Irish hoping to build on promising first day at Cheltenham

Keena reflects on a brilliant first day on the Cotswolds and makes his picks for day two

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

Rachael Blackmore and Honeysuckle claimed Champion Hurdle glory in emphatic fashion beating Sharjah into second with the defending champion, Epatante coming home in third.

Honeysuckle remains an amazing eleven wins from eleven runs. She took the lead turning into the straight and never looked back. The race was not without incidents, my selection Abacadabras took a fall at the third but got up perfectly ok.

Goshen hung badly down the back straight and his chance was lost from there.

It was a special moment for Rachael as she became the first female jockey to win a championship race at the festival. Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore look like they will be a force to be reckoned with in the division for the coming years after that breath-taking performance.

Irish runners got off to a flyer as Appreciate It routed the field in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by twenty-four lengths, the race not without drama. Coming to the second last, the race looked to be building up to be a three-way battle but Appreciate It’s opposition were left firmly in his wing mirrors. Ballyadam lost all chance of being competitive when making a bad mistake at the second. He done very well to stand up and rallied well to finish a distant second. Ballyadam was a fortunate second as Blue Lord looked to have second place sown up before coming down at the last. The well backed Appreciate It got favourite backers off to a great start.

It was about to get even for favourite backers as Shishkin sauntered clear in the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase to win by twelve lengths. Shishkin took up the running after jumping the third last and never looked back. Captain Guinness and Allmankind ensured it was going to be a strong pace as they took each other on from flag fall, which ultimately cost one of them the runner up spot. This set the race up for the outsider of the field, Eldorado Allen to finish strongly and just pass Captain Guinness on the line for second. The winner is being quoted as the Champion Chase favourite for next year and he looks a very exciting horse going forward.

The first handicap of the week was the Ultima Handicap Chase and regular runner in the race, Vintage Clouds made it fifth time lucky in the race. The first time cheek-pieces on the likeable grey worked a threat as he sprung a surprise to win at 28/1 with Grand National winning jockey, Ryan Mania in the saddle.

It did not take local trainer, Denise Foster long to get her first winner of the week on the board as Black Tears and Jack Kennedy got up in the dying strides to beat the Willie Mullins trained Concertista, a result which will have saved the bookmakers after the first three short-priced favourites all getting their head in front. Concertista travelled very well to the last, but neither mare jumped the last great and Black Tears rallied up the hill to get her head in front. Jack, who was on the floor in the previous race, gave this mare a great ride. He followed Paul on Concertista the whole way around and just passed him on the line.

The penultimate race of the day went the way of Meath based trained, Noel Meade. Jeff Kidder was a massive shock when he returned to the winner’s enclosure at 80/1. Sean Flanagan and his mount had plenty of horses in front of him turning in, but once he came around the bend, he made eye catching headway. He fiddled his way over the last and sprinted clear up the run in, a special moment for Sean Flanagan as it was his first winner at the festival.

Jack Kennedy doubled up in the last with a win aboard Galvin. Galvin had been laid out for the race at the start of the season and it was a well-executed plan. Jack got a lovely gap as Remastered started to fade and Next Destination stayed in the middle of the track coming to the second last. He got in under the second last, but he did not lose much momentum. He was upsides Escaria Ten and Next Destination jumping the last, but a good jump at the last sealed it and he kept on well all the way to the line.

After a few horses nailed the crossbar on day one, I hope to have more luck on the day two.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

The opening race on day two is the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs. To me, this looks a three-horse race between Bob Olinger, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Bravemansgame. All three are rated within one pound of each other on official ratings, but my preference is for Bob Olinger who could be the first of a few favourites to win on Wednesday.

He burst onto the scene this time last year when he won his bumper very easily at Gowran. He then ran in the best maiden hurdle run this year in my opinion when he finished a close second to Ferny Hollow at Gowran, pulling miles clear of the third. I think those two are possibly the best two novice hurdlers this season and it is a shame Ferny Hollow picked up an injury.

Bob Olinger then went on to win his maiden hurdle at Navan, winning as easily as he wanted beating Dunboyne, who has since won his maiden hurdle beating a few decent yard sticks. His last run was at Naas in mid-January when he claimed Grade 1 success in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle very impressively. He made some good horses look very ordinary. I think he is the best of any novice hurdler running at the festival and will take some stopping.

