6 Tuesday March 15 2022
the times
CHELTENHAM
2022ROB WRIGHT
RACING EDITOR
Cheltenham
Rob Wright
1.30 Jonbon 4.10 Burning Victory (nb)
2.10 Riviere D’Etel (nap) 4.50 Too Friendly
2.50 Doctor Duffy 5.30 Vanillier
3.30 Honeysuckle
Going: good to soft Racing TV
Radio: first four races live on talkSPORT
1.30 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle ITV
(Grade I: £75,964: 2m) (9 runners)
1 1 BRING ON THE NIGHT 16 (T) 124
W P Mullins (Ire) (Mrs J Donnelly) 5-11-7 B J Cooper
Beat little on Naas debut but couldn’t have done it any easier
2 2-11CONSTITUTION HILL 66 (D) - 148
N Henderson (Mr Michael Buckley) 5-11-7N De Boinville
Won grade one impressively at Sandown, jumping superbly
3 1-111DYSART DYNAMO 58 (T,D) 144
W P Mullins (Ire) (Ms Eleanor Manning) 6-11-7P Townend
Made all in Punchestown grade two; yet to race left-handed
4 11-111JONBON 52 (D) 145
N Henderson (Mr John P McManus) 6-11-7 A Coleman
Winner of grade twos at Ascot & Haydock; strong claims
5 1210 JPR ONE 31 132
C Tizzard (Mr J P Romans) 5-11-7 B J Powell
Tough task in hot handicap last time; two minor wins before
6 2-1231KILCRUIT 43 (T,D) 144
W P Mullins (Ire) (Miss M Masterson) 7-11-7Mr P Mullins
Hacked up in Punchestown maiden with first-time tongue-tie
7 1-131MIGHTY POTTER 78 (D) 143
G Elliott (Ire) (Caldwell Construction) 5-11-7J W Kennedy
Overcame jumping errors to win Leopardstown grade one
8 1-2412SHALLWEHAVEONEMORE 17 (D) 133
G L Moore (Mr Steven Packham) 5-11-7 Joshua Moore
Held by Constitution Hill on heavy; decent runs on better ground
9 213-1SILENT REVOLUTION 131 (D) 124
P Nicholls (Mr Colm Donlon) 6-11-7 H Cobden
Beat some decent sorts at Newbury; absent over four months
2-1 Constitution Hill, 9-4 Dysart Dynamo, 5-1 Jonbon, 6-1 Kilcruit, Mighty Potter,
25-1 Bring On The Night, 50-1 Shallwehaveonemore, 66-1 others.
Rob Wright’s choice: Jonbon has a high cruising speed and is a fluent jumper;
he can maintain his unbeaten record Dangers: Dysart Dynamo, Kilcruit
2.10 Sporting Life Arkle Challenge ITV
Trophy Novices' Chase
(Grade I: £102,482: 2m) (11)
1 F-3111BLUE LORD 38 (T,D) 157
W P Mullins (Ire) (S Munir/I Souede) 7-11-4 P Townend
All out to beat Riviere D’Etel in Leopardstown grade one
2 -61113BRAVE SEASCA 31 (D) 149
V Williams (Brooks & Taylor Families) 7-11-4 C Deutsch
Behind Edwardstone at Warwick; re-opposes on 5lb worse terms
3 40-231COEUR SUBLIME 47 (T,D) 146
H De Bromhead (Ire) (C Jones) 7-11-4Rachael Blackmore
Well behind Riviere D’Etel before confidence-booster at Gowran
4 -B1111EDWARDSTONE 31 (D) - 159
A King (Robert Abrey & Ian Thurtle) 8-11-4 T Cannon
Easy grade one winner at Sandown and impressive since
5 -52123GABYNAKO 79 (T) 142
G Cromwell (Ire) (Mick & Molly Synd) 7-11-4K M Donoghue
Two good runs at Fairyhouse, one a grade 1, but over longer trips
6 13-31FHAUT EN COULEURS 38 132
W P Mullins (Ire) (Mrs J Donnelly) 5-11-4 B J Cooper
Easy beginners’ chase winner at Leopardstown; fell early next
7 14-2U1RED ROOKIE 70 (D) 138
E Lavelle (The Hawk Inn Syndicate 3) 7-11-4 T Bellamy
Improvement required after minor Hereford success; mud-lover
8 22-513SAINT SAM 38 (H) 153
W P Mullins (Ire) (Mr Edward J Ware) 5-11-4S O'Keeffe
Made mistakes when no match for Blue Lord at Leopardstown
9 0-1121WAR LORD 51 (D) 149
C Tizzard (The Wychwood Partnership) 7-11-4 B J Powell
Well held by Edwardstone; prefers longer trip and heavy ground
10 2-4313MAGIC DAZE 100 (BF) 144
H De Bromhead (Ire) (Robcour) 6-10-11 D J O'Keeffe
Smart but suffered odds-on loss in Cork grade two last time
11 -11122RIVIERE D'ETEL 38 (BF,D) 155
G Elliott (Ire) (Bective Stud) 5-10-11 J W Kennedy
Unlucky when half-length 2nd to Blue Lord, now 2lb worse off
11-4 Edwardstone, 4-1 Riviere D'Etel, 9-2 Blue Lord, 7-1 Haut En Couleurs, 8-1 Saint
Sam, 14-1 Coeur Sublime, Magic Daze, 16-1 Gabynako, 20-1 others.
