Which horses have the potential to post big ratings at Cheltenham in March?

We’re always trying to compare the current-day sporting stars to greats of yesteryear and sometimes the comparison isn’t easy – or kind - to previous generations.

Look at the world of darts.

No sooner had 16-year-old Luke Littler taken himself and celebratory kebabs onto the front pages than a tweet of Cliff Lazarenko lighting Jocky Wilson’s cigarette on the oche during a televised clash of the 80s did the rounds on Twitter.

“Sportmanship at it’s finest” was the tag. And to be fair there did seem a silent bond of mutual respect between the two protagonists.

I once saw Jocky make a personal appearance at my local working men’s club near Wakefield. His walk-on music would have triggered more off-com complaints than a peak Malcolm Tucker and it must be said his drinking prowess far exceeded his ability with the arrers that night, two challengers from the rank and file claiming his scalp in first to 501 shoot-outs.

They wouldn’t beat Littler. For one he wouldn’t be served copious amounts of lager beforehand while the two owners of the “I beat Jocky” car stickers are now in their 80s and not quite the force of old.

But in racing we have other means to compare and contrst. And for this one I’m using Timeform performance ratings where – like darts – the magic number is 180.

Hit that and you’ve achieved something special. It excites the handicappers in a way very few things do.

Dessie never scaled the heights in March

Some of the great horses never did it at the Festival – Desert Orchid a prime example. Arguably his most memorable performance came in that muddy spring of 1989 but his best in terms of figures were all away from Prestbury Park and going right-handed.

Arkle, Mill House and Flyingbolt hit 180s and beyond at Cheltenham, and even without the legers of the time in front of me, it looks like Night Nurse and Monksfield did the same during that golden age of hurdling in the late 1970s.

In more recent times Sprinter Sacre went 184+ in the 2012 Arkle and a mighty 192+ in the following year’s Champion Chase.

Kauto Star ran to 181+ to win the 2009 Gold Cup, Don Cossack’s figure in 2016 was revised to 181, and Altior recorded 180+ in the 2018 Champion Chase.

High-class horses all – but sometimes circumstances present the ideal opportunity for one to sail into such esteemed company too. The deep ground in the winter of 1994/95 was heaven to the hooves of Master Oats who was right at the peak of this powers and presented with conditions he loved.

A three-race winning streak culminated with a 15 lengths defeat of Dubacilla in the Gold Cup with Miinnehoma a further 15 away in third. On those Timeform numbers he ran to 183.

So who has the set-up to join the list this time around?

Let’s start with those who have already hit treble tops.

Gold Cup pair have already hit 180

Galopin Des Champs has – but only earlier this month. He came within a whisker in last season’s Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup where a widening seven lengths defeat of Bravemansgame earned him 179+.

The visually stunning defeat of Gerri Colombe at Leopardstown had substance too and is rated 181+. With that rival heading for a rematch and Fastorslow (173 master rating) waiting in the wings this is a Gold Cup where the winner could go very high.

And that’s even without mentioning the enigmatic Shishkin – can I still call him that? He ran to 181 in winning the 2022 Clarence House Chase. If the reigning champ puts this cast to the sword, then the Timeform assessors will be clearing their throats and channelling their inner-Russ Bray shortly afterwards.

Clearly Constitution Hill has the raw ability to join the 180 club – but as yet hasn’t yet found the race to take him there, admittedly he doesn’t get many attempts mind.

Remarkably he was within three pounds of achieving it in the 2022 Sky Bet Supreme with that memorable defeat of Jonbon. Last year’s Unibet Champion Hurdle cruise came in two pounds below that figure.

The key here is State Man who ran to 161 that day – six pounds below his very best. He repeated the peak 167 in the Matheson Hurdle over Christmas and connections do feel he wasn’t quite firing at Cheltenham last year. Fingers crossed he is this time around because if Constitution Hill can put daylight between himself and an on-song State Man then the 180 club beckons.

Like Sprinter Sacre, Moscow Flyer was a Champion Chaser to hit 180 in the March spotlight – his courtesy of a 2005 defeat of Well Chief and Azertyuiop.

This year the Betway-sponsored Grade One has a mouthwatering head-to-head with potentially round four of the El Fabiolo v Jonbon series.

It’s currently 1-1 after the latter got a neck verdict following a pulsating duel in the Betway Top Novice Hurdle at Aintree in April 2022 while the Mullins star proved five-and-a-half lengths too good for his rival in the Sporting Life Arkle last year.

Round three is pencilled in for the Clarence House at Ascot this month following which you hope all roads will the lead to Cheltenham for both.

El Fabiolo currently has a Timeform master rating of 175p, Jonbon a flat 174. Clearly this is a race with 180 potential.

So over the years has been the Ryanair Chase. Allaho ran to 177+ and 178+ to win it in 2021 and 2022 but he hasn’t been in the same form in two runs this season and even his most ardent fan would have to admit it’s a real hit and hope job to expect the switch back to two-and-a-half miles to spark a full revival.

The novices find it tough to post such numbers in their first seasons. Marine Nationale made a bright start to his chasing career at Leopardstown but this year’s Arkle is starting to look a little thin in terms of rivals to push his number northwards while Turners favourite Gaelic Warrior has been below his best on two previous visits to Cheltenham and like Dessie his bigger days – at least in terms of rating – will probably be going right-handed away from the Fez.

So there you have it. There is 180 potential at Cheltenham this year – the Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle the two likely candidates. The big guns need to turn up and fire – if they do there’s every reason to think we can have a performance or performances that sit alongside some of the greats of yesteryear.

And I’m pretty sure there’s no video of Arkle passing Mill House a Guinness waiting in the wings too.

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