The Irish Angle: Donn McClean fancies Disko

Half-time: 8-6. Or 6-8. One for Alan Fleming (a first one), one for Jessica Harrington (an emphatic one), one for Henry de Bromhead (a Champion Chase one) and five for Gordon Elliott. 

Elliott had trained a total of eight Cheltenham Festival winners before Tuesday, and he has had five more in the last two days.  He has played some half.  Now it’s time for the half-time oranges and the team talk before they go out to the New Course for the second half.

Disko could be the value in Thursday’s curtain-raiser, the JLT Chase.  Always highly-regarded by trainer Noel Meade, the Gigginstown House horse finished a close-up third behind Our Duke and Coney Island in the Grade One Neville Hotels Novices’ Chase over three miles at Leopardstown over Christmas.

The two horses that finished in front of him that day are two highly talented individuals. Coney Island had won the Grade One Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse on his previous run, and Our Duke is a highly progressive and exciting staying novice chaser. Disko only gave best to them inside the final 150 yards up the hill, he was beaten a half a length and the same, and the three of them pulled 20 lengths clear of their rivals.

Returned to Leopardstown last month for the Grade One Flogas Chase over two miles and five furlongs, Disko exacted his revenge on Our Duke. The shorter trip appeared to be close to optimum for him.

Rider Sean Flanagan was aggressive on him over the distance. He allowed him stride on from the third fence and Disko was dynamite over the five fences that take you all the way down Leopardstown’s back straight. The grey horse led into the home straight and had enough in reserve to withstand Our Duke’s late lunge.

There was some talk of the RSA Chase after that, but the main talk was understandably of the JLT, and you have to think that this is the correct race for him. Over the intermediate trip, Bryan Cooper can be as aggressive on him as he likes on Thursday.

Disko has never raced at Cheltenham, but he does handle Punchestown’s undulations well. Also, while his latest win in the Flogas Chase was on soft ground, conditions were unseasonably goodish for the Neville Hotels race at Leopardstown over Christmas, and he handled them well. They are set to water the New Course overnight at Cheltenham, so conditions should be fine for Disko.

Interestingly, the JLT Chase is a race in which prominent racers do well. Three of the last four winners – Black Hercules, Vautour and Benefficient – led or disputed the lead from early, and that augurs well for Disko.

He could face competition for the lead from Kilcrea Vale or Politologue but, if he does, Bryan Cooper should be happy to take a lead. He sat in behind Our Duke in the Flogas Chase over the first few fences before he strode on.

Yorkhill is top class, of course. He is a worthy favourite. Willie Mullins’ horse won the Neptune Hurdle last year and he followed up in the Mersey Hurdle at Aintree.  Also, Top Notch, runner-up in the 2015 Triumph Hurdle, was impressive in winning the Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown last time. However, Disko does not seem to be as fashionable as those two rivals, and he may be a little under-rated by the market.

Squouateur has usurped Mall Dini at the top of the Kim Muir market, and history tells you that the Gordon Elliott/Jamie Codd combination is a potent combination, but Mall Dini may now be the value of the race.  

The Pat Kelly-trained gelding put up the best performance of his career to date when he landed the Pertemps Final on this day last year, so we know that he can thrive under the unique conditions that prevail at the Cheltenham Festival.

Philip Reynolds’ horse has raced five times over fences this season, each time in a beginners’ chase, and he has not managed to win.  However four of those runs were over two or two and a half miles, and all five were on soft or heavy ground.  And he didn’t run badly last time at Gowran Park to finish third behind Bachasson and General Principle, over a distance that should have been shorter than ideal and on ground that should have been softer than ideal.

He should be much happier on Thursday, back on better ground, back over three and a quarter miles, and back at Cheltenham, where he put up his career-best over hurdles.

His British handicap rating of 143 is fair, just 2lb higher than his Irish mark and just 4lb higher than the hurdles mark off which he won the Pertemps Final last year, and he will have top amateur rider in Katie Walsh for company. He could run a big race.

For more of Donn's thoughts, visit www.donnmcclean.com