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Novice hurdle run expected for popular veteran Mon Mome

The Venetia Williams-trained veteran Mon Mome has done particularly well in his two outings since returning from a long lay-off and the possibility of running in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the John Smith’s Grand National remain realistic for the highly popular old boy, writes Elliot Slater.

The 12-length 100/1 winner of the 2009 Aintree Grand National had been off the track since the 2010 renewal of the ‘world’s greatest steeplechase’, a race in which he was still very much in touch with the leaders and keeping the dream alive of being the first horse since Red Rum in 1974 to win back-to-back renewals of the marathon, when taking a heavy fall at the fifth from home in the race eventually won by Don’t Push It. Those with BetVictor free bets will remember the race well.

Diagnosed with a leg injury shortly after, Mon Mome wasn’t seen again until finishing in mid-division in a Haydock novices hurdle in December, then ran a blinder on his first outing back over the larger obstacles since his Aintree fall when beating all bar Mostly Bob (received 16lbs) when carrying 11st 12lbs in the Raceodds Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, eventually going down with all guns blazing to an honourable four-and-a-half-length defeat. Those following Bwin will have been impressed.

The 12-year-old, third to Imperial Commander in the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup, could yet take his chance once again in the blue riband contest if the ground comes up soft and places stamina at a premium, but Williams will not make any decision on his participation until close to the day of the race when she will be pretty sure what sort of ground to expect. The John Smith’s Grand National also remains a target for owner Vida Bingham’s pride and joy and the horse could well be kept race fit by trying to exploit his maiden status over hurdles before heading back to Aintree, a race for which he is currently quoted at odds of 40/1 in the ante-post market.

Fly far from a buzzword to retain Champion Hurdle title

Rumours suggesting that all is not well with reigning champion hurdler Hurricane Fly gathered further momentum on New Year’s Day when the star gelding’s trainer Willie Mullins announced that he isn’t prepared to return the eight-year-old to competitive action until he has had a racecourse gallop first, writes Elliot Slater.

The brilliant winner of last season’s Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival went on to follow up in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle on home soil at Punchestown in May, but hasn’t been seen out so far this season despite a number of false dawns that suggested the son of Montjeu was ready to return to the fray. His extended absence has for some time set the rumour mill in motion with a number of observers wondering if there is a chance that Hurricane Fly may miss the whole of this season, but such suggestions have been repeatedly refuted by Mullins. People who have read a Stan James review should remember this.

The plan now appears to be to attempt to bring the highest rated hurdler in training back to the racecourse in the BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown at the end of January, but such an outing is dependent on the horse proving himself first in a racecourse gallop having been below-par for a number of weeks resulting in him first missing the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, and then being a notable absentee from the Istabraq Hurdle, highlight of the recent Leopardstown Christmas fixture. People following the Bwin betting should bear this in mind.

Punters have been reluctant to go near Hurricane Fly in the ante-post markets since early autumn where he traded as a general 7/4 favourite and he can now be freely backed at 5/2, with the big race sponsors going top price of 11/4 in a bid to try and tempt punters out of the woodwork to part with their cash on the Irish star. It seems certain that those considering backing Mullins’ charge to register back-to-back successes will want to see him first with their own eyes before wading in.

Blazing Bailey & Act Of Kalanisi Stand Out As The Ones To Watch This Weekend

All in all, it looks a relatively quiet weekend in prospect as far as National Hunt racing in the UK is concerned, however, there are two races that stand out, the Betfred Classic Chase at Warwick and the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton, both of which take place on Saturday afternoon and have attracted competitive fields.

In the Betfred Classic Chase over 3m5f at Warwick on Saturday afternoon, bookmakers are all reporting good business ahead of the this cracking handicap chase at Warwick on Saturday and all have confirmed the David Pipe entry, Sona Sasta, as the favourite with odds of around the 6/1 mark.

With Colin Tizzards 156 rated Hey Big Spender in the race it will mean that six of the declared 14 runners will race out of the handicap. The 9 year old will carry 11st 12lb fully 10lbs more than any of his rivals, but notwithstanding, Tizzard is still bullish about his chances and believes he will run a big race.

Sona Sasta was last seen in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas where he ran disappointingly, finishing well off the pace in 12^th place. It was particularly disappointing for Pipe who had been very pleased with his run when second behind subsequent Welsh National winner, Le Beau Bai at Chepstow three weeks earlier. Pipe now hopes that Sona Sasta can return to the form of this time 12 months ago when he won two 3 mile handicaps within the space of nine days.

Just behind Sona Sasta in the betting with odds of 13/2 is the Brian Ellison entry Neptune Equester who won a decent looking handicap over 3m4f at Haydock last November and has followed that up with a fifth place finish in the valuable Grade 3 Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day. He comes into the race on a decent mark and should be good enough to get himself in the mix at the business end of the race.

