Timeform highlight a big improver, a Flag of note and a handicap hotshot on day four of the Cheltenham Festival.
Galopin des Champs looks a worthy favourite to give Willie Mullins a third Cheltenham Gold Cup to go with the two editions of that race won by Al Boum Photo. Already a Festival winner two years ago in the Martin Pipe, Galopin des Champs ought to have won the Turners Novices’ Chase here last year but fell at the last when holding a clear lead over Bob Olinger. That’s been the only blip in an otherwise hard-to-fault chasing career for Galopin des Champs who had some outstanding form for a novice last season with impressive Grade 1 wins at Leopardstown and Fairyhouse, characterised by accurate jumping in the main, either side of that mishap.
This season Galopin des Champs has confirmed that he’s potentially the best chaser in training by landing the odds in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in December and last month’s Irish Gold Cup. He was stepping up to three miles for the first time over fences at Leopardstown where his performance went a long way to allaying any fears about his stamina for a Gold Cup, settling well and readily putting distance between himself and stablemate Stattler from the final fence to win by eight lengths. Galopin des Champs already has form which makes him the one to beat but, having had just the six starts over fences, it’s unlikely we’ve seen the best of him yet
The Big Improver
Corbetts Cross – 14:50 Cheltenham
There are plenty of progressive types in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle but Corbetts Cross looks all set to continue on an upward curve for his new trainer Emmet Mullins.
He'd already been going very much the right way for his previous handler Eugene O'Sullivan, graduating from bumpers, in which sphere he won at Cork in October, and taking well to hurdles given an increasing test of stamina. He got off the mark over hurdles when beating Willie Mullins’ odds-on shot Seabank Bistro, who reopposes here, at Limerick just after Christmas and on his final start for O’Sullivan followed up under top weight in a three-mile handicap at Fairyhouse when making a mockery of his opening mark.
It was therefore a surprise that his new trainer took a totally different approach with Corbetts Cross, dropping him right back to two miles, and under much less testing conditions at that, for the Grade 3 Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas late last month.
But it was stamina that won the day for Corbetts Cross as he stayed on to head the Gordon Elliott-trained favourite Found A Fifty in the dying strides. There’ s no doubt, though, that the return to three miles is sure to suit Corbetts Cross much better and is likely to see him improve again in what will be his first race in the colours of J. P. McManus.
The Handicap Hotshot
Sharjah – 14:10 Cheltenham
Willie Mullins won the County Hurdle last season with the totally unexposed State Man who has since proved himself much better than a handicapper by finishing second in the Champion Hurdle earlier this week. But among Mullins’ six County Hurdle winners, he was successful in 2017 with a horse with a completely contrasting profile.
Top weight Arctic Fire was a former Champion Hurdle runner-up – he’d been second to stablemate Faugheen two years earlier – who was dropped down in class to contest his first handicap since finishing second in the same race as a novice three years before.
Despite carrying top weight, Arctic Fire proved to be well handicapped from a mark of 158 and there’s a good chance of history repeating itself with Mullins’ top weight Sharjah also looking to have been given a good chance by the handicapper this year on 155. He too takes a drop in class after taking on the top two-mile hurdlers in recent seasons, having last run in a handicap when winning the 2018 Galway Hurdle.
Since then, Sharjah has won the Morgiana Hurdle twice and four editions of the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown, not to mention twice finishing runner-up in the Champion Hurdle behind the mares Epatante and Honeysuckle. Whilst not up to winning the Morgiana and Matheson these days, Sharjah’s placed efforts behind State Man in both races this term entitle him to plenty of respect giving weight to lesser opposition.
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