Cheltenham Festival Ratings Update: Handicaps

Hurdles

A fiercely contested Coral Cup was fought out by a pair of senior runners at the top of the handicap, both William Henry (154 from 150) and Wicklow Brave (156§ from 153§) coming wide from a long way back. Fourth off the same mark in last year’s Coral Cup, William Henry had had a breathing operation since running poorly on his reappearance. Former County Hurdle winner Wicklow Brave isn’t the most reliable, but very nearly added another Festival handicap to his record, caught only in the dying strides. The next three home – Ballyandy (150 from 147), Brio Conti (146 from 141) and Canardier (141 from 134) - all improved their ratings. Canardier, a novice making his handicap debut off a stiff mark, did well in the circumstances after not getting the best of runs up the inner.

WILLIAM HENRY flashes home late to land the Coral Cup for @sevenbarrows and @NdeBoinville, denying the admirable Wicklow Brave in a photo-finish! 📸#CheltenhamFestival2019

📽️ @itvracing
pic.twitter.com/8m8zdpxnNb

— TimeformLive (@TimeformLive) 13 March 2019

The Pertemps Final had a well-backed winner in Sire du Berlais (150p from 147) for Gordon Elliott who did it with more authority than his neck margin of victory suggests. He’s on his way to graded level and still unexposed as a stayer. Runner-up Tobefair (140 from 132) ran his best race for some time, while Not Many Left (144 from 141) and Cuneo (138 from 134) who completed the frame, will be of plenty of interest, the former travelling best but not quite seeing things out.

The County Hurdle went to Dan Skelton for the third time in the last four years, and Ch’tibello (151 from 147) was another who had had a wind op since his last run three months earlier; he’ll still look well treated in future handicaps. Running in his first handicap off a big weight, We Have A Dream (155 from 152+) edged out Nicky Henderson stablemate Countister (136 from 133+) for second and is worth keeping on side in similar events.

Now the final race of the Festival, the Martin Pipe for conditional jockeys had a familiar look, with Irish-trained runners dominating the market and the finish. Last year’s third Early Doors (152 from 145) was dropped in class (chased home Apple’s Jade on his last start) and defied top weight and a less-than-ideal passage under Jonjo O’Neill junior to get the better of the Gordon Elliott pair Dallas des Pictons (146 from 134) and Defi Bleu (140 from 128). The runner-up in particular, who travelled strongly and looked like justifying favouritism for a long way, is sure to remain of interest.

Chases

Beware The Bear (156 from 151) and Vintage Clouds (147, formerly 147+) had both made the frame in last year’s Ultima Handicap Chase and bettered those efforts by taking the first two places this time, the winner looking a different horse in blinkers of late and the likeable runner-up having had wind surgery since his last run. There was also a big run under top weight from Lake View Lad (158 from 154) in third – he looks a likely type for a National – while Big River (141 from 139) made up a remarkable amount of late ground to snatch fourth.  

Nicky Henderson is off the mark - Beware The Bear lands the Ultima! #TheFestival #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/b6fLDKF7Mx

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) 12 March 2019

Siruh du Lac (148p from 144p) is a most progressive handicapper, as well as a magnificent jumper of fences, and his all-the way win in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate was his sixth victory in his last seven races under Lizzie Kelly. Top weight Janika (162 from 161p) was all the rage in the betting and has now finished second in all three handicaps since joining Nicky Henderson. Like the winner, he’d make plenty of appeal in the Topham, though the Melling wouldn’t be out of the question either as he’s clearly a high-class young chaser. Novice Spiritofthegames (151 from 146) also recorded a new best in third on just his fourth start over fences.

The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir for amateur riders looks solid rather than strong form by Festival standards. Younger members of the field tended to come to the fore, though, and the winner, second-season novice Any Second Now (149 from 144), relished the longest trip he’s tackled to date, very much shaping as though further still will suit. Runner-up Kilfilum Cross (143p from 137), having his second start for Henry Oliver and just his fourth over fences, will be of interest in other big handicaps, and the same goes for No Comment (134p from 129P) who caught the eye in fifth; he’s another with just four starts over fences under his belt, two of which have come at the Festival.

The Grand Annual featured the biggest upset all week when twelve-year-old Croco Bay (145 from 138+), having just his second start since finishing fifth in the same race two years ago and his first for eight months, won as the 66/1 outsider of the whole field. Never worse than second, Croco Bay proved stronger in the finish than Bun Doran (152 from 150) who came to have every chance on the run-in. With those ridden prominently having an advantage, the form is unlikely to prove as strong as you’d expect from a Festival handicap.

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