2014 Champion Chase

Champion Chase

This looks a weak race especially with Sprinter Sacre missing from it. The favourite is Sire de Grugy. He is certainly the best two mile chaser in the absence of Sprinter Sacre. However, he hasn't won in either of his two runs at Cheltenham. He also missed last year's Festival for no obvious reason and I can only assume that the horse's connections didn't want to run. Therefore, I am very wary about his chances.

Captain Conan was disappointing in last year's JLT Chase. It's a good chance that he didn't stay the trip (I was keen on his chances in the Arkle). However, he's only ran once this year and was well beaten by Sire De Grugy and Somersby. Horses have won the Champion Chase after only one race (Flagship Uberalles 2002, Call Equiname 1999 and Martha's Son 1997). However, it's not common.

Arvika Ligeonniere was dismal in last year's Arkle and was pulled up. It's a common view that he's much better running right-handed. He has won left-handed at Leopardstown but he has now not run well in two runs at Cheltenham.

Hinterland is a novice. Two novices have ran well in this (Strong Promise 1997 and Venn Ottery 2004). Strong Promise was favourite in 1997 but made a bad mistake three out when running well. I've seen jockey Norman Williamson blamed but it looked like a novicey mistake. Venn Ottery had breathing problems and faded after running well. Still I can't be on Hinterland side.

Sizing Europe has been a great horse. Unlucky when getting injured during the 2008 Champion Hurdle. He has won the Arkle and then won the Champion Chase and then second twice in the next two years. However, he ran very badly last time out. The ground may not have suited but I think his chance has gone.

In the end I've gone for Somersby. I'm wary about him as he's unseated twice in his last four runs. However, he has a good record at the course and in a open race he has a better chance than his odds.

Kid Cassidy won at Cheltenham first time out but had an awful race at Leopardstown last time out. The ground will be more in his favour but he's too inconsistent. 

Baily Green was a surprise second in last year's Arkle at 33/1. However, his general form doesn't stack up and the Arkle wasn't good last year.

Module and Special Tiara don't look good enough. Wishfull Thinking won well in a handicap last time out but I think his time has gone.

2014 Wednesday shoulder races

Coral Cup

Dell' Arca has a Cheltenham win to his name. He was hampered when he unseated two runs ago. His last run was a second in a major handicap (Betfair Hurdle at Newbury). The ground shouldn't be a problem and he has a good record in large fields. He hasn't run over longer than two miles three furlongs but he should get the extra two furlongs.

Cross County Chase

Unlike many punters I enjoy watching these type of races as they are a little different. My choice is last year's winner Big Shu. 

Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

I like Orgligo Bay for this one. He looks laid out for this and I have to wonder whether running on soft and heavy ground for his last two races was a ruse to get a low handicap mark! He was officially the top-rated on these on the flat. He also runs in a first-time hood which is an angle which has got some notice at this Festival.

Champion Bumper

I found it very difficult to choose between Shaneshill and Value At Risk. The latter is a higher price and for this reason is the selection. Both horses should cope with the ground and have a good record on stiff tracks. Also I feel that Shaneshill will be overbet as he's ridden by Ruby Walsh.

2014 RSA Chase

2014 RSA Chase

Ballycasey was the strong favourite here but has drifted in the betting. I have doubts about his stamina. I tend to be wary about using point-to-point form. However, if you include his three PTP he has had four runs at three miles and has won none of them.

Smad Place and Sam Winner have spent more than one season over hurdles. This is very rare for a winner of this race to do this. If you have a decent chaser you will send them over fences as soon as possible.

Carlingford Lough is a threat. He was unlucky to unseat last time out as he was hampered. He's a second season chaser and it's not common for them to win this (only Rule Supreme comes to mind). 

Morning Assembly is my selection here. He's won on yielding and yielding-to-soft so the ground should be ok. He's been off quite a while but I think that might be less important than it was in the past. He does have to reverse form with Carlingford Lough. Morning Assembly has a good record at stiff tracks. 

Le Bec has a consistent record over fences but hasn't run in above Class 2 races. He has won at the Cheltenham although he was well beaten at last year's Festival.

