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| Punter's Diary by Malcolm Heyhoe |
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| Updated: 27th February 2009 - GG.com |
Marvels In March
March can mean only one thing for the racing aficionado and that is the four fabulous days of the Cheltenham Festival. Buoyant ticket sales are the order of the day for this year’s betting bonanza and the compelling climax of the jumps campaign still towers over the season, dominating every passing day and filtering every emotion and aspiration through its ever tightening grip.
By way of a tempting starter the month’s action gets underway at Sandown on March 7, with the Sunderlands Imperial Cup occupying pride of place. David Pipe emulated his famous father’s fantastic record of four previous wins by landing the prize a second time with Ashkazar 12 months ago and whatever horse Pipe junior chooses for this race should be worthy of the closest attention. Earlier on the card the Venetia Williams-trained Quartz De Thaix looks a lively one for the EBF Sunderlands Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final.
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The 2009 Cheltenham Festival is swiftly out of the blocks on March 10 and the Champion Hurdle is the leading attraction with the well-fancied Binocular looking to take the great prize back to Seven Barrows. The Nicky Henderson-trained gelding thrashed his nearest rivals at Ascot in December and remains a worthy favourite and a recent racecourse workout should have sharpened his rough edges for the big day.
On March 11 the meeting’s stone-cold certainty, Master Minded, should have little difficulty in landing the Queen Mother Champion Chase for Paul Nicholls. The gelding remains in his own special category as a top-class 2m chaser and a strongly-run race should see him home and hosed. He only has himself to beat. In the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle Diamond Harry faces tough opposition courtesy of Karabak and choosing between the pair won’t be easy but the former has looked a top-notcher at times and shades the call.
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On Thursday March 12 the Festival plays host to two championship races beginning with the Ryanair Chase and it is hard to look beyond Voy Por Ustedes who shapes up as one of the meeting’s strongest fancies. There seems little strength in depth to this year’s 2m 5f contest. The Irish don’t have a single decent chaser to challenge for this prize, Tidal Bay has been all at sea this season and Imperial Commander’s stable has been ploughing its own sparse furrow for months now.
In the World Hurdle a three-way shoot-out is on the cards courtesy of Kasbah Bliss, Big Buck’s and Punchestowns and this 3m contest is one of the must-see races of the meeting. The former is still without a win now in four starts at Cheltenham and I wonder if this is really the French raider’s ideal course. Punchestowns and Big Buck’s are two thrilling talents and there won’t be much between them on their running in the Cleeve Hurdle. If the ground is good then I expect Punchestowns to take the stayers’crown.
On Friday March 13 the action gets underway with the Triumph Hurdle and the Aga Khan-bred Zaynar looks a strong favourite over a course and distance that should suits him admirably. There may, however, be a fly in the ointment in the guise of Starluck, a fast and fluent hurdler who boasts smart form on the level in Ireland and might just be the dark horse in the Triumph field.
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This year’s Gold Cup is again dominated by Kauto Star who bids to do the all but impossible and return to win the crown a second time. He looked ill-at-ease when runner-up to Denman in last year’s race and I have never thought that Cheltenham is his ideal course. Last year’s winner is this season’s fallen hero after a crushing defeat at Kempton last time and Denman looked a poor imitation of last term’s swashbuckling champion In reality the Gold Cup is a much more open race than the betting suggests and perhaps one of the younger and less exposed horses such Barbers Shop might be able to claim the crown from the old guard.
Midlands Grand National day on March 14 closes a week of exciting action and maybe a horse like Merigo might be just the type to land this marathon contest. A week later on March 21 there‘s the Winter Derby at Lingfield but the real Flat action begins at Doncaster when the moment we’ve all been waiting for finally occurs with the opening of the 2009 Flat turf season at Doncaster with the Doncaster Lincoln taking centre stage.
Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips
Archive February 2009
