Neil Morrice shares his race-by-race preview for day 2 of Cheltenham Festival 2023 as well as some quick-fire tips for racing at Huntingdon, Newcastle and Kempton on 15 March 2023.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2023 – Day 2
Race 1 BALLYMORE NOVICES’ HURDLE (Grade 1)
No7 IMPAIRE ET PASSE
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Paul Townend
IMPAIRE EN PASSE has looked a champion in chrysalis in his two starts over hurdles, and though not as experienced as his main opponents in this fascinating opener is confidently selected to give the Irish the perfect start to Ladies Day. The French-bred gelding gained those successes by a combined total of almost 30 lengths, latterly when taking out the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer at Punchestown. That’s a race whose roll of honour includes Douvan, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this fellow turns out to be similarly high class.
GAELIC WARRIOR certainly has the points on the board in terms of experience as he narrowly failed to land the gamble of the Festival in the Boodles last year. He’s gone on to reel off an impressive hat-trick including in handicap company last time, and with his size and strength will be hard to pass up the final hill. HERMES ALLEN destroyed his Challow Hurdle foes at Newbury, and while the form has holes in it he will relish the conditions. He heads a sparse British challenge on the race, though MASTER CHEWY could surprise and take home a cheque for the home team.
Prediction: 1st IMPAIRE EN PASSE, 2nd Gaelic Warrior, 3rd Hermes Allen, 4th Master Chewy
Race 2 BROWN ADVISORY NOVICES’ CHASE (Grade 1)
No 10 THYME HILL
Trainer Philip Hobbs & Johnson White – Jockey: Michael Nolan
Irish horses dominate the forefront of the market but they are there to be shot at and THYME HILL is worth taking them on with and can win if his jumping holds out. The classy stayer chased home Flooring Porter in the Stayers’ Hurdle of 2022 and is a Grade 2 winner here as a novice. Though his colours were lowered in a three-horse race at Newbury, his other two chase outings have seen him show total dominance, and if it comes down to a slog up the final hill he has the ammo to outstay his foes and give Philip Hobbs what could well be a poignant final winner at the Festival.
With figures of 1/11-111 GERI COLOMBE is going to start one of the shortest-priced favourites at the meeting. He wasn’t in any way fazed by a trip overseas when readily taking out the Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown, while a step back up in trip should also prove no problem to him. Gordon Elliott reckons he’s one of his best chances, but from the Mullins camp SIR GERHARD needs to be taken seriously as he was a spectacular winner of his only chase start at Gowran and was a top-class novice over hurdles. Only his lack of experience over fences may prove to be an Achilles heel.
Prediction: 1st THYME HILL, 2nd Geri Colombe, 3rd Sir Gerhard
Race 3 CORAL CUP HANDICAP HURDLE
No18 CAMPROND
Trainer: Philip Hobbs – Jockey: Aidan Coleman
It’s a big day for Hobbs who seems to have done a fine job in laying out the JP McManus-owned CAMPROND for this. The seven-year-old was unlucky in running when fourth in the same race 12 months ago before going on to score at the Punchestown Festival. A flirtation with fences fell on thorny ground last autumn, and his two recent underwhelming efforts back over hurdles are best ignored in the context of his mark from which he can be very competitive.
There are plenty of others to conjure with regarding exotic wagering in the best betting heat of the day. HMS SEAHORSE ran well in the Boodles last year and has improved from race to race for Paul Nolan this winter; GOOD RISK AT ALL was favourite for this when getting balloted out in 2022 and is a lot better than he showed at Haydock; RUN FOR OSCAR has excelled as a dual purpose horse over the last year and also attracted a deal of support in the ante post market for this, while SA FUREUR is an improving novice whose claims shouldn’t be dismissed lightly.
Prediction: 1st CAMPROND, 2nd Good Risk At All, 3rd HMS Seahorse, 4th Run For Oscar, 5th Sa Fureur
Race 4 BETWAY QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE (Grade 1)
No3 EDWARDSTONE
Trainer: Alan King – Jockey: Tom Cannon
It’s far from unusual for an Arkle Chase winner to take this the following season, and while the absent Shishkin failed to achieve that last year, EDWARDSTONE can redress the balance by toppling current champion ENERGUMENE. The former arguably put up the best performance in this division this season when ridden to perfection in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in early December.
He then unseated in the Desert Orchid at Kempton, won by EDITEUR DU GITE, and was worried out of it by that foe on the Clarence House Chase here at the end of January. Arguably unlucky not be unbeaten in the current campaign, he is going to enjoy the prevailing conditions as much as either of those rivals, especially as Energumene looked to have regressed in the Clarence House.
Prediction: 1st EDWARDSTONE, 2nd Energumene, 3rd Editeur Du Gite
Race 5 GLENFARCLAS CROSS COUNTRY CHASE
No4 DELTA WORK
Trainer: Gordon Elliott – Jockey: Keith Donoghue
DELTA WORK did me a big favour when winning this last year and all the evidence points to him going back-to-back. His battle with now-retired stablemate Tiger Roll was a thing to behold, but there is nothing of that dual Grand National hero’s status in opposition today. Elliott has taken out this race on four occasions and DELTA WORK is napped to make it a fifth.
