Cheltenham 2023 - Early fancies

[archie]

Most of the novices will always be schooled over fences later this year first before any decisons made so very early days for those yet to decide what goes chasing/hurdling next season.

I can confirm this. I've probably told the story before but we did a stable visit in the October after Kemboy's novice hurdle season and the talk was about the Stayers Hurdle as that season's target. A few weeks later he was set for novice chasing because he'd impressed schooling over fences.

[OffTheBridle]

About PTKO earlier in the week.
I didn't expect to be proved correct so soon but it's a timely warning to anyone considering backing older mares this far out. It's still early enough for a 2022 covering.

Very good point this Archie. I learned my lesson last year with Colreevy

[Istabraq]

About PTKO earlier in the week.
I didn't expect to be proved correct so soon but it's a timely warning to anyone considering backing older mares this far out.

Always good to hear the views of experienced owners and it's this principal that I've applied (rightly or wrongly) to TMSG with next years target.
My feeling is they'll target the Mares hurdle again, hope to get that G1 win then get her covered, I've taken the view she'll never jump fences...

[Maxfield]

Two worth making a note on: Attacca & Are U Wise To That

Relatives to Altior and Denman set to debut at Warwick on Thursday



Relatives of two of the most iconic chasers of the last 15 years make their debuts at Warwick (4.58) in a hot bumper on Thursday.
Representing the same owner and trainer as Altior is his relation Attacca, a son of Mahler out of Listening who is a King's Theatre half-sister to Monte Solaro, dam of the dual Champion Chase superstar.
Attacca was bred by the renowned sport horse breeder Mary McCann, who stood the legendary Irish showjumping stallion Cruising at her Hartwell Stud and currently stands two clones of the multiple champion - Cruising Arish and Cruising Encore - at her Kildare farm.
She sold Attacca as a foal at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale for €44,000 to Gerry Hogan and he reappeared at the company's Land Rover Sale last June where he was purchased by Highflyer Bloodstock for €58,000 from Galbertstown Stables.Trained by Nicky Henderson for Patricia Pugh, the four-year-old is a half-brother to a pair of winners.

Jonjo O'Neill's Are U Wise To That made a positive first impression when second on debut in a Dromahane four-year-old maiden at the end of December, and was subsequently bought by Peter and Ross Doyle for ?125,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale. They also purchased Inch House, the horse who finished ahead of Are U Wise To That.
From the first Irish-bred crop of Walk In The Park, who have been making waves on the track, he is a half-brother to Listed bumper winner Didtheyleaveuoutto and their dam Pretty Puttens is a Snurge half-sister to the magnificent Denman.
Bred by Rita Kent, he was sold by Ballyhampshire Stud to Orchardstown Farms and Fethard Bloodstock for €21,000 as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale.
He was offered at the 2020 Goffs Land Rover Sale but failed to find a buyer. As well as the Gold Cup winner, his dam is also a half-sister to the Tolworth Hurdle and Scilly Isles Novices' Chase winner Silverburn and to the dams of Polly Peachum, Kayf Grace and Hearts Are Trumps.

[FinalFurlong91]

Serious stretch calling attaca a relation of altior and the same with the denman horse

Cousin twice removed maybe

[ComplyOrDie]

Serious stretch calling attaca a relation of altior and the same with the denman horse

Cousin twice removed maybe

It wasn't just me trying to find the relation lines then!

Literally better off saying, 'runs in the same colours as Altior'.

[robith]

You ain't kidding ! Didn't willie mention trying gdc at 2 miles ? He's now looking at 3 miles, definitely mullins bingo, though i wish he'd gone 3 miles at Cheltenham !

Funny how before hand we were thinking how GDC vs Bob was a big contest, Galopin turned the screw on Bob so hard in hindsight I think "Man, I'd have loved to have seen Galopin vs L'Homme Presse!"

[FinalFurlong91]

It wasn't just me trying to find the relation lines then!

Literally better off saying, 'runs in the same colours as Altior'.

I was slightly baffled when I saw different dam, different sire, different dam sire

[Ice]

Funny how before hand we were thinking how GDC vs Bob was a big contest, Galopin turned the screw on Bob so hard in hindsight I think "Man, I'd have loved to have seen Galopin vs L'Homme Presse!"