Corrin Wood has won all his three races over fences. However, he has never ran in a chase with more than four runners and I don't know if he will cope with the larger field (he has won a 10 runner hurdle race). He has also ran in a handicap chase. This is rare for an RSA winner. The two winners I can remember doing this are Young Hustler in 1993 and Rule Supreme in 2004. The latter horse had little choice after winning a chase on 30th April 2003. This meant that the Irish-trained horse wasn't a novice according to Irish rules but he was according to British rules.

I like Don Cossack's chances and it was a tough choice between him and Morning Assembly. In the end I slightly prefer the latter.

O'Faolains Boy is too inconsistent. Many Clouds is another who hasn't ran in a large chase field.

2014 Neptune Novices Hurdle

Neptune Novices Hurdle 2014

I like chances here of Faugheen. He's won all of his four rules races impressively. He's won on good-to-yielding and yielding (twice) so the ground shouldn't inconvenience him. He's won on tough tracks Navan and Punchestown.

I find it very difficult to choice between Faugheen and Red Sherlock. The latter has won all six of his races (two national hunt flat and four hurdles). He's another who should have no problems with the ground. In the end Red Sherlock is the selection as he's won twice at Cheltenham and is at higher odds. It would be an emotional victory as David Johnson died last year and he runs in the family colours. 

Rathvinden has fallen over hurdles and as I've said before that I don't like that happening. He was also beaten by Red Sherlock last time out. He was getting weight from Red Sherlock and plenty of people at the preview events thinks he'll reverse the form. He's certainly a strong contender. 

Lieutenant Colonel is an uncertain stayer. Cup Final is an uncertain stayer and has never won. I'm a little lost as to why he's so short in the betting. Ballyalton was well beaten last time out. Fennell Bay has come from the flat which isn't too common for winners of this race these days. He had two wins at gaff tracks. Killala Quay was pulled up last time out and was well beaten on his only run at Cheltenham.

The highs and lows of horse racing - day 1 review

The Cheltenham Festival is my highlight of the year (my favourite time at Christmas is the King George Chase). In the space of one afternoon we had triumph and tragedy.

Quevega won the Mares Hurdle for the sixth successive year. This was her most close victory and like last year coming to the home turn it looked like she wouldn't win. However, she battled again bravely to the line. She's 3/1 to win the race next year but I suspect that would be going to the well too much and she'll be eleven years old by then.

The other side of the spectrum was the awful fall of the five-year-old Our Conor in the Champion Hurdle who injured his back and had to be put down. He was a devastating winner of the Triumph Hurdle last year and looked in good form this year. His death reminds me of the exciting Gloria Victis who died as a six-year-old after a fall in the 2000 Gold Cup.

Supreme Novices Hurdle

Well at least I got this one right. For the second year in a row I got the winner of the opening race but no other winners. Vautour had the same owner, trainer and rider as last year's winner Champagne Fever and was pretty much given the same ride by Ruby Walsh. The difference from last year was that Vautour had the race won when jumping the final flight. Vautour's sire Robin Des Champs' most successive progeny are intermediate/staying horses. These are top-class staying chaser Sir Des Champs, wonder mare Quevega (who I'll mention again later), Racing Post Chase winner Quinz and French Grade 1 winning staying hurdler Oeil Du Maitre. Given this I wouldn't be surprised to see him stepped up in trip and he doesn't appeal as a Champion Hurdle horse.

Of the other horses the joint favourite with Vantour was the Paul Nicholls trained Irving. He was under pressure by half-way and finished a well beaten ninth. It was no surprise to hear his jockey Nick Schofield saying the horse felt beaten before the third flight. Nicky Henderson continued his consistent record in the race by training the second and third home (Josses Hill and Vaniteux). He keeps on having placed horses in this race (My Tent Or Yours 2013, Darlan 2012, Spirit Son and Sprinter Sacre 2011, Binocular 2008, Amaretto Rose 2007). Sgt Reckless finished fourth and did better than I thought he would. He was well beaten on this previous visit to Cheltenham. Wilde Blue Yonder finished fifth. He'd shown very promising form but ruined his last two races by falling late on. Gilgamboa finished 13th after making a serious mistake two hurdles from home.

Arkle Chase

My selection Trifolium made an early mistake and after that was never travelling all that well. I'm rather surprised that he finished in third place given that. 

Former Champion Hurdler Rock On Ruby made an even worse mistake at the same fence and Noel Fehily did well to stay on him. His jumping suffered badly after that. He didn't make any more mistakes but jumped slowly and at that top of the hill was talied off. 

