Timeform Weekend Preview.
There are not too many weekends in the calendar that can top the action set to take place in both Britain and Ireland in the coming days, with a grand total of eleven Grade 1 and 2 races scheduled over Saturday and Sunday.
“The best race in Britain comes in the two-mile chasing division, in the shape of Ascot’s Victor Chandler Chase. With last year’s winner and reigning Champion Chaser Master Minded reportedly only just back in work after recovering from a rib injury, a host of challengers will lay down their claims to his crown on Saturday.”
The best race in Britain comes in the two-mile chasing division, in the shape of Ascot’s Victor Chandler Chase. With last year’s winner and reigning Champion Chaser Master Minded reportedly only just back in work after recovering from a rib injury, a host of challengers will lay down their claims to his crown on Saturday. Master Minded’s stablemate Twist Magic heads the betting as he looks to add another Grade 1 to his seasonal tally, having made all to win the Tingle Creek at Sandown on his last start. His only other visit to Ascot resulted in defeat at 5/4-on in this very race twelve months ago, and his trainer Paul Nicholls has expressed doubts about the suitability of the track but, that said, he certainly brings the best recent form into the race. Well Chief, well beaten by Twist Magic in the Tingle Creek, won this race in 2005 off a mark of 176 (it was a Grade 2 handicap prior to 2008), although he is no longer that good, his career having been blighted time and again by injury. Perhaps more of a threat to Twist Magic is the Nicky Henderson-trained Petit Robin, third in last season’s Champion Chase and successful at Kempton last time by three and three quarter lengths from Well Chief, who was conceding 2 lb. This trio are arguably the ones to concentrate on, their form being some way in advance of the next best Fix The Rib.
A strong supporting card sees the tough as old boots Lough Derg attempt to make it three wins in three years in the Grade 2 Holloway’s Hurdle, a race in which he will have stiff competition from Paul Nicholls’ Qozak, who runs under a penalty having trotted up in a handicap at Taunton on Thursday. The ex-French mare Stravinsky Dance also makes her eagerly-awaited British debut for Nicky Henderson in the same race. In addition, the card features a Grade 2 mares’ hurdle, not to mention a competitive handicap chase and potentially informative novice action over both hurdles and fences.
As if Ascot was not sufficient, Haydock also stages a superb card, which promises to give several Cheltenham Festival pointers. The card’s highest profile entry is reigning Champion Hurdler Punjabi, who goes in the four-runner Champion Hurdle trial. Currently a best-priced 10/1 for the Festival showpiece, he makes his second start of the season having shaped as if in need of the run on his reappearance at Cheltenham in December. Medermit, who beat Punjabi by eight lengths when finishing third that day at Cheltenham, reopposes here.
Another interesting name featuring on the Haydock card is Diamond Harry, who makes his debut over fences in the Grade 2 Altcar Novices’ Chase. The only chasing debutant in the field, he will be much the best hurdler on show, but with each of his rivals having already achieved fairly useful form over the larger obstacles, this is no simple task. Bensalem (who finished half a length second to Diamond Harry in a novice hurdle last term) and Knockara Beau in particular have good credentials to challenge him.
Grand National Hero Mon Mome is a notable runner in the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase over three miles, where he is joint top weight with last year’s winner Cloudy Lane. Also on the card is the Grade 2 Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle in which Scriptwriter has the best current form, although he will do well to account for three promising rivals, notably Donald McCain’s wide-margin Bangor winner Peddler’s Cross, and the Nicky Henderson-trained Radium, a winner at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. They also race at Wincanton on Saturday, and a meeting takes place on the polytrack at Lingfield.
On Sunday, there is racing in Britain at Market Rasen, Towcester and on the all weather at Kempton, but it is over in Ireland where the most interesting action is set to take place. Limerick hosts a seven-race card, whilst Leopardstown is the venue for the second day of a high-class NH meeting. Saturday’s highlights there are the MCR Hurdle (formerly the Pierse), the valuable Leopardstown Handicap Chase and the Grade 2 MCR Novice Chase, whilst on Sunday the card features two prestigious Grade 1 events. The first of those is the Irish Arkle in which a number of contenders for the race of the same name at the Cheltenham Festival are set to appear. Paul Nicholls sends over Take The Breeze, unbeaten in three starts over fences, to take on leading home-based contenders Sports Line and Zaarito. The other Grade 1 is the Irish Champion Hurdle, which promises to be extremely informative as regards Cheltenham in March. Solwhit looks set to go off favourite for the race, but he has no easy task, with erstwhile Champion Sublimity and the high-class Celestial Halo in the field. Elsewhere on the card current Neptune Novices’ Hurdle (formerly the Ballymore) favourite Quel Esprit takes on some useful opponents in a Grade 2 contest over two and a half miles.