BACK ON THE LASH rarely fails to run his race here and is surely destined to take away another minor cheque; SNOW LEOPARDESS posted signs of a revival last time and could further raise her game while GALVIN has a touch of class about him that manifested itself when he troubled the judge in last season’s Gold Cup. He’s not managed to go on from that, but if taking to the course needs to be taken seriously.
Prediction: 1st DELTA WORK, 2nd Galvin, 3rd Back On The Lash, 4th Snow Leopardness
Race 6 JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL CHALLENGE CUP HANDICAP CHASE
No15 BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
This stable has excelled with handicap chasers this season and looks to have another with a big chance in BEFORE MIDNIGHT. The chestnut has the attributes required to run above his place in the betting market. He’s a strong travelling front runner who is very accurate at his fences in the same ilk as Aucunrisque who has defected to the County Hurdle. He appeared poised to deliver at Doncaster last time only to weaken on the run in, and it might be that on this softer ground his pilot elects to settle him close to the pace to conserve his energy for the final hill.
Victory for ELIXIR DE NUTZ in the colours of Champion Hurdler Rooster Booster would be a poignant one and warmly welcomed for veteran owner Terry Warner. The nine-year-old has improved race by race this season, from a readying run at Ascot to a narrow defeat at Doncaster, a fine win at Wincanton and most recently second to Funambule Sivola in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury. The bold jumping grey scored twice here as a novice over hurdles, and was not seen at his best when pulled up in this 12 months ago.
Outside the main choices the following horses should be introduced to exotics.
EPSON DU HOUX has very good recent form for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore; ANDY DUFRESNE brings a class element to the table under top weight; FINAL ORDERS is on an outstanding winning streak while COEUR DE SUBLIME makes a first step outside Graded company to give de Bromhead a powerful second string to his bow.
Prediction: 1st BEFORE MIDNIGHT, 2nd Elixir Du Nutz, 3rd Epson Du Houx, 4th Coeur De Sublime, 5th Andy Dufresne, 6th Final Orders
Race 7 WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER
No8 ENCANTO BRUNO
Trainer: John McConnell – Jockey: Sean Bowen
This is surely the hardest race of the entire week to evaluate. Many parallel form lines make it a ‘suck it and see’ exercise and wagering is best kept to a minimum. ENCANTO BRUNO is the strongest word from my Irish contacts as he tries to make it four from four for a trainer who should never be underestimated with his big race runners. Willie Mullins has captured four of the last five runnings and his ace in the pack could be IT’S FOR ME, hugely impressive when scoring at Navan.
FUN FUN FUN is a pea out of the same pod under the same ownership, while QUEENS GAMBLE was unlucky to meet defeat for the first time at Market Rasen. She is going to enjoy a return to this track, will adore the testing conditions and is in her jockey Jonathan Burke’s view the fastest bumper horse he’s ever ridden.
Prediction: 1st ENCANTO BRUNO, 2nd Queens Gamble, 3d It’s For Me, 4th Fun Fun Fun
HUNTINGDON
Race 2 No6 THUNDERCLAP
Trainer: Hughie Morrison – Jockey: Paul O’Brien
THUNDERCLAP skipped an opportunity last week which would have taken him down the handicap route. It’s interesting his astute handler has elected to go for another maiden hurdle, in which he can be competitive.
Race 3 No6 SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (Nap)
Trainer: Jamie Snowden – Jockey: Page Fuller
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE can be a poignant winner of this novices’ hurdle in the hands of Fuller, who suffered a minor stroke and lost vision in an eye and is seeking a first success since recently resuming her riding career.
NEWCASTLE
Race 2 No4 ARABIAN STORM (Nap)
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: David Probert
Home-bred ARABIAN STORM went close on his Newmarket introduction on only 2022 start last autumn. He’s reported to have thrived through the winter, has worked well on an all-weather surface at home and can now open his account.
Race 5 No2 JUSTCALLMEPETE
Trainer: James Evans – Jockey: Dougie Costello
JUSTCALLMEPETE has figures of 1-11224 to his name and this prolific scorer can regain the winning groove following a couple of earning runs in slightly stronger races.
KEMPTON PARK
Race 1 No4 THROUGH THE AGES
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: William Buick
THROUGH THE AGES is going to be more streetwise for his opening gambit when second over a mile and a quarter at Newcastle. He can go one better on the way to better things for top connections.
Race 2 No4 WOODSTOCK (Nap)
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: Charles Bishop
Only his wide draw tempers my enthusiasm that WOODSTOCK can lead this field home. He ran into one when gambled on for his first outing at Southwell before readily scoring at Chelmsford. He should prove hard to beat.
Race 3 No6 METAL MERCHANT
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: Rossa Ryan
METAL MERCHANT should provide each-way value in the featured conditions race. A wide-margin scorer at Ayer’s Western meeting, he then didn’t enjoy the rub of the green in a Group 3 at Newmarket. He’s wintered well, and can give Group 2 winner Alzahir something to think about.
