Ron Cox: Aigle d'Or, who narrowly failed to land some hefty bets when touched off by Numide in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham, can go one better in The Ladbroke at Ascot today on what promises to be a rewarding afternoon for followers of his trainer, Nicky Henderson.
From a stable rich in hurdling talent, Aigle d'Or (2.45) ranks highly at Seven Barrows. If he could have ridden the race again, Tony McCoy would probably have made more use of the gelding's stamina at Cheltenham, where Aigle d'Or was beaten a head by Numide, who is now 2lb worse off. The pair pulled five lengths clear of the third in a race traditionally a strong pointer to top events later in the season.
The ante-post gamble on Belcantista who, like Aigle d'Or, is owned by JP McManus, has to be given due respect. But at the prices Philip Hobbs's other runner, Prince Taime, looks better value. He came from a long way back and put in a strong finish on his reappearance at Newbury.
Ascot 1.05 Making allowances for the gelding's lengthy absence from the track, the handicapper has left Trabolgan on the same mark from which he won the 2005 Hennessy Gold Cup. It will be no surprise to see him go close but his stable-mate Oedipe looks worth another chance, with conditions likely to suit him better than in the latest renewal of the Hennessy.
Ascot 1.40 With no obvious front-runner, this could be a muddling affair but Binocular has the gears to find the necessary turn of foot, as he showed when slamming Celestial Halo by seven lengths at Aintree. The race is unlikely to be run to suit Katchit, and Henderson may well complete a 1-2 with Binocular and Chomba Womba.
Lingfield 2.05 With Micky Fenton likely to get to the front and then drop anchor on Suits Me, Tom Tate's progressive gelding can hold off Dansant.
Ascot 2.10 Although without the blinkers he wore for his final two wins last season, Blazing Bailey can come out best in a tightly knit race. A strong gallop is essential for Alan King's stayer and he did not get that at Newbury where he finished fourth behind Duc de Regniere, Mobaasher and Pettifour. With front-running Lough Derg in the line-up, this should be a proper test of stamina.
Newcastle 2.20 A 10lb penalty should not be enough to deny According To Pete, who won both his races over fences before reverting to hurdles to land a valuable handicap at Haydock.
Haydock 2.35 Usually amateur-ridden, and to good effect it must be said, Middleton Dene is nevertheless interesting with Brian Harding on board this time. The six-year-old finished a creditable fourth behind Duc de Regniere at Kempton.
Newcastle 2.55 This is on the short side for Tartan Snow but ground conditions will place the emphasis on stamina.
Haydock 3.10 There are few progressive types in this field, with the exception of Can't Buy Time. Though 26lb higher than when recording the first of his three wins, Jonjo O'Neill's chaser can go in again.
Newcastle 3.25 A mistake two out proved costly for Just For Men at Wetherby, where he was pipped by Zitenka.
Haydock 3.40 Recording his fourth course win when successful at Wetherby, Polar Gunner is also effective round here. He can follow up with the help of James Halliday's 10lb allowance.
Horse sense: Petra to lead charge
Nicky Henderson presents punters with a few problems by saddling more than one fancied runner in the big races at Ascot today. But there are no ifs and buts in the opener, where My Petra (12.30) can complete her hat-trick.
Judged on his good recent home work, Trabolgan is in shape to make a successful comeback. However, the booking of Tony McCoy for stablemate Oedipe (1.05) is highly significant. The six-year-old found the Hennessy too much of a test on his return, but this looks a suitable target. Binocular (1.40) is expected to underline his Champion Hurdle claims, though we would not put anyone off having a saver on Chomba Womba, who is in tremendous form. Punchestowns (2.10) gets the nod over Duc de Regniere in the Long Walk Hurdle, and Aigle D'Or (2.45) is spot on for The Ladbroke Hurdle. Expect Tony McCoy to make more use of him than at Cheltenham last time.
Larks Lad (3.45), better than he showed at Newbury first time, is worth another chance in the bumper this afternoon.
Charlie Mann's Cast Cada (3.15), with promising amateur Paul Toole claiming 7lb, is fancied to make amends for a somewhat unlucky defeat last time out. Shining Gale, the stable's smart novice, is on course for the Feltham Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Regarding the King George, we understand Kauto Star did a very good piece of work recently. Others to look out for on Boxing Day are Howard Johnson's Striking Article and the Alan King-trained Asturienne in the bumper race at Wincanton.
Fosool (4.50), who will be having her first run for William Haggas, is worth a look at Great Leighs tomorrow. Hughie Morrison is keen to win the Kylkenny Handicap, named after his course specialist, at Southwell on Tuesday. BA Dreamflight (2.00) can do the honours.
