On to day two of the Cheltenham Festival, and another staked day of horse racing ahead of us.
Can The New Lion break the Challow Hurdle curse, or will he become just another victim? If he is to break the Challow Hurdle curse, he will need to get the better of the talented Final Demand and The Yellow Clay in the Turners Novices' Hurdle.
The feature on day two comes in the Queen Mother Champion Chase as Jonbon looks to put his Cheltenham Festival hoodoo to bed. But is he vulnerable?
Grade 1 Turners Novices' Hurdle - 2m5f (4yo+) (old course)
A cracker to start off day two of the Cheltenham Festival as three Grade 1 winners go head-to-head in what promises to be one of the races of the Festival.
The New Lion has been impressive in his three hurdle wins to date but has to carry the burden of the Challow Hurdle curse. No winner of the Challow Hurdle has ever gone on to take the Turners Novices Hurdle (0/21), and that is a stat that can not be ignored.
Final Demand put in a breathtaking display on the pace when blitzing his rivals by 12 lengths in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. That win shot him to the top of the Turners Novices' Hurdle market, but he may have to settle for second best to THE YELLOW CLAY.
The Yellow Clay comes in here with a perfect 4/4 record over hurdles, which includes a facile Grade 1 victory in the Lawlors of Naas Novice Hurdle.
That is a race that has been won by Bob Olinger and Envoi Allen, who both followed up that win by taking the Turners Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and there is every chance that The Yellow Clay will be adding his name to that list.
One who can outrun his odds is the Willie Mullins-trained Kappa Jy Pyke. He won his maiden in convincing style last time out and looks like an outsider to keep on the right side of.
- Selection: The Yellow Clay 13/2 (e/w)
- Danger: Final Demand 15/8
Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase - 3m½f (5yo+) (old course)
Like many races at the Cheltenham Festival, this could come down to a clash at Closutton as Ballyburn puts his lofty reputation on the line against his stablemate DANCING CITY.
Ballyburn processes a huge amount of talent, but I'm still to be convinced that this is the kind of test that he is looking for. For one, he overraces, which will not help his cause running over 3m+ for the first time, and that's before we get onto his safe jumping.
He can be slow when getting from A to B over his obstacles, and given that he can make a race-ending mistake just like the one we saw at Kempton behind Sir Gino, he has to be taken on, especially at his current odds. When he won over 2m5f at the Dublin Racing Festival, he didn't strike me as a horse that was crying out for an extra 3 furlongs, whereas Dancing City will relish every inch of this 3m½f.
Let's not forget that Dancing City is a three-time Grade 1 winning Novice Hurdler and is a horse that has improved with every run throughout his career. Yes, he is nowhere near as flashy as Ballyburn, and he will never win by double digests, but as history has shown us, you don't need to be flashy to win a Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.
One at a price who may be able to improve for the step up in trip is Gorgeous Tom. He was last seen flashing home in the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse in December, and he could trouble the top two if on song.
- Selection: Dancing City 9/2
- Danger: Ballyburn 11/10
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle - 2m5f (4yo+) (old course)
As always, we have a wide-open Coral Cup handicap hurdle puzzle to solve. Be Aware has been all the rage in the betting over the past few weeks, which has cemented him as the market leader. He has his obvious chance for a stable looking to win their third Coral Cup in a row, but at the price, I'm not convinced.
Ballyadam is a horse who thrives at Cheltenham, and last year's second is an each-way player off a 4 lb higher mark this time around, as is Jimmy Du Seuil, who is having his first run since last season's Punchestown Festival, but a mark of 146 looks workable on his seasonal return.
The one I'm going to side with is the Henry de Bromhead-trained BECKETT ROCK. This lightly raced 6-year-old is making up for lost time this season. He has already beaten Bunting this season but does meet that rival on 1 lb worse terms. But Beckett Rock arguably bettered that win with a 2nd at Fairyhouse when the step up in trip brought out even more improvement.
He goes up an extra furlong here, and with the promise of so much more to come, Beckett Rock looks like a lively outsider.
If Classic King were to get a run (first reserve), he would be the kind of horse that would come to life for the hustle and bustle that comes with the Coral Cup.
- Selection: Beckett Rock 33/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Jimmy Du Seuil 14/1 (e/w)
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase - 3m5½f (5yo+) (X-Country)
The cross country race is the Marmite of horse racing; you either love it or hate it. I'm one of the many who love these races.
