Super-sub Nic won’t upstage rising chasers
Nichols Canyon should run away with the Morgiana Hurdle on a fabulous card at Punchestown tomorrow.
But, while that’ll be another win for Willie Mullins, where are the rest of the Closutton big guns?
Annie Power, Faugheen and Vroom Vroom Mag were all entered, yet none run and it makes you wonder if there is a problem.
Dry weather in Ireland hasn’t helped the good ones get going, but we’re now in the middle of November and we also haven’t seen the likes of Douvan, Yorkhill or Djakadam.
No panic, of course. There is still plenty of time before the obligatory assault on the big festivals next spring.
However, the normal pattern of build-up is being broken so keep that in mind in the ante- post markets.
Back to today and, although Nichols should still give Mullins another Grade 1, a pair of young Gi g g i n s t ow n novice chasers are the most exciting horses on view.
Identity Thief was a high- class novice hurdler and Henry De Bromhead wasted no time in getting him over fences. He’s looked an absolute natural and a serious contender for the Arkle in March.
We are likely to see favourite Altior at Kempton tomorrow but he’ll need to be as good as he was over timber or a Thief may be waiting to nick the crown from his head.
Noel Meade’s Disko is also exciting and he should be winning again as the build-up to an RSA tilt gathers momentum.
You won’t get rich with singles, but a win treble will pay the Sunday club pints.
The north has a crack staying chaser in Seeyouatmidnight, but we’ve also got one for the minimum trip in the novice division.
Malcolm Jefferson’s Cloudy Dream was a good hurdler who looks even better over fences after hacking up at Haydock on Friday and is well worth an each-way play at 25-1 for the Arkle.
What a boost for our tracks this week with the launch of The Northern Lights Series.
With big money on offer and a strict qualifying system for the finals at Carlisle in December, Perth, Kelso, Musselburgh and Ayr should continue to get the standard of horses their excellent work deserves.
Paddy Brennan was content to bide his time on Colin Tizzard’s 15-8 jolly as Coneygree (2-1) made a typically bold bid from the front on his first start for 377 days.
The duo seized the initiative four out and stayed on very strongly in the testing conditions to beat his market rival in magnificent style by 15 lengths.
French raider Vezelay outran odds of 50-1 to take third while Seeyouatmidnight was pulled up by Brian Hughes after failing to handle the ground. Tizzard said: “He means everything. We’ve got a few other ones now, but then he comes and does this. He’s absolutely sluiced up today and he’s every bit as good as he’s ever been. “We schooled him this week and he jumped beautifully - he made it look so easy today. “As for the £1m bonus, we are the only ones still in it. We went for the King George last year and that is the route we’ll take again.” Cue Card was cut to 6- 4 from 9-2 by Hills for the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Earlier, Dan Skelton’s Ch’Tibello (5-1) made his speed tell in the Betfair Price Rush Hurdle.
The gelding always travelled sweetly under Harry Skelton and showed a useful turn of foot to beat Melodic Rendezvous (10-1) by two lengths.
My Tent Or Yours was sent off 10-11 favourite on his seasonal debut but the JP McManus-owned gelding failed to fire in third.
There was far better news for McManus at Ascot when Yanworth (4-5 Fav) got the job done in the Coral Hurdle.
Alan King’s gelding needed the run on his seasonal debut but wore down Lil Rockerfeller to win by three-quarters of a length under Barry Geraghty. William Hill cut Yanworth to 8-1 from 10s for the World
Hurdle at the Festival.