I previously mentioned how difficult it is make all the running in the Arkle. Champagne Fever nearly did today until he was mugged on the line by the 33/1 Western Warhorse. The latter horse is frankly a nutter and it took all of Martin Pipe's many years of experience to lead him safely into the winner's enclosure. Martin Pipe won the race four times as a trainer and now his son David Pipe has trained the winner as well. Jockey Tom Scudamore gets one over on his old man as the legendary Peter Scudamore never won this race in his long and distinguished career (he 'd retired before his employer Pipe started winning his race). Martin's four winners were for owner David Johnson who was a major supporter of jumps racing and sadly passed away last year. Western Warhorse only had one previous run over fences. I've now remembered that I watched that previous ru and was impressed by the his jumping. The previous trainer to win the Arkle with a horse who'd only ran once over fences was Martin Pipe with Well Chief in 2004. 

Dodging Bullets was close enough if good enough (although again I suspect his resolution was again a problem), 

Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase

My selection was Time For Rupert. To be honest he looked in trouble going around the first bend! He never looked comfortable and gradually went further and further back down the field. He finished stone last out of the eighteen runners and I'm a little surprised Dennis O'Regan didn't pull him up. 

Ma Filleule may have been a little unlucky in second place as Nico de Boinville lost an iron for a while after the horse made a mistake at the third last fence. However, given the horse hasn't won over longer than 19 furlongs I suspect he was just outstayed by Holywell. The latter horse joins the list of horses who have won more than one race at the Cheltenham Festival as he also won the Pertemps Hurdle last year over three miles. The Package keeps being placed in this race and has now been placed in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Champion Hurdle

This race ended up as little unsatisfactory even if we ignore the fate of Our Conor. The interference causes by the fall of Our Conor was significant to The New One and he wasn't beaten all that far storming up the hill like he did last year. However, his didn't jump well after the interference keeping jumping stickily and to the right. That as much as anything caused him problems. He was unlucky but I'm not convinced the best horse didn't win the race. He has problems with his jumping and I wonder what future plans are for the horse.

Jezki gives trainer Jessica Harrington her first Champion Hurdle victory. In 2001 I was keen on the chances of her Moscow Flyer for this race at 16/1 in what looked like a poor year. Foot and mouth stopped the race taking place and we'll never whether that great chaser would have been a Champion Hurdle winner. Barry Geraghty has now ridden Jezki five times and he's won on him every time. He held off My Tent Or Yours who again finishes second at the Cheltenham Festival. Both horses will surely be back next year and I assume that The New One will join them. However, this looks like the end of the Festival road for Hurricane Fly. I expect that he'll add to his world record number of Grade 1 wins at some point. However, I can only see that happening in Ireland (he has a 100% record at Leopardstown). He has never looked quite as good at Cheltenham. The rest of the field weren't good enough today and my selection Melodic Rendezvous was always outpaced. It was a fair bet at the prices with the worry that he wouldn't cope with the ground. I suspect that is exactly what happened.

Mares Hurdle

The wonder mare wins again! Quevega has now won this race for six successive years which overtakes Golden Miller's Festival record of five successive Gold Cups in the 1930s. She had to battle a lot more today and like last year it was hard work but she always storms up the Cheltenham hill. I would have liked to have seen Annie Power run in this race and I do feel that she would have beaten Quevega. Anyway, this is Quevega's day. She is on offer at 3/1 to win next year but I just feel that it would be asking too much. My tip Cailin Annamh was never dangerous and finished well beaten.

Terry Biddlecombe National Hunt Chase Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase 

Named in honour of the late national hunt legend Terry Biddlecombe. A gusty win from Midnight Prayer who held on from Shotgun Paddy. The latter coped with the ground better than I thought he would. The young Foxrock made a couple of late mistakes. My selection Shutthefrontdoor made two successive mistakes which ruined his chance. I'm not sure what Patrick Mullins was trying on the third placed Suntiep. He left the horse an awful amount of ground to make up from the top of the hill. The horse did make a mistake at the third and second last. Frankly though Mullins has judged this race badly as the horse was flying late on.

