Chris is forced to eat humble pie after an inauspicious start to the Friday Feature last week, but he now turns his attention to tomorrow's Hennessy Gold Cup in a bid to get the ball rolling.
This time last week I made the bold prediction that we would not learn much from the Betfair Chase. How wrong I was. I also advised that Silviniaco Conti was a decent bet to beat Cue Card if you could get even money. That one didn’t go to plan either.
But any thoughts of wallowing in self-pity were soon washed away by the brilliance of Cue Card, who made a very good staying chaser in Silviniaco Conti look decidedly slow. Doubts over his ability to stay three miles were comprehensively put to bed, with an operation for a entrapped epiglottis seemingly having worked wonders.
In my opinion, Cue Card should be clear favourite for the King George next month. Current market leader Vautour made a satisfactory return to action at Ascot, but he moved left at his fences and that is enough to temper enthusiasm over his Kempton credentials, at least for the time being.
Earlier in the week, Vaniteux impressed with a tidy round of jumping on his chasing debut at Kempton, albeit having been handed an easy lead. He could make up into a genuine Arkle contender over the coming months and his hurdles form is smart, having finished third behind Vautour in the 2013 Supreme Novices’ at the Cheltenham Festival.
However, Douvan appears to boast more ability than all of his peers in the two-mile novice chasing division judged on his sublime hurdles campaign last year. He made a pleasing introduction at Navan on Sunday and jumped soundly bar a mistake at the last. It would be madness to back him at 7/4 for the Arkle now, but he is clearly very, very good.
Back in the present, tomorrow’s Hennessy Gold Cup looks to have all the necessary components to suggest this is a strong renewal. The absence of Gold Cup winner and long-time market leader Coneygree is disappointing, for there is nothing like a weight-carrying performance to etch a staying chaser into immortality. Denman might have won a Gold Cup, but he will always be defined by that Hennessy win six years ago.
However, all 17 runners can now race off their proper handicap marks with the field headed by the Paul Nicholls-trained Saphir Du Rheu, who boasts a similar profile to Denman prior to his first victory in this race in 2007.
The six-year-old was a Grade One winner over fences at Aintree in the spring, having previously finished runner-up in the World Hurdle, and while he’s a progressive sort with plenty of class, his jumping frailties were exposed this time last year and tomorrow’s relentless gallop with unearth any stickiness that still remains. It is difficult to construe a mark of 163 as being overly generous as well, so he’s easily passed over at around the 7/2 mark.
Bob’s Worth is 9lb lower than when landing this race three years ago, but his defeat of Simonsig over hurdles at Aintree is pretty empty in form terms and horses with his profile just don’t win races like this.
The one I like is Smad Place, who races off the same mark as when finishing fifth in the race last year, but he blew up turning for home twelve months ago having travelled beautifully for almost three miles.
His trainer Alan King, with a refreshing sense of honesty, admitted the lack of a prep run cost him on that occasion and he has suitably rectified that issue this time around, Smad Place looking better than ever when thumping Fingal Bay over two and a half miles three weeks ago.
Like Cue Card, he has had his wind tweaked, and a second tilt at this race has seemingly always been the plan. If the ground becomes bottomless then the last two furlongs could catch him out, but he ticks plenty of boxes otherwise.
I fear his stable companion Ned Stark, who looks an out and out grinder, while If In Doubt will be a huge threat if his jumping doesn’t capitulate, but backing him requires a leap of fate. The remarkably consistent Houblon des Obeaux is the interesting one for those who like the placepot.
Whisper and Cole Harden clash again in the Long Distance Hurdle thirty-five minutes earlier, but much will depend on their readiness for tomorrow, while up at Newcastle Irving and Top Notch re-oppose in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Supplementary entry Wicklow Brave has been the subject of strong support all week with his form on an upward curve and last season’s recalcitrance at the start now seemingly a thing of the past.
Finally, weight has been no barrier to success in recent renewals of the Rehearsal Chase and Virak looks a decent bet to defy his lofty mark this season. He’s best going left handed with some give in the ground and he shaped as if needing the outing on his reappearance at Ascot.Harry Cobden, who has been mustard in recent weeks, takes 7lb off and he might just be far too good for this field. 7/1 is more than fair.
Have an excellent weekend.
Chris.