2.20pm Coneygree camp edging towards the Gold Cup
Tony Paley: Trainer Mark Bradstock is leaning towards running Coneygree in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday rather than in the RSA Chase on Wednesday.
Bradstock told At The Races: “I spoke to Simon Claisse [Cheltenham clerk of the course] this morning and he said we are due seven millimetres of rain before Friday, so we are definitely edging towards the Gold Cup, but I will be walking the course very early in the morning.
“We schooled him over 10 fences this morning. He jumped absolutely super. Pretty much the ground is definitely the main issue. I will be there very early as we have to make the decision by 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, but we are certainly edging towards the Gold Cup rather than the RSA.
“The Gold Cup is very open and I think there are a good 10 (horses) that have got as much of a chance as anything. He’s pretty tough and he will take no prisoners.”
11.30am Ricci talks up Faugheen’s prospects in Champion Hurdle
Tony Paley: Prominent Owner Rich Ricci believes Faugheen represents his best chance of winning one of the championship events at the Cheltenham Festival in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.
While respectful of the opposition, Ricci is confident the Willie Mullins-trained hot favourite has what it takes to emerge triumphant.
“He’s a funny horse in that he’s won over two miles, two and a half miles and three miles,” he said. “He’s not the best looking of horses and has an unusual pedigree, but he just seems to be able to do it. He hasn’t faced anything like the calibre of horse he’s going to run against in the Champion Hurdle, and he’s too short (in the betting) for what he’s done, but he goes there with a big reputation and he’s unbeaten.
“It would be a dream come true to win one of the championship races and he’s the best chance I’ve ever had in my career.”
Ricci said: “I would probably say Jezki [is the biggest danger]. I think The New One is a very good horse, trained by a very good trainer and ridden by a nice pilot. Hurricane Fly, it would be great if he did it. I’d be the first one applauding in the ring if he did because it would be a remarkable feat, but statistics are against him. In fairness, they are against Faugheen as well. It should be a cracking race.”
Monday’s best bets, by Tony Paley
Cheltenham pretty much dominates discussion right now though that’s not to say there aren’t bets to be had elsewhere this week. Richard Birch, the Racing & Football Outlook tipster, put his case for not concentrating on the Festival in last week’s edition and it will be interesting to see what he has unearthed at Hexham, Fakenham and Huntingdon when the RFO hits the streets tomorrow. Watch this, or even that, space.
Of course, the trainer Arthur Stephenson famously spent the day at Hexham when his horse, The Thinker, won the Cheltenham Gold Cup back in 1987. “Little fish are sweet,” he said to explain away his absence. We never got to know anything more as Stephenson famously didn’t do interviews. That wasn’t for the want of someone trying - David Ashforth, a colleague of mine when I was at The Sporting Life, tried for years.
I was at the Gold Cup that day and it was one of the most remarkable days I’ve spent at the track - I wasn’t too bothered about the the big race from a financial point of view as I had had what for me was a proper bet on Half Free in the Cathcart Chase and I was desperate for the meeting not to be abandoned because of the snowstorm. I had some good returns via the Cathcart and, for purely personal reasons, was sorry to see the race disappear forever after the 2004 running and be turned into the Ryanair.
There’s no danger of snowstorms this week and the going at Stratford on Monday is the same as at Cheltenham, namely good to soft. Rear Admiral (2.40) is the suggested nap at the track. Pretty straightforward this tip - the gelding should have won at Musselburgh last time but for a dreadful mistake at the final fence and off a 3lb higher mark should make amends here.
William Hill Cheltenham Festival tipping competition starts Tuesday!
As usual, we will have four competitions during the Festival, one for each day. William Hill have kindly offered a £50 bet to whoever wins on each day.
On each day, we’ll need you to post a tip for each race at Cheltenham that day. Whoever comes out on top to an imagined £1 stake on each horse at SP will be our winner.
There will be no competition today but we hope you can join us in trying to find a winner or two before the main action starts tomorrow.
There will also, of course, be any amount of news and views on the best week of jump racing anywhere in the world, so do join us then.
Last week’s winner was …
Waltersobchak, who heaved himself past Kildimo in the very last race of our competition with Presenting Junior, finishing 50p ahead on +33.50. Oh, the cruelty! And as to why Presenting Junior should have been 12-1 with three wins in his last four runs, well, I shall only say that the game is not always as difficult as we make it.
Congratulations, waltersobchak! We shall be in touch by email. Kildimo, you have at least used up your bad luck in advance of the Festival.
