One of the more surprising and least-wanted statistics is that Philip Hobbs has not saddled a Cheltenham Festival winner for three years.
That victory, by Massini's Maguire in what is now the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, was also Hobbs’ most recent Grade One winner. While the trainer will have to wait another month to improve on his Festival record the big-race drought can end with Planet Of Sound in the Betfair Ascot Chase tomorrow.
Planet Of Sound has not run since finishing three lengths second to Albertas Run at Ascot in November, when a bad blunder at the ninth fence did little for Planet Of Sound’s chances.
He is now 6lbs better off with Albertas Run and should confirm the form with Monets Garden. He was 29 lengths back in sixth but, even given that was a very bad run, his form has become more erratic in recent seasons and he does seem to reserve his best performances for Aintree. Herecomethetruth has won six times over fences but those victories have been punctuated by defeats brought about by jumping errors and Ascot may be the wrong track for a horse with that problem.
Oh Crick, 13 lengths third behind Twist Magic in the Victor Chandler Chase last month still has a bit to find on the form book while The Sawyer is probably going to find one or two too good for him at this level.
Beshabar's one attempt at chasing was not a success but the switch back to hurdles clearly was when he won a handicap at Sandown two weeks ago. He attempts to follow up in the Betfair Hurdle and he has not been hammered too hard by the handicapper for that win. However, there is one lurking down at the bottom of the weights who looks interesting.
Barney Curley is not always the easiest trainer to read but he does have a 67% strike-rate with his hurdle runners at Ascot, which includes Zabeel Palace, who has won there twice already this season as part of a four-race winning sequence that was only interrupted by the well-handicapped Harry Tricker at Sandown in November.
The pair were well clear that day and Zabeel Palace, carrying just 10st 3lb, looks ready for this step up in class.
It gives some idea of the depth in class that Nicky Henderson has among his staying novice chasers that Burton Point will be favourite for the Sodexo Prestige Reynoldstown Novices' Chase when third-best in his own yard behind Long Run and Punchestowns, but a line through Diamond Harry gives him the beating of main rival Knockara Beau.
Henderson appeared to have equally impressive resources in the two-mile hurdling division but an injury to Binocular and defeat for Zaynar at Kelso yesterday places even more emphasis on the performance of Punjabi in the Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
However, the reigning champion hurdler was beaten on testing ground at Haydock last month and the main market rival, Starluck, suffered the same fate there on similar ground in November. Given that Wincanton will be riding heavy then Qozak could be the one for an upset. He won a handicap at Taunton last month and then looked as though he would go in again at Ascot two days later until tiring in the home straight. That second run came too quickly but he looks the one most likely to profit here if the principals falter.
Conditions will be equally testing at Haydock for the Blue Square Gold Cup, which will feature several Grand National entries. One of them is Pomme Tiepy and, aside from Cheltenham and Aintree, this represents a rare British runner for Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins. She has lost her way recently but was a smart novice, has won over the distance, can handle the ground and gets in right on the minimum weight of 10st.
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