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

Monkfish has been faultless this year and should not be beaten here. He has beat Latest Exhibition twice this year, the first time was one of the races of the season when the two of them went toe to toe from two out and Monkfish came out on top at Leopardstown. Latest Exhibition is not running this time and I cannot see anything stopping Monkfish from winning easily here. He looks a very exciting novice chaser who would not be out of place in open grade ones.

Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle

Grand Roi is the favourite and I really like him. He transferred from Nicky Henderson to Gordon Elliott during the summer for a big price tag. He made his Irish debut at Galway when he did not jump very well and was soundly bet.

He then went onto Limerick at Christmas and won very easily with Denis O’Regan in the saddle. His most impressive performance came at Naas at the end of January when he was second to the bang inform Bachasson. He was beaten 4 ¾ lengths giving him seven pounds, which was a fair performance considering he did not jump the last well. Behind him on that occasion was the subsequent Boyne Hurdle winner, Beacon Edge.

I think the stamina test of two miles and five furlongs will bring out more improvement and his mark of 149 is fair. I think he is ahead of his handicap mark and will go very close for local trainer Denise Foster with Jack Kennedy in the saddle.

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

Chacun Pour Soi would have to run below par to be beaten here. He was favourite for the race last year before missing it due to a stone bruise. He has come out this season and swept all before him.

He has put away the best of the other Irish two miles chasers this season without a fuss. He was breath-taking last time out when beating Fakir D’oudaries at the Dublin Racing Festival with Notebook back in third.

People question if he will be able to finish well up the hill, but I do not buy into that at all. He has done his winning this year at Leopardstown over two miles and one furlong, with a pull all the way up to the line from the turn in. The Champion Chase is just short off two miles, so I do not see the steep finish being an issue at all. If he can get to the start this year, he will be very hard to beat.

Glenfarclas Chase

Defending champion Easysland, should be very hard to beat. He won last years race by a wide margin beating Tiger Roll. He ran with credit back in November giving away plenty of weight over course and distance.

Tiger Roll ran with credit to the turn in at Navan before emptying quickly on the run in. The return to quicker ground will be a positive for him, but he is eleven now and may struggle to cope with the young and improving Easysland. Easysland has an official rating of 167 and if he runs anywhere near that he will win cosily.

Grand Annual

The Grand Annual looks as competitive as ever with nineteen runners heading to post. The horse that catches my eye is the Dan Skelton trained, Amoola Gold. His form over fences coming into this season did not look anything special, and his handicap mark of 127 looked his limit.

He has come out this season and been a model of consistency, not finishing out of the first two home in his four runs. He started off the season with a win at Wetherby in October off a mark of 127. He then won again at Ascot beating Ibleo off level weights, Amoola Gold now receives eight pounds off Ibleo.

On his penultimate start he finished second behind subsequent grade one winner, First Flow. He was last seen finishing second to Sky Pirate at Warwick. Amoola Gold is now in receipt of six pounds off Sky Pirate and I think he will reverse the form with him.

He was put away after that run in January possibly with this race in mind. I think he will run a big race at a double figure price with Bridget Andrews in the saddle.

Weatherbys Champion Bumper

The now stablemates, Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard are at the top of the market fighting for favouritism. My preference is for Sir Gerhard. While Kilcruit’s performance at Leopardstown looked to be an exceptional performance, they went a break-neck gallop and Patrick sat off that pace and finished the race off best to win very easily at the line.

Sir Gerhard has not put a foot wrong in his career and remains unbeaten. He bet some subsequent bumper winners in Down Royal on debut with ease. He then went onto Navan and beat Letsbeclearaboutit impressively. While Kilcruit may have bet Letsbeclearaboutit by further, I think the race at Navan saw him run his true race whereas at Leopardstown when behind Kilcruit, he was forcing an unsustainable pace. It will be a great race and I think Sir Gerhard will just edge it.

Selections

1:20 Bob Olinger

2:30 Grand Roi

3:05 Chacun Pour Soi

3:40 Easysland

4:15 Amoola Gold

4:50 Sir Gerhard