Lydia Hislop Road to Cheltenham: Hedges – Horse Racing

Welcome to the second part of Road To Cheltenham: the 2018/19 comeback. This edition addresses obstacles before we reach our pace with weekly updates next week.

I am surprised to see that it also includes a second ante-post bet in as many installments. I hope not to start too fast, create unsustainable early fractions …

Click here to read Road To Cheltenham Part One: The Chasers

Unibet Champion Hurdle

"He is not the messiah; he's a very naughty boy. More likely, of course, Samcro is neither one nor the other, but that does not mean that he could not win an Arkle. At the time of writing this article, however, he is the second favorite of the Champion Hurdle and, because of his clashes with the holder of this crown, Air Drinkerin the fifth fight of Saturday.

Not only that but supreme winner Summerville Boy and the recent Samcro destroyer Rocky substrate are also in the line-up. This is the most exciting new year's revival in Newcastle, which I remember for a long time.

Samcro was weak on the market before his first loss to Down Royal – "for the first time, he's still standing," the commentator said. He would also have been beaten by falling beside, but regardless of Melon in third place in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle won by Supasundae.

On this occasion, he had entered threatening in the wake of Wicklow Brave, while Melon had less difficulty getting over the obstacles and working a little harder by turning his back up. The race seemed about to turn into a duel between them when they both left.

Samcro's return was supposed to be a 4/9, but anxiety was relegated even over three minutes when he was maneuvered to keep pace with the race. Sharjah. The two men fought a duel from this stage and Samcro had gotten rid of the leader before the next hurdle, but was immediately joined and then led by Bedrock, who had been ridden a short distance from the front by Rachael Blackmore.

Samcro then took part in the race but took place last time when Blackmore allowed Bedrock to cross it to the rail. Overall, it was a stifling performance from a horse expected for the race, but nevertheless comfortable enough to beat a winner rated at 11 pounds less.

Bedrock leads Samcro on the last

Now, with none of the links blinking in an early battle in the Fighting Fifth, a much less divine Samcro faces a much less invincible Air Drinker – because this horse did not succeed beat Melon when he won his second Hurdle Champion. March.

In doing so, he became the first horse to win a second success in this episode of obstacles since Hurricane Fly regained his crown in 2013 and the first since Hardy Eustace in 2005 to win consecutive editions. This term, it aims to emulate Istaqbraq's third consecutive victory in 2000, a feat unparalleled for four other horses in history: Grace Hatton, Sir Ken, Persian War and See You Then.

It's hard to cite any reason why Air Drinker was not as impressive as his 4/6 rating predicted with the exception of his opponent's merit – he had a flawless preparation, the race was designed to suit Charli Parks, his stable, has proven itself on the test field. (Still, he may be better on a more solid surface?)

Obviously, Willie Mullins think to find at least one advantage to improve in Melon, because this great horse, designed to be pursued, is restrained by obstacles this season. The navigation should be easier with him this time, now that the connections are sure that a very popular race and that there is no cap is necessary to bring out the best of him.

Melon could reappear Sunday in Hatton's Grace, having missed the Morgiana because of his "mediocre" job, according to his coach. He was replaced by Faugheen, the 2015 winner of the once-great champion Hurdle, who once again pointed out that he was not fast enough or talented enough for this event. And regardless of the side of the debate on "They cut their heads", you're on – #teamWalsh, as shown in the "Stayers' Hurdle" section.

The Mullins Court also has the winner of Dawn Run Laurina, one of the best novice hedges of last season but who missed his planned return to the Coral Hurdle last Saturday because of his coach who judged the ground too fast. She has also entered Hatton's Grace and will be a powerful force, receiving an advantageous mare allowance, wherever she goes all season. Of course, this could be – sigh – the Mares obstacle of the OLBG.

Laurina – holds a weekend

Back to Down Royal, Scottish coach Iain Jardine was rightly rewarded for his business by playing Samcro with the club, Bedrock, who seemed to be more than 10 pounds above his previous 10 starts . Such an improvement is by no means impossible on the part of this young horse, but I am skeptical about the success of his success on small ground until the proof to the contrary.

Talking about skepticism brings me back to Samcro, about which I was predisposed to being depressed – that was the relentless volume of cheerleaders – when I first struck him in March.

Then he got engulfed in the paddock in front of the Ballymore and I recalibrated it. It seemed as though he had scared most of the substance of his opposition and was easily winning the race by traveling with vigor.

However, I am not convinced that he is a champion Hurdler and I wonder if the importance that coach Gordon Elliott has chosen to face the Air Drinker in jumps Smooth this early season indicates that he wants to know the answer to this question soon. What distract this horse to an Arkle if need be?

The owners, Gigginstown stud, are known for looking for future chasing stars rather than the best obstacles and he does not want to go to the top of the obstacles, why would they waste time trying? Of course, Samcro will have a competitive advantage over Air Drinker, so it will be interesting.