Major Malarkey who will be one of those racing outside of the handicap is being well supported currently in the market. An 8/1 shot at present, he is one of two entries from the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard and will be ridden by Paddy Brennan, while the other, Hello Bud, now being campaigned as a 14 year old will be the ride of son, Sam Twiston-Davies.

Having bolted up in the Totetrifecta Handicap Chase at Hereford in December, the Charlie Longsdon trained Strongbows Legend fell in the Sussex National after being the subject of a huge gamble on the day. He is being backed to win this race too on Saturday and being out of the handicap he must be in with big chances if he can reproduce top form.

The one we like for this is the Alan King trained Blazing Bailey who struggled with the pace in the recent Welsh National in which he was eventually pulled up. However on his day he can prove his class and King believes that this former World Hurdle Champion is bang in form for this race, and good enough to provide a third successive win of this race for King. The sponsors report plenty of interest in the ten year old and have shortened him to 9/1 in their market.

The testing conditions and the length of the trip has made this a trial for many Grand National hopefuls down the years and it would be no surprise to see any of these that emerge from this race on the back of promising runs head to Aintree in April.

The Lanzorote Hurlde at Kempton looks an extremely open race with many in with chances. However, we like the look of Dr Richard Newland’s runner, Act Of Kalanisi a two time winner over hurdles and who was thought good enough to take his chances in Graded company earlier this season.

Now six years old, this horse still has plenty of promise and h is from a yard that regularly upsets the odds in big handicap races.

Hennessey performance to determine Quito Cheltenham target

Quito De la Roque, currently on offer at around 25/1 with most firms for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, will have a major say in his own destiny this season with his performance in the Irish Hennessey Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 12 set to determine whether or not he will bid for the blue riband event, writes Elliot Slater.

Colm Murphy, trainer of the talented eight-year-old, made it clear that he was disappointed with the third place finish of his charge in the Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas fixture, the gelded son of Saint Des Saint having been sent off a warm 13/8 favourite but in the end having no answer to Jonjo O’Neill’s Synchronised who beat him by 11-lengths into third place. Murphy has little explanation for that somewhat lack lustre effort but has been encouraged by the way the winner of the Grade 1 JNwine.com Chase at Down Royal earlier this season has come out of the Lexus-sponsored event. Those on the hunt for Cheltenham tips will have been keeping an eye on him.

Murphy anticipates seeing a very different Quito De La Roque in the Hennessey where a good performance would almost certainly mean the green light will be given to his bid for glory at Cheltenham against top notchers Long Run and Kauto Star. After winning impressively at Navan in February of last year Murphy’s charge was expected to head to Cheltenham for the RSA Chase but connections chose to bypass that meeting and wait for Aintree, a move that proved perfectly judged as the Gigginstown Stud-owned chaser landed the Grade 2 John Smith’s Mildmay Novices Chase in brave fashion, defeating Sarando by a neck. Anyone looking ahead to Betfair Cheltenham 2012 will have been impressed.

Stepping up to Grade 1 company at Punchestown a month later, Quito de La Roque completed a seasonal four-timer by slamming old rival Western Charmer to land the Growise Champion Novice Chase by 14 lengths and built on that win by scoring first time out this season at Down Royal, beating Champion Chase winner Sizing Europe by  length-and-a-quarter.

‘Now Hear This’ as earplugs removed from Long Run

Nicky Henderson, trainer of the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run, has revealed that he intends to run his high-class performer without earplugs when the seven-year-old makes his next racecourse appearance, most likely in the Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury in mid-February, writes Elliot Slater.

Henderson applied the earplugs to the French-bred gelding as a measure to keep the Robert Waley-Cohen-owned star as calm as possible in view of the incredible support that came the way of the mighty Kauto Star who was bidding (ultimately successfully) to win an astonishing fifth King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. The earplugs certainly did their job, but Henderson believes that they possibly caused his charge to relax too much and leave him somewhat detached from reality through the early stages of the Grade 1 affair. Those looking at the best Cheltenham Gold Cup odds should remember this.

Beaten just a length-and-a-quarter by Paul Nicholls’ remarkable veteran, Long Run will have an extra couple of furlongs to tackle at Cheltenham and judging by the way he stayed on from the second last at Kempton (despite making a mistake at the final fence), there is every reason to believe that in full possession of his senses and on a course that appears to suit him particularly well, he will go very close indeed to retaining his chasing crown.

Henderson admits that Kauto Star has surprised him this season in coming back to something very close to his sensational best of a number of seasons ago, but he also believes that his horse has probably improved despite being beaten twice by Nicholls’ horse – he went down to an eight-length defeat in Haydock’s Betfair Chase in November – in his two outings so far this term. Bookmakers currently rate Long Run a 5/2 ante-post market leader to win back-to-back Gold Cups, whilst Kauto Star is a solidly backed 4/1 second favourite.

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