The King George Chase, Kempton Park
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| Cue Card and Vautour produce a nfailbiting finish in the King George at Kempton |
Well this was an absolute belter, producing a fascinating race and a photo finish to boot. Before the off this did look like one of the most competitive King Georges of recent times with many a Gold Cup hopeful engaged. Indeed coming into the home straight we had Vautour leading, with Cue Card and Don Cossack in close pursuit. However when Don Cossack came crashing down at the 2nd last when coming with a potentially winning run (Timeform have him rated as the top rated horse coming out of the race, as if he would have won if staying upright) it left Vautour and Cue Card to battle it out. And what a battle. Cue Card jumped the last behind but stayed on strongest to pip Ruby Walsh and Vautour by the narrowest of margins, with the judge being required to call the photo finish, When Cue Card was called the winner the crowd burst into cheer, the winner certainly a hugely popular one.
I don't actually think we have seen the Gold Cup winner from this race though. As a ten year old you would have your doubts about Cue Card in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, all the age stats are quite against him. There must be stamina doubts about the narrow runner up as he did seem to get done for stamina up the home straight, an extra 2 furlongs and a testing track do not appear to be what the doctor ordered for Vautour. Don Cossack just doesn't jump well enough under pressure and the rest just aren't good enough. No, for me we must look elsewhere for our Gold Cup winner.
The Lexus Chase, Leopardstown
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| Don Poli leads Foxrock and First Lieutenant in the Lexus Chase |
So do we look over the Irish Sea, to Don Poli, the winner of the Lexus Chase, for our Gold Cup winner? Don Poli, or Don Slowly as he has been nicknamed, provided Willie Mullins with his first winner of the race from a fast finishing First Lieutenant but on paper the form doesn't look much, neither was he visually impressive. However, we have long known from trainer and jockey reports that Don Poli only ever does enough, he is lazy and will do what is required and no more. Therefore until he is really challenged he will never produce a huge time figure, and we should just take each win as it comes. There is no doubt that none of this field, apart from the winner, can really be considered Gold Cup winners but I think from the horses we have seen out over Christmas Don Poli is the one most likely to win the blue riband event in March. He will love the Cheltenham hill, has won at the course before and does have speed, after all he did hose up in the Martin Pipe over two and a half miles. That takes speed, we know he has bags of stamina and as I say if I was to bet one of the horses we have seen in action over the festive period for Cheltenham glory it would be Willie Mullin's Lexus winner.
The rest of the Kempton Action
It really made me laugh when I saw Sprinter Sacre was pushed out in the market for Champion Chase glory in March after he had just produced a performance full of guts, battle and determination (proving to me he was over his heart issues) to win the Desert Orchid. The course wouldn't have suited yet he still won, there was no sign of a bounce and he saves his best for Cheltenham. This really was another positive performance for me and it was strange, in my opinion, to see his price drift for the 2 mile championship race. However I do absolutely love the horse and this may well have been written with blue and red tinted glasses, but I found it fabulous to see Sprinter and Sire De Grugy producing a cracking finish to entertain the Kempton faithful. Another brilliant race and one to savour.
Lizzie Kelly provided a brilliant human story as she became the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 race on these shores. It was fitting that the horse to partner her to this amazing success was Tea for Two, on whom she has enjoyed many a fine moment, as Lizzie and TFT took the Feltham Novices Chase with a brilliant performance. I don't think it was a brilliant field, and I would be a layer rather than a backer in the RSA if Tea for Two was to turn up there, but on a speed track over an easy 3 miles Tea for Two was very impressive. Lizzie gave him a cracking ride and if you haven't seen it you should seek out channel 4 jockey cam footage to really appreciate the emotion and what this meant to Lizzie, it really pulls at the heartstrings!
Faugheen looked back to his brilliant best when taking the Christmas Hurdle, however the opposition wasn't up to a huge amount and I fancy his biggest competition will come from his own yard in the shape of Nicholls Canyon and Arctic Fire. Still, he comprehensively beat The New One and Hargam, jumping well and looking a far better horse than we saw on seasonal debut. I wouldn't back him now at odds on for the Champion Hurdle, surely he won't be much shorter on the day, but at this stage he is the most likely winner and has been there and done it all before. Give me a free £10 bet and it goes on My Tent or Yours though, who I can't wait to see back out again and for me is value at 25/1 in the hope Henderson can bring him back like he has done with Sprinter and to a lesser extent Bob's Worth and potentially Simonsig.