In my opinion, this unexpected meeting represents an excellent opportunity to bet now. Normally, I would not be as involved as early, but the market offers an instant or never with Summerville Boy.

Road To Cheltenham Recommended bet:

Return Summerville Roundtrip for Champion Unibet Hurdle 12/1
(Click here to come back now with Sky Bet at a higher price)

The fact that he is also declared for this hot Fighting Fifth series can be interpreted as a brawl speech of the head coach Tom George and, unsurprisingly, his horse was largely cut by bookmakers from 14/1 to some places and from 10/1 to some when it was confirmed for Newcastle. Take the 12/1 which remains roughly.

To be clear, I could see him defeating Saturday – his seasonal debut and his first start outside the novice company – and yet he still holds him for the Champion Hurdle. It's enough for me to see the pbadages of this mature article – think about Looks Like Trouble to find the defending champion of the Gold Cup See more business in Hall 1999. (Sigh, it was the time from Wetherby, a long time ago.)

I do not know why this example came to mind, but it's a beautiful nostalgia and, if you take a look at it …

1999 Peterhouse Group Charlie Hall Chase

… I think that sums up what you're looking for in the fall of a second-season activist looking to become a champion by March. Flashes, rather than the entire moon, are quite acceptable at this stage.

Of course, the loss could make the bookmakers lose the opportunity to play Summerville Boy. Or at least he did it before, when pre-post bets were kings and men were allowed to bet as men. I'm willing to risk that because 12/1 is just wrong; in both directions, because he is very strong during the trip.

He was by far the best horse in the Sky Bet Supreme. That he lost his position, rising from third to seventh, before easily moving from second to last before, after being unbalanced and stumbling in an attempt to maneuver around Getabird, still at the right, jumping right, and that he also made a hash of the last but still ran down Kalashnikov's non-stop caliber horse is incredibly auspicious. He recorded a similar time to Drink Air, with 3 pounds less, despite everything.

Summerville Boy begins winning race in Sky Bet Supreme

Newcastle will suit him, as a strong player two miles; He works on soft ground and his relationship expects his novice rider profile to become much more mature, to the point that Noel Fehily wonders if he would be ready for a Supreme.

Saturday, he could do with Blue And Red, for his first start for Ben Haslam, but still in the skin of JP McManus, using a new tactic to ensure a solid race for the first string of his owner … but Cheltenham in March is the 'essential. Let's see flashing.

For the second year in a row, Henderson talks about the Champion Hurdle for the mare. Verdana Blue, which was withdrawn from the 2018 Renewal due to the unfavorable testing ground and has since recorded a better career win against the boys at the Wincanton Elite Hurdle.

His fourth Greatwood, stuck in traffic, when he was not as far-sighted as the winner, was at least as good as that. So, it is going in the right direction, but there is still a lot to do. Since she can not take the test, we may not see her again until March.

Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle

Willie Mullins won the last two editions of Stayers's Hurdle and won the title Penhill is the favorite to keep this crown. If relations remain true to their usual rule, we will not have the opportunity to badess the keeper's well-being before he moves into the paddock within minutes of the race.

Why change a winning formula? She is one of the Mullins' favorites with the dazzling Quevega (but with a frustrating campaign) and she has won six Mares's Haies at the Festival. Penhill had his seasonal debut there in the last two seasons, successively winning the Albert Bartlett and Stayers' Hurdle, thank you very much.

Penhill and Supasundae fight in Cheltenham

At no time have these Grade Ones been very popular – unexpectedly, in the case of last season, because it was the best chance for a more mobile stay. Sam Spinner was thought to be forcing a real rhythm. However, perhaps a concern about an unusual test field, the withdrawal of other likely riders, and an erroneous judgment of his jockey Joe Colliver – riding for the first time on the track in this race – meant that this had not been possible. not completed as planned, including me.

Penhill has not been tested on a three-mile race in Cheltenham, but this may never happen – unless Colliver gives it better in March. (The fact that Sam Spinner finished fifth in a rally with a disadvantageous tactic is a very good reason why 25/1 on his second chance is way too big, by the way.He returns to the Long Distance Hurdle in Newbury Friday.)

Sam Spinner 25/1 Too Big For The Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle?

Penhill was scalped by a resurgent Faugheen on his only other start last season at the Punchestown Festival. On that occasion, David Mullins scored several laps at the start and allowed the leader to take an easy lead, the main body of the peloton (The King's Ring and Bacardys) leaving it inevitably to continue.

Before it became evident that Mullins had sewn them all tactically, Paul Townend and Penhill tried to find themselves in a better position, but this effort was told to them after the penultimate flight and Faugheen did not. was not arrested that day. Thus, a deep field on paper has become a one-sided event with an end-of-session impression on it. It is a form not to be taken for cash, but a very respectable race of Penhill.

The once invincible machine, Faugheen, had already broken the two-mile commitments of last season, excluding Jezki's grubbing-up during his seasonal return.

