Minded) – totesport bet: 7/2 Somersby, 4 Petit Robin, 9/2 Mad Max, 5 Crack Away Jack, 7 Gauvain, 9 I’m So Lucky, Kalahari King, 11 Tchico Polos.

1/5 1-2-3

Peter Marsh Chase – totesport bet: 11/2 King Fontaine, Maktu, 13/2 Becauseicouldntsee, Buffalo Bob, 8 Khachaturian, Take The Breeze, 9 Major Malarkey, 12 Sa Suffit, 14 Frankie Figg, Palypso de Creek, 20 Atouchbetweenacara, 25 Dream Alliance, Madison du Berlais.

¼ 1-2-3

Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Chase – totesport bet: 10/3 Quel Esprit, Realt Dubh, 7/2 Flat Out, 7 My Cracker, Saludos, 8 Noble Prince, 14 Uncle Tom Cobley, 16 Muirhead, 33 Shirley Casper, 40 Tramp Stamp.

1/5 1-2-3

BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle – totesport bet: 1/2 Hurricane Fly, 11/4 Solwhit, 10 Voler La Vedette, 14 Thousand Stars, 20 Sublimity.

¼ 1-2

totesport Trophy – sponsors bet: 9 (from 10) Tocca Ferro, 10 Salden Licht, 12 Final Approach, Nadiya de la Vega, Soldatino, 14 Alaivan, Call The Police, Get Me Out Of Here, Ronaldo des Mottes, 16 Escort’men, Iolith, James de Vassy, Notus de la Tour, Overturn, Solix, Sweet My Lord, Walkon, 20 Bothy, Eradicate, Mamlook, Nearby, Prima Vista, Tanks For That, The Betchworth, Kid, Tito Bustillo, 25 Celestial Halo, Doctor Deejay, French Opera, Palomar, Praxiteles, Rebel Dancer, Recession Proof, Sanctuaire, Tawaagg, You’re The Top, Zanir, 33 bar.

¼ 1-2-3-4

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – totesport bet: 5/2 Cue Card, 5 Zaidpour, 12 Hidden Universe, 14 Minella Class, Rock On Ruby, 16 Toubab, 20 Dare Me, Megastar, Prince Of Pirates, Shot From The Hip, 25 Elegant Concorde, First Lieutenant, Sam Winner, Sprinter Sacre, 33 Act Of Kalanisi, Bobs Worth, Dunraven Storm.

¼ 1-2-3

Irish Independent Arkle Trophy – totesport bet: 5 Finian’s Rainbow, Ghizao, 10 Medermit, 12 Flat Out, 14 Realt Dubh, 16 Captain Chris, 20 Mikael d’Haguenet, Nadiya de la Vega, Noble Prince, Surfing, 25 Quwetwo, Royal Charm, 33 Bellvano, Cristal Bonus, Kilmurry, Loosen My Load, Vino Griego

¼ 1-2-3

Stan James Champion Hurdle – totesport bet: 11/4 Binocular, 9/2 (from 11/2) Peddlers Cross, Hurricane Fly, Menorah, 14 Oscar Whisky, 16 Dunguib, 20 (from 25) Mille Chief, Khyber Kim, Overturn, 25 Cue Card, Get Me Out Of Here, Silviniaco Conti, Soldatino, Solwhit, Starluck, 33 Alaivan, Blackstairmountain, Walkon, Zaynar, 50 Celestial Halo, Clerks Choice, Solix, Thousand Stars, 66 bar.

¼ 1-2-3

Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle – totesport bet: 6 Backspin, 7 Zaidpour, 9 Rock On Ruby, 10 Minella Class, Court In Motion, So Young, 14 Chablais, 20 Al Ferof, Bishopsfurze, Bobs Worth, Megastar, 25 Dare Me, Dunraven Storm, Last Instalment, 33 Frawley.

¼ 1-2-3

RSA Chase – totesport bet: 5/2 Time For Rupert, 10 Mikael d’Haguenet, 12 Jessie’s Dream, Quel Esprit, Wayward Prince, 14 Quito de la Roque, Reve de Sivola, 16 Aiteenthirtythree, Chicago Grey, Wymott, 25 Loosen My Load, Wishful Thinking, 33 Alfie Sherrin, Sang Bleu.