Seen and heard
Bankable, a smart miler last Flat season, has left Luca Cumani. The colt's French owner, who runs his horses under JMC Breed & Race Limited, has also removed Speed Gifted, Speed Ticket and Savarain from the Cumani yard, citing poor prize money in Britain as the reason. "There has been no falling out," says Cumani. "But the owner feels that Listed/Group 3 horses like Bankable are racing for poor returns here. Bankable is likely to go to Dubai and the others to Australia."
Dubai is the destination for another talented Newmarket-trained performer, Clive Brittain's Yahrab. The grey colt, last seen completing a hat-trick when winning the Listed Churchill Stakes over ten furlongs at Lingfield last month, joins Godolphin. "He leaves for Dubai shortly," says Brittain. "No hard feelings. I've done my half."
Irish trainers have been among the winners on Britain's all-weather tracks this week, including a rare foray by Ted Walsh, who scored with January at Wolverhampton on Monday. We can expect more of the same. For some reason, Dundalk, Ireland's only all-weather track, has shut up shop for the winter following their last meeting on December 5. There is nothing until February 27, then another gap before fixtures resume from March 20, a decision that has irked Irish trainers.
Ron Cox's tip of the day
Zaffarella 1.15 Newcastle
It will be significant if there is any market move for this mare, who has her first run for Lucinda Russell, having been trained by Paul Keane last season. The latter, now retired, had a poor run in his final campaign and Zaffarella showed only a glimmer of ability over hurdles. But she had shaped well in bumpers the previous season and gets in here off a mark which her new trainer can exploit.
11.15am Christmas comes early for racefans
Tony Paley: This promises to be the best day's racing for a long time with what is widely recognised as the classiest ever group of hurdle races assembled at one meeting at Ascot today. We will have Greg Wood blogging live from the track soon with all the latest news and comment.
Intriguingly, Ron Cox's tip of the day has already been the subject of a major punt. Zaffarella is now 4-1 from 10-1 for the 1.15 at Newcastle and that looks a pretty significant move. It is probably also worth keeping an eye on the bottom weight Twelve Paces in the Tommy Whittle Chase (3.10) at Haydock. This one was tipped up by Timeform and Channel 4's Jim McGrath earlier on The Morning Line and I would not be surprised to see that one go close for shred connections after being well supported in the early exchanges.
The Tommy Whittle Chase is not what it was mind you. It used to be a non-handicap and attracted the cream of British chasers. I remember seeing Gold Cup winner Silver Buck beat the great Night Nurse one day.
12.15pm Early news from Ascot
Greg Wood reports: Good morning from Ascot, where the authorities are attempting to inject a little Christmas spirit into the day's proceedings in the hope that no-one will notice that a crowd of well below 10,000 people is rattling around in a grandstand designed to accommodate 70,000. There are wood-burning braziers dotted around the enclosure, which leave a delicious smokey aroma on the air, and even the bowler-hatted gentlemen who perform the famous Ascot meet-and-greet (ie. "You can't come in here, you've got the wrong badge") are getting in on the act. At the bottom of one of the escalators, there is a chap with silver tinsel instead of a hat-band. Maybe things really are changing at a track where elitism comes with the territory.
In terms of the number of people who are here to actually watch the racing, of course, today's crowd probably knocks Ladies' Day into a cocked designer bonnet. With the International Hurdle re-routed from last week's abandoned meeting at Cheltenham, it's arguably a better line-up than Kempton on Boxing Day. There is Grade One quality over timber both in the International and the Long Walk Hurdle, while anyone who finds the winner of either the Ladbroke or the BGC Silver Cup will have only themselves to blame if they leave penniless.
Ashkazar is expected to start favourite for the Ladbroke, partly on the back of a Pricewise recommendation in the Racing Post this morning, while Henry Daly's Pearlysteps has apparently been the one for money in the last. A man on the train, meanwhile, suggested to me that Ballybach, an unraced runner from Nick Gifford's yard, was fancied to go well in the same race. Make of that what you will – nothing at all, if you like. I just wouldn't want to fall foul of the "inside information" rules.
Live blog from Ascot
12.20pm Greg Wood: The first is a match according to the betting, with My Petra hovering around evens and Gwanako, who launched Sam Thomas halfway to Manchester when they parted company at the Chair at Aintree last time, next in at 9-4.
If there were only one more runner, Miss Mitch would be an interesting place possibility, having hinted at real ability in an injury-plagued career, but with just the two places she makes much less appeal.
