4 CHELTENHAM
2022
Friday March 18 2022
the timesTHE RACES
Cheltenham
Rob Wright
1.30 Pied Piper 4.10 Billaway
2.10 Colonel Mustard 4.50 Elimay
2.50 Ginto (nb) 5.30 Party Business
3.30 Galvin (nap)
Going: soft
Racing TV
Radio: first four races live on talkSPORT1.30 JCB Triumph Hurdle ITV
(Grade I: 4-Y-O: 75,964: 2m 1f) (12 runners)
(^103) AGES OF MAN 37 126
A McCann (Ire) (Miss Rita Shah) 11-0 Jonathan Moore
Third in Fairyhouse maiden; major shock if he can win this
2 11 DOCTOR PARNASSUS 38 - 146
D Skelton (Mr D W Fox) 11-0 H Skelton
Modest maiden on Flat has won both hurdles easily
3 1112 FIL DOR 41 (BF,D) 140
G Elliott (Ire) (Caldwell Construction Ltd) 11-0D N Russell
Bid for four-timer thwarted by Vauban
4 1151 ICARE ALLEN 20 (T,D) 137
W P Mullins (Ire) (Mr John P McManus) 11-0M P Walsh
Easy grade three winner latest, held by Vauban on previous
5 5-23IL ETAIT TEMPS 41 137
W P Mullins (Ire) (Barnane Stud) 11-0 D E Mullins
First run for trainer when about six lengths behind Vauban
6 11111 KNIGHT SALUTE 20 (H,C,D) 142
M Harris (Four Candles Partnership) 11-0 P Brennan
Completed grade two hat-trick at Kempton
7 11346 KOI DODVILLE 27 (B) 121
D Pipe (Mr Stuart M Mercer) 11-0 T Scudamore
Tailed off on heavy last time; summer campaign on the cards
8 0122 LUNAR POWER 82 (P) 129
N Meade (Ire) (Mrs Patricia Hunt) 11-0 S W Flanagan
Punchestown winner no match for Fil Dor twice since
9 11 PIED PIPER 48 (CD) 135
G Elliott (Ire) (Caldwell Construction) 11-0 J W Kennedy
Won course trial impressively; beat Vauban time before
10 1-1211PORTICELLO 27 140
G L Moore (Mr O S Harris) 11-0 Jamie Moore
Gave Knight Salute a fight at Doncaster; grade one win since
11 22 TEDDY BLUE 20 (H) 133
G L Moore (Hale Sargent Evans Clifton) 11-0Joshua Moore
Stable’s second string but good form with Knight Salute
(^1221) VAUBAN 41 (T) 144
W P Mullins (Ire) (Mrs S Ricci) 11-0 P Townend
Comfortable winner of Leopardstown grade one; tongue-tie
2-1 Vauban, 5-2 Pied Piper, 6-1 Fil Dor, 10-1 Il Etait Temps, 12-1 Porticello, Icare
Allen, Knight Salute, 14-1 Doctor Parnassus, 16-1 others.
Rob Wright’s choice: Pied Piper has impressed with his fluent jumping
since switched to hurdles; he can strike again Dangers: Vauban, Icare Allen
2.10 McCoy Contractors County ITV
Handicap Hurdle
(Grade III: £56,270: 2m 1f) (26)
1 -20001CALL ME LYREEN 40 (D) 150
G Elliott (Ire) (Lyreen Syndicate) 6-11-12Mr R James (7)
Grade two winner back to form in Leopardstown handicap
2 -11124MY MATE MOZZIE 40 142
G Cromwell (Ire) (Alymer Stud Ltd) 6-11-6K Buckley (5)
Stiff task latest following a break; smart novice
3 -25140TRITONIC 34 148
A King (McNeill Family & Mr Ian Dale) 5-11-5 A P Heskin
Ascot grade three winner appears to be in handicapper’s grip
4 4-F250BALLYADAM 40 (T,D) 124
H De Bromhead (Ire) (Cheveley Park) 7-11-4 A Coleman
Grade one novice, modest effort in first-time tongue-tie latest
5 -43550FELIX DESJY 27 (P) - 153
G Elliott (Ire) (Gigginstown Stud) 9-11-3 J W Kennedy
Back in suitable handicap company; last two wins over fences
(^6012103) DYSART DIAMOND 23 (T) 140
W P Mullins (Ire) (Ms E Manning) 7-11-3Jack Foley (3)
Stamina stretched over further last twice; in good form before
7 412233 FAIVOIR 13 (C,D) 147
D Skelton (Mrs S Lawrence) 7-11-3 Bridget Andrews
Trainer has better chances elsewhere in bid for fourth win in this
8 211513 FIRST STREET 34 (H) 146
N Henderson (Lady & Alice Bamford) 5-11-2N De Boinville
Good third in grade three at Newbury; chance if he acts on track
9 120-20CASK MATE 40 (T) 139
N Meade (Ire) (High Spirits Racing Club) 9-11-2D O'Regan
Pieces of good form; probably needed race last time
10 -11152I LIKE TO MOVE IT 34 (C,D) 145