¼ 1-2-3

Queen Mother Champion Chase – totesport bet: 7/4 Master Minded, 3 Big Zeb, 7 Woolcombe Folly, 10 Sizing Europe, Tataniano, 12 Captain Cee Bee, 16 Forpadydeplasterer, Gauvain, 20 Somersby, 33 Crack Away Jack, French Opera, Mad Max, Petit Robin, 50 Barker, Cornas, I’m So Lucky, J’y Vole, Tchico Polos, 66 Scotsirish, 100 Herecomesthetruth.

¼ 1-2-3

Ryanair Chase – totesport bet: 9/2 (from 5) Poquelin, 6 Master Minded, 7 (from 8) Tranquil Sea, 8 Somersby, 10 Albertas Run, 12 Golden Silver, J’y Vole, Punchestowns, Riverside Theatre, 16 Forpadydeplasterer, Joncol, Sizing Europe, Tartak, 20 Breedsbreeze, Captain Cee Bee, Kalahari King, Noland, 25 Deep Purple, Gauvain, Glencove Marina, Medermit, Nacarat, Roberto Goldback, 33 Barker, Crack Away Jack, Kempes, Little Josh, Psycho, Rare Bob, Weird Al, Zaarito, 40 bar.

¼ 1-2-3

Ladbrokes World Hurdle – totesport bet: 4/7 Big Buck’s, 8 Quevega, 10 Oscar Whisky, 12 Grands Crus, Mourad, Punchestowns, 14 Karabak, Khyber Kim, Zaynar, 16 Bensalem, 20 Any Given Day, Mikael d’Haguenet, Solwhit, 25 Ashkazar, Fiveforthree, Luska Lad, 33 bar.

¼ 1-2-3

JCB Triumph Hurdle – totesport bet: 10 Marsh Warbler, Sam Winner, Smad Place, 11 Grandouet, 12 Brampour, Kazzene, 14 Houblon Des Obeaux, Unaccompanied, 16 A Media Luz, 20 Bob Le Beau, Cedre Bleu, Comedy Act, 25 Donatulo, Empire Levant, Pullyourfingerout, Sailors Warn, Third Intention, 33 Architrave, Balerina, Captains Dilemma, Local Hero, Maoi Chinn Tire, Pantxoa, Pepite Rose, Titan De Sarti, 40 Toner d’Oudairies.

¼ 1-2-3

Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle – totesport bet: 6 Court In Motion, 7 Backspin, 10 Champion Court, 12 So Young, 14 Al Ferof, 16 Join Together, Mossey Joe, Oscars Well, 20 Sybarite, 25 Kilcrea Kim, Mossley, Sizing Mexico, Sonofvic, Teaforthree, 33 Act Of Kalanisi, Fully Funded, Mr Hudson, 40 Time For Spring.

¼ 1-2-3

totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup – sponsors bet: 7/2 (from 3) Imperial Commander, 5 Long Run, 8 (from 10) Kauto Star, Denman, 10 Diamond Harry, 14 Pandorama, 16 Pride Of Dulcote, 20 Midnight Chase, Time For Rupert, 25 Cooldine, Punchestowns, Sizing Europe, What A Friend, 33 Albertas Run, Joncol, Planet Of Sound, Weird Al, 40 Synchronised, 50 Barker, Carruthers, China Rock, Forpadydeplasterer, Kempes, Neptune Collonges, Tidal Bay, 66 Great Endeavour, Money Trix, 100 Chief Dan George, Glencove Marina, Mon Mome, Noland, The Listener, 150 Carronhills.

¼ 1-2-3

John Smith’s Grand National – totesport bet: 20 Ballabriggs, Big Fella Thanks, Black Apalachi, Don’t Push It, Hello Bud, Merigo, Niche Market, Synchronised, 25 Becauseicouldntsee, Bluesea Cracker, Majestic Concorde, Notre Pere, Silver By Nature, State Of Play, West End Rocker, 33 Arbor Supreme, Backstage, Giles Cross, I’moncloudnine, The Midnight Club, 40 Character Building, Maljimar, Mon Mome, The Package, Tricky Trickster.

¼ 1-2-3-4

Filed Under: Horseracing News Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, horseracing, Kauto Star

Pandorama slashed for totesport Gold Cup after Lexus victory

December 28, 2010 By Carl Harris

Pandorama produced an impressive performance to take the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown this afternoon and has been cut to 14/1 (from 33/1) by the sponsors for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

There had been a bit of gamble on Noel Meade’s gelding as he was backed into 7/2 joint-favouritism having opened up on-course at 6/1. Punters never really had a moment of worry coming to the last as Paul Carberry’s mount was travelling strongly and he powered up the run-in to record a six length victory.

