The top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival for the last two years, Gordon Elliott spoke at length on Tuesday about his prospects for next month:
Apple’s Jade, 9-4 Champion Hurdle
She’s come out of her last race very well. She’ll do two more bits of work, nothing too serious, and then it’s all systems go for the Champion Hurdle. I was nervous going back against the geldings over two miles but she showed how good she is. This year, she’s gone from strength to strength. If she runs to the form she’s been running all year, I think she’ll run a big race. She was in season in Punchestown and in Cheltenham last year. We’re just hoping, keeping an eye on her, that it doesn’t happen again.
Samcro, 9-1 Stayers Hurdle
The next 10 days are important. He looks good but until you give him some good bits of work, you don’t know where you’re going or what you’re doing. If he gets to Cheltenham, he does, and if he doesn’t, whether he goes to Aintree or Punchestown or we take the shoes off him and go chasing next year, there’s no decision made yet.
Tiger Roll, 5-4 Cross Country
I couldn’t believe how well he won on Sunday. I thought he’d finish second-last or third-last and it’d be a good pipe-opener. It just shows how good a horse he is, to win at three Cheltenham Festivals and win a Grand National and then to come back and win a Boyle Hurdle. His enthusiasm is unbelievable. It puts a smile on your face, looking at a horse like him. He might not be the best horse I’ve ever trained but he’s definitely one of the most likeable.
Shattered Love, 33-1 Gold Cup
She came home with sore shins the last day [in the Savills Chase at Christmas]. All being well she’ll run in the Gold Cup and she’ll probably be my only runner. When you go into those unknown trips, it’s always a worry with any horse but if she turned up in the same form as the John Durkan, I think she’d have a great each-way chance. But she’s got a nice weight in the English National, so we’ll keep an eye on that as well.
Battleoverdoyen, 5-1 Ballymore
I didn’t go to the Leopardstown festival because he was after having three runs in six or eight weeks. But he’s in good form, he jumps very, very good. He might lack a little bit of experience but I’m happy that he jumps well enough, he’s done all he can do.
Delta Work, 4-1 RSA Chase
He’s in very good form. Again, I didn’t go to Leopardstown, I was just fearing the ground was too quick for him. Davy [Russell] said it was as quick as he wanted it at Christmas and the horse has plenty of experience, three runs over fences, two Grade Ones, beat Le Richebourg.
Commander Of Fleet, 8-1 Albert Bartlett
Three miles will suit him. I think he’ll take his time early and hunt away. He’s a nice horse, won the Land Rover Bumper. The one negative would be that he does lack a bit of experience but we might get a school into him first. He was green at Leopardstown but he has the engine. You’ll see a sharper horse the next day.
Best bets for Wednesday
Kilfilum Cross (3.35) at Ludlow is the most interesting horse of the day. He spent the first part of the winter with Chris Kellett (one win from his last 300 runners in jump races), who still owns him, but has now sent him to Henry Oliver for this handicap debut. It’s a race for amateur riders and, eye-catchingly, Derek O’Connor is booked, having won a point on the grey three years ago. Maybe I’m seeing things because the market doesn’t seem interested and he’s 6-1.
Ardera Cross (5.10) could land the last for the Skeltons at 7-2, while Foxy Lady (8.00) could outrun odds of 5-1 at Wolverhampton.
Ludlow 1.20 Monsieur D’Arque 1.50 Kingofthe-cotswolds 2.25 Azzerti 3.00 Stylish Dancer3.35 Kilfilum Cross 4.10 Champagne Well 4.40 Quantum Of Solace 5.10 Ardera Cross
Newcastle 2.00 Claire Underwood 2.35 American Graffiti 3.10 Pinnata 3.45 Barbill 4.20 Trevithick 4.50 Porrima
Doncaster 2.15 What’s Occurring 2.50 Prabeni 3.25 Court Liability 4.00 Rocklander 4.30 Wonderful Charm 5.00 New Look At Me
Chelmsford 5.15 Key To Power 5.45 Al Asef 6.15 Brandon 6.45 Primero (nb)7.15 Matterhorn 7.45 Zorawar8.15 Archdeacon
Wolverhampton 5.30 Picks Pinta 6.00 Geordielad 6.30 Poet’s Pride 7.00 Rosarno 7.30 Halle’s Harbour 8.00 Foxy Lady (nap)