Rewards4Racing Novices' Handicap Chase

Brendan Powell junior won the three mile handicap chase on this day last year and now this young jockey has won another handicap chase. His ride Present View held on narrowly from Attaglance. There was some minor interference between the two but not enough to alter the result. My choice Ericht made a terrible mistake and that was the end of his chances. He was eventually pulled up.

2014 Shoulder races for Tuesday Cheltenham

I have no idea why the races outside the main ones of the day are sometimes called the 'shoulder races'. However, I like the term as I have no idea where it comes from and I'll use it!

Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase 

Pity poor Simon Holt and the course commentator who have to use that mouthful! I prefer the official name of the Festival Handicap Chase.

I like Time For Rupert for this race. I've backed him a couple of times at the Festival (Stayers Hurdle and Gold Cup). He's gone massively down the handicap (19 pounds since November). He's not won since December 2011 but he's only run six times since then. He's loves Cheltenham and I hope he can come back to form (he ran well last time out). He was only beaten 10 lengths in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup so it's amazing to find him over half-way down the weights in this handicap.

Mares Hurdle

Go on Quevega! Having said that for the sixth successive year she won't be carrying my money. This wonder mare has won this race for the last five seasons and is a shade of odds-on to do it again. Personally, I think Annie Power should have ran in this race and I suspect she'd have won.

My actual selection is the consistent Cailin Annamh. She'll have no problem with the ground and I think will run a big race. She's not ran since October but that must because she is a good ground horse (exactly the same race planning was used for her in the previous season).

Terry Biddlecombe National Hunt Chase

Named this year after the late and great Terry Biddlecombe. I can't really see past the big three of Foxrock, Shotgun Paddy and Shutthefrontdoor. Foxrock is a six-year-old and they don't have a great record in this race. I suspect that Shotgun Paddy needs soft ground. He ran well on one of his runs on ground quicker than soft but not on the other. I've looked into the progeny of his sire Brian Boru and it is dominated by horses who need soft ground. Therefore, I've gone for Shutthefrontdoor. The concern is that he ran an awful race here last time out. It's the only bad run he's ever put in so I'll hope it's a one off. His other form at Cheltenham is very good. His jockey Nina Carberry has a good recent record in this race without ever quite winning it. He is also one of the Jonjo O'Neill/JP McManus horses and they also have a good record in this race.

Racing4rewards Novices Handicap Chase

Ericht will carry my money here. He's ran decently at the Festival in the past and his bad run at Kempton in his penultimate start was due to a leg that got injured in the race. 

2014 Champion Hurdle

Champion Hurdle 2 miles 110 yards

One of the greatest renewals of any race never mind the Champion Hurdle! There are five top-class horses in this race so obviously I'm going to be backing someone else in the race! 

Hurricane Fly is quite simply a legend in the sport of horse racing. Holder of the world record number of Grade 1 victories. Twice a winner of this race in 2011 and 2013 (he wasn't fit in 2010 and perhaps not quite right when third in 2012). However, all good things come to an end and the question is whether this is the year it ends, He will probably have to run the greatest race in his life as his opposition is full of top-class horses. Hurricane Fly is ten years old and only Hatton's Grace and Sea Pigeon have won this race at that age since its inception in 1927 (oddly both horses won it at eleven as well). This task was too much for that other great recent hurdler Istabraq who was sent off as a ten-year-old favourite in 2002. He was pulled up after a couple of flights. However, Istabraq was definitely on the downgrade and a really poor value favourite. Hurricane Fly looks at the peak of his powers winning all his three races this season (all Grade 1 races). 

There is an interesting point about Hurricane Fly. He's unbeaten at Leopardstown but his Cheltenham form is certainly less good. Will the other horses have a better chance today? They'd be no more popular winner than 'The Fly" but he needs to be at the top of his game.

Captain Cee Bee has been supplemented as a pacemaker (unless something very odd is going on). This thirteen-year-old has a good record at the Festival but his best days are many years ago. He might not run too badly and I doubt he will finish last.

Grumeti hasn't won a hurdle race since April 2012. He's ran well in the two runs at Cheltenham but he's making up the numbers here. I also don't like horses who have fallen in their career over hurdles.

Jezki has a 100% record for today's jockey Barry Geraghty (four wins from four races). A very consistent horse he is a major contender and he ran well in last year's Supreme Novices Hurdle. However, he hasn't won either of his last two races when he was ridden by AP McCoy. I think he's a bit unlucky that he's appeared at a time when there are other top-class hurdlers.

