Despite the fact that the horses I chose to back failed to read or adhere to the formbook, it was still an interesting weekend (if not financially rewarding personally), and a few horses literally jumped nearer to the head of the queue for their Cheltenham targets. A list of names with reasons will follow but top dog simply has to be Coneygree who took the Denman Chase by an easy six lengths after making all the running, and beating seasoned campaigners Houblon Des Obeaux and Unioniste in the process.
Trainer Mark Bradstock now has to make the decision about his Cheltenham target as amazingly he is still a novice, leaving either the Gold Cup (16/1 available), or the RSA Chase for novices only, and for which he is a 5/1 chance. On the one hand this was only his fourth race over fences so the easier route makes the most sense, but on the other, he is a late developer and already aged eight, so do they look for the easy route or aim for the stars?
The disappointment of the day award sadly had to go to the Gary Moore yard as the long awaited return to action of Champion Chaser Sire De Grugy. Off track through injury since winning the Celebration Chase at Sandown last April, his jumping lacked its usual fluency and he has already brushed a few before blundering through the fourth last and eventually unseating Jamie Moore at the next fence. It is guesswork but I doubt he would have won regardless with jumping of that standard, so it’s back to the old drawing board at the Moore yard if he is to have any chance of defending his crown at Cheltenham for which he is now a pretty generous 7/1 in what looks like a very open year.
At Leopardstown on Sunday afternoon it was all change with regard to the betting on the Mullins horses with two favourites beaten but only by their stable companions – that is how much strength in depth they have at their County Carlow yard. First upset for punters was when 5/4 favourite Kalkir (Ruby Walsh riding) was overturned by Petite Parisienne who was getting her six-pound sex allowance, so no disgrace for either of them. No obvious excuses spring to mind with the possible exception of race fitness (the favourite had been off since Boxing Day), and it will be interesting to see who Ruby rides in the Triumph Hurdle – I won’t fall off my chair in shock if he decides to stick with the gelding.
Lastly for this weekend, the Mullins yard went in mob handed for the Deloitte Novice Hurdle with no less than four of the nine runners, so almost a 50/50 chance of the winner even if we ignored all the form. Racecourse rumour has cost me more money than almost any other aspect of the racing world over the years so I have slowly learned to stop listening and in this case that was the wisest move as 11/10 jolly Alvisio Ville was soundly beaten in to third by compatriot Nichols Canyon who was ridden by stable jockey Ruby Walsh. All the talk had been about the favourite after his easy win in a maiden hurdle here but on form, that amounted to previous little and punters were working on conjecture rather than cold hard fact. Meanwhile, Nichols Canyon had won his maiden at Cork and then easily taken the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse. He did admittedly unseat next time out at Leopardstown (going well and only the third hurdle, so who knows what would have happened), and with hindsight, was amazing value here at a ridiculous 9/2 – he heads to Cheltenham with a choice of entries and may well have my support in whichever one he takes in come March.