Ballyadam fancied to get Festival off to a great start

For this year's Cheltenham Festival we have teamed up with one of the country's most promising young racing writers, Luke Keena from Ashbourne who will review all the action from Prestbury Park each day and look ahead to the next day's action.

Luke writes for theracingstudent.godaddysites.com and also reinitinracing.wordpress.com and his twitter is @Lukekeena1

THE CHELTENHAM Festival this year will be a strange one, with no crowds or owners on course to build an atmosphere like no other as the starter lets them go for the opening race of the meeting.

There looks to be a very strong local brigade heading to the Cotswold, Denise Foster, Gavin Cromwell, Noel Meade and John McConnell all chasing Cheltenham glory as trainers.

Summerhill native, Robbie Power will also be chasing glory at Cheltenham from the saddle as he partners Champion Hurdle hope, Aspire Towers among many other rides.

The opening race of the week is the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and 87 yards where dual Grade 1 winner, Appreciate It heads the market.

He has taken to hurdles very naturally and remains unbeaten. He was a very good horse on the level in bumpers too and finished second to Ferny Hollow in the Grade 1 bumper at Cheltenham last season.

This year it was widely assumed he would want further than two miles, but he has surprised most by showing how effective he is at the minimum trip. He won his maiden hurdle at Cork on the bridle beating Master McShee, who has since proved himself to be no push over when winning a very competitive handicap at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Appreciate It then went on to win his first Grade 1 over Christmas when beating Irascible by nine lengths. He then backed that up in the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. This was not as impressive as the Christmas win, but he still got the job done beating Ballyadam by 3¼ lengths. He is the rightful favourite and the one to beat.

Saying that, I am going to take him on with Ballyadam. He has been a talking-horse since before he made his debut in his bumper at Navan last year, when he ended up being bet at very short odds.

He then went on to win his bumper at Downpatrick, afterwards Jamie Codd could not speak highly enough of him. He won his maiden hurdle impressively at Down Royal before going onto win the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse.

Everyone was taken by Zanahiyr and his performance on that day and how good he was on the clock. While the four year olds race ended up being ten seconds quicker than Ballyadam overall, they did not get going straight away in the Royal Bond. From the third last to the line Ballyadam was two seconds quicker than the Zanahiyr, carrying an extra one stone and one pound which was no mean feat, also bearing in mind that Ballyadam made a mess of the last.

As with many that ran over Christmas for Gordon Elliott, I would put a line through that run as the yard seemed to be under a cloud with many of their horses running below par. He then showed a return to form at the Dublin Racing Festival when finishing second to Appreciate It, beaten 3 ¼ lengths when the race did not pan out ideally.

Appreciate It got to dictate from the front and scraped paint off the rail the whole way around. Ballyadams jumping was only ok that day, he guessed at the second hurdle and made a mess of the last. He was caught three-wide for the majority of the race but had to go four-wide coming out of the back straight around the bend all the way to the straight. He loomed up on the outside of Appreciate It looking like a major danger, but he never got by. I think Cheltenham will suit him coming off a stronger pace on better ground which will be more in his favour than Appreciate It.

I think Ballyadam is a very good horse, and he could get the week off to a flyer with a win in the opening race.

Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novice Chase

This race was shaping up to be one of the races of the festival with Shishkin and Energumene clashing, but news broke last week that Energumene would miss out on the race after having a setback. The race now looks Shishkin’s for the taking. While I taught Abacadabras was unlucky in last years Supreme, this lad did not have things pan out his way either. He missed the third hurdle which put him on the back foot, and he got shuffled back a few positions as a result. He narrowly missed the horses coming down at the second last and was left with plenty to do. He rallied up the hill to get up narrowly. He has been faultless over fences to date winning all three of his starts by an average of nearly 15 lengths. While it is not original and he is a short price, I can not see him being bet.

