Mr Medic looks healthy option for Walford
War Sound main danger to Caspian Caviar bid The Worlds End cashes in to land novice chase
Last week, Robert Walford won the biggest race of his training career when Walk In The Mill, ridden by James Best, landed the Becher Chase over the Grand National fences. Walford and Best can trump that today in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham with the improving Mr Medic.
The seven-year-old has won his past two starts, at Ascot, although there were 11 months between them. Last time out, he stayed on well to beat Flying Angel by three lengths and while this constitutes a step in class, he looks up to the task.
“It is his biggest test so far,” said Walford. “He’s in great form. He jumps and travels well, so hopefully the track will suit him. He has gone up 9lb for Ascot but he won easily and it was to be expected.”
Baron Alco is bidding to become the fourth horse to win the Betvictor Gold Cup and Caspian Caviar in the same season, after Pegwell Bay (1988), Senor El Betrutti (1997) and Exotic Dancer (2006).
He made most of the running and kept out of trouble to beat Frodon, the 2016 winner of this race, here last month and once again there should not be a lot between them.
Among those who might have been unlucky behind them last month was Rather Be, who was brought down when still going well.
However the biggest danger to Mr Medic is likely to be War Sound – if the forecast rain does not arrive too soon. He was a good winner of a handicap chase at Aintree on his first start of the season but Philip Hobbs would be concerned if it softened up. “He’d cope but it wouldn’t be ideal,” he said.
Summerville Boy, last year’s Supreme winner, has his second start out of novice company in the Unibet International Hurdle. He ran behind Buveur d’air in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle this month but was not competitive. “He was never at the races,” said trainer Tom George, who was on the mark at his local course yesterday with The Worlds End in the Neville Lumb Novice Chase. “Nothing came to light but he’s quite highly strung and it just may have been the journey so we thought we’d bring him here, to a track we know he likes.”
The last time Brain Power ran over hurdles, he was beaten by three lengths by Wicklow Brave in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle, form which would be good enough to win this, but his chasing career never really took off. Nevertheless, he is an interesting returnee to the smaller obstacles but he has always flattered to deceive, and with ifs about some of the big guns, this may be a chance for Western Ryder.
The Worlds End’s job in the novice chase might have been made easier when Lil Rockerfeller stepped at the second and gave Wayne Hutchinson no chance. “He doesn’t need heavy ground, which he got in long-distance hurdles all last season,” pointed out George. “The Kauto Star at Kempton would be sharp enough and soon enough for him but he’s had three races before Christmas and if the ground stays good we’ll keep with him.”
Elixir De Nutz ran out a good winner of the British Stallion Studs Novice Hurdle under a penalty and Colin Tizzard will now aim him at the Supreme Novice Hurdle with, possibly, one run before.