The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Go for gold with Duke
RACING: Eight-year-old should finish strongly in Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup
Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power can claim a second successive victory in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup courtesy of OUR DUKE.
The Irish trainer struck gold with her very first runner in the blue riband when Sizing John claimed top honours last season and, while he is unfortunately not back to defend his crown, Our Duke is a more-than-capable understudy.
The eight-year-old would have been fully entitled to run at last year’s Festival after winning a Grade One novice chase at Leopardstown, but connections elected to take a cautious approach and he instead remained on home soil.
The decision paid off handsomely as Our Duke ran out a brilliant winner of the Irish Grand National, looking every inch a Gold Cup contender as he jumped and galloped his rivals silly under a big weight.
This season has not been so straightforward, with a back problem discovered after a listless comeback at Down
Royal, but that was swiftly rectified. And after a promising enough effort in the Irish Gold Cup, he gave weight and a beating to star novice Presenting Percy in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park.
Because of his interrupted campaign he heads into the spring relatively fresh and providing he takes to the track, he should be coming home strongly when some of his rivals may have cried enough.
APPLE’S SHAKIRA will not be much of a price in the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle but it is hard to side against her.
Nicky he nd er son’ s runner is unbeaten in three starts since transferring to Britain, with each of those victories achieved in testing conditions at Cheltenham.
She beat the reopposing Gumball by 17 lengths on her British bow before finding it slightly harder work when finishing three lengths ahead of Nuba Negra in December.
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is always an attritional affair and that should bring out the best in the battlehardened POETIC RHYTHM.
FLYING TIGER struck gold at last year’s Festival and can be in the money again in the Randox Health County Hurdle.
Winner of the 2017 Fred Winter, Flying Tiger has been out of luck in five starts so far this season but ran an excellent race to finish fourth in the Kingwell last time. A repeat effort off an unchanged rating might be enough.
At Musselburgh, BUCKLED looks worth a punt in the Bet And Watch At 188Bet.co.uk Handicap Hurdle.
SELECTIONS CHELTENHAM: 1.30 Apple’s Shakira, 2.10 Flying Tiger, 2.50 Poetic Rhythm, 3.30 Our Duke, 4.10 BURNING AMBITION (NAP), 4.50 Deal D’estruval, 5.30 Rock The World.
MUSSELBURGH: 11.30 Nendrum, 12.05 Bedrock, 12.40 Middlebrow, 1.10 Nefyn Bay, 1.50 Uptown Funk, 2.30 Misfits, 3.10 Leostar.
DOUBLE: Our Duke and Burning Ambition.