Wright choice: Riviere D’Etel was unlucky not to claim a first grade one win
at Leopardstown; she can make amends Dangers: Edwardstone, Blue Lord2.50 Ultima Handicap Chase ITV
(Grade III: £70,338: 3m 1f) (24)1 51-140FRODON 38 (T,CD) - 167
P Nicholls (Mr P J Vogt) 10-11-12 Bryony Frost
On same mark as last handicap success in 2020; chance
2 5P-15PLOSTINTRANSLATION 24 (P,T,C) 160
C Tizzard (Taylor & O'Dwyer) 10-11-3 B J Powell
Up and down since Gold Cup third in 2020; cheekpieces tried
3 5-1121DOES HE KNOW 24 (C) 152
K Bailey (Yes He Does Syndicate) 7-11-0 D Bass
Easy winner of Ascot grade two; course form reads 11512
4 002402 BEN DUNDEE 78 149
A Lynch (Ire) (C Jones) 10-10-9 D E Mullins
Good run at Leopardstown latest but winless since 2018
5 1460P2NOBLE YEATS 38 146
E Mullins (Ire) (R Waley-Cohen) 7-10-9
Mr S Waley-Cohen
Second in Wetherby grade two but not the best of jumpers
6 -P3313FLOUEUR 30 (T) 146
G Elliott (Ire) (Mr Claudio M Grech) 7-10-8J Gainford (3)
Has chance to make up seven lengths on Death Duty
7 4000P2FOXY JACKS 37 (P) 147
M F Morris (Ire) (Mr D Desmond) 8-10-7Jonathan Moore
All three wins were going right-handed over shorter trip
8 -2000UDOCTOR DUFFY 30 (P,D) 152
C Byrnes (Ire) (Relic Pride Ptnrs) 9-10-7 L Quinlan (5)
Close up when unseated rider in race won by Death Duty
9 33-124TEA CLIPPER 79 (W,P) 149
T Lacey (Jerry Hinds & Ashley Head) 7-10-7 S Sheppard
Poor efforts last twice; has had wind surgery
10 06-501DEATH DUTY 30 148
G Elliott (Ire) (Gigginstown Stud) 11-10-6 J W Kennedy
Back to form over further at Punchestown; softer the better
11 3-1231FANTASTIKAS 53 144
N Twiston-Davies (Imperial) 7-10-6 S Twiston-Davies
Both chase wins at Lingfield; needs to step up off this mark
12 1-50P2VINTAGE CLOUDS 20 (P,CD) 148
Sue Smith (Exors of the late Mr T Hemmings) 12-10-6
Sean Quinlan
Has finished first, second and third in this; age against him
13 4-P211RAPPER 40 (D) 146
H Daly (The Home Farm Partnership) 8-10-5 T J O'Brien
Form of Wincanton win has taken knocks and he’s up 6lb14 P-6F61DISCORDANTLY 9 (P) 155
J Harrington (Ire) (Odd Fellows) 8-10-5(5ex) R M Power
Leopardstown winner over shorter; stamina doubt remains
15 16-513GRUMPY CHARLEY 31 146
Chris Honour (Mr G Thompson) 7-10-4 B Carver (3)
Fair efforts in Newbury novices but stamina taken on trust
16 -42131KILTEALY BRIGGS 38 (P,T) 144
J Snowden (McNeill Family) 8-10-3 A P Heskin
Both chase wins from front over shorter trips; stamina doubt
17 2-0012FULL BACK 52 (C) 152
G L Moore (Mr Ashley Head) 7-10-2 Joshua Moore
Course winner that stays well; stable going great guns
18 -3114UCORACH RAMBLER 24 (T,BF,CD) 146
L Russell (The Ramblers) 8-10-2 D R Fox
Course winner, favourite when unseated in Ascot grade two
19 -34421RUN TO MILAN 30 141
V Dartnall (Barber, Birchenhough, De Wilde) 10-10-0A Johns
Exeter specialist; tough task off all-time high mark
20 -51F13OUR POWER 17 (P) 148
S Thomas (Walters Plant Hire) 7-10-0 C Deutsch
Fair third in Kempton grade 3 on first attempt at similar trip
21 F11-0PONE MORE FLEURIE 108 137
I Williams (Mr K McKenna) 8-10-0 Charlie Todd
Absent since two disappointing runs in the autumn
22 1F1-F4BELARGUS 17 141
N Gifford (Mr John P McManus) 7-10-0 N F Houlihan (3)
Nice prep race over hurdles last time but unproven stayer
23 3-F345OSCAR ELITE 45 (T,BF) 136
C Tizzard (Mrs Mary-ann Middleton) 7-10-0 H Cobden
Return to three miles should suit; chance on best form
24 1-3222GERICAULT ROQUE 59 (T,BF) 140
D Pipe (Prof C Tisdall And B Drew) 6-10-0 T Scudamore
Returns to more suitable trip; stable has good record in this
7-1 Floueur, 10-1 Corach Rambler, Death Duty, Our Power, 12-1 Fantastikas,
Gericault Roque, Tea Clipper, Does He Know, 14-1 Noble Yeats, 16-1 others.