‘Pandorama has proven he can mix it at the highest level with victory in the Lexus Chase and although he has to find more to challenge the very best, time is on his side and there could well be more improvement to come’ said totesport spokesman George Primarolo.

Elsewhere on the card, Mourad continued Willie Mullins’ run of fine form with victory in the woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle and has now been cut to 20/1 (from 25/1) by totesport for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

So Young took the opening race of the fixture when bolting up in the Madigans Maiden Hurdle and has been introduced into the market for the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at 16/1 by totesport.

Coral Welsh National – totesport bet: 11/2 Synchronised, 9 Maktu, 10 Dance Island, 11 Bluesea Cracker, Watamu Bay, 14 Dream Alliance, Silver By Nature, 16 Becauseicouldntsee, Hello Bud, Lochan Lacha, Master Overseer, Summery Justice, 20 Arbor Supreme, Beautiful Sound, Exmoor Ranger, Imoncloudnine, Old Benny, 22 Ballyfitz, 25 Royal Rosa, 28 Giles Cross, 33 Ballyfoy, Dashing George, Flight Leader, Hills Of Aran, 40 bar.

¼ 1-2-3-4

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – totesport bet: 11/4 Cue Card, 4 Zaidpour, 12 Toubab, 14 Hidden Universe, Megastar, 16 Dare Me, Sam Winner, 20 Bobs Worth, Kids Cassidy, Prince Of Pirates, 25 Elegant Concorde, Minella Class, Sprinter Sacre, 33 Act Of Kalanisi, Dunraven Storm, Shot From The Hip.

¼ 1-2-3

Irish Independent Arkle Trophy – totesport bet: 8 Ghizao, 10 Finian’s Rainbow, Medermit, 14 Royal Charm, 16 Captain Chris, Get Me Out Of Here, Noble Prince, Surfing, 20 Loosen My Load, Oscar Whisky, 25 Quwetwo, 33 Bellvano, Kilmurry, Vino Griego.

¼ 1-2-3

Stan James Champion Hurdle – totesport bet: 4 Binocular, Hurricane Fly, Menorah, 6 Peddlers Cross, 10 Khyber Kim, 14 Cue Card, Silviniaco Conti, 16 Dunguib, Overturn, Solwhit, 20 Soldatino, Starluck, 25 Get Me Out Of Here, Quevega, 33 Alaivan, Blackstairmountain, Escort’men, Zaynar, 40 General Miller, Mille Chief, Sanctuaire.

¼ 1-2-3

Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle – totesport bet: 6 Zaidpour, 10 Al Ferof, 14 Megastar, 16 (first show) So Young, Dare Me, Last Instalment, 20 Frawley, Minella Class, 25 Bishopsfurze, Dunraven Storm.

¼ 1-2-3

RSA Chase – totesport bet: 3 Time For Rupert, 7 Mikael d’Haguenet, 12 Quel Esprit, Wayward Prince, 14 Jessie’s Dream, Reve de Sivola, 16 Aiteenthirtythree, Chicago Grey, Wymott, 25 Loosen My Load, Peveril, Wishful Thinking, 33 Alfie Sherrin, Sang Bleu.

¼ 1-2-3

Queen Mother Champion Chase – totesport bet: 7/4 Master Minded, 3 Big Zeb, 8 Woolcombe Folly, 10 Captain Cee Bee, Golden Silver, Sizing Europe, Tataniano, 12 Forpadydeplaster, 16 Gauvain, 20 Kalahari King, Somersby, 25 Riverside Theatre.

¼ 1-2-3

Ladbrokes World Hurdle – totesport bet: 4/6 Big Buck’s, 8 Quevega, 9 Long Run, 12 Karabak, 14 Zaynar, 16 Bensalem, 20 (from 25) Mourad, Celestial Halo, Quel Esprit, 25 Aegean Dawn.

¼ 1-2-3

JCB Triumph Hurdle – totesport bet: 9/2 Sam Winner, 10 Smad Place, 12 Brampour, 20 Bob Le Beau, Comedy Act, Toner d’Oudairies, 25 Donatulo, Empire Levant, Grandouet, Pullyourfingerout, Third Intention, 33 Architrave, Balerina, Captains Dilemma, Maoi Chinn Tire, Pantxoa, Pepite Rose, Titan De Sarti.