Champion Hurdle

This year’s Champion Hurdle looks to be a vintage renewal with the two mares at the top of the market receiving the seven pounds. The defending champion, Epatante was below par at Kempton last time out. She is usually a very slick hurdler, but she made a very bad mistake three out, but in the end, she was well bet by Silver Streak. She will have to bounce back and at the prices I will take her on. Honeysuckle was mighty impressive the last day when beating Abacadabras by ten lengths. She is unbeaten and deserves her place at the top of the market, without doubt she is the one to beat. Goshen returned to form the last day when winning impressively at Wincanton. While that looked a breath-taking performance, I would question if Song For Someone gave his true running. He never seemed to travel and never looked like getting close to Goshen, which is unlike him, you can always guarantee an inform Song For Someone will be finishing off his races well over two miles. The one I will be siding with is Abacadabras, for local trainer Denise Foster. He was slightly unlucky in last years supreme. He did not jump on terms with the majority of the field and was also fortunate to miss the falling horses at the second last. He was left in front from the turn in which did not suit him. He was headed inside the 100 yards but battled on strongly to just be bet by a very good horse, some people say he will not get up the hill, but he showed me last year that he will have no problem with that. He does not have much to find to be on terms with last year’s Champion Hurdle, on lasts years card Shishkin and Abacadabras were only one second slower than the Champion Hurdle.

On reappearance this year he was well held by Aspire Tower at Down Royal when giving plenty of weight away and he looked to have been in need of the run. He then went on to win the Morgiana at Punchestown, after the race people were quick to jump on the Saint Roi bandwagon considering things did not go his way with the slow pace, the exact same could be said for Abacadabras. He was in front plenty soon for him and was bone idol on the run in. Like many of Gordon's at Christmas, he did not run up to scratch. He went onto the Dublin Racing Festival and finished second to Honeysuckle, albeit a well bet second. I think Rachael stole the race from the front and it left Jack in no mans land. He was the only one to come out of the pack to chase her, but Honeysuckle was not for catching that day. He loves a strong pace to aim at and that is exactly what he will get here. If he is within two lengths of the leaders turning in, I think he will win. He is a great each-way play in my mind and I can not see him out of the places.

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle

Concertista sets the standard here. She has a fantastic record at the festival. She made her hurdles debut in the Mares Novices’ Hurdle in 2019 and was just bet, twelve months later she was an emphatic winner of the race beating Dolcita by twelve lengths. She has run twice this season and won easily each time, making good horses look ordinary. Willie Mullins has a great record in the race and I think he will be adding another success in the race to his cv.

Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

Riviere D’etel caught my eye with this race in mind back when she made her debut in Ireland on new years eve at Punchestown. She runs for the same connections as Triumph Hurdle hope Zanahiyr. She was very impressive at Punchestown when she won very easily despite doing plenty wrong. She raced in the hood first time and you could see why, even with the hood she was very keen. She then ran against her elders at Navan and ran with lots of credit to finish third behind Thedevilscoachman, a contender for the Supreme before being ruled out with injury. I think she will enjoy a bit of nicer ground and getting a lead instead of having to make the running. She was left on her Irish handicap mark of 134 which I think is reasonable. I think she will go very close at a decent price for the Meath based trainer Denise Foster.

The last race on day one of the festival is the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Chase over three miles and six furlongs. Thirteen runners head to post in what looks a wide-open renewal. I will be siding with the Paul Nicholls trained, Next Destination. He started his career here in Ireland with Willie Mullins and he had plenty of success. His biggest win to date came at Punchestown when he won the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle over three miles in 2018. He then picked up an injury and switched to Paul Nicholls. He made his return to the race-track in October 2020 when he ran a fantastic race to finish second to Roksana over hurdles at Wetherby. He them made his chase debut at Newbury and won well at the line; he is a horse who only does enough to win. He was last seen winning a Grade 2 at Warwick beating the reliable Fiddlerontheroof giving away five pounds, again only doing enough to win. He will be stepping up six furlongs in trip, but I think he will relish that and go very close with Harry Cobden in the saddle.

Selections

1:20 Ballyadam

3:05 Abacadabras

3:40 Concertista

4:15 Riviere D’etel

4:50 Next Destination