Melodic Rendezvous is going to be my choice at the prices on offer. He's had one weak race in his career when he was beaten into fifth place in Newcastle's Fighting Fifth hurdle. There is a risk he won't handle the quicker ground. However, he has won on good-to-soft so there may be too much of a feeling that he's just a soft ground horse.

My Tent Or Yours has to face the question of whether he will get up the hill this year. That was the query last year and he was outbattled by Champagne Fever in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. It's not impossible that he will do it this year (it's took Binocular three attempts to master this hill). However, I still have my doubts. He certainly couldn't be in better form.

Our Conor bids to be a rare five-year-old winner of the race. Katchit won at this age in 2007 but he was helped by the injury to Sizing Europe during the race. The previous five-year-old winner was See You Then. We don't know whether he was 'helped' by favourite Browne's Gazette ducking at the start and losing twenty lengths. I say 'helped' in this way as Browne's Gazette's jockey Dermot Browne admitted later in his career to corrupt acts in horse racing. He denies that this was one of the them and that they all happened in later years but we don't know. What we do know is that Our Conor destroyed the field in last year's Triumph Hurdle and won by fifteen lengths. He was not a normal four-year-old hurdler. However, he is another horse who has been beaten by Hurricane Fly two times this season. 

Ptit Zig has won a Grade 1 in Auteuil in France (that racecourse is pronounced nothing like how it is spelt). I wouldn't right him off running well as he looks like a good horse. However, he's another who has appeared at the wrong time.

The New One was an impressive winner of the Neptune Hurdle at last year's Festival. Horses to to have won that race and the Champion Hurdle were Istabraq and Hardy Eustace.  The New One certainly possesses the pace to be competitive at two miles. He has a wonderful record at Cheltenham. The one issue is that he can make a mistake. He should have beaten My Tent Or Yours in Kempton's Christmas Hurdle but made a mistake at the last which cost him victory. He has a great chance of victory if he jumps cleanly but at the pace this will be ran it is a very big 'if'.

I think Melodic Rendezvous has been forgotten by the public and I think is overpriced so he'll carry my money.

2014 Arkle Chase

Arkle Chase 2 miles

Champagne Fever is bidding to become the third horse to win three different races at the Cheltenham Festival. The other two are the legendary Flyingbolt in the mid 1960s and Bob's Worth who did this from 2011 to 2013. 

He's an immensely likeable horse who has battled bravely to win the Champion Bumper and the Supreme Novices Hurdle previously at the Festival. The ground shouldn't be a problem for him. The problem with him is his disastrous last race. He made a horrible mistake at the second last in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas weakening into third place. The issue is that since the late 1980s only one horse has finished outside the top-two in a completed chase (not counting falls and unseated) and gone on to win the Arkle Chase. That horse was Contraband in 2005 who never won another race in his life! Contrband also came third in his previous run but he was beaten about five lengths not the about fifteen lengths that Champagne Fever was beaten. Front runners have a poor record in this race. I know that Mullins and Walsh may not try to lead but I remember when this tactic didn't work for Fair Along who finished second in the 2007 Arkle which was one of the worst renewals in recent memory.

My choice for this race is Trifolium who finished second in that race where Champagne Fever finished third (the winner of the race is out injured for the rest of the season). He won the Irish equivalent race by nine lengths. I'm a little concerned about whether he will handle the quicker ground. However, he was a close third on good ground in the 2012 Supreme Novices Hurdle. The Cheltenham Preview comments have been strongly in his favour.

Brick Red doesn't look good and probably would prefer softer ground. It's also rare for a horse who ran on the turf to win this race.

Dodging Bullets is a consistent horse. However, I've seen a few comments that he didn't pick up after the last in his recent defeat at Newbury. On re-watching the finish I suspect that this probably the case. He has an excellent record at Cheltenham bar an awful run in last season's Supreme Novices Hurdle. The Racing Post comments about him for that Cheltenham race say "who found nothing for pressure having raced wide". Looking at other parts of his past form it looks like he doesn't want a battle which is exactly the sort of horse you don't want fighting for you in the finish up the Cheltenham hill!

Grandouet was a near top-class hurdler. However, while he has ran well over fences he still hasn't won and I can't remember if a maiden chaser has ever won this top-class race. 

