2022 Cheltenham Festival Day 2 – Neil Morrice provides his best bets & tips for Day 2 of the festival with the Champion Chase on the card.
Race 1 – BALLYMORE NOVICES’ HURDLE (Grade 1): JOURNEY WITH ME (Each Way)
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead – Jockey: Rachael Blackmore
SIR GERHARD is expected to be all the rage after Willie Mullins switched him from Tuesday’s Supreme, but if there’s a hole in the five times-scorer, it could be exploited by JOURNEY WITH ME.
The Mahler gelding was an impressive winner of his only point and has encountered testing conditions in a Gowran bumper, a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown and a novice at Naas. If he can adapt to this drying ground he can give the favourite plenty to think about.
STAGE STAR wowed with the facile manner of his success in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury, and comes back off a refreshing break. He’s very well regarded and could earn, but two that appeal at longer odds are I AM MAXIMUS and SCARFACE, and I don’t envisage the last-named being disgraced even though he’s in here as a maiden.
Race 2 – BROWN ADVISORY NOVICES’ CHASE (Grade 1): BRAVEMANSGAME
Trainer: Paul Nicholls – Jockey: Harry Cobden
BRAVEMANSGAME is, without doubt, the ‘Big White Hope’ from a Paul Nicholls academy that has excelled with horses of his ilk over the years. The big, powerful galloper has been a well-backed winner of all four of his starts over fences after finishing third in the Ballymore Hurdle here 12 months ago. In his only Grade 1 triumph in the Kauto Star at Kempton he comfortably saw off AHOY SENOR, and there’s no logical reason why that rival can turn the tables.
L’HOMME PRESSE puts an impeccable record over fences on the line for Venetia Williams but the seven-year-old hasn’t faced a horse of the calibre of Bravemansgame.
FAROUK D’ALENE has underlined the form shown in points, bumpers and novice hurdles with two successes in four chase starts, and put in a professional display to beat BEACON EDGE last time. He could be the one to give BRAVEMANSGAME most to think about.
Race 3 – CORAL CUP HANDICAP HURDLE (Grade 3): GOOD RISK AT ALL (Each Way)
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: TBC
GOOD RISK AT ALL is reliant on one of the original field defecting in order to get a run, but that can easily happen and should he run the progressive six-year-old is one to be on. His seconds to Jonbon at Newbury and Barrichello at Warwick stamp him as a smart novice, but it was the nonchalance he exuded when hacking up on handicap debut at Ascot that make him one to get excited about.
GOWEL ROAD runs here in preference to the shorter County and should trouble the judge for the locally based Nigel Twiston-Davies team. A course winner back in November, he made the classy Metier fight for the spoils at Lingfield last time and has subsequently been in very good form at home.
Support for THE SHUNTER would not come as a surprise, and this plucky dual-purpose performer was one of the gambles of the meeting in last season’s Paddy Power Plate. In the same JP McManus colours, CAMPROND has been a name on many lips, and has to be of serious interest on a first start since finishing fourth in the Greatwood Hurdle here in November.
2022 Cheltenham Festival Day 2 – Shishkin to get better of stellar field in Champion Chase
Race 4 – QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE (Grade 1): SHISHKIN
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
SHISHKIN triumphed over ENERGUMENE in the race of the season for the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, and now attempts to make it three Festival wins in as many visits.
The Supreme Novices Hurdle and Arkle Challenge Trophy hero has an uncanny knack of being able to dig deep into his reserves when looking in any trouble, a trait that was never more evident than for his length defeat of Energumene in that epic Grade 1 in late January. There’s every chance that the odds-on favourite will find this return to left-handed Cheltenham more of a boon than for his arch-rival.
At longer odds, NUBE NEGRA is one that can take home a tasty cheque. The strong traveller has been purposefully freshened up for this return to a course where he impressively prevailed in the Schloer Chase in November.
Paul Townend’s decision to partner Energumene in preference to CHACUN POUR SOI shouldn’t detract from the latter, though it’s interesting that two of the latter’s three career defeats happened at English courses. In fairness to the ten-year-old, he was a decisive scorer in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Race 5 – GLENFARCLAS CROSS COUNTRY CHASE: DELTA WORK (Nap)
Trainer: Gordon Elliott – Jockey: Jack Kennedy
While Gold Cup aspirations for DELTA WORK are now a thing of the past, he has a new role to fulfill that can bring out the best in him. The five-time Grade 1 chase winner is, at nine, hardly past his sell-by date, and makes a lot of sense as a bet to trump more experienced cross-country horses. He’s impressed in practice over these obstacles, and should have too much for stablemate and 2021 winner TIGER ROLL.
Ireland should also notch a cheque through SHADY OPERATOR who can reverse recent Punchestown placings with MIDNIGHT MAESTRO.
Race 6 – GRAND ANNUAL CHALLENGE CUP HANDICAP CHASE (Grade 3): EDITEUR DU GITE (Each Way)
Trainer: Gary Moore – Jockey: Joshua Moore
Front runner EDITEUR DU GITE will engage in a fight for the lead in what promises to be a ferocious battle for early domination. But connections have surely made the right call in going down the handicap route rather than targeting the Queen Mother. Unbeaten when completing the course in his last five races, he has a better chance than his odds indicate.
AMARILLO SKY will keep him company early doors and looks the type that can also remain in the vanguard. Ability to stay out of trouble can be key to success in this two-miler which can auger well for these respective advices.
The 2021 winner SKY PIRATE is a strong traveller who could menace under a welterweight, and there’s no doubt his trainer has trained him for the day.
EMBITTERED is a novice in a handicap for the first time representing top connections. A market check is strongly advised.
Race 7 – WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER (Grade 1): OUR JESTER (Each Way)
Trainer: Hughie Morrison – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
OUR JESTER has been a hugely impressive winner of both bumper starts at Ascot and Lingfield, scoring on Polytrack last time. The close relative of Champion Hurdle runner-up Marble Arch has a high cruising speed combined with the ability to quicken, and will need those attributes in spades if he’s to prevail in one of the most difficult races to weigh up at the meeting. However, his trainer is a master with this type of individual and this horse will be trained to the minute.
FACILE VEGA holds firm at the head of the market courtesy of a two-race unbeaten sequence at Leopardstown when backed into odds-on and hacking up on each occasion. The Willie Mullins-trained challenger will be hard to stop and has to go into all exotics along with AMERICAN MIKE, who in two wins from as many starts for Gordon Elliott has looked an equally accomplished performer.
From a clutch of further runners for Mullins aspirants JAMES’S GATE could prove the pick.
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