Sky Sports presenter Ed Chamberlin looks ahead to the Cheltenham Festival
Tuesday 15 March 2016 08:26, UK
What are the three things you most want to see at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival?
I was asked that question at the excellent Sky Bet Preview in Leeds last week.
My rather selfish response was as follows:-
1. Racing is currently blessed with a collection of brilliant commentators. They have a number of sitting ducks to whip the Cheltenham crowd in to a frenzy next week. Just imagine the roar as the horses freewheel down the hill in the Champion Hurdle if the commentator exclaims "Ruby Walsh is taking dead aim on Annie Power".
The place will erupt. I hope the commentator gets the chance with Min in the Sky Bet Supreme to shout "Ruby hasn't moved a muscle". That is bound to garner a spine tingling roar. There are plenty of other public favourites like Sprinter Sacre and Cue Card that will get the crowd going. Commentators following the 'story' and whipping the racegoers in to a frenzy is all part of the Cheltenham magic. I can't wait.
2. I need Gordon Elliott to have a big week. Noble Endeavor, No More Heroes and Cause Of Causes are major fancies and he seems to have well handicapped horses in every handicap. Elliott has a chance to be a top trainer at a big price but looks a good thing in the market without Willie Mullins
3. My mum will probably watch one race next week. Not the best Gold Cup for a generation but the race that follows; the Foxhunter. The Victoria Pendleton story sums up racing. Plenty of those within the sport seem to resent it yet those outside of racing love the story.
I love the fact that racing will be on the front and back pages of the newspapers on Friday and Saturday. It's a terrific story and a fantastic achievement to be there so let's hope she gets round safe and sound.
Here are five more horses that can make the Festival a rewarding one next week.
RACING PULSE
Close Brothers Handicap Chase
Shaped like a top drawer novice hurdler a couple of years ago before he was found out behind Beat That in Grade 1 company at Aintree. Moved from John Quinn to Rebecca Curtis following an extended break, showing vague promise in a couple of novice chases in October, before getting his act together in a Cheptow handicap off 130.
The form of that race stands up well, even in the context of a Festival handicap, and despite racing off a 9lb higher mark on Tuesday, he is still a big eyecatcher at the weights. Punters have to forgive him a dismal effort at Warwick last month, when he was struggling a long way from the finish. Take advantage of Sky Bet's non-runner no bet (he's got an entry in the Kim Muir, too) and I can see him running a big race for Curtis, who won this race last year.
ARDAMIR
Fred Winter (only back on the day if the going is no worse than good to soft)
The way the Fred Winter is framed, you are always going to hear plenty of whispers flying around for the majority of the runners. At Sky Bet's Preview evening at Leeds Town Hall on Wednesday evening I was happy to hear Denis O'Regan raving about my fancy, Ardamir, who is reckoned to be not far off the best juveniles in the Alan King yard. Soft ground will hurt his chances (hence the proviso), in fact, they shouldn't even bother wasting a run on him if conditions are not good to soft or better, as he'll struggle to see out the trip on the track. He left earlier form well behind at Doncaster last time, comfortably beating Our Thomas, and that form has a solid look to it in a race that contains a lot more questions than answers.
NEW TO THIS TOWN
Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Jessica Harrington is not a fan of throwing arrers at the Champion Bumper, in the hope of hitting the bullseye. She won the race with Cork All Star nine years ago and her runners since have been sparse, to say the least. It's a strong tip in itself that New To This Town is making the journey to Cheltenham and when you throw his strong bumper form into the mix, I don't think there is a better double-figure priced runner across the four days. I liked the promise he showed on his Thurles debut in December but I loved his game when defeating a warm one in the shape of Avenir D'Une Vie at Gowran Park at the end of January. The runner-up might be the best bumper horse in the Mullins stable, and if that is the case, New To This Town wins.
CUP FINAL
Pertemps Network Final
JP McManus has a load of chances in this competitive handicap. Leave At Dawn has been all the rage and you can see why, looking at his connections. However, he's a weak finisher over this trip (his brother runs on fumes in the closing stages of his races over three miles) and I am giving him a swerve. Cup Final is a lightly-raced seven-year-old of Nicky Henderson's and although his mark is creeping up (139) I believe he is more of a 150 horse and his breeding entitles him to another 10lb on top, being by Presenting out of that classy mare, Asian Maze. I thought he was impressive beating a solid yardstick at Musselburgh last month and he can start delivering on his early promise by winning one of the most competitive handicaps of the week. Plenty will have 7lb+ up their sleeeves, this lad might have a good bit more.
THREE MUSKETEERS
JLT Novices' Chase
Dan Skelton will be keen to get a Festival winner on his CV and if he is going to have a winner next week, Three Musketeers is one of his better chances. I like the market confidence behind him of late and I can see him proving his rubbish run in the Grade 2 Dipper Chase to be all wrong. Skelton's horses were not in great form at the turn of the year and he's had plenty of time to get the show back on the road with this impressive-looking six-year-old. I keep going back to his run at Newbury on his second chase start, when he blew away some good horses and if he can jump and travel with the same sort of verve in the JLT, he might be the answer at 14-1. The JLT is on Thursday and while he would get away with good to soft, he probably wouldn't want it any faster than that.
