The first shock of the Festival came on the opening morning when owner Rich Ricci casually announced on the Morning Line that Gold Cup favourite Vautour would bypass the Blue Riband event for Thursday‘s Ryanair over the intermediate trip of 2m 5f.
The feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Un De Sceaux has long been the antepost favourite to follow up last year’s Arkle success but he is, arguably, too short in the betting at 4/5 and I think the value lies in looking for an each way alternative.
There are no less than three former winners of the race in the race; Dodging Bullets (2015), Sire De Grugy (2014) and the brilliant 2013 winner Sprinter Sacre (3.30) and it is the latter who gets the each way vote.
The selection has won both starts so far this term beating Somersby by 14 lengths on both occasions; interestingly the Mullins-trained favourite beat the admirable Somersby by a similar margin in the Tingle Creek at Sandown back in December.
The drying ground is certainly a plus for the Nicky Henderson trained 10-year-old, who goes well fresh and is reported in rude health by the yard. At 5/1 with BetVictor (1/4 odds first 3) he might not be quite the force of old but there might be one last hurrah in the gelding who, at his best, was an equine superstar.
Yanworth is unbeaten in four starts over timber for Alan King and he showed his aptitude for decent ground when fourth in the Champion Bumper 12 months ago. He is considered banker material by many but he has his quirks and I just favour Yorkhill (1.30) unbeaten in four starts under rules for Willie Mullins.
The selection is a son of Presenting and should appreciate the drying ground; Mullins was contemplating the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but the selection certainly stays this 2m 4f trip and at 3/1 is taken to overturn the favourite.
More Of That is a former World Hurdler, unbeaten in four starts at Cheltenham and will love the decent ground. He is a worthy 9/4 favourite but, having considered No More Heroes (2.20) a Festival banker for much of the season, I cannot desert the Gordon Elliot-trained novice who should be as equally effective on today’s good ground as the soft ground he has encountered for much of the season.
The Elliot stable have a powerful team but this is one they have long considered a future Gold Cup winner and reports suggest he is compares favourably with Don Cossack at a similar stage in their development. At 5/2 he will be carrying my cash.
Elliot also saddles Diamond King (2.50) in the Coral Cup and the former Donald McCain inmate has long been a personal favourite and he improved for the step back up in trip when scoring at Punchestown back in January. At 8/1 (5 places with BetVictor) he can reward each way support.
The novice Politologue is bidding to give champion trainer Paul Nicholls back-to-back wins in the race and the grey is unexposed and has been very well backed in recent days; he is much respected.
In the Fred Winter Campeador is considered potentially very smart by the Elliot camp but he will have to settle much better than he did at Leopardstown on his debut for the yard; marginal preference is for Alan King‘s Messire Des Obeaux (4.50) who created a very favourable impression when third at Haydock on his British debut in a decent race. The last four winners of this race have started 25/1 or bigger but the King runner is 12/1and is another ew recommendation.
In the concluding Bumper Augusta Kate is owned in partnership by such luminaries as Ant and Dec and Alan Shearer and must go close given the record of Willie Mullins in the race but New To This Town (5.30) is taken to score for Jessica Harrington who landed the prize back in 2007 with Cork All Star.
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