Equinties - Cheltenham round 2

Gm Equinauts

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Let’s dive in.

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

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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

JONBON VS EL FABIOLO

We ain’t even in 2024 and Racing X is already looking forward to the next renewal of the Queen Mother Champion Chase after Cheltenham rivals JONBON and EL FABIOLO each put in winning performances over the weekend.

Nicky Henderson’s 7yo JONBON was up first, in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek. He was almost faultless around Sandown and had to be smart at his fences. To do what he did – by gaining ground at most of his fences and running through the line – takes some doing in the conditions, so there can be no doubting his ability. 

As for EL FABIOLO, he gave FIL DOR 10lbs and still won impressively, though there were a few moments where he got a bit sticky at his fences. JONBON has always been considered a better jumper than EL FABIOLO though, many hoped Willie Mullins’ six-year-old would have improved over the summer; he may have done so, but he still lacks the class that JONBON has.

EL FABIOLO looks likely to head to the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot in the new year, a place where he could clash with JONBON if Henderson decides to send him here over the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.

The open two-mile chasing division looks to be a two-horse race this season, though with both JONBON and EL FABIOLO likely to be done until 2024, this looks likely to give CAPTAIN GUINNESS an easy time in the Grade 1 Paddy’s Reward Club Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. 

YOUNG GUNS

At Aintree on Saturday, Paul Nicholls won the Listed Juvenile Hurdle for the second time in three years with LIARI under Harry Cobden. 

Having last it with MONMIRAL in 2021, Nicholls sent the three-year-old CRACKSMAN to regain the title. He beat KNIGHT OF ALLEN by three lengths to remain unbeaten for Paul.

Interestingly, Megan Nicholls NAP’d him up on ITV suggesting they expected the W. To be fair, Paul Nicholls did say he was a dark horse ahead of the season starting, so he is seemingly well-regarded by Team Ditcheat.  

However, this performance links back to a horse that Harry Cobden rode this season, as following BURDETT ROAD’s success at Cheltenham, he said Nicholls has some smart juveniles but none as good as him. 

Therefore, the jury is still probably out on what LIARI can achieve this season in the top leagues, and that’s before we begin to consider the Irish challenge which is – at this current moment – headed by MIGHTY BANDIT for Gordon Elliott. He won a Punchestown juvenile contest very impressively and the third, HARSH, comfortably won at Cork yesterday by eight lengths, so the form of his debut victory is beginning to work out nicely.

GRADE 1 FIELD WOKEN UP

Racing can be a good place, and on Saturday afternoon, even though LOVE ENVOI was the only horse to let down our fave’s acca, seeing NOT SO SLEEPY, at 11yo, win the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth so easily, was that good place.

Not least of all due to what happened on the track, but also for the Racing X tweet of the year from the Hughie Morrison page:

As a piece of form, this may be hard to trust literally, but sometimes you don’t need that to enjoy something. That being said, NOT SO SLEEPY’s victory does open the door to another interesting ‘to where next?’ conundrum.

The dual-purpose thoroughbred has an entry for the Betfair Exchange Trophy Handicap at Ascot on December 23rd and although he picks up a penalty for winning a race after December 3rd, the penalty only affects him by 1lb as no penalty can increase a horse’s weight above 12st. The winner of the race gets £85,425 which is MORE than what the winner of the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle gets on Boxing Day, and the former won’t have a certain CONSTITUTION HILL to worry about!

Furthermore, NOT SO SLEEPY’s Ascot record over hurdles is 3/5 including successes in this very contest in 2019 and 2020 and he also finished a fair ninth in the 2022 Copper Horse Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022. 

So, connections of NOT SO SLEEPY, if you are looking for a race that your horse will officially be ‘well-in’ for, at a track he likes, on ground that will probably be in his favour, and not against CONSTITUTION HILL, then look no further than the Betfair Exchange Trophy on December 23rd!

TODAYS BEST STATS

A trip down memory lane for this lad. MACK THE MAN was our first ever tip and winner when we joined Twitter. Bolted in. 13.50 see’s his debut for Nick Alexander who lands 1 in 3 at Ayr when his son rides. MACK THE MAN has been off for 273 days but he’s won fresh before after a similar length of time off. If he still has half his talent, he’ll carry this lot.

YOUNG BLOOD

LINGFIELD BUMPER

This bumper opens up proceedings at Lingfield today and is run on the all weather.

Heading the market is weak fave (9/4 out to 11/4) JURI for Olly Murphy. By SEA THE MOON, who is obviously by SEA THE STARS, his sire side will relish this test, but it’s the dam side that is the problem. His mum was a 5f horse which is no good. Dam sire produce stayers though so you’d have to trust he nets off the sprinting dam blood.

MY LOUISE was a bit of a gambled winner lto albeit it was a bad race. She’s moderately bred and this race is harder than last time.

GALLANT APPROACH reps connections who enjoy landing a bumper but there will be better bred horses in this field.

Chris Honour runs DROPITLIKEITSHOT who is nicely bred for this sort of race but she only finished 4th in a weak bumper lto.

HEAD OVER HINDS is looking a little exposed. He’s a massive unit who is still learning how to gallop. One to take on again today but he will be good when mature in a year or two.

LAND OF MOON reps Greatrex who can sometimes ready one for a bumper. SPANISH MOON gets his fair share of NH winners from the few runners he has and there’s nothing wrong with the dam side. Contender.

Bandey is a good trainer and he’s repped by JACKALANI who is one of the only horses in this actually related to a bumper winner (his mum won one and her half siblings won them too). If Bandey trained more bumper winners we’d be all over this one, but given Bandey usually takes his time with his stock, this one might not be ready today but still over-priced for ped.

Another over-priced is JASPER BOY for Gifford. Gifford can win bumpers when he has the right horse and there is nothing wrong with this one’s breeding, in fact, it’s one of the better ones. Player.

The rest can’t win.

Verdict: Slightly trickier than it appears on paper. Olly Murphy’s has a lovely flat pedigree but might, might just run out of gas in the home straight. A huge player if he has stamina reserves though and defo worthy fave. The two who definitely don’t lack the stamina for this race are JACKALANI and JASPER BOY and they’re the dangers and plays.

RISK ON

Small play on the two big priced bumper horses as per preview and then a single on:

14.50 GO BOY

Stinks and it’s a weak race. NR’s mean only 7 runners and couple of places so just playing a small win bet on this at 7/1.

There is more than likely going to be one more play posted on X @equinties.

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