Equinties - Cheltenham awards

Gm Equinauts

Like most big meetings, we are back with our Newsletter Awards for favourite performance, best ride, best training performance and more.

But first, a note on yesterday.

Racing, especially that of a National Hunt variety, can be brutal.

One minute you are on cloud nine, and the next you want the earth to swallow you up.

One can only imagine this is the feeling that ABUFFALOSOLDIER’s connections felt after he won the feature chase at Cheltenham yesterday.

ABUFFALOSOLDIER should have come back to a heroes' welcome, rapturous applause, pats photographs. Not a heart attack.

Reports from friends at the course were, naturally, the atmosphere of Prestbury Park vanished within seconds. Instead of celebrating horses, fans were mourning BANGERS AND CASH, ABUFFALOSOLDIER and NAPPER TANDY.

We weren’t watching Cheltenham yesterday, we were busy with family but quite honestly, we’re glad we missed it. It was heart-breaking day for the sport.

All of our thoughts are with the connections.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

NEWSLETTER AWARDS

FAVOURITE PERFORMANCE – POTTERS CHARM and JONBON

We spoke plenty about POTTERS CHARM in Saturday’s Newsletter, we knew he couldn’t get beat but we can’t get away from how impressive he was.

He will be taking on Grade 1 adventures soon with both the Challow Hurdle and Formby under consideration, and if you want to back him for the Gallaghers in March, he is a cool 20/1 to oblige.

If you want to read more about him, read our Saturday review, though we will add one more performance here.

That was the effort of JONBON in the Shloer.

Admittedly, he was a well-fancied favourite, but there seems to be this ‘unique’ opinion on Racing X that he was workmanlike on Friday.

Yes, he didn’t win by a street, and yes, a performance of that nature carrying the condition he was proved what a top horse he is.

A fat JONBON making all around Cheltenham with two very ready rivals snapping at his heels and jumping like a stag is why we love National Hunt racing.

QUOTES OF THE WEEKEND

The Cheltenham November Meeting is probably the first ‘big’ jumps meeting of the season, so naturally, some bold quotes will be made.

Ash Symonds did a fair job in gathering a few of them this weekend, notably the confidence of James Owen when talking about LAVENDER HILL MOB, a horse that could be better than Saturday’s facile Triumph Trial winner EAST INDIA DOCK.

He even gave BURDETT ROAD a shout for the Champion Hurdle and the fact that he’ll be aimed that way this season. He’s likely to step away from handicap company now after the Greatwood, as Owen said: “I’m sure it’ll be a Graded race next.”

Of course, there was the natural bullishness from Willy Twiston-Davies regarding POTTERS CHARM, as he said: "He's proved he's a Cheltenham Festival-standard horse. He showed speed there and won very well over two and a half miles, so it's got to be Gallagher, I imagine."

However, his post-race comments about MATATA – and the fact that JONBON “wasn’t overly impressive” – would certainly raise an eyebrow or two.

Nicky Henderson was on good form over the weekend (maybe his new supply of whiskey had been delivered early) and he certainly has high hopes for PEAKY BOY going forward.

With the constant thought that, like most yards, Seven Barrows’ horses need their first runs this year, one could upgrade the effort of PEAKY BOY yesterday, especially when he does eventually step up to three miles.

TRAINING PERFORMANCE – IL RIDOTO

James Owen nearly grabbed this title for his winners in EAST INDIA DOCK and BURDETT ROAD.

But we’ve given it to Paul Nicholls and IL RIDOTO.

The yard sent GINNY’S DESTINY into the Paddy Power Gold Cup as the favourite, though it was his second-string IL RIDOTO that claimed success.

With GINNY’S DESTINY, he looked to need the run, and he belted the water ditch down the back straight, so the master of Ditcheat missed his dart with him there.

However, his training to prep IL RIDOTO for the feature race of the weekend was very good.

Two years in a row, the seven-year-old started his season in the Paddy Power and he ran good races without winning.

The general consensus was that he faded in his finishing effort on both occasions, so what did Nicholls think to do this season? Give him a prep run.

The run occurred at Chepstow, and that also allowed the handicapper to drop him in the handicap as well.

When you look at the first four home in the Paddy Power, the 1-2-4 all had prep runs, while some of the better horses who were having their first runs of the season (GINNY’S DESTINY, FUGITIF, PROTEKTORAT, and IMAGINE) failed to fire too well.

He may not win again this season, but Nicholls’ training for this race has already made this campaign successful.

JOCKEY PERFORMANCE – HARRY SKELTON

Harry Skelton…

He and his brother were on fire all weekend as they banged in four winners, though his ride on FORTUNE DE MER was the one that grabbed all the headlines.

It was beautiful to watch.

As much as he didn’t need to be that ice cold, it was a proper show and people loved it.

And what about the horse? Well, Dan Skelton already has his eyes on the Champion Bumper with this horse, and he looks like a nice forward horse for now rather than being one who will ‘do much better as a chaser’.

