MORSE CODE
And with the beat of a hoof Christmas will be here….. WELCOME Merry Christmas and Lucky New Year
I n reference to our local fixture list, we are over half-way to the Cheltenham Festival. Seven great race days behind us. Two great race days in front of us. And before we know it, the four greatest race days of all, will be here for us to enjoy. I have a very strong fancy. I genuinely feel that we are all in for something very special in March. I wrote a quick review of the jump season recently, and there is no question that storylines evolving across all the feature races point towards a vintage Festival. True, concrete confirmation that Fact To File is a serious contender for the Boodles Gold Cup emerged for all to witness in the John Durkan at Punchestown at the end of November. I was at Leopardstown in February when, as a novice he broke the heart of Gaelic Warrior in a match race. People were quick to claim the “Warrior” didn’t turn up that afternoon, but I was less convinced that was the case. I remember thinking, even as the race unfolded before my eyes, Gaelic Warrior, who I thought was untouchable at the time, was just being taken apart by a superior horse. Then the Festival came around and Fact To File was an effortless winner of the Brown Advisory Novice Chase, franking all the superlatives said. Meanwhile Gaelic Warrior won the My Pension Expert Arkle by 8-lengths. My opinion – both are brilliant horses, but Fact To File is exceptional and will have the beating of our dual Boodles Gold Cup winner, Galopin Des Champs in March. “Galopin” will improve for the run, he will improve for being at Cheltenham but I don’t think we will see his name etched on the trophy three times, like Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate have done before. It could be time for another Champion. The only horse I can see causing an upset (or huge celebration, depending on how you look at it) is Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning. His run in the Betfair chase at Haydock was a tough, game effort behind the
conditions-specialist Royal Pagaille. What a great story line it will be for racing if we welcomed only the second grey to win the big race back to the winner’s circle. The first being, the one-and-only Desert Orchid. A headline maker for the sport. Whilst the Boodles Gold Cup is fascinating, the Unibet Champion Hurdle picture has racing fans positively buzzing. The big question (as seemingly always) is Constitution Hill and his absence from the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle. It has to instil some doubt in the minds of his many admirers. Sir Gino, his stablemate, who maintained his unbeaten record when winning the big Champion trial up North, saw his price for our big race halved. I was convinced too… but only for a few days, as then I saw Lossiemouth. beat Teahupoo at Fairyhouse. Wow. With it now looking likely that, last year’s Close Brothers Mares Hurdle winner, will go the Champion Hurdle route, perhaps to avoid a clash with the Gordon Elliott trained “super mare” Brighterdaysahead who comprehensively beat State Man in the Morgiana Hurdle, Lossiemouth is rightly a clear favourite for the most important of all hurdle races. What a couple of races we are in for…. Andre Klein Assistant General Manager, Cheltenham Racecourse
02
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker