Cheltenham countdown - news digest

Cheltenham preview - Part one

By Graham Richards

Extracted from the first part of Graham's full Cheltenham Preview, available now for only £5. Order your copy now. Parts two and three, and daily meeting emails, will be available in February and March.

Khyber Kim (FSF 132) made an excellent start to his hurdling career at Newbury. Jumping and travelling well, he ran on in fine style on the run in, having gone on two hurdles from home. He recorded an exceptional FSF figure for a debutant and with improvement almost certain to follow the future looks bright. Given his injury history, I understand there is a concern over the undulations at Prestbury Park, though an entry in the Champion Hurdle displays the regard he is held in.

The reigning champion Voy Por Ustedes (FSF 150), has run three times this season. He went down, conceding lumps of weight, in a tight finish on his return to action at Cheltenham. Sent for the Tingle Creek at Sandown Park, he ran below his best form. Alan King and “Choc” Thornton both feel he had taken more out of himself in his first race than had appeared, and he simply ran a flat race. He was then sent to Kempton Park, where he returned to something like his best, coming home in comfortable fashion from Hoo La Baloo. Alan reports he has done really well since then and is bouncing at home. The Game Spirit at Newbury will be his final port of call before Cheltenham.

Celestial Halo (FSF 127) went to Newbury with a huge home reputation and came through his first test over hurdles in fine style. The manner of the victory did not please everyone, and it certainly appeared he was doing all his best work at the end of the race. You need to be able to lie handy and travel in races at Cheltenham, it remains to be seen if he can achieve that. The likelihood of good ground at the Festival will play to the strengths of this decent flat race performer.

Tidal Bay (FSF 136) is unbeaten over fences; he has never finished out the first two at Cheltenham in four visits. Perhaps his style of running, with a slightly high carriage, does not appeal to everyone. In addition, the fact he has been campaigned over two and a half miles suggests connections are unsure about his best distance. I can report nothing is further from the truth; Howard Johnson is adamant The Arkle Trophy will be his race. You need stamina and speed to win the race, as it is usually run at a frenetic pace. Tidal Bay’s jumping is adequate if not spectacular. What is not beyond doubt is his resolution when the chips are down and it is "eyeball" time. Anything that passes him will know they have been in a battle royal. What price, I wonder, would he be if Nicholls or Henderson were next to his name?

Osana (FSF 147) created a huge impression, when he ran away the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December. Some pundits are of the view he stole the race at the start. Whilst it is true Paddy Brennan was able to dictate the race as he wished, he was as far in front at the line, as he was jumping the first hurdle. It looked as though Katchit and the rest of the field were simply unable to make any impression when it mattered. In fairness, Sublimity was clearly in need of the race, as was Straw Bear, while Afsoun did not run up to his best form. Strict interpretation of the form on a line through Penzance, who finished third at Cheltenham and Kempton Park, suggests Osana is 2lb behind Straw Bear and Harchibald who ran a virtual dead-heat. One would imagine Osana is capable of further improvement and he deserves his place at the forefront of the ante-post market.

Monet's Garden (FSF 147) started the season with a win over Kauto Star on what is probably his favourite track, on ground he enjoys. Monet’s Garden followed that, with a running on third in the Tingle Creek behind Twist Magic. His FSF rating displays he is as good as ever. Monet’s Garden ran below form in the Ryanair Chase last season having run a blinder in the Arkle the previous year.

There are three weeks between Cheltenham and Aintree this year. Horses that are effective and happy at Aintree, and go best fresh, are going to give their connections the headache of choosing which festival they are going to aim at.

Extracted from the first part of Graham's full Cheltenham Preview, available now for only £5. Order your copy now. Parts two and three, and daily meeting emails, will be available in February and March.

Cheltenham countdown - news digest