12.40pm: The favourite is turned over as Ruby Walsh gets Gwanako jumping really well throughout and then goes on in the straight and holds the challenge of My Petra in the closing strides. They were clear of Miss Mitch, who was in turn well clear of the remainder.
1pm: The jockeys are getting up for the next, the big handicap chase. Oedipe is favourite for the Henderson-McCoy combo, while Ruby Walsh looks for a quick double on Gungadu, in the colours of Harry Findlay's mum.
The key horse, though, is Trabolgan, Henderson's second-string according to the betting, who runs for the first time since winning the Hennessy three years ago. He runs off the same mark today, and would surely not have been kept in training had his handler not had an inkling that the engine still remains intact.
1.15pm: Eric's Charm took them along at a decent pace just ahead of Niche Market, but soon faided as Oedipe moved towards the lead six out. The favourite was not fluent four out, though, as Niche Market carved out a useful lead and turned in five lengths to the good.
He was still in front at the last, with Monkerhostin, a former runner-up in the King George, coming after him. Nick Skelton just had enough in reserve to hold him off at 33-1, with Monkerhostin second at 14-1. Trabolgan made a mistake at the seventh and never really threatened to get involved after that. He was pulled up by Barry Geraghty before the second-last.
1.25pm: Graham Regan, the owner of Niche Market, will steer the seven-year-old towards the four-miler at the Cheltenham Festival, in which he was fourth last year. "He wants five miles really," he says, "but he just jumps and stays all day. All credit goes to Bob [Buckler, Niche Market's trainer] for this, he's only got about 30 horses but when he gets one fit for you, it will always do the business."
1.30pm: I am indebted to Sue Montgomery, the racing correspondent of the Independent on Sunday, for passing on the information that there are four reindeer in residence at Santa's Grotto somewhere behind the grandstand. This being Ascot, there are no elves on a fag break to upset the kiddies, though apparently the man in charge of the critters says that the male among the quartet only has antlers on account of the fact that he's a gelding (otherwise they would have dropped off by now).
This does in turn suggest that Santa has at some point in the past performed a similar operation on Donner, Blitzen, Prancer et al – indeed, even Rudolph himself. No wonder he has such a red nose.
1.35pm: On to the International Hurdle, or the Bula as it once was. Apparently the sponsors got rid of the tried and trusted race title which reminded everyone of a much-loved performer to try and ensure that media outlets would use their name as much as possible. Doesn't necessarily work, though, does it?
Katchit has yet to add another victory to his record following his win in the Champion Hurdle back in March, and is not expected to like Ascot anything like as much as he does Cheltenham. Indeed, he is fourth in the betting in a five-runner race. Binocoular has just gone odds-on at 10-11, ahead of Crack Away Jack on 7-2 and Chomba Womba on 11-2. Katchit is a 7-1 chance, and Celestial Halo, the returning Triumph Hurdle winner, is the 14-1 outsider of the whole field for the Nicholls-Walsh axis.
Binocular brilliant in Boylesports
1.45pm: Celestial Halo set a decent pace from the off ahead of Katchit, with the remaining three runners another couple of lengths away. Walsh was 10 lengths clear of his field at the fourth and again at the fifth, but it was down to three lengths at the home turn. Chomba Womba was the first to crack, as Binocular set off after the leader.
The pair were clear between the last two, but Binocular and Tony McCoy had it in the bag when they got to the final flight. He galloped on well in the closing stages and will surely be a hot favourite for the Champion Hurdle now.
McCoy has a dig at BBC cuts
Tony Paley 1.50pm: The big story in racing all week has been the proposed savage cuts the BBC are planning to racing coverage in 2010. In the post-race interview with Rishi Persad, Tony McCoy, who won the big race on Binocular, says: "I think the next time we will see this horse on the BBC will be on Top Gear." Persad audibly groans.
MPs through the all-party racing committee are asking questions of the BBC over their proposals and the Racing Post is running a campaign too. McCoy seemed to add his weight to the opposition to the corporation's plans with his comments there.
Greg Wood 2.05pm: Hills and Ladbrokes — representing more than 50 per cent of the betting-shop market — are not doing much to advertise the joys of competition, with both offering 6-4 about Binocular for the Champion Hurdle.
JP McManus, his owner, suggested after the race that he wouldn't want to be a layer at 7-4, which is currently the best price according to Oddschecker. Whether he would be a backer at that price is another matter. "I get enough pleasure just from watching them," says the legendary gambler, though the surrounding reporters do not look entirely convinced. Crack Away Jack looked to be horribly exposed there and it out to 16-1 (from 6-1) with Hills. Katchit, meanwhile, is 10-1 from 8-1 with the same firm.
