The Unibet Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham on the 19th November is the one of the first real big, competitive Handicaps on the Jumps card. This years renewal looks set to be as competitive as ever, with some nice types potentially heading to post come mid November.
GG writer Jake Russell takes an ante-post look at this year’s race, where he identifies some of the key runners along with a couple of lively outsiders, before giving his expert verdict.
Last year’s renewal saw Nigel Twiston-Davies’ I LIKE TO MOVE IT defy top weight to run out a decisive winner over Gin Coco (2nd) and Harbour Lake (3rd):
Key Runners
Nemean Lion
(Kerry Lee)
Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion is one of my 10 horses to follow for the season ahead, with some decent form behind him, although he only has five runs over hurdles to his name so far. He jumped well in the main for his stable debut at Hereford, before making a pretty big blunder at the second-last, but he recovered well to pull clear and win by 10 lengths, putting in an impressive performance. Nemean Lion then had three more runs that season, finishing a decent second in a nice contest at Haydock, before going on to run in the Grade 1 Tolworth at Sandown, where he came a very creditable third, only beaten by just under four lengths.
His effort last time out was arguably a career best, when landing the Welsh Champion Hurdle in very game fashion. Again he jumped superbly all the way around, travelling strongly throughout the contest before pulling clear and staying on well in the closing stages to win by just under 2 lengths. The way he won last time suggests a step up in trip might suit in the future, but this stiffer test at Cheltenham could be exactly what he needs with the tricky hill to claim up. His win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle was off the mark of 135, now up 5lbs in the ratings, that might not be enough to stop him.
I think this is the long time plan for connections, as they feel he is potentially a better horse than a handicapper, and he did show it at times last season when running well in some good novice contests.
Luccia
(Nicky Henderson)
A real nice type for Seven Barrow’s, the Nicky Henderson trained mare hit the peak rating of 142 in the racing post ratings last season, which was achieved in the Listed Novice contest at Exeter where she ran out a very easy winner. She was then pitched straight into the deep end when contesting in the Grade 2 Mares Novice Hurdle at the festival, where connections expected her to win but she could only manage 4th. She next ran in the Grade 1 Top Novices Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, where although beaten again, she did run a very good race to finish 3rd, only beaten by just over 3 lengths. She was beaten into 2nd spot by a horse who probably just stayed on better than her that day. That horse was Strong Leader who is now rated 143 but did disappoint when already having a run this season.
I don’t think there is much of a real plan for Luccia this season as yet, although I imagine she would be planned for all the graded mares races with the mares hurdle being the main target come March. But connections might want to be utilise the potentially low mark of 136 and land a big pot of this nature before she might go up in the ratings and grades. I do feel her current rating of 136 is a little lenient, and she could run well in a race of this nature. With one thing guaranteed, she will be staying on up the hill and be there or thereabouts come the finish. She could be an interesting runner, who could be a graded type running in a handicap.
Onlyamatteroftime
(Willie Mullins)
A horse that has shot up the market for the maestro trainer Willie Mullins, his son of Getaway is to yet have a run for new connections since coming over from a new trainer and owner in Ireland. Once trained by Niall Madden, Onlyamatteroftime had just the one run in a bumper which was a winning effort (The horse that initially finished in front of him got disqualified therefore Onlyamatteroftime got the race).
He has had the four runs over hurdles for previous connections, with the best effort being a 3rd placed run at Roscommon in July when sent off 2/1 in the market, but was relatively well beaten in the end finished 10 lengths behind the winner.
His last run for previous connections was when he was sent off the 3/1 favourite in the Kanturk Handicap Hurdle at Cork, a race where he ran out at the last after staying on quite well. It would be difficult to gauge how he would have finished the last race had he stayed on a true line, but one thing was for sure and that was he was staying on well approaching the last hurdle.
He has looked to be given a very low mark of 115, which means he would carry a featherweight in the contest come the weekend. However previous trends in the race state that 9 of the last 12 winners of the race have been rated 134 or higher, and the others were rated 128, 126 and 128, so this horse looks to be a little way off what is required to win a race of this nature. However he is now with Willie Mullins, so no matter the previous form or ratings, if Willie pitches a horse like this in a race like the Greatwood, then we all need to take note. Plus the horse will most likely always be supported in the market as they head to the race.
Blueking D’Oroux
(Paul Nicholls)
A horse that came over to the UK from France with a bit of a reputation, that could mainly be put down to the fact of the new owners and being sent to the Paul Nicholls yard. He struggled badly early on for new connections, pulling up on his stable debut in a Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham, before going on to finish 9th of 14 in a regular Juvenile Hurdle at Taunton, sent off favourite and well beaten in the end. He then had wind surgery, which has seemed to worked absolute wonders for the horse, as he lined up at Ascot after a 93 day break, where he won very nicely indeed at the odds of 50/1. He followed that up by putting in a career best performance to come 2nd in the Abersoch Land And Sea Handicap Hurdle for Conditional Jockeys’ And Amateur Riders at Aintree, beaten by just under 4 lengths but still running well and finishing a further 6 lengths ahead of the 3rd placed horse.
