WHERE THE WINNERS COME FROM: Daqman continues his series, started last week, which spotlights the trial races responsible for big winners at Cheltenham and the other Spring festivals.
Supreme Novices Hurdle (Cheltenham, March) The last three winners of this Saturday’s novice hurdle at Newbury all ran at the Cheltenham Festival, notably Al Ferof, who took the Supreme Novices Hurdle. Al Ferof was Paul Nicholls third winner in the last six runnings of the Newbury race.
Menorah, winner of the Supreme in 2010, had finished second in a novice hurdle at the Ascot meeting which is due to be staged on Saturday week.
Third in the Supreme that year was Dunguib, who had won the Deloitte, one of the features on this Sunday’s card at Leopardstown.
The Deloitte was responsible for two Irish winners of the Supreme Novices in three years (2002 and 2004) with Like-A-Butterfly and Brave Inca.
RSA Chase (Cheltenham) The Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase, another Leopardstown feature on Sunday, is also another to bag two out of three Cheltenham Festival winners.
Cooldine (2009) and Bostons Angel (2011) both went on to score at the festival in the prestigious RSA Chase.
Bostons Angel tries to get his Gold Cup chances back on track when he contests the Hennnessy Gold Cup, main feature of the Sunday Leopardstown card.
Cheltenham Gold Cup The race now called the Denman Chase at Newbury on Saturday was won by both Denman (2008) and Kauto Star (2007) on their way to gold.
Saturday’s field could include last year’s Gold Cup winner, Long Run, twice outpointed by Kauto Star this winter but seven lengths Denman’s better in the Cup last March.
Champion Chase (Cheltenham) Long Run won Saturday’s Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick (2010) on his way to the top. Last year’s winner, Finian’s Rainbow, is second favourite for the Champion Chase.
The 2011 Champion Chase one-two, Sizing Europe and Big Zeb (winner in 2010), had been third and second in the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown. This year they were first and second in the race, run last Sunday.
Master Minded’s favourite trial for the Champion Chase (he had back-to-back wins in 2008-9) was Saturday’s Game Spirit Chase at Newbury
Of this year’s acceptors for Saturday, French Opera is in the Ryanair, and Sprinter Sacre and Cue Card are in the Arkle. The Champion Chase prospects are Hold Fast (Paul Nicholls) and I’m So Lucky (David Pipe).
Pipe is the only trainer to split Nicholls’ terrific run in the Game Spirit between 2003 and 2010: five winners for Ditcheat, including Azertyuiop (two) and, of course, Master Minded.
Pipe’s winner, Well Chief, slammed Ashley Brook 11 lengths in the Game Spirit (Voy Por Ustedes unseated) but himself fell when even money for the championship, which Voy Por Ustedes won (2007).
Triumph Hurdle (Cheltenham) Leopardstown’s meeting on Sunday plays a further part at Cheltenham. Unaccompanied, 2011 runner-up in the opening juvenile hurdle, went on to run second in a big field for the Triumph.
The winner, ex-French Zarkandar, had had only one race in this country, the Adonis at Kempton, due for renewal at the end of this month.
The Adonis was some race last season: the runner-up, Molotof, went on to win his next three, and Kumbeshwar, though 15 lengths further back in third, was second in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham and second again when attempting the Punchestown Champion 4yo Hurdle.
DAQMAN’S BETS
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3 x 3pt win doubles and 1pt win treble Beneath (2.25 Wolverhampton), Al Freej (nap, 4.35 Wolverhampton) and Pressure Drop (5.10 Wolverhampton)
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