Equinties -

Gm Equinauts

IT’S FRIDAY, IT’S BASICALLY THE WEEKEND AND CHELTENHAM IS BACK!

You asked for it, we made it - get your NAP PISSES IN mugs from our shop now.

Click the below link to order yours now in time for Christmas:

Let’s dive in.

You’ve all heard of Viagra. The one time, pump and dump pill. Lasts what - 30 minutes? Rubbish.

For the first time ever, Cialis is available without prescription. And boy it’s an absolute game changer.

Approved for medical use only in 2003, the French call it ‘le weekend’ because basically this thing lasts in your system for 3 day.

Boner’s on demand, for 3 three days!

Perfect for a weekend away when you know you’re going to need a little help.

Try it through UK MEDS, use discount code EQUINTIES10 and thank us later.

p.s none of this is medical advice but we’ve tried it…

HEADLINE ROUND UP

WILLIE’S WINNING FACTORY

This week has seen a the inevitable dynamic shift in the National Hunt season as Willie Mullins is beginning to fire in consistent winners. 

As many already know, the master of Closutton has a set plan for most seasons which sees his horses come out slightly later than the likes of Gavin Cromwell or Gordon Elliott so they can continue their good form to Cheltenham, Aintree, and Punchestown. 

This theory was hammered home yesterday as BLOOD DESTINY destroyed a useful field on chase debut to create a big impression. 

The four-year-old took lengths out of his opposition at most fences and stormed home at Naas to win on his first start at 2m4f. Admittedly, he was in receipt of 8lbs due to his age, but that shouldn’t be taken away from him. 

Based on his pedigree, he’s by NO RISK AT ALL who is a leading NH sire and his dam is an unraced half-sister a Group-placed sprinter (GREAT BLOOD) and the 4.5 furlong Listed-placed TAKE BLOOD which is wild considering he just won a 2.5 mile race hard on the bridle.

This talk about trip was echoed by Paul Townend as he said she could quite easily stay at this trip or even drop back down to two miles.

This does, however, create a problem for Mullins.

Obviously, the yard already has GAELIC WARRIOR in the stable who, despite comments from Mullins pre-season, might be staying at two-and-a-half miles. With FACILE VEGA set for the Arkle, that probably forces Mullins into aiming both GAELIC WARRIOR and BLOOD DESTINY for the Turners, something he doesn’t have an issue with. 

Or, could you potentially see BLOOD DESTINY stepped up in trip? Year after year, Triumph Hurdle horses turn into stayers and he coasted through the line over two-and-a-half yesterday, so could he potentially be the Brown Advisory horse? 

Time will tell, but what we do know is that BLOOD DESTINY could be a smart horse.

K

What are you doing in early January? Well, if you are at a loose end, the place to be on January 21st could be Lingfield as connections of L’HOMME PRESSE have highlighted the Fleur De Lys Chase as a potential starting point. 

Having flirted with the idea of running in the Tingle Creek, the 2022 Brown Advisory winner could take on PROTEKTORAT on his first outing since his King George fall in 2022.

On the face of it, the £165,000 2m6f contest looks like a great place to start L’HOMME PRESSE’s campaign as Lingfield is usually slow ground in January – the race was abandoned last year – and although the eight-year-old has won on good ground before, he’s best on soft. His Cheltenham victory came on such deep ground it forced Nicholls to pull BMG out minutes before the race in turn forcing punters to scramble to get a bit on Venetia’s who quickly turned into the the biggest banker of the day.

Let’s hope he returns back to his best.

On the face of it, the £165,000 2m6f contest looks like a great place to start L’HOMME PRESSE’s campaign as Lingfield is usually slow ground in January – the race was abandoned last year – and although the eight-year-old has won on good ground before, his victory on soft at Cheltenham was in attritional conditions.

Let’s hope he returns back to his best.

BIG-RACE PREVIEWS

CHELTENHAM FRIDAY

There are no Graded races at Cheltenham today, but the card is still one full of promise, so here is a quick race-by-race guide from our point of view.

The opener is a very good novice hurdle that should be between the top two in the market, DYSART ENOS and BEAT THE BAT.

The former, a powerful mare for Fergal O’Brien, is someone we have a big soft spot for as she was the last winner of a huge day at Aintree last year.

Today she receives a seven-pound fillies allowance and showed her big engine to win at Huntingdon lto – she needs to improve her jumping, but that should happen on her second hurdles start.

BEAT THE BAT is coming back down in trip and although he only won by a head at Ascot lto, he beat a nice one of Paul Nicholls’ (WELCOME TO CARTRIES), and the third, IDEAL DES BORDES, was a good 15 lengths back.

That form looks pretty sharp and if he can handle the two-mile test, which he should given the ground will be slow, he could be very useful indeed.

Onto the next race, there is no getting away from GREY DAWNING for the Skeltons. He has had the form of his last race boosted thanks to APPLE AWAY’s victory this week and soft ground is right up his straight. He’s the rightful fav.