This term, he was defeated in his debut in a way that, at least initially, disagreed his coach and runner before the two seem to agree – I think – on the wrong conclusion. Or maybe the diplomatic conclusion, in the case of Ruby Walsh? (There is a first time for everything …)

Everything happened in an anti-apogee Morgiana Hurdle at the beginning of the month, in which both Samcro and Supasundae were latecomers, and Faugheen was late replacing Melon, who did not like Mullins so much – in fact, he had "worked badly" during his preparatory training.

Walsh set the tone for Faugheen but was closely watched and pressed by a brisk headstone while Townend followed them closely to Sharjah, who had already dropped behind Bedrock. Tombstone made a mistake in the third and last and began to struggle, leaving Sharjah slip into the tide of his stable mate, then quickly pbaded him.

Sharjah on the road to victory in Punchestown

"I thought they were going too fast forward and that they were killed," Mullins, a half-taciturn, told Gary O'Brien in an interview with Attheraces, which seemed to involve more than what was said to the letter. "We are lucky to have a guy like Paul [Townend]sitting behind and leaving the two to her. He was just cool enough to sit there.

He also mentioned, "Ruby told me that he was [meaning Faugheen’s] too slow but I do not buy that, he worked too well the week. "

For his part, Walsh has somehow stuck to his guns in his role as "columnist for Paddy Power News" (#mad) saying, "His form is much better over three miles and so is climbed Sunday – like a horse who just wanted to go on a trip. "

Littlejohn, I mean Walsh added, "You will never improve if you do not realize you are making mistakes. I started doing what Faugheen thought was just on paper, but it did not work. You can not live your life in hindsight and you can not change what has happened. You can only go from the front.

"Faugheen showed a lot of sparks at home and I thought there would be more bends. Willie may be right. We may have done too much for the first kilometer of the race. "

Here's the thing: I do not think they've done it. True, Faugheen and Tombstone were locked together and away from the final winner, but never more than five lengths, maximum, ahead.

Comparative sections at the third hurdle – the fourth and fifth were omitted because of the setting sun – made Faugheen arrive 9.5 seconds faster than horses rated at 40 lbs. Less than the previous two mile handicap barrier. but this race has been regular and the overall time also informs us.

In my opinion, it was a good pace, but not counterproductive and, according to his criteria, Faugheen even jumped very well. The former ten-year-old champion then comes to be overtaken by a faster and younger horse. As Walsh had already stated in an interview with Racing UK: "It's disappointing how low the number of vehicles to lift is in Faugheen." He would have eaten Sharjah at breakfast in the past, no matter how fast .

My stable – Easily tracking horses

Click here to sign up, sign in to your My Stable account

This is the time of year when the jumping season is central. With thousands of horses, hundreds of jockeys and many coaches performing in the UK and Ireland at multiple meetings each day, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that catches your eye.

But not anymore. Our My stable the service is the simple and perfect way to stay on top of the match. You can easily track the progress of your favorite horses, jockeys and coaches during six months of pure sports theater by adding them to My Stable.

It's your own personal space on your free Sporting Life account where you can create a court full of talent that matters to you. In this way, you will be able to develop your racing skills and build a better image of upcoming races. Plus, you also receive notifications when someone from My Stable needs to perform so that you never miss a jump – or a profit opportunity.

Why Mullins was on the road to criticism, openly, about Walsh's tactics worth considering. It's a speculation and a psychobadysis of cod, but let's start.

First of all, he is very protective of Faugheen, as is the case with Hurricane Fly before him – usually in response to people who favorably compare Faugheen to The Fly! And if Mullins should be. In his pump, Faugheen was the best dumbbell since the mighty Istabraq. His trainer also thinks that the light is not yet extinguished, but he is not objective either on this point.

Secondly, he had a somewhat twisted imagination in the past when he felt that his opponents (Gordon Elliott and / or Gigginstown, apparently) had been accused of racial tactics, which was not the case on that occasion ( in my opinion). It is always unpleasant that someone checks your privileges.

Third, the relationship inevitably oscillated between the coach and the stable jockey, with Walsh having delivered his painful last-barrier motive on both Footpad (beaten when) and Saldier (probable but not sure winner) – a fearsome victory of five years. , champion, Hurdle-bound) eight days earlier at Naas.

Fourth, like all the most powerful jockeys, Walsh likes to maneuver his most talented mounts in the races most likely to provide him with the best range of high-level success. Frankie Dettori does it all the time. For the trainer (s) involved, this must certainly lead to an unusual power struggle.

That said, in this case, Mullins said, "Whatever happened today, it was always decided to send him back on a trip and that will probably happen at Christmas." So maybe the last point does not apply here.

Anyway, say it out of reach of Mullins, but Faugheen must prove that he keeps a freshman game at any distance. His April success in Punchestown was hopeful but, as I said, it was an old fun race in which everything was going for the winner. 12/1 for Stayers' Hurdle – or 3/1 if you're on the bad with BetVictor? No thanks.