The entries have been released today and the card looks every bit as good as it promised. Each and every race has more than enough potential to throw up a Cheltenham Festival winner. The 1st 2m Novice Hurdle could easily be the Supreme Novice's without the Irish, but a few Triumph contenders thrown in as well. Simonsig is entered which is enough to get me excited. Also All The Aces, Balder Success, Captain Conan, Colour Squadron and that is just down to the 'C's. The 2nd 3m Handicap Hurdle looks a good trial for the Petemps with current favourite Sivola De Sivola entered plus leading Grand National fancy Junior. No idea whether they take part or not but sure to be informative whoever turns up. The 3rd is the Denman Chase. Long Run et al. Need I say more? The 4th is the Game Spirit with Sprinter Sacre and Cue Card taking on their elders. The 5th is the Betfair Hurdle. The 6th is the 3m Novice Chase with Grands Crus, Join Together, Silviniaco Conti, Invictus, and so on all entered. The 7th is the Listed Bumper featuring New Year's Eve plus a whole host of potentially smart performers. There is also talk of the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novice Chase being rearranged from Sandown on Saturday. For Non Stop and Cristal Bonus are the leading duo in that. Perhaps more significantly, the Grade 1 prize on the card will allow Ruby Walsh to defer his ban, meaning he would be available to ride here. No idea who will turn up but the entries literally could not be any better. With the weather an obvious threat the whole card must be in some doubt but God I hope it goes ahead. If it does that is likely to make for a superb day's action because plenty of Trainers will be keen to run, and won't want to risk waiting for an alternative engagement. Full preview to follow when the declarations are made. Looks absolutely terrific at this stage though. Full Card Betfair Hurdle Preview
Re The Supreme Novices, I guess we'll know the pecking order in Henderson's yard based on what Gerraghty rides on Saturday - as you say, opportunities for a run before the festival are diminishing and if Henderson has 3 or 4 run on Saturday it will be fascinating to see who Geraghty rides. I really like Tetlami but agree Simonsig looks a machine. I do want to see him come out on top in a fight thought - he didn't find much against Fingal Bay.
I doubt Henderson will run too many. I think he'll run All The Aces plus one other. It might be Simonsig but it might not be. Also updated to include Sprinter Sacre v Cue Card in the Game Spirit. Entries not out for that yet so I missed it first time. Just makes it look even better. The card is just so good it's scarcely believable.
Cracking card. Best thing to do would be to make a note of all the runners and see how many Festival winners it produced....
Cracking card. Worthy of a competition but unfortunately I won't be able to run one as I don't know how much access I'll have to the internet for a while. Any one else fancy running one?
Also entered at Taunton (I think) so might go there instead. Nicholls also says his duo (Silviniaco Conti and Join Together) won't run in the 3m Novice Chase if Grands Crus runs.
I wouldmt run my horse in that race either if he was running unless my horse is called kauto star or long run
I'm hoping there is at least 8 in the Denman against Long Run. I think he could be vulnerable in a race like this and would be looking to take him on with a nice EW selection. Burton Port and Medermit would be the two at the current prices.
A huge fan of merdemit seems to run well everywer cept cheltenham! and I will go e/w with him but thinl long run will have too much class than the others! I know his jumping lets him down but recovers quickly after mistakes and makes up for it everywer else!!
Haven’t had that close a look as the fixture is afterall by no means certain to take place and most deffo in the hands of old ‘Mother Nature’. She will have the deciding call. Montbazon, the hope of the county, is in the opener but he is far more likely to go to the planned Listed event at Exeter 24 hours later. Am really surprised that as many as 10 have been put in against Mr Henderson’s Long Run as afterall they are most likely only competing for 2nd place – however, as we all know, entries don’t also turn into declarations. The ‘Betfair Hurdle’ looks very nice but don’t forget that this is Zarkander’s prep for Cheltenham, his hors d' oeuvres if you like, not the main dish. I’ve always liked the look of Olofi off a featherweight in this heat. Grands Cru will be competing with Long Run as to who will go off the shortest favourite but I would expect Mr Henderson’s Mossley to really chase up the former as I still have the strongest faith in him. Finally, why has the bumper being downgraded from Grade 2 to Listed class?!? Baffling because it can’t be through the class of the winners being poor as in recent terms both Al Ferof and Mad Max have obliged. This time around Mr Henderson’s River Maigue is interesting after winning his point earlier in the term but the one to beat may be dear old Pip Hobbs’ Village Vic who looked awesome with a capital ‘A’ at Chepstow over the Christmas period.
Betfair have it odds on to be off. The card at Leopardstown on Sunday is fantastic as well with 4 Grade 1s on the day
The Grade 1 Scilly Isles has been re-opened for entries and it is looking another superb contest with Silviniaco Conti and Champion Court the star names added to the field. Will update when the full card is known.
Full card now available here - http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/meeting_of_cards.sd?crs_id=36&r_date=2012-02-11
'Yes' has been well supported into 1.70 (last price matched) from a high of 2.20. 'No' has been on the drift out to 2.28 (last price matched) from a low of 1.40. Let us just hope that the market is right. The course itself appears as positive as you could expect given there is some obvious doubt.