Wright choice: Doctor Duffy, down in the weights, was tracking the leaders
when losing his rider two out at Punchestown Dangers: Frodon, Our Power3.30 Unibet Champion Hurdle ITV
Challenge Trophy (Grade I: £253,215: 2m) (10)1 122-22ADAGIO 24 (T,C,D) 156
D Pipe (Bryan Drew And Friends) 5-11-10 T Scudamore
Form figures on this track reads 2122 but plenty to find6 Shishkin and Energumene dominate the entries
for the Champion Chase tomorrow.
6 Dual National winner Tiger Roll eyes a sixth
Festival success in the Cross-Country tomorrow.THE RACES THE RUNN
just too good in grade one company at
Leopardstown in December.
She was unlucky not to gain a first
top-flight success at the same track last
time, losing the lead with a bad blunder
at the final fence but rallying strongly allR
achael Blackmore and
Honeysuckle have proved a
potent combination and the
pair can maintain their
unbeaten partnership in the
Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.30) today.
Blackmore has ridden Honeysuckle in
all 14 of the brilliant mare’s races, which
have included two Festival successes. She
landed the Mares’ Hurdle in 2020 and
followed that up in emphatic fashion
with victory in this race 12 months ago,
making Blackmore the first female rider
to win this Cheltenham highlight.
Honeysuckle can land
Champion Hurdle
repeat for Blackmore
The form of last year’s Champion
Hurdle has been questioned in some
quarters but the runner-up, Sharjah, has
landed two grade one races in two starts
this season, while the 2020 Champion
Hurdle winner, Epatante, was a well-
beaten third and she has also lifted two
grade one prizes subsequently.
Honeysuckle claimed a third win in
the Irish Champion Hurdle at
Leopardstown last month, at a time
when the trainer Henry de Bromhead’s
stable was out of form. She still showed a
sensational turn of foot to put the race to
bed in a matter of strides on the home
turn there and, with the De Bromhead
yard going well now, Honeysuckle can
create more history by becoming the first
mare to win the Champion Hurdle twice.
The fast-improving Teahupoo was an
11-length winner at Gowran Park last time
and has been beaten only once in seven
starts. There could be more to come but
he has yet to prove himself at this level.
He still could be the main threat to
Honeysuckle, ahead of Appreciate It, who
has not run since taking the Supreme
Novices’ Hurdle on this card a year ago.Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30)
This race is dominated to an unhealthy
degree by the big stables, with the Nicky
Henderson-trained Jonbon taken to see
off the Willie Mullins pair of Dysart
Dynamo and Kilcruit.
Jonbon has won all four starts with the
minimum of fuss. Despite the relatively
small field here there should be no
hanging around, with Kilcruit, Dysart
Dynamo and Silent Revolution all liking
to race up with the pace. That should suit
Jonbon, who is a fluent jumper with a
high cruising speed.Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy
Novices’ Chase (2.10)
Gordon Elliott will be desperate for
success at this meeting having been
forced to sit out last year after being
banned for six months over the now
notorious picture of him sitting on a dead
horse. Riviere D’Etel can get the Irish
trainer off the mark for the week.
This mare has taken really well to
fences this term, easily winning her first
three starts before finding the 2020
Champion Bumper winner, Ferny Hollow,Riviere D’Etel is usually a
fluent jumper and can
make amends for a rare
lapse at Leopardstown
last time by winning the
Arkle Challenge Trophy