BOTH in Britain and Ireland, the run-up to the Cheltenham Festival is almost as important as the four days of exhilarating action. Media mornings at top yards are rife up and down the land, and stable tours from some of the top journalists in the industry frequently pop up.
Over the last month, I’ve been one of the lucky few to attend these information-gathering days at various prominent yards as well as talking to fellow trainers who are set to have runners in the cauldron of Prestbury Park next week. Although quotes on the likes of Shishkin, Bravemansgame, and Dysart Enos are extremely important, trainers are more than happy to reveal a dark horse or two to watch out for at jump racing’s Olympics when asked the question. So, with this in mind, here are a few big-priced runners to keep an eye on.
Ben Pauling
Bowtogreatness
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
For a long time, Gloucestershire-based trainer Ben Pauling hasn’t been able to hide his love for Bowtogreatness, a horse co-owned by former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp.
The eight-year-old came close to landing a big pot at last year’s Aintree Grand National meeting, and in November of this season, Pauling labelled the 133-rated Westerner gelding as “almost the apple of my eye”.
With the team that Pauling has coming through the ranks this season, those are bold words, and he doubled down on this at the recent Cheltenham Festival Handicap weights lunch, as he said: “I’m hoping that Bowtogreatness might get into the Kim Muir. He’s a horse that takes a lot of getting fit, but I think he genuinely might be just ready now - Ben Jones actually said that he took a blow two-out in the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase. He’s in the National Hunt Chase as well, but I think he is hopefully ahead of his mark and he would run well. I know he would stay three-mile six-furlongs, it’s just whether I leave it until later in the week [for the Kim Muir] and risk getting in.”
It looks as if both the National Hunt Chase and Kim Muir are still options for him, so we will know more by this weekend. That being said, as a general 16/1 shot for the finale on day three, it will be touch-and-go as to whether he sneaks in, but he should have a massive chance if he does.
Fergal O’Brien
Teorie
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
As is with most renewals of the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, reasoning can be made for many contenders at a price as these juveniles all improve at different rates. The last six renditions of the contest have gone the way of Irish-based trainers, though Fergal O’Brien could have one to look out for in Teorie.
Formerly with Jim Bolger on the flat where he won a 12-furlong Leopardstown maiden and reached a rating of 81, the four-year-old by Teofilo is constantly learning on the job.
Despite this, he showed an electric turn of foot at Southwell on his last start to put away a nice field of older horses that included the 1/3 favourite Act Of Authority and Mel Rowley’s Diskatek, a horse that comes from the same family as the 2006 German Derby runner-up Dickens. O’Brien may only have a handful of handicap runners at the Festival this year, but of the ones that will run, Teorie could be the best of the lot, as he said: “I love Teorie; I think he has a great attitude. He’s a big price, but he’s in great form. He disappointed us a little bit at Musselburgh two starts ago, but he won very well on his debut for us and he came back to beat older horses at Southwell. He loves racing, he loves being among horses, and I think he will run very well.”
This glowing endorsement by the boss of Ravenswell Farm was also backed up by Ella McNeill, part of the co-owners The McNeill Family, as she said on the recent Only Fools Love Horses Cheltenham preview night that Paddy Brennan thinks Teorie is one of the most improved horses in the yard. If this is the case, the 50/1 available in places could look overpriced by the off.
Nigel
Twiston-Davies
Gowel Road
Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
It looks as if Nigel Twiston-Davies could have a strong team at next week’s Cheltenham Festival as both Weveallbeencaught (Ultima/Kim Muir) and Guard Your Dreams (County/Coral Cup/Martin Pipe) deserve plenty of respect in their respective races. However, with plans still slightly up in the air for these hopefuls, Gowel Road will definitely run in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle, and he is a horse who has connections displaying a wry smile.
With previous Cheltenham form to his name thanks to his win in November 2021, the eight-year-old has performed with credit on numerous occasions this season, notably when fourth to Slate Lane in the valuable Betfair “Serial Winners” Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle on his first run for 392 days at Haydock in November. In third that day was Crambo, a subsequent Grade 1 winner and one of the fancied British runners for Thursday’s Grade 1 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, and assistant trainer Willy Twiston-Davies believes there is a big run in him at 25/1.
“His run behind Slate Lane and Crambo at Haydock was very good,” Willy Twiston-Davies said. “He wasn’t beaten far off a long lay-off. Sam [Twiston-Davies] got off him at Exeter the last day and said that he didn’t feel anywhere near as good as he could be.
“We’ve done some bits of tweaking with him, and I think he could run a massive race if it is soft ground. His current mark is very, very reasonable and it looks like he is coming to the boil in time.”
With the recent ground update on Tuesday, March 5th from TurfTrax revealing that the official going is soft, heavy (in places) on the New Course at Cheltenham, the Twiston-Davies team could get their desired conditions in a wide-open race.