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Updated: 29th December 2008 - GG.com

January's Thrills and Spills

There can be no more fitting place to start the year’s jumps action than Cheltenham racecourse which hosts the first valuable meeting of 2009 with its traditional New Year fixture. After the abandonment of December’s Boylesports festival through torrential rain, the racecourse will be hoping that the elements look more kindly on the racecourse this time around.

The key race on the Cheltenham card has to be the Skybet.com Handicap Chase that often falls to a progressive horse. Lambourn handler Charlie Egerton is planning to use this contest as the re-introductory race for stable star Hobbs Hill, who missed the second half of last season through injury while Philip Hobbs may target this prize with the decidedly decent Private Be.

Sandown on January 4 is the next port-of-call for the jumps caravan and here the Anglo Irish Bank Tolworth Hurdle occupies pride of place on a useful card. Twelve months ago the increasingly flaky Silverburn ploughed through the mud to capture this prize and whichever horses Nicholls chooses for the 2009 renewal is worth a second look. Stable sources indicate that Mahonia might be the one for team Ditcheat.

The following week sees a high-class card at Warwick on January 10. Typically the out-and-out stayers will be slogging it out for the valuable totesport.com Classic Handicap Chase, a punishing contest that sorts out the game from the soft over a grueling 3m 5f at the West Midlands course. Kilbeggan Blade ran no sort of race 12 months ago but has since bounced back to form with a gutsy win over 3m 6f at Sandown, and he might well be one to go close a second time.

Master Minded
© racing-images.co.uk

Over at Thurles on January 15 the Kinloch Brae Chase over 2m 4f should attract its usual field of decent performers and Thyne Again could be a likely sort for this fair prize. Over on this side of the Irish Sea there is cracking weekend’s racing on January 17 beginning with Ascot’s prestigious Victor Chandler Handicap Chase. Sadly this year’s race looks likely to be a formality for champion 2m chaser Master Minded, who should frighten off most of the opposition and force what’s left in the race to compete from out of the handicap.

On the same card sponsor Victor Chandler could enjoy success in the juvenile hurdle when Zaynar, a horse he part owns, attempts to follow up his deeply impressive hurdles debut success at Newbury just before Christmas. Nicky Henderson’s beautifully-bred grey was far too good for a decent rival in Walkon - a good winner of a grade race next time - and he looks as if he is going to be a serious Triumph Hurdle prospect.

Over at Haydock on January 17 there is another high-class card with the Peter Marsh Limited Handicap Chase likely to attract a lively field though any plans for Denman to return to the fray in this famous race have been abandoned in favour of a tilt at the Aon Chase at Newbury next month. Champion Hurdle aspirants will be on the scene for the Champion Hurdle Trial on an action-packed card at the Lancashire course.

The month’s jumping action reaches a crescendo with Cheltenham’s trials meeting on January 24 and all eyes will be upon the feature Letherby & Christopher Chase for would-be Gold Cup contenders. Both Tidal Bay and Barbers Shop could be in competition here, and the latter has looked a sharp improver this season for Nicky Henderson.

Kasbah Bliss (C Pieux blue cap) with Kazal
in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle
(Cheltenham 13-03-08)
© racing-images.co.uk

The jam-packed Cheltenham card also features the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle where several of the leading stayers might well be in competition including Kasbah Bliss, the current World Hurdle favourite while in the Wragge & Co Finesse Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle, the pecking order among the season’s better juveniles should be established. Alan King’s Walkon might be the one to land the spoils. At Doncaster on the same day the Sky Bet Handicap Chase is that course’s flagship event and recent course winner Laskari could be leading player.

Finally, January takes its leave with the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown where Sizing Europe and Jered will attempt to further their claims for the hurdling crown while at Sandown on January 31 the totesport Challengers’ Novices’ Chase and the Totepool Contenders Hurdle take pride of place on a competitive card.

Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips

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