NEW SERIES SPOTS THE VITAL TRIALS: Where do the big winners come from? Today Daqman starts a series which will spot the important trial races for Cheltenham and Aintree. His tips for today are at the foot of the column as usual.
Where do the big winners come from? With Cheltenham and Aintree drawing closer, every trial – including some tomorrow at Sandown and this weekend at Punchestown – could be significant for the championship races ahead.
Every week on Thursday or Friday until those big races happen, I shall be looking at the trials and the trialists, asking as a punter: are these races important; where did the big winners at the festivals come from; what races were their stepping-stones?
Welsh Champion Hurdle (Saturday): Oscar Whisky, who took the Three Counties Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day 2011 as a preliminary to success in Saturday’s Welsh Champion Hurdle, won the same race again this new year and is scheduled to attempt a Ffos Las championship repeat tomorrow.
As a result of completing his New Year’s Day double, ‘Oscar’ is the only horse anywhere near Big Buck’s in the market for the World Hurdle in March at 7.4 on Betdaq, 5-1 with some bookmakers.
Arkle Novices’ Chase (Cheltenham, March): The Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown tomorrow saw last year’s Arkle winner, Captain Chris, beaten into second before he regained his momentum for Cheltenham by winning the Pendil at Kempton at the end of February.
Sizing Europe, the 2010 Arkle winner, had taken the Boxing Day novices chase at Leopardstown, won this year by Willie Mullins’ Blackstairmountain.
‘Blackie’ has since been beaten ‘out of sight’ by Flemenstar who, fortunately for the Mullins camp and for home hopes at Cheltenham, is not a good traveler so may not be coming over.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (Cheltenham, March): The 2010 Champion Chase winner, Big Zeb, came from this Sunday’s Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown but was beaten five lengths at Cheltenham by Sizing Europe when he attempted the Champion double last March.
Now both Big Zeb and Sizing Europe are scheduled to meet in the Tied Cottage this weekend for an early Queen Mother showdown, as the trainers of their nearest Cheltenham market rivals, Finians Rainbow and Somersby, look on with interest.
Grand National (Aintree, April): The 2011 winner, Ballabriggs, had a quiet, mainly hurdles run-up to the big race but notably had won the previous year’s Kim Muir at Cheltenham.
The Kim Muir was last won by David Pipe’s Junior. He hasn’t been seen over fences since then but, down the field on the Flat in the Ascot Stakes at the royal meeting, Junior is due to reappear in the Haydock Grand National Trial a fortnight on Saturday.
With the same trial target is Willie Mullins’s Prince De Beauchene, who is following in the footsteps of Don’t Push It (2010 Grand National), who won the John Smith’s Chase at the same meeting the year before.
Comply Or Die’s National success came after he took the Eider Chase at Newcastle, due to be run this year on February 25.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 7.6pts win CAPONE (4.20 Wolverhampton)
BET 4.3pts win JAMARJO and 2.4pts win SQUAD (4.35 Lingfield)
BET 6.6pts win (nap) ISLAND LEGEND (4.50 Wolverhampton)
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