Gavin Cromwell has a strong hand here, with favourite Stumptown turning himself into a cross-country specialist. He has won three of his four races over the banks and comes in here after a cheeky win at Cheltenham's December meeting.
The handicapper didn't take lightly to his 1 length win and has hiked him up 8 lbs for that. That rise in the weights may not be enough to stop him from winning today, but I want to give a chance to his stablemate, VANILLIER.
This former Cheltenham Festival winner and Grand National 2nd comes in here with a new lease of life after the application of blinkers sparked him back to life when running away with a Punchestown cross-country race, leaving Coco Beach 18 lengths in his wake.
If the blinkers have the desired effect once more, Vanillier could take a lot of catching on the front end around here.
The ground also looks to be coming in favour of the Grade 1 winning chaser Galvin, and if he rediscovers his form, then he will be a massive player today.
- Selection: Vanillier 8/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Stumptown 5/2
Grade 1 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase - 2m (5yo+) (old course)
Jonbon is many people's idea of the banker of the Cheltenham Festival, but is he at his best at Cheltenham?
For me, he isn't, and we have plenty of evidence to back that up. It's no coincidence that all of Jonbons' three career defeats have come at Cheltenham, and is he an odds-on shot that you want on your side, considering the recent record of odds-on favourites in the Champion Chase?
I'm going to take him on with the rapid improver, SOLNESS. For all that he has won back-to-back Grade 1 chases at Leopardstown, you are still getting a good each-way price on him.
You would be forgiven to think that his first front-running win at Leopardstown was a fluke, that the field left him get clear and couldn't reel him back in, but he did the exact same thing at the Dublin Racing Festival, holding Marine Nationale at bay.
There is every chance that he will get loose on the front end now that Il Est Francais is taking up his entry in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday. And if he does get a break on the field, we know that he can keep going and may give his rivals too much to do in the closing stages.
At the prices, Solness is a standout each-way bet.
If significant rain were to fall, and the ground became heavy, then that would bring two-time Champion Chaser Emergumene right into the picture.
- Selection: Solness 8/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Jonbon 10/11
Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase - 2m (5yo+) (old course)
The inclusion of JPR One here keeps the weight down to the joy of his rival's connections. Last year's winner, Unexpect Party, is expected to put up by far his best performance of the season, and off a 6 lb higher mark, he has every chance of going back-to-back.
My Mate Mozzie looks like he is going to get his favoured ground and is one that has always threatened to take a prize like this, but he hasn't been missed in the market. The one I'm siding with, though, is former festival winner JAZZY MATTY.
Jazzy Matty won the Fred Winter under the late Michael O'Sullivan in 2023 when trained by Gordon Elliott, but he went off the boil after that win. A change of scenery has done him wonders as Cian Collins has brought a new lease of life into this 6-year-old gelding.
He got back to winning way a Wexford in August and wasn't beaten far by Gorgeous Tom on his following run. He left a poor run at Listowel when getting back in the winner's enclosure at Sligo, where a trip to Cheltenham's October meeting was up next. He was unlucky on the day and only went down a head off just 2 lbs lower.
Jazzy Matty has had a spin over hurdles at Thurles since, where he finished 2nd, and that should leave him spot on for a crack of claiming his second Cheltenham Festival win.
- Selection: Jazzy Matty 9/1 (e/w)
- Danger: Unexpected Party 6/1 (e/w)
Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper - 2m½f (4-6yo) (old course)
We close off day two of the Cheltenham Festival with the Champion Bumper.
Only two of the past 14 winners had run in just one bumper, so that doesn't bode well for either Copacabana or Gameofinches, who sit at the top of the betting. But stats are made to be broken. Even with their impressive wins, I'm going to look elsewhere.
KALYPSO'CHANCE is the one that I will be siding with. He is 2/2 in bumpers and has looked good both times. He isn't flashy, but he is a big, powerful gelding who can pick up and keep going at a strong pace.
There is substance to his form through Heads Up, who finished 2nd to Kalypso'chase at Navan.
Heads Up came into his clash with Kalypso'chance on the back of a 24-length win, but prior to that, he chased home Colcannon, who went on to take the Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival. That line of form gives Kalypso'chance strong claims, and with that bit more experience, he should be bang there when the taps are turned on.
At a bigger price, He Can't Dance can improve upon his 3rd to Colcannon at the Dublin Racing Festival and will find this race run more to suit his strong staying style.
- Selection: Kalypso'chance 13/2 (e/w)
- Danger: He Can't Dance 33/1 (e/w)
