The 2023 Cheltenham Festival will mark the first year we won’t have a runner at the Mecca of jumps racing. Cabaret Queen flew the flag for us for two years but firmly put her foot down twice and showed her real dislike for the track.
Grangee on the other hand loved the place. On her first visit in 2021 she ran an admirable 6th behind Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit in a very slowly run Champion Bumper. She was doing her best work late and displayed a real liking for the track. A year later she returned to the Festival with her boisterous owners to be 3rd in the Mares Novice Hurdle only beaten 2 3/4 lengths after making serious late headway in the closing stages. It was a magic day for all of us involved. That run earmarked her as a 16/1 “dark horse” for this years Mares Hurdle only for a forced early retirement breaking that dream.
Grangee’s gallant 3rd place finish under Paul Townend in front of a packed Cheltenham Grandstand.
Whilst we’re lacking in the older horse division this year and our 5yo’s took a bit longer than expected to get to the track we’re confident that we can get our record of having a Festival runner every single year back on track in 2024. West End Victory and Nós na Gaoithe jump off the page as possible contenders straight away whilst a host of unraced 4yo’s are beginning to shape of nicely with their respective handlers. Fillies by Cheltenham Festival winning sires Milan, Westerner and Walk In The Park all bolster the squad whilst I have a sneaky suspicion that Masked Marvel will have his first Festival winner this week courtesy of Teahupoo.
Cheltenham Preview
Here’s a quick fire round up of what I think will happen this week, where to find value and some interesting angles, stories, match-ups and face-offs. Take to Twitter @Johnny_Bourke and let me know what you think for the week ahead.
Supreme Novices Hurdle
A mouth watering opener with bullish connections all talking up their horses. High Definition is the value of the race at double figure odds but given the maestro has FACILE VEGA back on course I think he’ll retain Willie’s dominance on the race.
Arkle Challenge Trophy
I’ve always been a big Dysart Dynamo fan as he wears his heart on his sleeve but a dissapointing 4th the last time behind race slection EL FABIOLO leaves him slightly exposed. I think the latter mentioned will kick off a good week for the double green but keep and eye on Ha D’or at a massive price to hit the frame.
Champion Hurdle
CONSTITUTION HILL looks set to further hit the stratosphere but don’t underestimate State Man. He’s still a horse on the rise but one thinks that he’ll be the Jetski of the Hurricane Fly era. At the prices Vauban represents the value of the race. He’s only a 5yo and has pace to burn, he’s stacked up some decent pieces of form and he should be hitting the frame in the big one on day 1.
Mares Hurdle
Has to be one of the races of the week and I couldn’t be happier to stick it to all of the “non-believers” in the mares program. The Middleham Park team have been very bullish on last years victor Maries Rock but she has to prove herself against two former Champion Hurdle winners in the shape of Honeysuckle and Eptante whilst the upwardly mobile Love Envoi looks to break her duct at the highest level after winning last years Mares Novice Hurdle. However, my selection goes to BRANDY LOVE. I think this could be a Willie Mullins special to bring up a treble on the day. A racecourse gallop followed by a 3rd placed effort in a Listed race leads me to believe she will be primed on the day to land the spoils.
Fred Winter
Ben Pauling is having his best season to date and has been operating off a 25-30% strike record most of the year. He has booked the services of Rachel Blackmore for French recruit BAD my selection for the Boodles.
Day 2 – Ballymore Novices Hurdle
I couldn’t but help take notice of Willie’s comment about GAELIC WARRIOR’s tendancy to jump right during the week stating he only does it “when he’s 2L’s clear!”. He has been mightily impressive this season in three starts and given he gets the cover he requires I think he’ll make amends for last years second placed effort in the Fred Winter. Champ Kiely could represent the value in the race.
Brown Advisory Novice Chase
GERRI COLOMBE (NAP) has been my NAP of the week for quite some time and with the rain having arrived I think the dual Grade 1 winner will take some stopping. Willie made an eye-catching supplementary entry in the race courtesy of Adamantly Chosen who ran second to the selection in Limerick at Christmas .
Champion Chase
I’m a massive Editeur Du Gite fan but I do think a more positively ridden EDWARDSTONE will turn the tables on his Clarence House conquerer.
Cross Country Chase
Keith Donoghue was a surprise jockey booking for Delta Work with many expecting Davy Russell to get the leg-up on last years winner but I think last years Gold Cup 4th, GALVIN, will land the spoils and give Davy his first Festival winner after retirement.
Champion Bumper
I think the 7lb mares allowance her gives FUN FUN FUN a massive advantage in a wide open renewal of the Champion Bumper. Western Diego really caught my eye on his rules debut whilst I think Queens Gamble is great e/w value.
Day 3 – Turners Novices Chase
MIGHTY POTTER (NAP) wins this with ease I reckon. He’s been foot perfect since switching to fences and I think he’ll take all the beating. Appreciate It will get the better of Banbridge in the battle for second given the ground comes up soft.
Ryanair Chase
I really wanted to see SHISHKIN to head to the Gold Cup after his victory in the Ascot Chase so I think he has way too much in hand against this field. If the ground improves as the week goes along I think Envoi Allen will run a big race at double figure odds.