He has already had the one run this season, when winning the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at Cheltenham on their first race meeting of the season, winning it well by 2 lengths. He was prominent throughout the race and stayed on very well up the Cheltenham Hill, really relishing the conditions and looking back to his very best. He could easily be a real force in these 2-mile handicap hurdles this season, and the way he has been running in his last three races, I would say his current mark of 138 might be a little lenient at this stage. He has race fitness on his side, and should he turn up here I feel he could go very well.
Knickerbockerglory
(Dan Skelton)
The Skelton’s won this contest two years ago with West Cork, who ended up carrying 10 stone 13 to victory that day. There runner Knickerbockerglory looks set to carry a little more weight than West Cork did with 11 stone 09 on his back come Sunday.
Knickerbockerglory is a decent type, who has run over both hurdles and fences, and currently holds the record of 6 wins, 3 seconds and 1 third in just 13 career runs. A very decent strike rate for a nice type, who has already had his seasonal debut just two weeks ago when running in quite a competitive Handicap contest at Ascot.
He was sent off a pretty decent price that day, and Tristan Durrell took off 5lb’s too, which could have been the key factor as to why this horse won quite nicely. He disputed the lead early on, before taking the lead with 3 jumps to go, before surging clear at the last to win very comfortably indeed by a cool 4 and a quarter lengths.
He has since been hiked up 5lb’s in the weights for that effort, which in the grand scheme of things might not be enough to stop him, should he take to the Cheltenham Hill. He has never run at Cheltenham, so it is hard to gauge whether his running style could potentially suit the track. He is currently rated as high as he has ever been, and would need to show that this new mark isn’t above his abilities this weekend.
Lively Outsiders
Too Friendly
(James Owen)
James Owen is a young National Hunt trainer to keep an eye on for the seasons ahead, and they have worked wonders with Too Friendly. Since sent to James’s yard he has run 7 times, winning on 3 occasions and placing on all of the other 4, never finishing out of the top 3 in each run.
Now set aside what races he has been contesting in previously, that doesn’t matter as he has come on leaps and bounds with each passing run for James. Rated 122 when he first joined the new yard, now rated 140 and seemingly still improving with each passing run. His performance last time out was probably a career best, as he was only contesting in Handicap Hurdles before that run in the Listed Trustatrader Approved And Reviewed Trades People Hurdle at Kempton. He was only beaten by 2 and three quarter lengths that day by a nice type of Paul Nicholls, with First Street and Sceau Royal in behind that day, staying on in the closing stages very well, showing there might be more to come from him even still.
He has been very busy this summer, so that may catch up at some stage, but the Greatwood might be ran on better conditions this year, as the last two have been on good ground, and those will very much suit this horse. As mentioned he still could be improving, and although he is currently operating at a career high mark of 140, he could run well at a bigger price off the back of a career best last time out in the Kempton Listed Hurdle.
Anyharminasking
(Jonjo O’Neill)
Another horse that is fairly lightly raced heading into this, which sometimes can set them in good stead as they might be a better horse than their mark suggests heading into this. Jonjo O’Neill has his horses going very well to start the new season, and his runner Anyharminasking here does have to carry a fair bit of weight, however he is a dual winner of Handicaps previously and has slowly progressed up the rankings with each passing run.
He has already had the one run this season, when lining up in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last time where he finished a very gallant 2nd to Nemean Lion, probabaly a slightly unlucky not to either win or go slightly closer to the eventual winner.
He travelled very nicely that day, and jumped like a stag, however he did hang left badly in the closing stages as they approached the line, at time he did probably look to be in front as they battled it out, but he was always keeping on heading to the line. When a horse hangs as badly as he did on the day, presenting the race to the eventual winner, it is always a very difficult task to win. He is lightly raced and might have not stopped improving as yet, he could be one at a decent price to keep an eye on should he get declared.
Ante-Post Verdict
Blueking D’Oroux looks like he is the most talented in the field, and I think he could win the Greatwood before heading onto races like the Betfair Hurdle etc. The wind surgery has worked absolute wonders and he looked awesome on seasonal re-appearance last time. He has Cheltenham form, looks the one with most potential and now he’s firing on all cylinders, I can really see him going well in this contest. Too Friendly has been very busy since joining James Owen, but his run last time out when coming 2nd in a Listed contest at Kempton, has been franked nicely as the winner (Rubaud who he was just 3 lengths behind that day) has since come out and won the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton this weekend. That is a very nice piece of form, and he has shown improvement with each passing run for his new trainer. Given he is currently rated 140, he might prove to good for a few of these at a nice price.
SELECTION: BLUEKING D’OROUX (E/W – 12/1 generally) & Too Friendly (E/W – 16/1 generally)
*odds correct at time of posting – 10.30am Tuesday 14th November
Check out this weeks Weekend Watch podcast, where Andrew Mount, Dave Young & Kate Tracey guide us through the six ITV races on Saturday, including four of the key races from the Cheltenham card:
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