Hopefully we'll get to see the 3 of them all in next years gold cup, throw in a plus tard returning and it could be a cracker. Plenty could go wrong in the 50 weeks til then but nice to think what could happen !

[Istabraq]

Hopefully we'll get to see the 3 of them all in next years gold cup, throw in a plus tard returning and it could be a cracker. Plenty could go wrong in the 50 weeks til then but nice to think what could happen !

The Gold Cup always looks a great race 11 months out, next year you can probably add in Stattler, Galvin, Protectorat, Royal Pagaille if it's deep, Conflated if this is their chosen route, even Minella Indo won't be a no hoper.
But as we know there'll be injuries, disappointments and re-routes elsewhere.

Cue Bravemansgame turning up and winning the lot at 50s....

[Ice]

The Gold Cup always looks a great race 11 months out, next year you can probably add in Stattler, Galvin, Protectorat, Royal Pagaille if it's deep, Conflated if this is their chosen route, even Minella Indo won't be a no hoper.
But as we know there'll be injuries, disappointments and re-routes elsewhere.

Cue Bravemansgame turning up and winning the lot at 50s....

Here's me looking forward to a great 2023 gold cup and you've bought me back down to earth !

[Istabraq]

Here's me looking forward to a great 2023 gold cup and you've bought me back down to earth !

Apologies Ice, to be fair it'll always be a great race even with a few that don't make it.
I've taken a fairly strong view on Stattler at the prices but you could take a view on loads...

[Ice]

Apologies Ice, to be fair it'll always be a great race even with a few that don't make it.
I've taken a fairly strong view on Stattler at the prices but you could take a view on loads...

Yeah, i can see stattler being a player and @ 20/1 is one of the few horses that look a decent price, will definitely get him on side at some point.

[Maxfield]

I was slightly baffled when I saw different dam, different sire, different dam sire

lol to be fair I got lost in the head line when I read it and now looking at it again!! Well at least they both ran well, 1st and 2nd

[ComplyOrDie]

I have started backing a few horses but there's nothing I am currently massively keen on right now.

The prices of Shishkin & Flooring Porter look obvious plays to me in their respective races, although forgiveness for Shishkin is required, and you'd need to believe the ground excuse (I do), as it was just too bad a run, and we know he's a whole lot better than that.

Journey With Me for the Brown Advisory would be my bet in that race currently, but wouldn't be an overly strong opinion.

Not a clue on the novice hurdlers yet. An absolute ton of potentials from the p2p sphere, who haven't even run in bumpers yet, that could surface, not to mention the French imports. That 3/1 about Facile Vega is ridiculous, even sticking it in a multiple. Admittedly I had a small bet on Mercurey before his second bumper run, which is looking horrendous now, all things considered, however I'm hoping I'll be able to get out the bet when he's entered up over hurdles next season, so retain that bet for now.

Novice chasers are generally the same as the novice hurdlers, although the fact they ran Journey With Me at the incorrect trip tells me they probably didn't want to bottom him out before going over the right trip over fences. I assume all is well with him after his fall in the Ballymore, and I don't expect to see him turn up at Punchestown either. I've started backing a few of the Mullins lot with free bets for now, but that's about it. I wouldn't be half confident, especially after what he done with Galopin this season, about where any of them will turn up next season.

I think Constitution Hill wins the Champion Hurdle, provided he stays sound and they go this route. He'll be my main focus for a lot of early bets. I was mad keen on him before the Supreme, I'm even keener now. Although, I did always think he'd go novice chasing, so I backed him for the Arkle before the Supreme & also with a few free bets, so that's a bit of a gutter.

I think Allaho is short enough, and what I do with him will likely depend on Galopin Des Champs and possibly also Monkfish.

A Plus Tard will have to be covered. Super impressive this season. 9/2 is fair. He'll be going into some multiples.

Not much else to report other than a huge list, as per normal, of potential novice hurdlers, that I'll probably struggle to whittle down. Hopefully we'll see a few in some bumpers sooner rather than later.