Kim Muir Challenge Cup: Mulholland has staying power

Midnight Chase, The Young Master, The Druids Nephew, Carole’s Destrier and, most recently, Pilgrims Bay. Suffice to say, Neil Mulholland is a dab hand with staying chasers, and he can land yet another notable success with Southfield Royale at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival.

Southfield Royale ran well at last year’s Festival when fourth in the National Hunt Chase over four miles. Before that he had won a Grade 2 novice chase at Doncaster (in first-time cheekpieces, beating Coologue) and performed even better on Timeform ratings when second in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase (Feltham) at Kempton.

The pair he split that day were Tea For Two and Native River, who are both set to contest the Gold Cup this time around, the latter probably as favourite—even if Southfield Royale was slightly flattered that day, getting first run on the winner, he still looks potentially very well treated from a handicap mark of 141.

We feel the official assessor has been very generous by dropping Southfield Royale 6 lb for his low-key return in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster in late-January. Granted, he finished twelfth of the 14 runners, but things went wrong from an early stage as he blundered at the first fence and was hampered at the second. He was also entitled to be rusty after nine months off. We’re happy to put a line through that effort, for all he also finished well held in Ireland on his final start last term.

Southfield Royale is entered in two races at the Festival, including the Ultima Handicap Chase (the third race on the Tuesday), though so are both the Druids Nephew (who won the race in 2015) and The Young Master. The fact that Southfield Royale was ridden by amateur James King on his return suggested the Kim Muir Challenge Cup (the last race on the Thursday and confined to amateur riders) could have been his port of call at the Festival, and Neil Mulholland confirmed on Wednesday 1st March that he is indeed an intended runner in that contest.

Last year's Pertemps Final winner Mall Dini has caught the eye over fences so far and will needs considering for whichever race he contests at the Festival, though he's not been missed by the bookies, nor has fellow Irish raider The Crafty Butcher. Champers On Ice looks another obvious Kim Muir contender for the Pipe yard that has won the race five times, including with The Package in 2015, but we feel the best bet in the race as things stand is Southfield Royale at 14/1.

Recommendation:

Back Southfield Royale for the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at 14/1

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