Punting aside, we’ve all had one winner before the Cheltenham Festival even gets under way.
Willie Mullins’ late decision to run Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle, after twice swerving the main even in favour of much easier pickings in the Mares’ Hurdle, is most welcome news, especially so after megastar crowd-puller Constitution Hill’s recent withdrawal.
At the same time, it is undoubtedly a relief to most that Constitution Hill will be sitting this one out. Really, it was a no-brainer. The attention would have been overwhelming, far too much for Nicky Henderson and his team and the sport in general. Would he fall again? Would he be alright?
On ratings, Constitution Hill is still the very best of the bunch (some would argue of all time), but by another crucial measure he is the very worst – among the many hundreds who have run over hurdles this past year, I can’t find another that has a record as poor as three falls and a tailed off submission from four starts.
Lossiemouth will race with newly-fitted headgear in the Champion Hurdle (Photo: PA)Anyway, though his once sublime jumping technique may have deserted him, he is by no means finished; a second potentially lucrative career on the Flat awaits.
Jumping is the name of this game, as Golden Ace demonstrated last year when skipping merrily through the mayhem to claim this coveted prize as Constitution Hill suffered the first of his falls, followed by State Man at the final flight when seemingly in complete control.
And then again when The New Lion, today’s second favourite, crashed out when poised to pounce in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in November.
This is an ongoing fairy-tale for owner Ian Gosden, trainer Jeremy Scott and jockey Lorcan Williams, but she can’t be charmed three times, can she?
The New Lion has taken over as the chief British hope, but trainer Dan Skelton is under no illusions about the task that faces him.
Cheltenham tips, Day 1
1.20pm: Talk The Talk (Next Best) 2pm: Kopek Des Bordes 2.40pm: Winston Junior (Best Bet) 3.20pm: Hyland (Each-Way) 4pm: 1 Lossiemouth, 2 The New Lion, 3 Poniros 4.40pm: McLaurey 5.20pm: Iceberg Theory“I don’t see anything lacking in our horse and it’s just a case of whether all his components are enough to win a Champion Hurdle,” he said. “But we have to give three good mares 7lb.”
In the end it may all come down, as it so often does, to Mullins, who, apart from Lossiemouth, has two likely lads as back-up in the promising Poniros and the mercurial Anzadam.
Lossiemouth was beaten fair and square by Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown last time – just her fourth defeat in 17 starts – but jockey Paul Townend felt she was a little lack lustre and so is now fitted with headgear to sharpen her up.
What’s more, her record at Cheltenham is impeccable – four wins out of four – while Brighterdaysahead has been beaten on both her visits.
Winston Junior has already won this year at Ascot (Photo: Getty)Poniros made history last March when, on his first run over jumps, he won the Triumph Hurdle at 100-1, nailing Lulamba close home, and he has time on his side to achieve much more.
Lulamba is back again, featuring now over fences in a familiar Henderson-Mullins Arkle Trophy showdown against Kopek Des Bordes.
Unbeaten and untested to the full, visually it’s impossible to pick a flaw in either. The only difference I note is that the Mullins camp are even more bullish than Henderson’s, but I’ll be happy just to sit back and enjoy.
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