The latest in our Cheltenham Festival previews series sees Daryl Carter analysing the fiercely competitive Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle. Read his thoughts on the tricky contest alongside SkyBet‘s new customer offer of Bet £5 Get £20 In Free Bets
One hundred ten entries for this year’s Marting Pipe, and it’s set to be a cracking contest. I have a fairly strong fancy should he take his chance in this contest, and the weights and measures are out shortly, so all eyes on Tuesday.
In the last 12 years, ten winners were aged five or six.
Just one winning favourite from the last 12.
Six of the last 12 won on their last outing.
Six of the last 11 had one previous run at Cheltenham
Ten of the last 12 winners rated 140 or higher
Eleven of the last 12 had three previous runs over hurdles.
All 12 winners had a rating of 134 or higher.
LANGER DAN rightfully heads the market after an outstanding run in this contest last term when chasing home the excellent Galopin Des Champs doing best of those from off the pace when the first four had all raced prominently. It was a remarkable performance, and he arrives here currently off a rating of 140. He could have a tonne in hand on that evidence and connections have been aiming at this race. He blew the cobwebs away at Taunton on his first run since, and connections have treated him like a very classy horse. He has excellent claims in this contest.
STATE MAN is the horse I am very, very interested in and has multiple entries throughout the week, including the Ballymore Novice Hurdle. We await his official rating from the handicapper, but anything in the mid 130s would make him of significant interest. He will have a tough task to take on Langer Dan, but he is a very exciting novice for Willie Mullins and won the same race as Five O’Clock did before coming to this contest a few years ago. He could be thrown in.
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CHEMICAL ENERGY will have to improve on his Fairyhouse win last time out, but the runner-up was unlucky not to boost the form next time, and he has bits and pieces of form that makes him interesting on what will be his handicap debut.
GOOD RISK AT ALL trounced a field at Ascot off an opening mark of 127 and was given a 10lbs rise in the handicap. He looks as though he could be a useful type for Sam Thomas but doesn’t look to have been trained with handicaps in mind for the festival and may bump into one or two too good.
DEPLOY THE GETAWAY has the age barrier as a concern for this contest being seven, and his handicap mark is likely to prove about right rather than being lenient. He is rated 136 in Ireland and, with British tax, could just find one or two better treated.
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The Verdict
There are plenty of others to consider in this contest, but I am so sold on LANGER DAN and STATE MAN that I genuinely believe the pair will fight this out.
The handicapper will find it hard to put a rating on State Man, and he would go close in any of the Novice races this term, so should he turn up here in a handicap, he could take all the beating. We await the weights that will come in this Tuesday, and he is well worth keeping an eye on to see what handicap mark he gets. He is a highly progressive five-year-old, and the step up in trip from 2m to 2 1/2 miles should see him in the best light.
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