Rock On Ruby was a top-class hurdler winning the Champion Hurdle in 2012 and then coming second in it last year. He's one of the few hurdlers to have beaten Hurricane Fly but Overturn did that in the same race and although Overturn was a gusty horse you have to wonder if Hurricane Fly was totally right that day. Only one horse has won the Champion Hurdle and the Arkle and that was Sir Ken (I was the only one who knew that at the Newcastle Racecourse Cheltenham Festival Preview!). However, Rock On Ruby is now nine years old. In fact, only Sir Ken and Danish Flight have won it at that age since its inception in 1946. Overturn was another good hurdler who failed last year as a nine-year-old. Rock On Ruby has an exceptional record at Cheltenham but I think his chance has gone. Other top-class hurdlers have won this such as Moscow Flyer and Sizing Europe but then the equally top-class Celtic Shot failed.

Ted Veale won the County Hurdle at last year's Festival but his chase form isn't good enough.

Valdez's chase form looks decent. However, most Arkle winners were good class hurdlers and his form wasn't great over timber. Certainly, you can't fault three wins from his three chase starts.

Western Warhorse won his last chase start but is out-classed here.

So in conclusion it's Trifolium who I have gone for.

2014 Supreme Novices Hurdle

2 miles 110 yards novice hurdle

These days you are looking for a horse who has not come up from the turf and then gone hurdling. The watering which sometimes has occurred and the wet weather we have had this year has produced softer ground. This blunts the speed of the flat-bred horses.

Personally for this race I like the Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh combination of Vautour. French breds have a good record in novice hurdles at the Festival. He's won on good to yielding ground at Navan so he's not just a soft-ground slogger. He's won on three stiff tracks (Navan, Punchestown and Leopardstown). He's won both the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle and the influential Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle.

I've gone through the comments from the Cheltenham preview events about him. The main point of argument is whether he was given a soft lead when beating The Tullow Tank in the Deloitte. Personally, I think he was always holding The Tullow Tank by a comfortable margin. Certainly, Vautour is the selection of many people at the preview events.

Irving has won four from four over hurdles including two Grade 2 events. He acts on any ground conditions. However, he has never raced left-handed over jumps. If you don't understand the difference between left-handed and right-handed the former applies to racecourse which race anti-clockwise and the latter applies to those that race clockwise. If you don't think that's important you need to know that racehorses such as Desert Orchid were significantly better at racing right-handed. Irving's has won three times on the flat in Germany but they were all right-handed. His only left-hand win was a three runner affair at Fontainebleau Racecourse!

Gilgamboa is another who has to prove he'll handle the surface. His only defeat was on the only occasion he's ran on ground faster than soft. He's in great form having won the Boylesports Hurdle last time out (the old Schweppes/Ladbroke Hurdle).

Josses Hill is a possibility. However most winners of the Supreme won last time out. Although he lost he only did so by half-a-length.

Splash Of Ginge won the high-class handicap Betfair Hurdle last time out (the old Tote Gold Trophy). However, today is his eighth race since September and I suspect the edge has been taken off him. Also his form looks like that of a flat-track bully and I feel that Cheltenham's undulations will not suit him.

Three Kingdoms is a rare second season novice to run in this (Brave Inca won this race in 2004 as one of those). However, he had a horrible run in the Fred Winter Hurdle at last year's Festival.

Un Ace needs a jockey as poor Jason Maguire suffered an injury yesterday and misses the Festival. He's won his only race over hurdles. However, that was only a Class 4 event and Doncaster is different to Cheltenham.

Valseur Lido is another soft-ground horse.

Vaniteux bounced back to form at Doncaster after a poor run at Kempton. He's only won Class 3 and Class 4 events and I think the softly softly approach to Supreme winners has passed by.

Western Boy was only 3/4 lengths behind Vautour in his last run. He's consistent and looks in good form. I feel that his style of running which is to come from behind isn't what is needed for this race.

Wicklow Brave is a threat to Vautour. However, Ruby Walsh had the choice of the two horses and went for Vautour. Some people have argued that this is because he wants to remain on the right side of Vautour's owner. Personally, I trust his judgement on this.

Wilde Blue Yonder looks a very good hurdler. However, he's fallen on his last two runs and although he'd have probably won both if he'd stood up it's not a good sign.

So in conclusion it's Vantour for me!