¼ 1-2-3

totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup – sponsors bet: 7/2 Imperial Commander, 9/2 Kauto Star, 8 Denman, 10 Diamond Harry, 14 (from 33) Pandorama, Burton Port, 20 Cooldine, Long Run, Punchestowns, Sizing Europe, What A Friend, 25 Midnight Chase, Mikael d’Haguenet, 33 Planet Of Sound, Taranis, The Nightingale, Weird Al.

¼ 1-2-3

John Smith’s Grand National – totesport bet: 20 Big Fella Thanks, Black Apalachi, Don’t Push It, Hello Bud, Merigo, Niche Market, 25 Bluesea Cracker, Notre Pere, Silver By Nature, State Of Play, 33 Arbor Supreme, Backstage, Ballabriggs, The Midnight Club, 40 Character Building, Maljimar, Mon Mome, The Package, Tricky Trickster.

¼ 1-2-3-4

Filed Under: Horseracing News Tagged With: Cheltenham Gold Cup, Pandorama

Bookies Have a Bumper Cheltenham

March 20, 2010 By Carl Harris

PUNTERS COUNT THE CHELTENHAM COST AS £60M GOES THE BOOKIES’ WAY

As the dust begins to settle at the end of most dire four days of betting that Cheltenham punters have ever known, bookmakers across the land began counting the cost to the Nation’s punters.

Britian’s biggest bookies William Hill estimate that an unprecedented £60MILLION could be reaped in betting profits across the industry – after just four winning favourites from 26 races obliged for backers over the four miserable days.

A staggering £150 million a day was wagered industry-wide, on each of the four days of the festival, with another £1million per race staked on-course in cash – leading to a £600million turnover on the four day Festival.

That figure equates to around £24 million per race, for the 26 races, with betting reaching a £40million fever pitch on this year’s final-day feature race – The Gold Cup.

David Hood, spokesman for William Hill, said: ‘’This will go down in history as the worst set of results that Cheltenham punters have experienced. Time-after-time long-priced winners sailed back to the winner’s enclosure celebrated by just a handful of punters who had backed them. We’ve bloodied the punters’ noses – and the healing process could take some time.’’

In what can only be described as the most dire four days of betting that Cheltenham punters have ever known, the win of Imperial Commander was another nail in the coffin.

Previously billed as the ‘War of the Worlds’ by bookies, the titanic clash between Kauto Star and Denman became a damp squib in the Cotswold drizzle as the locally trained Imperial Commander at 7/1 upset the odds, but provided the locals with a lot to cheer about.

Punters across the land wagered a record £40million on the clash today, David Hood, spokesman for William Hill, said: ‘’Bookies couldn’t make it up this week, they have enjoyed some stellar results (only three winning favourites up to the Gold Cup), and it will take punters until the World Cup to get over the shocks this week.”

The Gold Cup wasn’t a complete ‘skinner’ for bookies, as both the winner and the third Mon Mome were exceptionally well backed each-way horses. “Mon Mome was the surprise gamble from 150-1 into 50-1, but I have no doubt that many remembered his Grand National win and kept the faith again. That said, he has saved Hills £550,000!“

A punter with a series of 10p accumulators confidently predicted that Imperial Commander and Denman would be placed winning £450,000, but Mon Mome’s last gasp effort to snatch third from Carruthers saved William Hill from that becoming a £1million pound win.

Gold Cup 2011: 4-1 Imperial Commander, Kauto Star, 8-1 Denman, Weapon’s Amnesty, 12-1 Big Buck’s, 16-1 Diamond Harry, Long Run, Punchestowns, Somersby, 20-1 bar (EWW 1/4 1,2,3)

Filed Under: Horseracing News Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival 2011, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Imperial Commander

Kauto Star is Lethal Says Champion Trainer

March 19, 2010 By Carl Harris

Paul Nicholls has labelled Kauto Star “lethal” as Clive Smith’s 10-year-old bids to cement his place among the National Hunt legends in Friday’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Kauto Star Gold Cup Favourite

Only Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Mill House and Best Mate have ever won the blue riband event three times, and all did it in consecutive seasons.

Kauto Star has already created his own unique piece of history by becoming the first horse to reclaim the prize 12 months ago, and another win for Ruby Walsh’s mount would add yet more lustre to his legacy. Having been kept fresh since winning a fourth King George VI Chase in spectacular fashion, champion trainer Nicholls is feeling bullish again.

