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Cheltenham Christmas meeting preview: Views from connections

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Thu December 12, 2024 · 18 min ago

Views from connections ahead of some of Friday's key races from Cheltenham on day one of the Christmas meeting.

12.40 Cheltenham - SSS Super Alloys Novices' Chase

Paul Nicholls believes Caldwell Potter is “ready for the next step up the ladder” as he prepares for Friday’s SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

The lightly-raced six-year-old will try an extended two and a half miles for the first time following a brilliant debut for the Ditcheat handler earlier this month.

The grey went off as 2/11 favourite on his chasing bow at Carlisle and despite jumping left throughout the two-mile contest, he made all to secure a winning start for Nicholls by five lengths.

He leads the market once again in the five-runner race at Prestbury Park, which could lay down a marker for future targets at the Festival in March if successful on his second appearance over fences.

“He made a perfect debut for us from the front at Carlisle, jumping well, if a tad left-handed, before stretching clear on the run-in,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“This race is a bit of an afterthought, but there aren’t many options for horses like him so it looks an ideal chance to give him experience over fences round Cheltenham. He has been ticking over nicely at home and is ready for the next step up the ladder.”

Caldwell Potter landed the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown last December when under the guidance of Gordon Elliott, before being sold in February for €740,000 at Tattersalls Ireland – a record for a jumps horse at a public auction – to the co-owning group of former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason, John Hales and Peter Done.

The gelding has got his high-profile co-owner “dreaming” of success after his victory at Carlisle, despite Ferguson admitting the price of his record purchase had made him nervous.

“Caldwell Potter is the one that really took my breath away,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“He was up for sale in Ireland and John said we may have to go to €600,000 and at that point I fainted! He then phoned me and said it has gone to 700,000. He said do you want to stay in and I said well you have taken us this far. He then went for €740,000.

“Gordon Elliott was very kind and wrote a nice letter as he was desperate to keep him and had tried hard going round all the sources he has (to try to keep the horse). Fortunately, we got him and he won his first race for us. He looked classy at Carlisle and really took to his fences. I’m hopeful and he has really got me dreaming – at that price he better!”

An obvious danger to Caldwell Potter is Jango Baie, who will be looking to get his nose in front on his chasing debut for Nicky Henderson after winning twice, including at Grade One level, and registering three successive runner-up finishes over hurdles last season.

Henderson told Unibet: “He was due to run at Aintree last week, but that was abandoned, so we find ourselves here and I must admit he does appear to face quite a tall order with the likes of Caldwell Potter among the opposition.

"He’s schooled well, however, is a point-to-point winner and two-and-a-half around a course like this should suit.”

Springwell Bay has to give upwards of 3lb to his rivals for Jonjo and AJ O’Neill, while Harry Skelton is aboard Deafening Silence for brother Dan and Laura Morgan’s Ballymackie completes the line-up for the class two contest.

An obvious danger to Caldwell Potter is Jango Baie, who will be looking to get his nose in front on his chasing debut for Nicky Henderson after winning twice, including at Grade One level, and registering three successive runner-up finishes over hurdles last season.

1.50 Cheltenham - Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase

King Turgeon takes the next step in his career in the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. The six-year-old has been seen twice this season, starting out in a three-and-a-quarter-mile handicap at Chepstow where he was a 10-length winner after a neat round of jumping.

He headed next to the Grand Sefton at Aintree, where he encountered the Grand National fences for the first time and evidently found them to his liking when skipping round to win comfortably.

The Becher Chase was his next target back in Liverpool last weekend, but Storm Darragh intervened and it was no real surprise when the meeting was abandoned due to high winds.

He has therefore been rerouted to Cheltenham, where he clashes with the likes of Kim Bailey’s Chianti Classico.

“He’s in great form, he’s at the right end of the weights and we hope he can run a big race,” said Pipe.

“He’ll like the track and the ground, Kim Bailey’s horse is probably the one we’ve all got to beat. He’s got to produce a career-best to win, but he’s been amazing in what he’s achieved so far this season and everything else is a bonus.

“We didn’t even leave last Saturday morning, so he’s full of beans and ready for action.”

Chianti Classico was last seen winning the Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap by three lengths at Ascot on his seasonal debut and is another in Cheltenham action after the loss of the Becher, with Nigel Twiston-Davies’ The Newest One set for his third run at Cheltenham this season.

Dan Skelton’s Ballygrifincottage, Henry Oliver’s Java Point and Sam Thomas’ Our Power are all involved, with Venetia Williams’ 12-year-old Chambard the veteran in the field and Izino d’Airy an interesting contender from the French stable of Guillaume Fabre.

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3.00 Cheltenham - Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase

Stumptown bids to make a triumphant return to Cheltenham in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup. Gavin Cromwell’s charge has a fine record at Prestbury Park, with four course starts yielding a New Year’s Day victory and two placed finishes, including a neck defeat to Angels Dawn in the Kim Muir at the 2023 Festival.

The seven-year-old has recently had his attentions turned to the cross-country sphere and the switch appears to have had the desired effect as he has won his last two starts at Punchestown.

Cromwell is hoping Stumptown can carry that form over to the cross-country circuit in the Cotswolds.

“He’s obviously very effective around Punchestown. Cheltenham is a different task, but hopefully he’ll take to it well,” he said.

“Hopefully he’ll be competitive. He seems in good form.”

Cromwell has an interesting second string to his bow in Vanillier, who won the 2021 Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham and is perhaps best known for finishing second to Corach Rambler in the 2023 Grand National. He was pulled-up over the regulation fences at Cheltenham in October, but fared better when sixth behind Stumptown on his cross-country debut last month.

Cromwell added: “Vanillier ran well the last day on his first attempt at it. Hopefully he can build on that and be competitive. He was disappointing on his first start of the season around Cheltenham, but he definitely ran better the last day, so fingers crossed.”

Gigginstown House Stud are responsible for the two at the top of the weights, with Gordon Elliott saddling both Delta Work and Coko Beach.

Delta Work has twice won the Glenfarclas Chase at the Festival and reverts to the cross-country route after finishing last of five in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, while Coko Beach was fifth behind Stumptown last time out.

Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary has bemoaned the fact the Festival cross-country race will be a handicap this season and feels both horses face a tough task on this occasion.

“As ever they’ve a massive job with those weights, hence why the Festival race should be a conditions race, but there you go,” he said.

“The Festival is meant to be about good horses and that’s why they’ve ruined this race.”

Elliott has also declared Chemical Energy, Gevrey and The Goffer, while other contenders include David Cottin’s French challenger Iceo Madrik, Nicky Henderson’s Mister Coffey and the Tom Ellis-trained Latenightpass.

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