Yesterday was one of the most dramatic days I’ve experienced in racing and although the bookies are bruised, we were spared having our throats slit.
I did okay though, which is good news, and my selections yesterday weren’t the worst with two winners and a 9/1 second in a photo. Hopefully we’ll go even better today, but it’s a lot more competitive.
We kick off with the Neptune, the race the sublime Faugheen won last year. Nichols Canyon heads the betting with Windsor Park and Outlander in hot pursuit. I’m siding with the favourite on this one, however, as the only foot he’s really put wrong was at Leopardstown unseating Ruby, but he more than redeemed himself in the Deloitte Novices Hurdle next time.
Don Poli has tasted success at the festival before winning the Martin Pipe last year, and he’s the leading contender for today’s RSA Chase.With Willie Mullins already winning four races on Tuesday, he hails from the right stable but I think course specialist Kings Palace could interrupt Ireland’s winning streak. He only had to face one other contender on his last run, but put in a good winning performance in a race that Denman clinched before tasting success in this contest, so I’ll side with him in the second.
The Coral Cup is a notoriously hard race to predict with just one winner in 10 years priced in single figures. I might have a small each-way bet on the Jessica Harrington-trained Ttebbob at 25/1.
The race of the day has to be the Queen Mother Champion Chase and it has the makings of a terrific battle. The reigning champion Sire De Grugy unseated his rider at Newbury on his reappearance but jumped very well to win easily on his last run.
Another to put his wrongs right last time was Champagne Fever, who let punters down at Thurles, only to jump the best he ever has at Gowran last time, and we can’t forget he’s best around Cheltenham. But I’m not going against the magnificent Sprinter Sacre. After he was pulled up in the Desert Orchid Chase with reported heart issues, he came back at Ascot after a 386-day absence, and I thought he ran very well in defeat, finishing second.
I know he’s got his issues, and with a horse as flamboyant as he is in his racing there’s no room for frailty, but I believe he could have a massive comeback today. I spoke to Barry Geraghty the other day and asked him, was he feeling near as good as he used to be, as he’s about 25lbs off his rating when he won this two years ago. His answer was encouraging so I’m lumping on.
I think the tricolour will once again be flying high after the Fred Winter and get another winner on the board for Gordon Elliot after Cause Of Causes delivered for him on Tuesday. He trained Flaxen Flare to win this previously and his Hostile Fire looks like another winning representative.
