The Cheltenham Festival is always a pleasure no matter what, but isn’t it great to see such big fields and competitive races at the meeting this year?
It hasn't been this competitive for quite a few years and while lovers of short-priced favs might be getting withdrawal symptoms, the opportunity to back talented horses at very big prices is what sets these big meetings apart. Day two of this year's festivities has a particularly open look to it and hopefully I can steer you in a profitable direction.
The first race of interest is the Turners' Novices' Hurdle (1.20) and the Joseph O'Brien-trained ZEUS POWER is highly likely to be the biggest-priced selection that I side with all week. The main beneficiary of the changes to the handicap rules that require horses to have had five runs over hurdles have been the Grade 1 novice hurdles, as in years gone by a horse like Zeus Power would have been teed up for the likes of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, but now he finds himself in this race along with 21 rivals at a huge price. However, I reckon he might well be capable of finding enough improvement to get in the mix against the odds.
The son of Protectionist has done nothing but improve since being sent over hurdles. He made it second-time lucky over obstacles when winning a maiden at Thurles by a very long way in December, impressing with his low and fluent jumping technique. For his third start he took a relative baby step up the ladder for a rated novice hurdle at Navan, but he was facing into a well-regarded sort in the Gordon Elliott-trained Lazare De Star.
Zeus Power was ridden with confidence and made fair headway to challenge up the inside, he showed plenty of bravery to see off the favourite snugly at the line. He is sure to benefit from that experience and while he would no doubt be a highly-attractive proposition in a valuable handicap hurdle off a mark of 131, fortune favours the brave and this tilt at Grade 1 novices' hurdle will hopefully reward the bravery of stepping up so steeply in class. This longer trip promises to suit him well and the style of race should also play to his strengths. He rates as a really interesting contender at a colossal price.
The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (2.00) is another wide-open Grade 1 contest. The overpriced one in my book is the Willie Mullins-trained KAID D'AUTHIE. This is a classic case of the market not wanting to believe an unexpected result which is what Kaid D'Authie beating Final Demand at the Dublin Racing Festival was. For me, there was absolutely no fluke about it. Kaid D'Authie put Final Demand under serious pressure from a long way out and Final Demand didn't have the answers.
It shouldn't be a huge surprise that the six-year-old has progressed as much as he has over fences as he is a huge physical specimen. There is a lot to like about his jumping technique and we may well not have seen the very best of him over fences. A sounder surface shouldn't hold any fears for him and he looks to have a great chance in a wide-open renewal of this race.
The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (4.00) has been a most catastrophic race for backers of short-price favourites in recent times. The list of apparent good things that have found a way to be beaten in this race is quite remarkable and that sums up the fine-margin nature of two-mile chasing at the highest level.
Majborough is a horse I love and hopefully a few readers of my column will have availed of the 6-1 that was available about him after he was beaten in the Hilly Way Chase, but for those that don't have such dockets in their pocket, I couldn't advise getting involved in any horse in a Champion Chase at the sort of price he is now trading at.
The one I think is of most interest at the prices is the Willie Mullins-trained IL ETAIT TEMPS. In terms of pure talent, the eight-year-old can boast form that the vast majority of this field wouldn't be capable of achieving such as beating the likes of Jonbon (twice) and Gaelic Warrior with plenty to spare.
The main stones likely to be thrown at him are that he has been beaten three times at the Cheltenham Festival and that he fell when beaten after a flat effort in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on his latest start. Neither of those stones are overly concerning to me and I would place great significance in the fact that Mullins has removed the hood from him for this run. I expect him to roar back to top form and at his best, he would set a high bar for his rivals to come up to. At his price, I'm happy to take a chance on him.
