Cheltenham 2007 Advance and Tips UK Horse Racing Action
When racing fans think of March, they only think of the four days of the Cheltenham Festival and the start of the new season of turf Flat in Newcastle. Preparation for the first begins in November and never stops. Barley goes a day without a bookmaker providing a story or a coach talking about the tricky road to Cheltenham. The Festival defines the entire show jumping season like no other event in any other sport.
Fortunately, the March racing program kicks off quite smoothly on the 3rd of the month with the Newbury VC Casino.com Gold Cup, a graceful two-and-a-half mile handicap chase now in its third year. Coach Paul Nicholls may well have the answer to this year’s race with the hat-trick with Nozic. This would be nothing new because the same stable won the race a year ago with the Cornish Sett.
The following Saturday, March 10, Sandown hosts its traditional Cheltenham Eve match and the Sunderlands Imperial Cup takes center stage. This race is usually won by a young man with light races who has managed to hide his talents in the current season and often finds himself stepping up in his class. David Pipe will seek to emulate his father’s excellent record of four wins in the last ten races, while any Irish raiders must also be respected.
The Sandown undercard is also the site of the EBF “NH” Rookie Hurdles Final and this is always a race to watch.
for the future chasing prospects. Some smart guys have picked up this award over the years and sponsors should be on the lookout for Nicky Henderson’s Sir Jimmy Shand, who might appear here in lieu of an award at the Cheltenham Festival.
The 2007 Cheltenham Festival begins on March 13 with the Champion Hurdle occupying a prime position. Once again, all eyes will be on the powerful quintet of Irish hurdlers who have dominated this race in recent years and include Brave Inca, the reigning champion, and Hardy Eustace, a double winner in 2004 and 2005. Add to the mix a precocious talent like Iktitaf, who can be forgiven for his latest discouraging streak from a virus infection, and the Irish defiance seems as strong as ever.
Twelve months ago, many of the Irish Strike Group would not have expected to perform as well as they had a year earlier. Nine Irish coached winners in 2005 had been hailed as a special achievement, but that figure was quickly dwarfed by a total of ten victories for the Irish in 2006. I doubt they will be able to emulate any of these figures in 2007.
They certainly watch it in the Champion Hurdle with local rivals Detroit City and Straw Bear seriously challenging Emerald’s monopoly on the hurdles crown. I would not be at all surprised to see any of the aforementioned horses give the British their first Champion Hurdle winner since Rooster Booster in 2003.
The two-mile speed machines enjoy their place in the limelight on Wednesday March 14 as Queen Mother Champion Chase pits reigning champion Newmill against the powerful talents of Well Chief, Nickname and Voy Por Us. The former looked back to his prime when he landed Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase in his first two-year start the other day.
As long as it’s not hit with the ‘bounce’ factor that can often cause a horse to underperform on its second star after a long absence, it should be fine, but rising stars Nickname and Voy Por You they will not be easy to convince. Nickame has been unbeatable over two miles on soft ground and if those conditions prevail at Cheltenham, he could be the one to give Ireland their second consecutive Queen Mother title.
On Thursday March 17, the Festival presents its quietest day for championship racing with the combination of World Hurdle and Ryanair Chase to give substance to creating an additional day for modern Cheltenham. In the first contest, the disgraced Black Jack Ketchum will attempt to get his season back on track after a sad capitulation in last month’s Cleeve Hurdle on the same field. He seemed not to stick around to test three miles that day and the connections will be looking for better terrain this time. Otherwise, it may not run.
Decent rivals are lurking and will include Mighty Man, third in last year’s World Hurdle who also requires a solid surface, and Kasbah Bliss, trained by Francois Doumen, who handles the cut and is a live outsider. At Ryanair Chase, Monet’s Garden, coached by Nicky Richards, will never have a better chance of winning a Festival race and leaving their cautious coach in Cheltenham. This is a weak race.
Friday March 16 sees the climax of the Cheltenham Festival with the Gold Cup and it’s hard to see past Kauto Star in what seems like a below-average race to chase Blue Riband. You know this is a normal refresh when a plodder like The Listener appears in the top six in the stakes. Exotic Dancer aside, there seems to be no reason why Kauto Star shouldn’t add this run to the King George he landed on Christmas. Much has been made of the demolitions of his last fence, but it is still standing and his astute trainer will adopt more enterprising running tactics in the Gold Cup, taking advantage of his horse’s strengths and making his rivals uncomfortable.
At the end of the Gold Cup week, March 17, Uttoxeter hosts the Midlands National and watch out for Nil Desperandum, the current Grand National favorite in this four-mile marathon, while March ends on the 31st with the Lincoln Handicap. in Newcastle featuring the recent Willie Knight. Dubai’s winner, Illustrious Blue, among the market leaders in the desert kingdom, Discreet Cat and Invader could face off at the Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba. Isn’t it great to have a flat back?