“It is impossible to say he is better than ever as it was such a wonderful performance at Kempton,” said Nicholls.

“He worked with Master Minded last weekend and there are very few who can do what he did with a champion chaser.

“When he is fit he is lethal and there is nothing I can say to put anyone off him.”

According to the bookmakers, Kauto Star has most to fear from stablemate and 2008 winner Denman, who finished second 12 months ago after an interrupted preparation.

Yet again Denman’s last appearance before Cheltenham did not go to plan as he left his new jockey, Tony McCoy, on the floor in the Aon Chase which was won by another stablemate, Tricky Trickster.

McCoy is back in the saddle and the racing world is itching to see the two best horses and the two best jockeys competing in the highlight of the season.

“Denman did a very good piece of work with Tricky Trickster at the weekend. The more you do and the more you drill him the better he gets,” added Nicholls.

“You have to remember that before he ran in the Aon he gave 22lb to What A Friend and he went on to win the Lexus.

“He did have a little setback, but he is over that and do not write him off.

“The danger with Denman is that you go off too quick on him and get to the bottom of him too soon.

“He loves a battle and if he had got into a scrap with Niche Market at Newbury he would have loved it.”

One of the few viable alternatives to the big two is last year’s Ryanair winner, Imperial Commander.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ nine-year-old only went down by a nose to Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, and returns to a course where he has won four times over fences after disappointing in Kempton’s King George VI Chase.

“He’s in really good nick and I’m very happy with him. He got within a whisker of beating Kauto Star at Haydock. I couldn’t be happier and I’m really looking forward to it,” the Naunton handler said.

“He certainly will have improved from Haydock. That was his first run of the season and he’s a big burly horse. He’s an awful lot fitter now and he’s really lean and mean and keen.

“The trip is not a problem, he stays forever.

“We’ll be riding our own race but we certainly will be up there with them. Three out at Haydock he had Kauto Star beat but he made a mistake there that turned the whole thing into a battle.

“He has a high cruising speed and can quicken off that. I don’t think we’re worried about tactics at all.

“He’s won four out of five over fences at Cheltenham. He was very wrong the only time he was beaten there. He damaged a hock and didn’t run for nearly a year.

“Otherwise without that he’d have been unbeaten there.”

Willie Mullins is pinning his hopes on Cooldine improving as much as he did last year.

His novice campaign was highlighted with an authoritative victory in the RSA Chase and he ran a sound trial in the Irish Hennessy on his latest start.

“He seems in good form on the gallops here during the week,” said Mullins.

“Last year he improved hand over fist from race to race and I’m sure he’s improved again since Leopardstown.

“I hope we can get into the money and it is all to play for after that. The race looks like a head-to-head and my fellow needs a good bit of improvement to get between the two of them but that is what we are here to find out.

“He will handle the ground and the trip will bring out his stamina.

“He put in a fantastic round of jumping last year and if he can do the same again this time it will put him right in the race.

Filed Under: Horseracing News Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival 2010, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Denman, Kauto Star, Paul Nicholls

Cheltenham Festival, Fridays Horse racing Tips, Gold Cup Day 2011

March 18, 2010 By Carl Harris

Carl Harris @ Cheltenham

Update, please see our Gold Cup Tips 2011

Its Friday and it is the day we have all been waiting for, Kauto Star has his date with destiny as he looks to land a third Gold Cup. Paul Nicholls will hope for better than Master Minded who he hoped would land a third Champion Chase but it was not to be!

So it is the final day of four heavy days at Cheltenham and we will need to get a few quid. It has not been bad so far, but it could be better!

Here are your free horseracing tips for Friday, Cheltenham Gold Cup Day at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival.

This is my favourite day of the whole year!

1:30 Cheltenham JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)

Last year Zaynar won the Triumph Hurdle and finished third in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday. Is there anything of the quality of Zaynar here, well maybe.

Certainly there have been a few performances of note this season and I think that Super Kenny who won on Monday would have had a good chance had he gone for the Triumph Hurdle.

The Irish are flying at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival, they have a great chance with Carlito Brigante but I think this will be one that stays at home with it being fought out between Henderson and Nicholls.I was very taken with both Advisor and particularly Soldatino. Nicky Henderson is the best trainer of hurdlers in my view and I think yet another French import, Soldatino can win the Triumph Hurdle.

