Fran Berry joins Ben Linfoot and Matt Brocklebank to discuss this weekend's big talking points, including Altior v Cyrname and the Betfair Chase.
Altior v Cyrname – who are you siding with?
Matt Brocklebank: I’m all for this early-season clash. Granted, there’s a case to be made for all these top horses staying away from each other until the major festivals later in the campaign, but who’s to say others won’t put their hand up to challenge the likes of Altior and Cyrname come the spring. As for Saturday, a lot depends on Altior’s jumping. We know Cyrname will set about to make all of the running at what is clearly his most favourable course, and if Altior jumps out to his left as he did on his way to winning the Clarence House Chase at Ascot last season, he’ll seriously struggle to reel in the Nicholls horse. But I’m not completely convinced Altior has a particular disliking for the place and in truth I don’t think he enjoyed having to set his own pace there last term. There shouldn’t be any issues on that score this weekend so I’m finding it very hard to oppose what is in my view the best National Hunt horse currently in training.
Ben Linfoot: Paul Nicholls is having a fairly quiet time of things by his impeccable standards whereas Nicky Henderson is banging in the winners all over the shop. However, I can’t believe that Nicholls will have Cyrname in anything other than top condition for this test, even if he does keep saying the King George is the main target with this horse. Ascot is his manor and he’s been sensational there his last two starts, recording Racing Post Ratings of 178 and 181 over Saturday’s course and distance. Altior has only usurped that latter figure once in his career, so the likelihood is he’ll not only have to just stay the trip to win on Saturday, but he’ll have to improve for it if Cyrname is on his A-game. People may point to Cyrname’s record first time out – and it is poor – but, I’ll reiterate the point, I think Nicholls having the chance to become the first trainer to saddle a horse to beat Altior over jumps is a big factor here. And if Cyrname is at his Ascot best, Altior has a mighty task.
Fran Berry: I think Altior is very interesting with the step up in trip. For me he’s been crying out for it. I thought last season his class was getting him through two-mile races and he was getting away with it, but I think he could well be even better over 2m5f on Saturday. It’s a fascinating clash but Altior will do for me.
🏇 CYRNAME v ALTIOR 🏇
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 20, 2019
👑 At stake: Chasing crown
📈 BHA ratings: 176 v 175
🌎 Where: Ascot, Berkshire
⌚️ When: 2.05pm, Saturday
🗣️ @Harry05Derham v @sevenbarrows
🥊 Let battle commence... pic.twitter.com/NdtHXzFC0D
Betfair Chase – can Bristol De Mai do it again?
Fran Berry: Bristol De Mai has won the race the last two years, obviously, and he has a tremendous record fresh, so obviously he demands the utmost respect. However, the Colin Tizzard horse Lostintranslation was spectacular last time out at Carlisle on his seasonal debut and when he won the Mildmay at Aintree he really appreciated the step up in trip. I’d be prepared to take a chance with him given the ground doesn’t like being as testing as normal. He could have a fair bit of improvement in him and he might just improve beyond Bristol De Mai.
Matt Brocklebank: It’s a proper ‘horses for courses’ weekend with Cyrname back at Ascot and Bristol De Mai gunning for a third Betfair Chase. Haydock offers a pretty unique jumping and galloping test these days and there’s no denying Bristol De Mai absolutely loves it. So for all that Lostintranslation has stacks of potential to become one of the best staying chasers around, including a fabulous jumping technique, he’s never faced the Haydock fences. That definitely counts against him in my view and it’s possibly worth noting that he was well beaten in a Grade Two Novices’ Hurdle here on his only previous course outing. He’s won plenty on flat, left-handed circuits but there’s no place like Haydock when the ground is testing and don’t Bristol fans just know it.
Ben Linfoot: The thing is, though, Matt, is the ground going to be that testing? Even though it’s Haydock in November the forecast looks largely dry and with the ground good to soft I think the scales are tipped ever so slightly away from another Bristol De Mai victory. Yes, it was good ground when he won last year, but he’s unopposable on Haydock heavy as nothing would get near him, but on better ground I think Lostintranslation has a chance. Haydock is a pretty tough jumping test, but he was inch perfect at Carlisle and though this is obviously a much sterner test his fencing is going to keep him in it, while the step back up in trip looks in his favour, too. This is not lost on the market, which now has Lostintranslation as a 6/4 chance, odds I believe to be fully reflective of his chance. I’m happy to sit this one out, but can absolutely see why the Tizzard horse is challenging Bristol for favouritism.
Give us another one for the weekend...
Ben Linfoot: I’d be interested to see Burtons Well if he’s turned out again by Venetia Williams in the 12.40 at Haydock, a handicap chase over the extended three miles. The Trevor Hemmings-owned 10-year-old has been beset by problems but looked a nice prospect as a novice chaser and came back from 664 days off the track with a convincing victory at Aintree off a mark of 133 on October 27. That might’ve been a veterans race but there were some Liverpool specialists in there and I wouldn’t be in a hurry to underestimate the form. Indeed, a 5lb rise looks fair enough and he’s very much on the radar if he turns up at Haydock off 138, although bounce factor theorists can look away now.
Matt Brocklebank: The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Kapgarry absolutely bolted up at Wetherby at the start of the month and seemed to leave his Warwick run well behind. The handicapper has reacted by shunting him up 9lb but he’s still rated below his peak mark achieved over hurdles and he looks capable of becoming a better chaser still based on his bloodless success in West Yorkshire. He’s got weekend options at Ascot on Saturday and Exeter on Sunday and I’d be keen to keep the six-year-old on side no matter where he appears.
Fran Berry: In the race before the Betfair Chase, the Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle, it looks as though Willie Mullins is going to bring Eight And Bob over, a horse that won a very good handicap at Gowran Park last time out. He’d had a good summer on the Flat before that and before that he had some good hurdling form, winning at Fairyhouse on a couple of occasions. It’s a tough race and he’s gone up in the weights but he looks to be still improving and that Gowran form shouldn’t be underestimated. He looks good each-way value at 12/1 in a tough race.