Stayers Hurdle
TEAHUPOO (NAP) has been a firm favourite of mine for quite some time and as illustrated at the beginning of this Issue I think he’ll give Masked Marvel a first Festival winner. I think its a super race this year with Flooring Porter looking to make it three in a row which would absolutely lift the roof off the place.
Mares Novice Hurdle
ASHROE DIAMOND has some eye catching pieces of form and I think she’ll break Luccia’s unbeaten run. You’d love to see Banntown Girl pick up a place for Sonny Carey and Princess Zoe would be another fairytale success for her connections.
Day 4 – Triumph Hurdle
The markets for this race have been fascinating with Willie having the 7/4 joint favourites. I can understand the hype around Blood Destiny and the form has been boosted since but LOSSIEMOUTH was a mightily unlucky 2nd at the DRF whilst her conqueror Gala Marceau is not to be understimated. Ben Pauling’s French import Jipcot could be the e/w value.
County Hurdle
With the rule change having come into effect this year Willie could return to the glory days of Artic Fire and Wicklow Brave with the highly rated SHARJAH who was dropped 3lbs for his 1/2 length 2nd on unsuitably soft ground in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle. The ground will need to improve but his profile matches some of Willie’s past winners of this race and he could provide Rich Ricci with a quick fire double.
Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle
A tough race to figure out. Three Card Brag and Embassy Gardens both won their Novice Hurdles by wide margins whilst JP McManus’s recent acquisition Corbetts Cross looks to have a very good profile for this race. However, Elliots FAVORI DE CHAMDOU looks a bet at 10/1. He has a bit of an absence to overcome but he was an impressive Grade 2 winner in Limerick over Christmas.
Gold Cup
The big one. I have a couple of fancies in the race and it’s historically my best race of the week having backed Imperial Commander, Synchronised, Lord Windermere and Al Boum Photo at big prices for the showpiece. Galopin Des Champs looks to have star quality and we know that A Plus Tard has it but a patchy season leaves him with a lot of question marks. Since his Many Clouds Chase victory I’ve been very keen on NOBLE YEATS as my Gold Cup horse this year. I think he’ll relish the test of the race, the cheekpieces go back on for the first time since his Grand National heroics and this improving 8yo looks like he has a few pounds still up his sleeve. Minella Indo has arguably had his best prep into the race and it can’t be argued that he comes alive at the Festival with his form figures reading 1212.
Foxhunters Chase
FERNS LOCK has racked up some seriously impressive victories and I think he could be a class apart in this field. I feel for David Maxwell being out with injury as I think Bob And Co has a massive chance of providing rookie trainer Harry Derham with a maiden Festival success.
Mares Chase
ALLEGORIE DE VASSSY is an absolute monster of a physical and she has the engine to boot. I think she’ll take a bit of stopping but don’t underestimate Impervious for Champion Hurdle winning trainer Colm Murphy.
The Meta Files – Edition 3
The Eyes Have It
All eyes will be on the Cotswolds next week, but where will the eyes of the Irish equine contenders be focused? Maybe on the take-off boards, guard rails and top boards of the obstacles gracing Prestbury Park.
In 2020 researchers from the University of Exeter published the results of a three-year study into horse vision – specifically their dichromatic or colour vision. How horses perceive the world around them has important safety implications for horse, rider and the people who interact with them, and the researchers suspected that how humans see obstacles might be different to how horses ‘read’ a fence or hurdle. The Exeter team analysed both the contrast of the existing orange markers versus other colours and also how light and weather conditions affect this contrast.
They found that for horses, orange has poor visibility and contrast against most surroundings, while yellow, blue and white are more conspicuous for horses. When they tested the various colours using NH horses in the yard of Richard Phillips they found that horses jumping obstacles outlined in white had a longer take-off distance.
This illustration from the Exeter study shows a Cheltenham fence on an overcast day. The top images show what a human sees when the boards are painted orange, and the bottom images show what the horse sees.
In March 2022, the BHA transitioned to white paint for the frames of the obstacles in jump racing. It was estimated that this transition involved painting 368 fences and 2132 hurdle panels and the project was fully completed by December 2022.
White paint had already been in use in France, New Zealand, Victoria (Aus), Czech Republic, USA, Germany and Switzerland, and on the Cheltenham Cross Country course.
The Rules of Racing here in Ireland still stipulate a dull orange colour to outline obstacles in NH racing, and Irish connections have voiced their concerns about how the change will affect horses jumping white-framed obstacles for the first time at Cheltenham, but ever the perfectionist, Willie Mullins has already had the paint brush out! He reported last week that he has a schooling set-up at his Closutton base where the rails are painted to match what his charges will meet at Cheltenham. Winner all white!
PS
If you are interested in reading the full study, it is available here.
Not your regular syndicate
Jacks obsession with syndication and getting people involved in things doesn’t just stop at horses. During lockdown the opportunity arose to buy a barrel of Dingle whiskey which Jack jumped at. He bought the barrel of whiskey and syndicated out between a group of his friends and family.
A group of the London contingent of the Whiskey Barons Syndicate with the Master Distiller.
Graham Coul, Dingle’s master distiller, travelled over to London to meet with the syndicate and provide his insight on tasting whilst also going through what they can expect from their barrel in years to come.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading. Hopefully we’ve supplied you with a few winners and we hope you enjoy the week ahead. If there’s anything we can do get in touch john@syndicates.racing.