In slightly different circumstances, the ride Harry Skelton gave DOYEN QUEST on Saturday should also be commended.

He knew he had the best horse, but he did well not to get carried away by this fact. He kept him under wraps until the winning effort was needed, and he sent him for the line after the last.

He could reappear quickly after his latest success as the Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle has been quoted by the trainer.

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

FASOL - FRIDAY 16.00 CHELTENHAM

Paul Nicholls only had one runner on the Friday of Cheltenham, and that came with FASOL in the finale.

It was his first run of the season, he was well-backed, and Nicholls admitted pre-race that he had planned him for the contest. However, like a lot of the horses stabled in Ditcheat, he looked like he needed the run.

He was just a bit on and off the bridle, but the five-year-old did a lot right to still be in contention at the last.

With a run under his belt, he could make a mark of 108 look easy very soon.

THIRD TIME LUCKI - SUNDAY 14.20 CHELTENHAM

It feels weird highlighting a horse beaten 26 lengths as an eye-catcher, but we have good reason to mention THIRD TIME LUCKI.

It was his first start for over 500 days, so he’s more than entitled to come on for the run considering he suffered a setback that kept him out of last season.

He travelled nicely down the Cheltenham hill, but just faded after the home turn.

Maybe one more run could put him spot on, and he’ll continue to creep down the handicap to an attractive mark as well.

BE AWARE - SUNDAY 15.30 CHELTENHAM

BE AWARE was one of the unexposed horse going into the Greatwood having had just the four starts under rules.

And well, he ran a bit of a stormer considering Harry Skelton gave him plenty to do up the home straight.

In fairness, BURDETT ROAD was a nice winner of the Greatwood, and he actually went away from BE AWARE when they came upsides, but it would have probably helped if Skelton positioned him slightly closer.

Dan Skelton has already plotted his season out, and that starts with a trip to Ascot at Christmas before potentially the Betfair Hurdle.

Of course, the Festival is the main plan, and he could be a nice player in either the County Hurdle or Coral Cup.

BUMPER

EXETER

Three runners. Snore… but there could be a betting opportunity.

MALDINI MILANO reps the formidable connections of Nicholls and the Brooks family. An 80k 3yo purchase, he has a lovely NH pedigree and is deservedly short in the market.

SEYMOURJOHN is by the nut case SCORPION. His progeny are often fruit loops so eye’s on this lad - he could be running out and jumping fences. An okay dam side, he’ll be one for handicaps later down the line.

SURE TO BE SURE is 33/1…in a three runner race. He actually has a lovely pedigree but only cost £8k so might have limited ability and definitely one for later handicaps

Verdict: The galloping nature of the Exeter track means MALDINI MILANO might just be a bridle bet, distance jobby.

Bumper competition - we’re staking £100 in MALDINI MILANO to win by 10 lengths or more at 9/4. If he obliges, we’ll be giving the winnings out to a weekender subscriber.

BUMPER RESULTS

03/10/24 KAYLAN 2/1 (11/8 SP) - 1st

08/10/24 LAURA LOU 11/1 & PLAYAWAY GIRL 14/1 - 6th & 9th

09/10/24 JOTO 2/1 6th

09/10/24 ID GO MANIAC 5/2 - 4th

12/10/24 MONEYGARROW 5/1 (13/8 SP) - 1st

16/10/24 KINGSLEY 7/1 - 8th

18/10/24 STRONG RUN 5/1 - 2nd

22/10/24 SECRET SNIPER 5/1 - 3rd

23/10/24 THE LONG WALK 100/30 - 3rd

27/10/24 SIOG GEAL 5/2 - 2nd

27/10/24 QUINNS REWARD 9/1 (14/1 SP) - 7th

27/10/24 TENNESSE TANGO 9/1 (12/1 SP) - 1st

28/10/24 ALLSTITCHEDUP 12/1 - 9th

30/10/24 KOSAC D’OUDAIRIES 11/2 (5/2 SP) - 5th

01/11/24 BEAU GOLD 11/2 - 8th

02/11/24 KAJIKIA 17/2 - 1st

07/11/24 BROOKSIDE LA 5/2 - 4th

07/11/24 EL CAIROS 100/30 - 1st

09/11/24 JOTO 7/1 (16/1 SP) - 4th

09/11/24 LINALENE 6/1 (9/4 SP) - 3rd

09/11/24 SWINGIN SAFARI 11/8 - 1st

11/11/24 OH CLARE 8/1 (3/1) - 4th

12/11/24 LADY TADITA 7/2 (5/4 SP) - 1st

13/11/24 CASTLE CARROCK 4/6 (5/4 distance bet) - 1st

15/11/24 TONY JOE 2/1 & BENMORE 7/1 - 2nd & 3rd

15/11/24 HUNTERS SPRING 11/10 (6/4 distance bet) - 1st

16/11/24 STRONG RUN 11/2 (11/1 SP) - 3rd

RISK ON

No stand out bets today, but if anything shows up we will post it on X @equinties

To enter the bumper competition, subscribe below:

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!