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14:10 Cheltenham

Wednesday 15 March 2017

All13:3014:1014:5015:3016:1016:5017:30

RSA Novices' Chase (Grade 1)

Off time: 14:12 | Winning time: 6m 8.7s

1^st

Might Bite

811-4

7/2f

T: N J HendersonJ: N de Boinville

Led after 1st, jumped right 11th, drew clear before 3 out, about 12 lengths clear 2 out, mistake last, started idling and veered right 1f out, headed 120 yards out, rallied to lead post tchd 4/1

2^nd

nse

Whisper

911-4

9/2

T: N J HendersonJ: D N Russell

Held up towards rear, hit 5th, headway 15th, 2nd after 3 out, about 12 lengths down when not fluent 2 out, closed on winner who started idling 1f out, led 120 yards out, headed post op 11/2

3^rd

Bellshill

711-4

5/1

T: W P MullinsJ: Ruby Walsh

Held up towards rear, hampered 3rd, headway 14th, 3rd 3 out, no impression before next, stayed on same pace op 7/1

4^th

Alpha Des Obeaux

711-4

6/1

T: M F MorrisJ: B J Cooper

Tracked leaders, 2nd briefly 7th, 4th and outpaced after 3 out, well held next op 5/1

5^th

O O Seven

711-4

14/1

T: N J HendersonJ: Aidan Coleman

Mid-division, hit 11th, in touch when 15th, 5th and outpaced after 3 out, soon weakened

6^th

Acapella Bourgeois

711-4

5/1

T: M S Sandra HughesJ: R Loughran

Led until after 1st, chased winner, not fluent 8th, lost 2nd 3 out, weakened before next op 6/1

Also Ran

Aurillac

711-4

100/1

T: Miss R CurtisJ: Jonathan Moore

Rear of mid-division, carried right by loose horse and last from 6th, soon niggled along, behind 10th, pulled up before 4 out op 66/1

Heron Heights

811-4

40/1

T: H De BromheadJ: P T Enright

Held up in rear, hampered 3rd, never figured, well beaten when mistake 3 out, clambered over 2 out and pulled up op 33/1

Marinero

811-4

25/1

T: H De BromheadJ: D J Mullins

Tracked leaders, blundered badly and unseated rider 3rd op 20/1

Our Kaempfer

811-4

20/1

T: C E LongsdonJ: Sam Twiston-Davies

Held up in rear, not fluent 4th (water), ridden after 13th, hit next, soon behind, pulled up before 4 out op 14/1

Royal Vacation

711-4

12/1

T: C L TizzardJ: P J Brennan

Tracked leaders, not fluent 3rd, dropped off front trio 7th, closed from 12th, losing place 14th, weakened after next, pulled up after 4 out op 11/1

Briery Belle

810-11

25/1

T: H D DalyJ: T J O'Brien

Mid-division, struggling from 12th, behind 13th, pulled up after 4 out tchd 33/1

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Betting Breakdown

Tote Win:£4.00Pl:£1.90, £1.90, £2.20EX:£15.40Trifecta:£109.80Tricast:£79.38SF:£18.49Swingers:£2.60, £5.70, £6.00

Forecasts

Might Bite (7/2), Whisper (9/2), Bellshill (5/1), Acapella Bourgeois (5/1), Alpha Des Obeaux (6/1), Royal Vacation (12/1), O O Seven (14/1), Our Kaempfer (20/1), Marinero (25/1), Briery Belle (25/1), Heron Heights (40/1), Aurillac (100/1)

The Henderson team is a strong one here comprising a quarter of the field headed by likely race favourite Might Bite. There’s no doubt that he possesses the best form in the race but there is a slight question mark about his ability to act on an undulating track. He has won over hurdles here but he did disappoint on his chasing debut around this circuit and some doubts remain. It may well be that his stablemate Whisper can improve again over this longer trip and put his experience of winning over the fences here to good use. He’s clearly now coming to himself over fences and is a Grade 1-winning hurdler over 3m. Five Irish runners go to post and the most fancied will be the duo at the top of the card Acapella Bourgeois and ALPHA DES OBEAUX. The former was a runaway winner last time out when granted a very easy lead and he’ll find tactics like that harder to repeat here so it’s very much the latter who is fancied to take this prize back to Ireland. His experience of the Festival will stand him in good stead off a break and with his stable back in form he looks a leading contender. Willie Mullins has trained the winner of this race three times this century and runs Bellshill although he needs to bounce back to his best after a below par run last time out. Royal Vacation and O O Seven add some strength in depth to the home team and deserve their place in the line-up.