Equinties - Gold Cup dreaming

Gm Equinauts

Racing X got really excited over Nicholls’ bumper winner TEESHAN yesterday.

Look we love good horses and we love exciting propositions to take on the Irish even more, but let’s not get carried away with this lad. The race he won was TERRIBLE.

The bet was even money about him yesterday, not the 5’s for the Champion Bumper next month. Cheltenham is a totally different ball game.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

GOLD CUP CHAT

The Denman Chase provided three notable clues towards the two big open Grade 1 chases at this year’s Cheltenham Festival as SHISHKIN led home HITMAN and PROTEKTORAT. 

He may have been nudged along for a few strides coming around the bend – which did cause a few worries – but he clearly stays for days and, as Nicky Henderson alluded to, he will have no problem with the Gold Cup trip. 

Post-race, he was squeezed into 8/1 for the Gold Cup, though Paul Nicholls was keen to stress how BRAVEMANSGAME is the overlooked one in the field and he is 20/1. Nicholls said: “I don’t think Shishkin is that far in front of Bravemansgame. I honestly can’t see an inch between them. “We’ve all got a lot to do to beat the winner, but I really do think he will run a big race. 

With PROTEKTORAT almost ruled out for the Gold Cup in preference for the Ryanair, and HITMAN set to head to the Ryanair as well, this leaves SHISHKIN, BRAVEMANSGAME, CORACH RAMBLER, and THE REAL WHACKER as the main British hopefuls.

THE REAL WHACKER, despite his staying-on effort behind CAPODANNO in the Cotswold Chase, would need to improve and CORACH RAMBLER will have aspirations of the Grand National one month later. 

That leaves the contenders of Nicholls and Henderson - do you give them a chance at the prices to beat GALOPIN DES CHAMPS?

FESTIVAL GIRLS 

The Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival has produced some proper races over the last few years, from the battle of EGLANTINE DU SEUIL and CONCERTISTA in 2019, to LOVE ENVOI and YOU WEAR IT WELL in more recent renewals.

This race produces good horses, and this year could go along the same script. DYSART ENOS and JADE DE GRUGY hold plenty of respect at the top of the market, though BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD put down another marker yesterday in the Listed Apple’s Jade Novice Hurdle. 

On her first start at 2m5f - a big four-furlong hike for her last outing on track – she travelled like a very smart horse and put the race to bed in a matter of strides. Her pedigree has been headlines recently as she is a half to Alex Ferguson’s new recruit CALDWELL POTTER, both out of the brilliant MATNIE who has produced MIGHTY POTTER, FRENCH DYNAMITE and INDIANA JONES. 

All three of JADE DE GRUGY, BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD, and DYSART ENOS are unbeaten throughout their rules career, though there seems to be something special about BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD. Add the likes of GOLDEN ACE, JETARA, JOYEUSE, and QUEENS GAMBLE to the equation and this year’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle will be a good race. 

EYECATCHERS OF THE WEEK

It was a fair level of racing this weekend, and a few horses have caught our eye from the whole week as well, so let’s get into them. 

CLASSIC KING - Tuesday 13.50 Taunton

Emma Lavelle’s CLASSIC KING has yet to step into handicap company, but based on Tuesday’s run behind THE DOYEN CHIEF, a mark of 124 could be dangerous. The only blip so far from the six-year-old has been his second when 2/5 at Doncaster in January, but his second to QUEENS GAMBLE, 10-length Wincanton success, and second to MEATLOAF reads very well. He battled well on Tuesday to only be beaten by half a length, so he’s one to watch if dropped into handicap company nto.

ROCCOVANGO - Thursday 13.40 Huntingdon

Sean Bowen’s first ride back from his injury was on Olly Murphy’s ROCCOVANGO, and he nearly got the dream return if not for running into an improving type in NORDIC TIGER. ROCCOVANGO has had a weird career to date, but Murphy has got him now after a few stints with Ian Williams and Michael Lynch. If Murphy can get any improvement out of this horse, then he could make use of a handy mark.

DODDIETHEGREAT - Saturday 15.15 Newbury

This year’s Betfair Hurdle could prove to be a fairly useful contest form-wise, though the one could improve for a step up in trip could be DODDIETHEGREAT. The word around the paddock post-race was that connections are thinking of something like the Coral Cup for him. Despite his age of eight, he is nicely unexposed after his lengthy spell away from the track and a step up in trip could produce further improvement.

AMERICAN MIKE - Sunday 15.45 Navan

Although he was a winner, and not many have missed him because of that, AMERICAN MIKE looks like a horse who could like the test of something like the Irish Grand National. He relished the step up to three miles yesterday, not just due to the length of the contest, but also because of the speed at which he could take his fences mid-race. He was able to think about what he was doing and, as such, he could fluently jump his fences. He doesn’t hold an entry in the Brown Advisory and he disappointed around Cheltenham in the Ballymore last year, so connections may be inclined to miss Cheltenham, especially because the Irish National is just over two weeks after Cheltenham this year.

TWEETS OF THE DAY

RISK ON

A tough days racing with no stand out betting opportunity.

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