What’s that coming over the Hill? It is a monster! March 14, 2023 TIMING is a huge thing in sport. Imagine how many more Grand Slams Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic would have won if the other two hadn’t been around. In the aftermath of day one at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, there was plenty of controversy comparing the Supreme Novices’ winner CONSTITUTION HILL with dual [...]
Jon looks a très Bon bet to land the Arkle March 14, 2023 NICKY Henderson and Willie Mullins have won seven of the last 10 runnings of the Sporting Life Arkle (2.10pm) and it will be a huge shock if one of them doesn’t land the prize again this year. The two stables are responsible for the first four in the market and even though Mullins saddles four [...]
Connell set for Nationale service as he shoots for biggest winner as a trainer March 14, 2023 BEFORE analysing the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm), I have to declare that I head up the syndicate that owns RARE EDITION, trained by Charlie Longsdon. He has been a dream horse for us, winning four of his five starts under rules, with the second coming last time out in the Sydney Banks [...]
Marie’s looks Rock solid in bid for Mares’ Hurdle repeat success March 14, 2023 MANY are billing this year’s renewal of the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (4.10pm) as the race of the meeting. Last year’s first and second home are joined by two previous Champion Hurdle winners in Honeysuckle and Epatante, not to mention Grade One winners Brandy Love and Echoes In Rain. Throw in last year’s Mares Novices’ [...]
Snowden’s mare to wear it well in Mares’ Novice March 13, 2023 WITH one of the driest build-ups to a Cheltenham festival on record, it had been widely expected that this year’s meeting would take place on traditional decent watered spring ground. In fact, the watering cans have been out for the last four weeks in an attempt to produce that easier surface. All that has changed [...]
Banbou looks another tasty treat in the Plate for Williams March 13, 2023 THERE aren’t many trainers I respect more than Venetia Williams when it comes to lining one up for the Cheltenham Festival. The Herefordshire-based handler had two winners and several placed horses at the meeting 12 months ago from just a handful of runners. She is set to saddle FRERO BANBOU in Thursday’s Magners Plate (4.10pm) [...]
Nico de value to topple Townend in top jockey market March 13, 2023 WILLIE Mullins has completely changed the face of National Hunt racing. After last year’s record-breaking haul of 10 winners at the Festival, the Master of Closutton sits atop the all-time list on 88 winners with 16 back to his nearest rival Nicky Henderson. He is only 7/2 with William Hill to bring up the century [...]
Constitution will be running up that Hill clear of his rivals March 13, 2023 SOME horses are just different. They don’t come along often, but they have that special something that others don’t. Think of Frankel and Flightline on the Flat; Kauto Star and Sprinter Sacre over fences. CONSTITUTION HILL is undoubtedly the most exciting hurdler we have seen in a long time. I know he hasn’t won a [...]
Henderson readying troops to take on Mullins battalion February 14, 2023 WITH exactly a month to go until this year’s Cheltenham Festival, Nicky Henderson is preparing his team for another assault on the best four day’s in the National Hunt calendar. The evergreen 72-year-old has already notched up 72 Festival winners and still holds the same level of enthusiasm in his pursuit of more. “It’s a [...]
Reaching for the Stars… December 13, 2022 THEY say that racehorse ownership is a mug’s game. Well, I’m the mug then, as I agreed just over two years ago to back trainer Mick Appleby at the Sales in Newmarket and buy a four-year-old called King Of Stars. He’d failed to win any of his eight races for Joseph O’Brien in Ireland, but [...]