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| Just like last year, Faugheen cruises home in the Christmas Hurdle |
I don't think we saw anything that can win the Arkle at Kempton, Douvan is head and shoulders above the opposition here, as although he is a very good and brave horse I do not think Ar Mad will be good enough. If Vaniteux was going to beat him it would have been here I think, at a speed track on good ground, and he couldn't despite heading him towards the finish. Nothing to report in regards to Cheltenham here as Douvan would laugh at this field (not that there is any shame in that!).
Honourable mentions from the Kempton 2 day meet must also go to Altior, who is a definite contender for Supreme glory based on his beating of a good field in the opening race of the meeting. Alter did look in trouble at one stage but stayed on powerfully, in the end putting a good distance between himself and Open Eagle from the WIllie Mullins yard, with the Paul Nicholls pair a distance back in 3rd and 4th. Min may be hard to beat but Nicky Henderson has a useful one to go to war with here, especially as he is already proven round Cheltenham.
And over the Irish Sea
Douvan...wow! On the race of it the Novice's Chase on St Stephen's Day looked a cracker, with Ttebbob , Sizing John and Velvet Maker all in opposition and all capable of giving Douvan a race (well that was the theory). In reality Douvan absolutely laughed at these, destroying each and every one of the opposition and winning as he liked in the end. No doubt about it this horse looks a superstar! Sizing John provided the best opposition but he may well go down the JLT route in order to avoid another clash with Douvan at Cheltenham, while Ttebbob was pulled up and Velvet maker made to look rather pedestrian by the winner who is out of the top draw. Arkle banker material for me, his jumping is electric, he has Cheltenham form and has speed to burn. What more could you want...how about the master Ruby Walsh back on board come March? Oh, go on then!
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| Point and shoot, Douvan on his way to routing a small but quality field at Leopardstown |
Another horse to really impress me was No More Heroes after he romped to glory in a 3 mile Novice's chase on the 29th December. Coming into the home straight No More Heroes was absolutely cruising through the soft ground and there was only one winner of the race, indeed he went on to win by an easy 9 lengths that could have been so much more. I love this horse; he jumps, stays and is all heart and I'll certainly be a backer if he goes for the RSA Chase, 4/1 at the moment but that will be a deal shorter once his festival target is confirmed.
Nicholls Canyon won again, but only by a narrow margin from the vastly improving Identity Thief in the Ryanair Hurdle. Mullins said after it would be hard to impress in this sort of ground and it was good to see him battle, however this didn't quite look the same horse that dispatched Faugheen the last day. Perhaps he needs better ground, it was an absolute bog at Leopardstown when he ran, and I still wouldn't write off his hopes of a Champion Hurdle come March.
Don't miss the run of Tombstone who met defeat over the festive period but make no mistake he is a huge player in the Supreme. Definitely the best horse in the Novice Hurdle he contested at Leopardstown he just got no luck in running and perhaps didn't receive the best of rides but as I say don't give up on him. He is one of my favourite Novice's this season and will surely be making amends for this defeat in time.
Finally before I waffle on for too long I must mention a few juvenile hurdlers. Footpad and Rahsaan had their Triumph Hurdle bubbles burst, while Ivanovich Gorbatov certainly enhanced his claims for the hurdle on the Friday of Cheltenham with a hugely impressive victory over a well backed Willie Mullins horse on ground he would have hated a day after those two had gone pop. On better ground the O'Brien trained juvenile will be an even better horse, and you would fancy him to also improve for this debut run, so quotes of 7/1 for Triumph glory look fair enough to me.
I'm sure to have missed a load of action but there was just so much to fit in and I wanted to mention some of the more notable performances. If you feel I've missed a big horse off, or have an eye-catcher you feel you have unearthed, then please let me know either via twitter (@_Neptune_) or by commenting below!
Thanks for reading!
Alex
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