Road turns Fury on Rivals at Fairyhouse
Dan cuts a Dandy Dash at Ayr
Cadium lands Naas Chase
Report
We start at Fairyhouse on Saturday where in
the 2m bumper Fury Road ( Bob), went to post, Tracked leaders in 3rd, disputed 2nd at halfway, headway to
lead travelling well 2 1/2f out, ridden and briefly pressed 1 1/2f out, went
clear 1f out, stayed on well final furlong, winning by 7l. He gets 22.4 points.
On Sunday at Naas in the 2m grade 3 chase Cadmium ( Peej)
took his chance, Prominent on outer, led 1st, headed from 2nd, raced in 2nd, on
terms from 6th, led 3 out, pressed after 2 out, joined last, regained lead
inside final furlong and stayed on well to assert closing stages, winning by
3l. He gets 43 points.
At Ayr on Monday in the 3m novice chase Dandy Dan ( Cod),
took his chance, Prominent, led 3rd, mistake 6th, headed before 12th, not
fluent next, led again before 3 out, stayed on well, winning by 2 ¾ l. He gets 23.2 points
The John Torpey Memorial Trophy
February Total
Bob 194.9
704.1
Steve
83.4
660.7
Cliff 115.9
610.6
Cod
158.2
614.6
Peej 117.9 571.8
Tony 194.2 449,6
Neil
41.7
446.4
Martin 16.1
341.6
News
The Punter has
been speaking with trainers ahead of Cheltenham and their views on the chances
of their punter horses and other leading fancies. We start with Gordon Elliott
and Nicky Henderson
Gordon Elliott
APPLE'S JADE
She’s something
else, she’s gone from strength to strength this year and I can’t wait to run
her in the Champion Hurdle. I’ll be nervous when she’s running, definitely.
You’re always hoping [that she would be a Champion Hurdle horse], but when she
crossed the line at Leopardstown that’s when you’re thinking we should give the
Champion Hurdle a go. She's come out of her last run very well. She'll have two
more little bits of work and then it will be all systems go. We'll just keep
her ticking away. She doesn't need to do a lot of work between now and then -
she's pretty fit.
If she runs to the form she's been in all year, I think she'll run a
big race.
The whole world
knows what was wrong with her - it's been well publicised she was in season
both days [at Cheltenham and Punchestown last year, when beaten twice by Benie
Des Dieux]. We're just hoping it doesn't happen again and keeping an eye and
monitoring her. I'm not a veterinary surgeon. I leave it to them and the girls
that look after her. They'll keep an eye on her cycle.
TIGER ROLL
He’s in great
form. I couldn’t believe how well he won on Sunday, it surprised me, I thought
he’d finish second or third last if I’m honest. It was a good pipe opener for
the Cross Country race but he just showed what a good horse he is. A winner at
three Cheltenham Festivals, I think he’s won four times at Cheltenham having won
at the Open meeting one year, to win a Grand National and then come back and
win a Boyne Hurdle as well, you might think we’d go for the Stayers’ Hurdle,
but we’re going for the Cross Country race.
That’s where
he’s going. I’m lucky to have him, he’s one of the favourites round the yard.
To be fair to him he was always slick enough over hurdles. He’s unbelievable,
it puts a smile on your face looking at a horse like him. I’ve got a lot of
good horses and he might not be the best horse I’ve ever trained, but he’s
definitely one of the most likeable.
COMMANDER OF FLEET
He goes for the
Albert Bartlett. He won the Grade One at Leopardstown the last day and three
miles will suit him. He ran well over two miles in the Royal Bond, but it was
just too short for him. I think three miles will suit him and the race will
suit him, he can take his time early and hunt away. He’s a nice horse, he won a
Land Rover Bumper – I suppose the one negative for me is that he does lack a
bit of experience.
He’s only had three runs over hurdles but we
might get a school into him and see what happens. So he’s green, but he has the
engine. He’ll come on for his last run, there was no last hurdle and it’s a big
daunting place when you’re there on your own
Nicky Henderson
ALTIOR
He’s won 17
consecutive races because he’s very good – you have to be to put that sort of
run together. He’s always had a huge amount of natural talent. Perhaps there is
the element as he goes on and becomes more dominant, the opposition sometimes
wilts a little behind you as they don’t take you on away from the very big
days. They won’t leave him alone in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
though, everyone wants to run in it. We’ll see, it’s going to be tough, it always is.
We’ve been down
this road before and we’re so lucky that almost as soon as we had to retire
Sprinter Sacre, then this fellow comes along. He’s got to do what he’s got to
do. He has to be beaten somewhere and I just hope it isn’t in the Champion
Chase. That’s the race you build up for. If everything does go right we’ll
probably branch out and do something different next season and get him beaten,
but if we can stay this way at the moment, that would be great.
BUVEUR D’AIR
We managed to
beat him at Kempton with a mare of our own in VERDANA BLUE who is very smart on
good ground. She’ll struggle to beat him at Cheltenham though when it will be
at least good to soft – it won’t be allowed to get any quicker than that. Any
softer than that and she won’t run.
There are two
factors going into this race. I don’t think he was at his best last year but we
know why. He was in a box next to We Have A Dream who on the Monday morning of
Cheltenam week had a screaming temperature. They lived absolutely nose-to-nose.
At 6am we got
We Have A Dream out of the barn, he hadn’t touched a scrap of his food. Buveur
D’Air is as tough as teak and didn’t get over Cheltenham at all last year. We
were going back to Aintree, which should have been a piece of cake, but he
couldn’t do it. He wasn’t impressive in the Champion, it took him apart, races
don’t affect him at all normally. He got away with it but it was a bit scrappy.
He’s going to have to be better this year because the opposition is better with
the obvious threats being Apple’s Jade and Laurina.
TOP NOTCH
It’s a pity he
couldn’t run at Ascot on Saturday as that was where he was meant to be but as
it turned out that was Cyrname’s race and he was very impressive. I can't say
we'd have beaten him. He’ll now go straight to the Ryanair. He’s lovely,
everyone adores him here, but he’s probably just five pounds short of being an
absolute Grade One star. We’ll turn up at Cheltenham and in great form. He ran
in the Long Walk and that was a little prep – you couldn’t have asked any more
of him at Kempton last time. He’s on the list of horses we’re looking forward
to.
SANTINI
I’d love to
give him another run before the RSA Chase but there’s isn’t a race and I can’t
do it. We’ll have to try and do it at home. I wanted the run for the experience
more than anything but now we’ve got schooling and work to do here. We’ve
missed a race we could really have done with but he’s in good form,
It’s
interesting that everyone seemed almost unanimous that after he finished third
in the Feltham at Kempton that the first two wouldn’t beat him at Cheltenham. The winner, La Bague Au
Roi, isn’t going to run and Topofthegame is really good. He has work to do on
the racecourse to beat him – and at home before we get there.
MIGHT BITE
We’ve tinkered
with a few things under the bonnet since his run in the 32Red King George at
Kempton. Obviously he’s not been the same horse this season as he was last,
when he won at Aintree having been beaten by Native River in a great Gold Cup.
But I was very, very pleased with him last
Saturday when he did his first piece of work. He’s giving us the right vibes,
maybe I’m being a little optimistic, but it would be nice to see him back and
on decent ground. I’m hoping he is in good form.
Paul Nicholls
says Black Corton will probably run at Kelso on
Saturday and miss Cheltenham and go to Aintree. I don't see any point in
running him at Cheltenham.
