Happy New Year to you all.
As the final trimmings are packed away in the loft our thoughts turn both inevitably and insatiably towards the second Tuesday in mid-March when the Cheltenham roar will echo across the majestic outcrop of limestone known as Cleeve Hill...
For some of us, Cheltenham is in our blood and in our DNA; lodged like a bullet in our brains and even occasionally disturbing our sleep patterns...
So it seems appropriate to undertake a mid-term review and a look forward to the centrepiece of the National Hunt season...
I am delighted that one or two of my suggestions for high honours this season are progressing nicely. You all know how enthusiastic I am about Darlan. He didn't disappoint earlier today at Taunton; travelling sweetly on the bridle the whole way round. He didn't though strike me as a winner of a Supreme Novices' Hurdle. I still urge caution. 14/1 best price now after this comfortable success.
Seven Barrows houses any number of potential candidates for both the Supreme and the Neptune; the latter though tends to be the natural bedfellow of the traditional jumps-bred animal.At the moment, the yard houses Tetlami, Molotov, Mono Man, Broadbackbob and Let's Get Serious amongst others but, of more interest to this correspondent, are the hitherto mentioned Darlan plus Ericht (we have yet to see the best of this son of Alderbrook) and Captain Conan (who made his debut at Sandown Park in the novice hurdle in which Minella Class - Henderson's Neptune entry in 2011 - was victorious last year). A French import, he didn't appear to be blessed with instant acceleration; surely a stayer in the making...
Maintaining the Henderson theme, I was very sweet on Sprinter Sacre before the season started. He really is the most gorgeous looking specimen... a good big'un will almost always be a good little'un so they say! I think that saying originates in pugilistic parlance but could quite easily apply amongst prized horseflesh too! And so it came to pass that on Kempton's flat speed track configuration the SS battered Peddler's Cross ("unbeatable" Arkle favourite) into raw submission...
I am worried though!
It appears that Henderson only runs Finian's Rainbow at Cheltenham when it is absolutely necessary (beaten twice at the Festival - only two outings at the course) and it may be that he shares a similar opinion of the German-bred gelding...I think PC might turn the tables on SS up the hill at the Festival but suspect something else will come from left field or maybe it will be the highly touted Al Ferof who will emerge triumphant.He commands enormous respect in these quarters...
Tomorrow I will switch my attention to Ireland and its challenge, I predict here and now that our friends from across the Irish Sea will collect at least twelve gold medals in March...
As a precursor, I will leave you though with three outstanding prospects - all trained by the Master of Muine Beag - Lambro, Soll and Darroun - surefire winners and probably at the top table also. Watch the videotape of these three's last time out course appearances; none of the three managed to place its head into the winner's enclosure but they will; of that you can be sure... Lambro is a budding superstar who didn't have the pace to match Monksland at the weekend but, stepped back up in trip, he will be awesome!
Happy punting!
Rm(Mark)
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