After his last win Nicky Henderson was quoted as saying;

“He’s only been with me for five weeks and I haven’t really galloped him. We were going on what we were told which was that he could be a bit wild so we decided to leave in the earplugs which were used on him in France.

If he comes on for that he will win and win well. Soldatino is my Triumph Hurdle bet and one I am heavily on.

Live game odds ( Chelt, 13:30 2m1f Nov Hrd ) by InrunningOdds.com

2:05 Cheltenham Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

I am looking at this race initially before I see the declarations and if Qaspal runs he wins, I think it is as simple as that! He bolted up in the Imperial Cup and will win at £75k bonus if he were to complete the double.

McCoy is in great form at Cheltenham and despite the competitive nature of the County Hurdle ,Qaspal could make a mockery of the jandicap and win in the famous McManus colours.

Qaspal and McCoy

Live game odds ( Chelt, 14:05 2m1f Hcap Hrd ) by InrunningOdds.com

2:40 Cheltenham, Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

This is a tough race to solve, usually. Weapons Amnesty proved in 2010 that his win in the race is 2009 is of a very high standard. Some very good horses have featured in this is recent times, the likes of Denman, Best Mate and Kicking King who went on to frank this as an important race.

The ability to travel, jump and finish well are key attributes if you are to win this race. So who will win the 2010 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle?

Enterprise Park is likely to go off the shortest of the irish horses and I think thatcould go well for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh. I also like the look of Restless Harry but the one that carries my money is Tell Massini. I think this is a proper horse, a really good one for the future. Tell Massini justified his cramped odds when bringing up his third straight victory under rules with an impressive victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, in December having previously won the Grade 2 Hyde Novices’ Hurdle at the same venue. he likes the course and has an oficial rating of 153, a very high class horse indeed.

I think with a break and natural progression Tell Massini can give Tom George a winner at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival.

Live game odds ( Chelt, 14:40 3m Nov Hrd ) by InrunningOdds.com

3:20 Cheltenham; Cheltenham Gold Cup (grade 1)

The big one. Kauto Star v Denman. The 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Of course Kauto Star will win a third Gold Cup if he prevails here, but we saw Master Minded fail and now all eyes are on Kauto Star.

I think regular readers of the website will know by now that this is a big one and that I am 100 per cent behind Kauto Star. There is no doubt that Kauto Star has the tallent and the class to win. So does Denman. Is he value, NO!

But it is about more than value. The win at Kempton in the King George was simply sensational. Any horse that can do that gets my vote. The weather has held off and I think that the ground will be perfect of Kauto Star. That for me was the only doubt. I think Denman will be second and I think Tricky Trickster will be third. Cooldine is the only one I see possibly breaking the Nicholls hold on the race.

Kauto Star looks for a third Gold Cup at Cheltenham

Kauto Star the best bet of the day to win a third Cheltenham Gold Cup!

Live game odds ( Chelt, 15:20 3m2f Grd1 Chs ) by InrunningOdds.com

Gold Cup - the owners…

Filed Under: Horseracing News Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, County Hurdle, Denman, Free Horseracing Tips, Kauto Star, Triumph Hurdle

Saturdays Cheltenham News, Lots of It!

March 13, 2010 By Carl Harris

A round up of all the latest news ahead of The Cheltenham Festival which is now coming thick and fast….

Weird Al, one of the leading fancies for Wednesday’s RSA Chase, will miss the Cheltenham race after suffering a leg injury.

Arch rivals and stablemates Kauto Star and Denman head a field of 12 left in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday at the confirmation stage.

Solwhit has reclaimed his position in the ante-post market for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on Tuesday after connections confirmed he will be making the trip to Cheltenham. Ruby Walsh is advising punters not to forget Celestial Halo in Tuesday’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Edward O’Grady’s Alaivan heads up 29 possibles for Friday’s JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Paul Nicholls’ is due to run the unbeaten Advisor, while Nicky Henderson’s exciting prospect Soldatino is set to line-up for the Seven Barrows team.

Any doubts over Get Me Out Of Here‘s target for Cheltenham disappeared when he didn’t feature among the six-day acceptors for the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle.

Tell Massini tops six-day entries for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday. The Tom George-trained six-year-old takes a 100% record over jumps to the Festival having won all his three starts including twice over the course.

Voler La Vadette has replaced Quevega as favourite for the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle on Betfair.

Check Back for more news later……

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