GINNY’S DESTINY and CREBILLY both raced against each other at Cheltenham lto and it’s just speculation as to whether Jonjo O’Neill’s 6yo had the beating of GINNY’S DESTINY before he came down at the second-last.

There is a 6lbs swing in the weights now so on the face of it, he looks to have the upper hand.

The first three races at Prestbury Park are genuinely good contests and in the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle, a few horses hold good chances.

The form horse is WILLIETHEBUILDER as his fourth at Cheltenham in the Grade 2 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Trial looks very good.

LOOKAWAY was second in the Greatwood since, KAMSINAS has won a Grade 2, and ACT OF AUTHORITY bolted up at Bangor, so with a rating of 125, he could be well-handicapped.

Of the rest, Nigel Hawke won this race with REPITITO in 2019 and DONNACHA gives him a good chance to pick up another win. He stayed on well behind IMPOSE TOI at Prestbury Park lto and actually ran through the line with some good power, and with his form with CRAMBO from Bangor last season, he has a leading chance.

Race four is slightly tamer and one for the girls so anything can happen. It could perhaps be a race that suits WALK IN CLOVER quite well, she won at Cheltenham in April and has already shown herself well at the track this season with a good effort (before falling) behind MY MATE MOZZIE and then a fair third to TRIPLE TRADE in November, both of which over an inadequate trip.

This step up should suit and the Skelton’s are picking this race rather than an easier Hereford contest.

Another Hereford targeting trainer who has come here for glory is Tom Symonds with ROYALE MARGAUX (great name). This girl is exceptionally well bred, being by top NH sire DOCTOR DINO and a half to ROYAL PAGAILLE. This is first run back from a wind job and with a run and clear airways, definitely has the ability to go close. Her form behind PINK LEGEND is pretty good and the step up could see her improve better than that today.

The big danger is the Cromwell horse. He doesn’t bring them over unless they are tight and they could be having a right touch here.

The Veterans Chase is a tough one and we have no interest in punting older horses who are too in and out of form, so we’ll keep this brief.

CEPAGE is race-fit and on all known form, he is well-handicapped off 137. The soft ground will be beneficial and if he retains half of his previous ability, he could be too good. That’s all we care to write for this race.

We covered the Cross Country Chase yesterday. A previous Saturday winner for us, GESSKILLE, features in the line up - we’ll be cheering him on! Any money for DIESEL D’ALLIER could be significant for he is very very well handicapped and knows how to win this race.

On to the finale.

WHITE RHINO is a fantastic horse for connections having improved from a rating of 74 to 123. His ambitious owners are bullish on him and why not, he‘a had a brilliant year and more, he’s by DOYEN - they’ll run through brick walls for you.

Henry Brooke booked for both GESSKILLE and WHITE RHINO - the 20/1 ew double is a small bet!

At a bigger price, CAPTAIN MORGS is back to retain his title but the ground has gone against him and in favour of Nicky’s other runner BOLD ENDEAVOUR. He’s a solid horse who is comfortable at this level having run fine in Graded fields.

YOUNG BLOOD

BANGOR BUMPER 

McCain heads the market in this with his expensive Point winner GRAND ALBERT. He’s short at 6/4 however did win his Point by 12 lengths. By JET AWAY, the ground isn’t sure to suit this chap. 

GUARD THE MOON is next in the market at 7/4. He won his last bumper, form line yet to be tested. By PETHERS MOON who we haven’t warmed to as a sire yet but his progeny tend to all go well in the mud. Player.

Third in the market is one of two mare’s in the line up, Lucinda’s JOSIE ALICE. She is by SOLDIER OF FORTUNE and a half to THE NEW ONE making her very well bred. She win a mare Point and we’re all over this pedigree for this race with the only hesitation she’s a girl against the boys. 

LAWRENNY is nicely bred for the race but the price is indicative of the yard using bumpers as education. 

The Stella Barclay horse can’t win. 

Verdict: if Lucinda’s half to THE NEW ONE, he’d be a strong bet. Alas, we’re dealing with a filly… she holds the best blood for this race and gets weight for sex but she still might find it tough vs the boys. That said, Young Blood is about blood and only blood so JOSIE ALICE is the pick. 

RISK ON

2/1 double landed yesterday, today we are playing the bumper pick (small as girl vs boys) and the Henry Brooke ew double, plus:

11.55 BECTIVE ABBEY

Word for this one.

13.50 ROYALE MARGAUX

Well bred and unexposed. Cromwell huge danger but hoping to catch this girl on the up for connections who have some good horses to run this year. Small ew at 14’s for familiar colours who have served us well in the past.

14.35 LORD OF ENGLAND

Needs to deal with the pen for easy win lto but he’s a mud lover and should handle conditions best with the only real danger the expensive McCain recruit 7/4.

18.00 MATTELLA

Leverage for a single.

Become a paying subscriber of Premium to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

A subscription gets you:

• • The weekender edition (Mon-Fri still free)
• • The weekends best bets
• • That warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing the intern gets fed
• • Only £1 a week!