N Twiston-Davies (AShepperd) 5-11-2S Twiston-Davies
Just held in grade three at Newbury; two course wins
11 4-3140JESSE EVANS 124 (BF,D) 146
N Meade (Ire) (Jack Singleton) 6-11-2 S W Flanagan
Absent since beaten favourite in similar race here in November
12 112435 FAROUT 40 (T) 139
W P Mullins (Ire) (Thurloe Ireland Limited) 5-11-2B Hayes
Tough tasks in grade ones last three starts; hard to assess
13 112/15WEST CORK 90 (T,C) 144
D Skelton (Mike and Eileen Newbould) 8-11-1 H Skelton
Belied 631-day absence here in November; bounce effect
14 1255-0IRASCIBLE 20 (T,D) 137
H De Bromhead (Ire) (Gigginstown Stud) 7-11-1B J Cooper
Soft-ground novice; should be sharper after a pipe-opener
15 2-F1STATE MAN 45 131
W P Mullins (Ire) (Mrs J Donnelly) 5-11-1 P Townend
Trotted up in Limerick maiden when 1-7; difficult to assess
16 3-2123COLONEL MUSTARD 40 142
L Fowler (Ire) (Mrs Frost/Davies/Fowler) 7-11-0C J Orr (3)
Pitted against Jonbon and Sir Gerhard last twice; could be in
17 P20201SUPRISE PACKAGE 6 144
Peter Fahey (Ire) (Mr Paul D Leech) 6-11-0(5ex)K Sexton
Nine-length Imperial Cup winner at Sandown
18 -13111TOP BANDIT 103 (C) 135
G Elliott (Ire) (Brown/Gooch/Cookson) 6-10-13D N Russell
October course winner making handicap debut
19 -24011CORMIER 13 (CD) 140
B Ellison (D Gilbert And A Bruce) 6-10-13(5ex)Sean Quinlan
Course and distance winner followed up at Kelso
20 50-4P1GUA DU LARGE 110 (H,T) 132
H De Bromhead (Ire) (Robcour) 6-10-11Rachael Blackmore
Stepped up with a tongue-tie to win at Fairyhouse
21 -020P0ECLAIR DE BEAUFEU 40 (P) 138
G Elliott (Ire) (Mr Allan Snow) 8-10-10 J Gainford (3)
Close fourth off 3lb higher mark last year; no forlorn hope
22 26-22TAX FOR MAX 232 (H,BF) 133
W P Mullins (Ire) (S Munir/I Souede) 5-10-9 S O'Keeffe
Made hurdles bow in grade two so well regarded
23 0-2203BUA BOY 12 138
D Hogan (Ire) (Katie & Brian Castle Ptnrs) 7-10-9D G Hogan
Ran well last time, poor effort here behind West Cork a negative
(^24112210) BROOMFIELD BURG 34 (BF) 137
N Henderson (Mr John P McManus) 6-10-8Jonjo O'Neill Jr
Fair form; jockey in saddle for all seven starts now on First Street
25 1-3253STEPNEY CAUSEWAY 29 (P,T) 125
D Skelton (The Gredley Family) 5-10-8 J Andrews (5)
Cheekpieces tried after three defeats over fences
26 -21421TEMPO CHAPTER TWO 37 123
W P Mullins (Ire) (Mr J P McGovern) 6-10-8 D E Mullins
Overcame mistakes to win Fairyhouse novice
5-1 State Man, 6-1 Top Bandit, 8-1 Suprise Package, 10-1 West Cork, 12-1 I Like To
Move It, Colonel Mustard, 14-1 My Mate Mozzie, 16-1 First Street, 20-1 others.
Wright choice: Colonel Mustard finished third to the top-class Sir Gerhard
last time and looks well handicapped Dangers: Cormier, Tax For Max
FERGUSON EYES GOLD
Sir Alex Ferguson, the
former Manchester
United manager, is a
part-owner of
Protektorat, right, who
is rated as the best of
the home team in the
Boodles Cheltenham
Gold Cup today.
Protektorat, who is
trained in Warwickshire
by Dan Skelton, is rated
a 9-1 chance by
bookmakers William Hill
to give Ferguson a
share of the £350,000
first prize.
The seven-year-old
gelding has shown
improved form since
being sent over fences,
winning four of his
seven starts and
finishing second on the
other three occasions.
He has already
earned his owners
nearly £200,000 and
put himself in line for a
crack at this elite
contest when beating
the 2018 Gold Cup
winner Native River at
Aintree in December.
Ferguson has
enjoyed plenty of
success with his racing
interests, which include
a share in dual King
George VI Chase winner
Clan Des Obeaux.
6 There are four Irish-trained raiders in the
Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter tomorrow