Whittington: ‘Betts’ has big chance in Plate

MOST Irish eyes will be on the battalion heading across the water to Cheltenham in a fortnight’s time but English trainer Harry Whittington is expecting big things from Simply The Betts at the Cotswolds.

Whittington is eyeing a first Festival success and rates Simply The Betts – a general 9/1 favourite after winning over course and distance last time out – as his best opportunity of breaking that duck in the Brown Advisory Plate Handicap Chase on the third day at Cheltenham.

“Simply The Betts has got a great chance in the Plate. He has improved beyond all recognition all season, coming through the handicaps. We are in the Plate off 149 and we have got every chance,” Whittington said.

“Hopefully he is still improving and is ahead of the handicapper. He is unexposed and he has course and distance winning form, so we go there with lots of confidence.”

Rouge Vif (12/1) is another leading chance for Whittington in the Arkle after landing the Grade Two Kingmaker at Warwick earlier this month, while stable star Saint Calvados (20/1) will attempt to make it thirdtime lucky at the Festival in the Ryanair Chase, although he admits that Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard (9/4 favourite) “looks the one to beat.”

Dan Skelton is another trainer hoping to prevent an Irish bonanza over the four days and he is excited by Allmankind (9/2) as the four-year-old puts his unbeaten streak over hurdles on the line in the Triumph Hurdle.

Joseph O’Brien’s well-touted Cerberus was no match for Allmankind in a Chepstow Grade One over Christmas and confidence is high in the Skelton camp in a contest which the British look set to dominate, with Paul Nicholls’ Solo (3/1 favourite) and Gary Moore’s Goshen (7/2) the other market principals.

“I’m glad I didn’t run him at the trials meeting at Cheltenham, because I think that might have blunted that last couple of per cent of freshness and aggression in him,” Skelton said.

“He loves to run hard, and he is going to run hard, so you need him at his best to be able to do that. His Chepstow run would be good enough to be in the top three at least, so if he has found a little bit more, perfect.”

Meanwhile, British champion jumps jockey Richard Johnson has made a speedy recovery from an injury that threatened to derail his season as he returns on Thursday.

The four-time champion jockey has recovered from a broken arm sustained in a fall at Exeter just over a month ago and he is still in with an outside chance of retaining his crown as he trails Armagh native Brian Hughes by 19 winners.