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| Punter's Diary by Malcolm Heyhoe |
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| Updated: 1st December 2012 - GG.com |
December Gems
Rain and yet more rain has been the constant backdrop to the opening beats of the current jumps season, and soft ground seems a certainty for Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on December 1st.
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Trainer Nicky Henderson has appeared to be flustered by the prevailing heavy conditions, constantly bemoaning the wetness of the ground and blaming a heavy surface for Finian's Rainbow running badly at Ascot the other day while using the bad ground as an excuse for not running Sprinter Sacre and Darlan at Cheltenham's Paddy Power meeting.
Part of me thinks the trainer doth protest too much, and if a handler begins to agonise too much about heavy ground then horses running badly upon it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. At Newbury Henderson has the Hennessy favourite Bobs Worth in what has to be one of the weakest renewals ever staged of this famous race, and if he is race fit and ready to run he should prove hard to beat.
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On December 8 Sandown hosts the Tingle Creek Chase as speed takes centre stage on the jumping calendar. A ridiculously easy winner of the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March, Sprinter Sacre has the two-mile chasing scene at his mercy and it will be fascinating to see if he can improve upon last season's chasing heroics. Sanctuaire will be his biggest rival on the Esher slopes, but Sprinter Sacre is all class and should know too much for his main rival.
The best of the jumps action moves to Cheltenham on December 15 for the International Hurdle and this year's renewal should be an open race with Zarkandar, Grandouet and Balder Success all set to slug it out for top hurdling honours up the famous Cheltenham hill. On the same day Oscar Whisky should land the Relkeel Hurdle for the second season running and Coneygree can take the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on the same card.
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The countdown to the Christmas racing calendar truly begins with Ascot's prestigious fixture on December 22. The Long Walk Hurdle could be at the mercy once again of an unbeatable Big Buck's while in the Ladbroke Hurdle, Nicky Henderson may well be the trainer to side with after readying Cash And Go to collect this pre-Christmas booty for Seven Barrows. Henderson landed a tidy gamble a few seasons back with Jack The Giant and can collect this valuable race again with Cash And Go.
On December 26 Kempton Park stages an open-looking King George VI Chase where it is still something of a surprise to see Long Run heading the ante-post market. Ruby Walsh was a joy to watch when getting the from-the-front tactics right when Silviniaco Conti beat Long Run at Haydock last time. Sam Waley-Cohen, by contrast, simply sat there on Long Run, showing no tactical nous, and simply letting his horse plod home to be beaten once again.
This year's King George sees a host of classy second season chasers contesting the prize and they include Al Ferof, Cue Card and possibly Sir Des Champs. It would be refreshing for racing to see one of those names on the King George roll of honour.
Finally, December rounds off its action with the Welsh National on December 27 with Teaforthree holding sound prospects and Easter Day can send punters home happy by landing Newbury's Challow Hurdle on December 29.
Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips
Archive Nov 2012
