CHELTENHAM STARTS HERE: What a day on paper for the Irish on day one of Cheltenham !!! SHAMROCK previews each race on the opening day of the 2016 Festival with his BETDAQ recommended trades.
The day of days has finally arrived and Willie Mullins fires four of his biggest arrows on the opening day of Cheltenham.
There’s no Faugheen this year but the County Carlow based trainer has a plethora of talent on display at Prestbury Park this afternoon.
The latest going is: Good to soft, soft in places.
1:30 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 87y, 14 runners)
Mullins has won the last three renewals and what a roll call it reads…… 2013 Champagne Fever, 2014 Vautour, 2015 Douvan.
All eyes this year will be on Min who is a little weak in the market this morning. People are questioning his experience and whether he can find the likely improvement but it’s not exactly as if he’s not been tried at a decent level. It was a Grade 2 after all that he bolted up in last time !!! It wasn’t his fault that he scared all the opposition away !
I think everyone is agreed that he is too short in the market for what looks a very competitive opener and the market is simply correcting itself, rather than any negative Min vibes per se.
I’ve got to stick with him but am also throwing a place bet in on the Gordon Elliott trained Tombstone who is a little more battle hardened than Min and who has two Grade 1 seconds to his name this season. Around 5 the place on BETDAQ is very tempting.
2:10 Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (Novices’ Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 1m 7f 199y, 7 runners)
Probably the shortest preview I’ll write this week but I cannot see defeat for Douvan. I think he is exceptional. He has a perfect seven from seven record and has translated his hurdling ability to be every bit as good over fences. Can easily see Ruby keeping things simple and going from the front as he did last time out.
2:50 Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (5yo+, Class 1, 3m 1f, 23 runners)
If the first two races haven’t gone to plan, heaven help us for this one. The first of many head scratchers for punters this week with a field of 23 setting off over the three mile one furlong trip.
It hasn’t been a good race for the Irish in recent years and best hopes this year lie with the Pat Fahy trained Morning Assembly who has come back this season after a lengthy injury to run two sounds races in defeat.
He was only beaten a head at Fairyhouse and then found the in form Smashing too good over 2m 4f at Gowran Park. This trip and more is better for him and his main target is the Grand National but is still worthy of small place interest today.
3:30 Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 87y, 12 runners)
Sadly, Faugheen misses the chance to defend his title and Arctic Fire was also a Mullins withdrawal but he could still hold the trump card with the mare Annie Power who gets an allowance of 7lb. The switching from the longer distance mares’ hurdle to this was made relatively recently when Faugheen was pulled out. We learnt precious little new about Annie Power on her reappearance at Punchestown where she beat two rivals and went off at 1/20 and I still have nightmares about her crashing fall 12 months ago when she had the mares’ hurdle in the bag.
I think Nichols Canyon’s CV is just as strong, yet there is a big disparity in price. ‘Nichols’ caused a massive shock when beating 1/7 Faugheen at Punchestown in November but that form was comprehensively turned around in the Irish Champion Hurdle in January. In what now looks a below average renewal, the play has to be him, win and place.
4:10 OLBG Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 3f 200y, 20 runners)
It’s frightening to think how much money COULD be rolling on to Vroum Vroum Mag if the early races go the way of Mullins/Walsh and Rich Ricci but I make Vroum Vroum Mag my nap of day one to keep this race firmly in the Mullins camp.
Quevega won this for a super-equine-extraordinary SIX times in a row and even Annie Power’s fall last year couldn’t stop Mullins winning it with Glens Melody being the lucky benefactor.
‘Vroum’ is 8 from 8 since joining Willie Mullins and the REALLY frightening thing is we still have no real idea of how good she could be.
4:50 146th Year Of The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup (Listed Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Chase) (5yo+, Class 1, 3m 7f 170y, 20 runners)
Gordon Elliott won this last year with Cause of Causes and has hopes again this year with Noble Endeavor who showed he has a touch of class when chasing home Measureofmydreams in a Grade 2 chase at Navan last time out. He was only pipped a head in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle here last year and never seems to run a bad race.
5:30 Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase (Listed) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m 4f 78y, 20 runners)
There was an Irish winner last year – well sort of – Irish Cavalier – trained by Rebecca Curtis! It’s a race the Irish trainers haven’t excelled in and I’m having a very small place investment on the Henry de Bromhead trained Domesday Book who was a well beaten 28 lengths third of three to Douvan at Leopardstown. Depending on what happens earlier today – that might look very smart form indeed !!!
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
1.30 MIN (WIN), TOMBSTONE (PLACE)
2.10 DOUVAN (WIN)
2.50 MORNING ASSEMBLY (PLACE)
3.30 NICHOLS CANYON (WIN AND PLACE)
4.10 VROUM VROUM MAG (NAP)
4.50 NOBLE ENDEAVOR (WIN AND PLACE)
5.30 DOMESDAY BOOK (PLACE)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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