We now know the ground Cheltenham is set to start on next week and Mark Howard has three fancies who will relish conditions.
The ground at Cheltenham on Saturday was described as soft and with more rain forecast throughout next week, the Festival is set to be staged on testing conditions. With that in mind, I have nominated three proven mudlarks who will very much at home on such a surface.
IROKO ran two promising races in France when trained by Emmanuel Clayeux finishing fourth behind the the 145 rated Icare Allen in a bumper (1m 4f) and then runner-up over hurdles at Auteuil (2m 2f) – that form worked out well with the first, third, fifth and seventh winning subsequently. Acquired by J.P.McManus and sent to Olly Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s thriving operation in Cheshire, the Cokoriko gelding raced twice in Graded company over two miles last term.
While not disgraced in either the Grade 1 Finale Hurdle at Chepstow or the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle at Kempton, he wasn’t quick enough for two miles. Stepped up in distance and sent handicapping, the five year old has shown progressive form this term winning twice at Wetherby (2m 3f) on good and soft ground off marks of 121 and 128. He was particularly impressive last time when scoring by 14 lengths and his jockey Kevin Brogan was reportedly very taken by him.
Raised ten pounds since, he looks ready for this step up in class. Either Brogan (1 from 1) or Jonjo O’Neill (441) is expected to be on board. Dual champion jockey James Reveley, who is currently sidelined with a broken tibia, rode him at Auteuil and liked him a lot and his stable have had a terrific campaign with 51 winners. His best form is on flat tracks, but he was fourth at Chepstow staying on as a juvenile hurdler. His record on soft ground is 4241. The softer the ground, the better his chance.
SAINT SEGAL – Grand Annual Chase
SAINT SEGAL won twice over hurdles last season and travelled strongly until after the second last in the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle last March when rated 126. The Saint Des Saints gelding underwent wind surgery during the summer and, having raced twice more over hurdles in the Autumn, he was switched to fences.
An emphatic winner at Chepstow (Good/Soft) and Hereford (Soft) off 121 and 128, he was a fast finishing second at Doncaster last time. Beaten half a length by Castleford Chase winner Malystic off 136, he is only three pounds higher now and the nature of this race will play into his hands. Jane Williams’ stable star handles deep ground and is a young chaser on the up. Novices have a good record here, although it is twenty years since a five year old won (Palarshan).
THREE CARD BRAG – Albert Bartlett NH or Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys HH
THREE CARD BRAG has a couple of options on Friday, but I suspect he will line up in the Albert Bartlett because owner Max McNeill will be keen to use his retained rider Adrian Heskin. A half-brother to RSA Chase runner up Idle Talk, he is bred to relish the step up to three miles for the first time and is very much shortlist material. A bumper winner at Wexford (runner-up won the same race this month) in March last year, he has won half of his four runs over obstacles and is rated 138.
The Jet Away gelding accounted for the aforementioned Sandor Clegane by six and a half lengths at Galway (2m : Soft/Heavy) in October before showing signs of inexperience when third in Grade 3 company at Navan (2m 4f : Yielding). A length and a quarter behind Hercule Du Seuil, he finished on the heels of stablemate Imagine. A neck second to the smart Inthepocket in the rescheduled Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle at Naas (Soft) before Christmas, he stayed on well on the run-in and pulled four and a half lengths clear of another stable companion Absolute Notions.
He then justified short price favouritism when beating Spanish Harlem by a dozen lengths at Fairyhouse (2m 3f : Soft/Heavy) in January making all and pulling away after the last. Improving all the time, he is at his best on testing ground.
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